Pros
Great benefits, particularly the health insurance and unlimited sick days. I had quite a bit of independence to build my practice the way I wanted. There are also excellent legal resources, so whenever I had a unique legal question it is almost guaranteed that I would find an answer.
Cons
LAS has been hemorrhaging attorneys of color. There is no support when attorneys of color face abusive, racist judges nor is there support when attorneys of color face discrimination and poor treatment within the organization. Leadership just doesn't care, which is unfortunate as the majority of people LAS represents are also people of color. Pay. Like most public defenders, I was grossly underpaid. It was difficult to sustain any quality of life living on that salary in New York City. Many of my colleagues were living paycheck to paycheck and could barely save. An attorney would have to be there for at least a decade to gain any type of stability.
