Pros
Before we begin, a correction on behalf of Glassdoor: The elected DA of Harris County is not properly identified in here, I do not know who the CEO mentioned is. -Great health insurance and retirement plan -Rank-and-file ADAs and support staff are generally good people just looking to make a difference or a living -You will get a lot of experience very quickly whether you like it or not! It is analogous to jumping into a fast-moving river, with no equipment, as a way of learning how to swim. Oh wait, these are supposed to be the pros... Yeah, I got nothing else...
Cons
-Insurmountable caseloads and backlogs. Most ADAs in the trial bureaus maintain an average of 1000 cases year-round for which they are solely responsible, with some going well above that. To put this into perspective, defense attorneys in the county handle an average of 150. The leadership has made half-hearted attempts (such as approving overtime projects) because they are afraid of public reaction if too many cases are dismissed, which results in little success. In fact, sometimes this simply results in more work for everyone. As the normal caseload continues to inflate, so do the trial caseloads of each court, with some going as high as 200 per court. These are cases that you will have to prepare for and try, while still handling all of the cases. There will be no mercy for mistakes on trial cases. -Little to no training. Given the nature of the job and the resources available to the agency, the fact that there was no formal training program/battery until very recently is baffling. Even with the new barebones program, ADAs are generally left to fend for themselves and figure out the job on the go. Most chiefs are too busy handling many of the same issues as their subordinates and others simply do not care to be involved in their learning. Some of us tried to change that, but the good ones do not stay too long due to the next point. -You will have to fight leadership as often as opposing counsel. Most of the leadership of the trial bureaus and the top brass of the administration try their best to split their time between micromanaging your every decision (and yes, blaming you if something goes wrong) and bringing down the hammer on you for any mistake with less mercy than most of us show actual defendants. I have not once seen anyone from leadership standing up for the ADAs that do the actual work of investigating and resolving the criminal matters of the voters. They pay plenty of lip service, sure, but nothing else. At times, they have been known to act on their biases if the case involves someone they know (i.e. went to law school with them). When this happens, buckle up! Because you are about to go through hell to justify any and every decision that they do not like, even if you're 100% correct and it is obvious that you are. You have been warned: Do not dare to allow yourself the foolish pleasure of indulging in the fantasy that the beginnings of the thought of standing up for you will cross even their wildest fever dreams. You are and will always be a liability in their minds no matter what you do. Even if you're the type of masochist that smirked while reading all of that, or (like me) the bright-eyed idiot that thought he could fix the bad from the inside, I, unfortunately, must discourage everyone from working here, even as a starter. The few of us that remain are doing necessary and important work for Harris County by working 70+hr weeks (so you can add "Goodbye work/life balance!" as a sub-con). However, as long as they keep getting more new attorneys to throw at the meat grinder, leadership will never realize the extent of the damage that they have caused. If you still insist, please... start in another county: you will get paid about the same, and will not have to deal with the first two cons. If you still insist on Harris County, then simply come back after the elected loses the election (fingers crossed). Stay safe out there, everyone!