My Life as a Government Lawyer

by Lisa Lawrence

What makes a lawyer leave private practice and all its accoutrements for the world of criminal prosecution? Why isn’t it enough for some of us to take and defend depositions, do significant research and writing, and learn about the many facets of civil law from experienced and talented partners? There are, of course, the other obvious perks as well: plush offices, secretarial assistance, social activities which include dining at fancy restaurants, and client development activities that allow access to great tickets at sporting and cultural events. I suspect there are as many reasons people leave the private sector as there are lawyers. Why would somebody give them up? I haven’t conducted an official poll of corporate sector expatriates, but when I run across them, there is a sense of kinship among us. I’m going to guess that there are many who can relate to my experience and consequently will understand my story.

The day I decided to leave private practice was a fairly typical day in my life as a junior litigation associate. I was doing research on Westlaw and putting together a memorandum for the partner for whom I was working. In the midst of Shepardizing, I let out a sigh and put my head on my desk. A little voice inside of me was telling me that something was missing from my fledgling legal career. How to define that missing intangible "something" wasn’t easy, but one thing was certain: I wanted to go to trial. I wanted to stand up in court before judge and jury, open my mouth, and have something brilliant come out (I’m still working on the "brilliant" aspect but I’ve opened my mouth on many occasions). I was inspired to go to law school after reading books such as To Kill a Mockingbird and watching such plays as "12 Angry Men". It may seem a bit dramatic, but I couldn’t go through my entire legal career without facing the many challenges of working within the criminal justice system.

So far, I’ve found that there is somewhat of a difference between a private attorney working in the best interests of one’s client and a prosecuting attorney’s interest in serving justice. While I was assigned to juvenile court, I had to balance the need to hold a juvenile accountable for his or her crimes, but also focus on solutions for rehabilitation. As a junior associate in private practice, I had minimal contact with clients, as was expected, but it was hard for me to put a personal face on Corporation X. Currently, as a representative for the State of Washington, my "clients" are now its residents. Because there are so many "faces" to the citizens of this state, seeking to put one personal face on all of us is fruitless, and the needs of victims require individual assessments. I also find myself challenged by my own political and philosophical biases and the need to follow the law. I sometimes feel guilty that at certain penalty is too stiff or two lenient, and making peace with those tensions does sometimes produce anxiety. However, there is something to be said for walking on that razor’s edge.

As I’ve been in the prosecutor’s office for less than 2 years, I still have a lot to learn. Will I someday sit at my desk, while writing a trial brief, and hear second little voice, suggesting another pasture? Only time will tell. In the meantime, I’m happy to have tuned in to that first voice.

Lisa Lawrence is currently a King County Deputy Prosecuting Attorney. Prior to working for the county, she was a litigation associate at Foster Pepper and Shefelman in Seattle.

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