Assistant State Attorney – March 2026
The Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office (SAO) protects our community by prosecuting criminal violations in the greater Miami, Florida area. We are a Smart Justice office that seeks to rehabilitate those we can while incarcerating only those we must. Our strategic approach has allowed us to dramatically reduce our reliance on incarceration while contributing to a more than 75% drop in our property and violent crime rates during the past 30 years. We work in a fast paced environment where each of us can make a real difference. Our work is as exciting as it is fulfilling.
The training and experience we provide is second to none. As many have recognized, our office is a place where leaders are born. Many of our alumni have gone on to be extremely successful civil attorneys, state and federal judges, professors, elected officials, and political appointees.
We hire approximately 70 entry-level Assistant State Attorneys each year. They participate in a one-and-a-half-month training program before being assigned to a trial division. We provide a wide variety of opportunities, including general misdemeanor and felony trial work, as well as specialized units, including Sexual Battery, Career Criminal/Robbery, Senior Trial Counsel/Homicide, Economic Crimes, Domestic Crimes, Public Corruption and Racketeering/Organized Crime, and Cyber Crime. Top performers can expect to try a large number of cases and have opportunities to take leadership positions within a year of starting. Laterals are placed as appropriate. We have approximately 300 attorneys and 900 support staff. About 60% of the attorneys are female, while approximately 44% are minorities. We provide a starting salary of $70,000 for entry-level attorneys, with defined position advancement raises the first several years of practice, along with great benefits, including outstanding healthcare coverage at little or no premium costs, housing support, and retirement pension benefits. Laterals are paid commensurate with experience and assignment.
Applicants should be interested in working in a large urban area in an office that has a very fast-paced working environment. We desire applicants who have demonstrated a strong interest in litigation/criminal law through their coursework and experience while in law school. Florida Bar admission is not a prerequisite to hiring. However, for those who are not members of the Florida Bar, certification under Chapter 11 of the Florida Bar Rules is strongly preferred. Those who do not meet these requirements may be considered; however, the opportunity for employment may be diminished and will be conditioned upon admission to the Florida Bar.
We recruit 3L law students and graduates for entry-level positions. Those who have demonstrated an interest in litigation and/or criminal law through coursework and/or internships are preferred. Clinical participation is preferred.
