What You Do
District Attorneys, also known as prosecutors, or DAs, represent jurisdictions in criminal cases and ensure that justice is served. A District Attorney doesn’t just prosecute crimes – they are the linchpin in a city’s judicial system. Generally speaking, a DA is a lawyer who is elected or chosen by local government officials to represent the state government in criminal cases.
The DA is an officer of the court, and a critical link in the development of public policy related to criminal justice. The biggest responsibility of the DA is to ethically protect the needs of citizens and the community through the criminal justice system.
All but three states (NJ, AK, CT) elect State’s Attorneys General and or District Attorneys. State Attorneys General are elected statewide, and DAs or assistant DAs are elected in smaller districts that comprise the state. For example, in California there are 58 counties, and one DA for each, in addition to a statewide elected Attorney General.
“We need your voice because everyday people need to be represented by everyday people.”
Luisa Santos
School Board Member, Miami-Dade County, Florida
Responsibilities
District Attorneys have a wide scope of influence including deciding what cases to prosecute and which criminal charges to bring; the authority to investigate persons, grant immunity to witnesses, accused criminals, and plea bargain with defendants; and the ability to create or alter mandatory minimums. Some of the key duties include:
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Issuing formal opinions to state agencies
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Proposing legislation
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Acting as public advocates in areas such as child support enforcement, consumer protections, antitrust and utility regulation
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Enforcing federal and state environmental laws
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Currently, DAs are facing issues related to reproductive freedom, environmental impacts including land use, and LGBTQIA+ equity issues.
Helpful Skills
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Knowledge of the jurisdiction's law and state criminal policies
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Strong verbal and written communication skills
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Clean personal record and social media
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Ability to stay calm and clear in chaos
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Salary and HoursDepending on the jurisdiction city/town councils meet every other week, or one time per month. You can view a sample council meeting agenda here. Often, members will serve in sub committees in addition to the council at large. In many cities and towns council members are reimbursed for travel, or they receive a salary for their service. Salaries on the low end are approximately $10,000 and the high end at $320,000. Some jurisdictions offer benefits like health care insurance and pensions. The staff supporting city/ town councils usually includes an attorney and at least one clerk and secretary. The president of the city council in larger jurisdictions may have their own Chief of Staff. Like their legislative counterparts, city/town councilors work hard, often spending their time away from the council chamber in the community meeting with or serving constituents.
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Sample CampaignA campaign for city council in Nebraska will look vastly different than a campaign in New York. The cost of campaigns is directly proportional to the size of the voting population: more people equals more money, smaller population equals more canvassing and person to person communication. Targeted communication, an essential component of a winning campaign, requires money for postage and other forms of paid media. Candidates don’t need millions – increasingly cities and towns are building public funding mechanisms for local campaigns – but every candidate will need the resources to communicate with the voters that can get them elected. Starting as early as 18 months out from an election will be super helpful in affording the time a candidate needs to build a winning campaign structure. Most local races are run and won with part time campaigns, and volunteer staff.
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Requirements to RunTypical requirements include: Be 18 years of age at the start of the term. Be a resident of the district that the individual is running to represent. Be a US citizen. Be free of felony convictions. Mentally capable to serve (not to have been determined mentally incapacitated by a court of law). Legal requirements to seek and serve on a city/town council vary by jurisdiction. Most places require that the candidate live in the district they seek to serve, either before the election or shortly after. Candidates must almost universally be registered to vote in the district. There are no particular education requirements.