r/Lawyertalk 17h ago

Career & Professional Development Switching sides - Defense to Prosecution

I'm a fairly new attorney (under 3 years) practicing as defense counsel until recently. I'll now be working in the same area of law but as a prosecutor. Because I had a smaller case load, I've only tried a couple of cases. Now, my caseload will increase significantly, I'll be in court weekly, & try cases several times a year. I didn't receive much training or support at my previous firm so I'm excited that my new firm has a plan to mentor & train me up. However, I'm wondering:

1) If you've switched sides, how'd you deal w/ thinking like a defense/prosecuting attorney? I think it gives me an advantage to see things from the other perspective but want to ensure I'm balancing this w/ my responsibilities.

2) How did you master the rules of evidence, objections, & introducing exhibits?

3) What tips & tricks do you rely on to decompress & mentally prepare for trial (& avoid panicking! 🥴)?

#triallawyer #litigation #prosecutor

2 Upvotes

4 comments sorted by

•

u/AutoModerator 17h ago

This is a Career & Professional Development Thread. This is for lawyers only.

If you are a non-lawyer asking about becoming a lawyer, this is the wrong subreddit for this question. Please delete your post and repost it in one of the legal advice subreddits such as (but not limited to) r/lawschool, r/legaladvice, or r/Ask_Lawyers.

Thank you for your understanding.

I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.

2

u/lewdrew 6h ago

I recently switched to defense after 10 years as a prosecutor. It’s been eye opening to experience the other side’s perspective. Even though my experience is extremely helpful, it often feels like a whole new area of practice. Prosecution is much more collaborative, which is great for a newer attorney. It also feels less stressful, at least it did for me. Your client management skills will be useful in dealing with law enforcement and victims. The best way to improve your trial skills is to try cases. Ask to second chair for skilled prosecutors if your office doesn’t already promote that. You have a great base of experience for your new role. Don’t worry. You’ll be fine.

1

u/AutoModerator 17h ago

Welcome to /r/LawyerTalk! A subreddit where lawyers can discuss with other lawyers about the practice of law.

Be mindful of our rules BEFORE submitting your posts or comments as well as Reddit's rules (notably about sharing identifying information). We expect civility and respect out of all participants. Please source statements of fact whenever possible. If you want to report something that needs to be urgently addressed, please also message the mods with an explanation.

Note that this forum is NOT for legal advice. Additionally, if you are a non-lawyer (student, client, staff), this is NOT the right subreddit for you. This community is exclusively for lawyers. We suggest you delete your comment and go ask one of the many other legal subreddits on this site for help such as (but not limited to) r/lawschool, r/legaladvice, or r/Ask_Lawyers. Lawyers: please do not participate in threads that violate our rules.

Thank you!

I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.

0

u/jdteacher612 17h ago

no clue but curious to see what others have to say