Advice for New Prosecutors‪.‬

RECENT EVENTS have many of us pondering what it means to be a prosecutor and, more specifically, what it means to be one with ethics and integrity. We thought we knew, but then came the Duke University lacrosse debacle, and soon our profession was the target for criticism and claims of widespread prosecutorial misconduct along with calls for reform. Even though our critics exaggerate the problem, it would be a mistake to think that all their points are without merit. It is worthwhile to consider what constitutes a good prosecutor and how good prosecutors develop. Although I have been out of law school for a long time, I do not think it has changed that much when it comes to preparing a law student for a career in the district attorney's office. Really there is no preparation beyond a cursory discussion of the Rules of Professional Conduct that cover the special responsibilities of a prosecutor. Since most law students will not be practicing criminal law much less be a prosecutor, the subject simply doesn't merit the time. As a result, the new hires we get from law school are unprepared for the array of ethical challenges and conundrums that will confront them daily. Our individual offices and our profession must provide the training and mentoring necessary.