<p>Using some mock-trial connections, last summer I worked in a paid, full-time position at the local Public defenders office (not just doing filing, but helping make power point closing arguments, etc.) This summer due to budget cuts it looks like I might not get paid. Will volunteering 300+hours there each summer help in law school admissions? Should I instead look to work in the D.A.'s office so that I've "seen both sides"? Will neither of these matter at all come application time? Also, do law oriented extra curriculars such as college mock trial help if I go to a successful school and attain an attorney role? </p>
<p>It’ll help as a soft factor, but not a lot.</p>
<p>I should mention, however, that the rumor around my law school is that defenders’ offices are extremely ideological and do not hire students with prior D.A. internships or even experience volunteering or shadowing a prosecutor. So if you might want to return to a PD’s office in some capacity, you might want to be careful about this.</p>
<p>I can’t confirm this rumor, but it’s widely believed among my classmates.</p>
<p>Your internships during high school probably shouldn’t even be on your law school application. Their main advantage is that they’ll help you get related internships during college. With that said, I think working at either the DA or public defenders’ office would be a great way of learning more about the law. Which one you work at will have little impact on admission, but could be personally valuable to you, so you know which you’d like to work at if you become a lawyer (also, you might want to try out civil law at some point, too, just to check it out).</p>