Imperial County District Attorney’s Office Expands Prosecutor Recruitment

-Editorial 

The Imperial County District Attorney’s Office has expanded its efforts to recruit and train prosecutors, welcoming five post-bar law clerks for its first summer cohort and hiring four paralegals to provide additional support for attorneys handling criminal cases.

The five post-bar participants are recent graduates of California Western School of Law, the University of San Diego, Western State College of Law, and Washington and Lee School of Law. Two participants attended California Western School of Law, while one attended each of the other three institutions.

Post-bar law clerks are recent law school graduates who have taken the California bar examination and are awaiting their results, which are expected in November. Those who pass the examination can be hired as deputy district attorneys.

The District Attorney’s Office established its Post-Bar Law Clerk Program earlier this year as part of an effort to address recruitment and retention challenges faced by prosecutor’s offices in rural areas of California.

During the program, the law clerks receive courtroom and prosecutorial experience while working under the supervision of licensed attorneys. The State Bar of California permits certified participants to perform certain legal services and appear in court under attorney supervision.

Their responsibilities include preparing court calendars, evaluating criminal cases, conducting evidentiary hearings, making court appearances, and preparing and filing criminal charges.

“We want these young attorneys to be ready to hit the ground running the moment they receive their law licenses,” District Attorney George Marquez said. “Instead of spending the months after the bar examination simply waiting for results, they are gaining valuable courtroom experience and learning how a prosecutor’s office operates.”

The program was funded through a Community Benefit Program grant, with additional funding approved by the Imperial County Board of Supervisors, according to the District Attorney’s Office.

The office said the program is also intended to introduce recent law school graduates to Imperial County by having them live and work in the community during the summer.

For participants who pass the bar examination and join the District Attorney’s Office, training is scheduled to continue in December with an intensive trial program. The training will be conducted by retired Supervising Attorney General Melissa Mandel and will focus on courtroom skills, trial preparation and practical knowledge for handling cases.

“Our goal is not simply to hire attorneys — we want to develop prosecutors,” Marquez said.

The post-bar program is part of a broader recruitment effort that includes on-campus interviews, prosecutor job fairs, partnerships with other district attorneys’ offices and expanded online recruitment.

Marquez said he personally participates in campus interviews and job fairs to promote Imperial County as a place to practice law and establish a career.

The office also has added four paralegals to assist deputy district attorneys with trial preparation, discovery review and organization, evidence preparation and other litigation-support duties.

The District Attorney’s Office said the additional staff is intended to give prosecutors more time to focus on legal analysis, court appearances, witness preparation, negotiations and trials.

“Modern prosecution requires more than simply having enough attorneys,” Marquez said. “Cases are increasingly complex, discovery is increasingly voluminous, and prosecutors are facing more demands than ever before.”

The office is also pursuing changes to its operations, including efforts to modernize the handling and storage of digital evidence and update investigative practices and technology.

Marquez said the recruitment and staffing initiatives are part of a broader effort to strengthen the office while working within limited resources.

“These five post-bar law clerks represent the next generation of prosecutors, and our four new paralegals will immediately strengthen the work of the attorneys serving Imperial County today,” Marquez said. “At the same time, we are modernizing the way we work.”

The District Attorney’s Office said it will continue evaluating its operations and identifying opportunities to improve its staffing, technology, and case-processing capabilities.