Public practice: Prosecutors and the pursuit of justice

It is far from the “glamorized” world of private practice. In fact, it is a domain where lawyers, most of the time, carry enormous burden on their shoulders that they have to expertly maneuver lest they want to incur the wrath of many. The work of a prosecutor is a “tough gig,” as Stacey Honowitz explained in her article for the Huffington Post, but “someone’s got to do it.”

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Indeed, a prosecutor's work does not automatically fit into the dreams of most law students. With many of them saddled with student debt, law students see a career in public practice not as lucrative compared to working for private law firms. Others meanwhile would rather eschew the idea of a lifetime career of putting people behind bars.

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While these observations could be valid representations of tendencies in legal training and practice, what is not highlighted in discussions is the myth of prosecution as being all about “catching the bad guys,” as some of the nation’s top legal minds depict. The job is really about seeking justice for victims of crimes.

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And justice served is, for prosecutors, the ultimate reward. These lawyers work hard to make communities safer and to ensure that they represent fairly the rights and interests of those who are impacted by crimes. This kind of practice is not for all, rather for the select few who want to make a real and positive difference in people’s lives.

Martha Pacheco Machado De Araujo became a prosecutor in Brazil at the age of 23. Her career as a young prosecutor exposed her to a multitude of legal issues in civil and criminal law, which would help hone and define her practice later on. Additional details about the prolific career of Atty. Araujo can be accessed on her LinkedIn profile.