Angie Perkins

Working at the U.S. Attorney’s Office has been a highlight of my legal education. The staff and attorneys in this office are exceptional all around—in their commitment to ethical practice, their high level of intelligence and wisdom, and in their willingness to assist one another and to work collegially with opposing counsel. My respect and admiration for the office as a whole grew exponentially over the semester. And, I learned a lot.

With my limited license I was able to appear in federal court. I also observed a jury trial, sentencing hearings, change of plea hearings, motion hearings, and detention hearings. Much of my time was spent researching and writing on an array of issues: drug trafficking, money laundering, sentencing guidelines, court closure to the public, judicial notice, the Fourth Amendment, and so on. The end product was both formal and informal. I was invited to draft a plea agreement, sentencing memorandum, letter to the opposing counsel inviting defendant cooperation, and even an answer brief that would eventually be filed with the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. Every attorney who supervised my work was incredibly helpful, but also willing to let me work autonomously. I always received useful, honest feedback as to how to improve my work or what other considerations might be evaluated in a particular issue.

Aside from the vast amount of legal knowledge I obtained, one of the most important takeaways I have gained from this experience is that the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Idaho is a great place to work. The environment is laid- back, and often jovial, all the while some very serious work is being done by dedicated and talented attorneys. It was an honor to work alongside them, and to learn from each one of them.

Angie Perkins

Concordia University School of Law

Class of 2016