Salaries, plea rates, and the career objectives of federal prosecutors

We examine the relation between local labor markets and the behavior of federal prosecutors. Empirical evidence is provided that assistant U.S. attorneys in districts with high private salaries are more likely to take cases to trial than are assistants in districts with low private salaries. We explain this finding as follows. In high-salary districts, government salaries are not competitive relative to the private sector. Therefore, federal prosecutor positions are sought by individuals who want the trial experience needed to secure desired private-sector employment. The following additional evidence further supports this explanation. First, the turnover of assistant U.S. attorneys is higher in high-private-salary districts than in low-private-salary districts. Second, individuals who leave their employment as assistant U. S. attorneys are of higher quality in districts with higher private-lawyer salaries. Third, assistant U.S. attorneys with more trial experience are more likely to take positions in large private law firms.