 Ferraro 's first full @-@ time political job came in January 1974 , when she was appointed Assistant District Attorney for Queens County , New York , by her cousin , District Attorney Nicholas Ferraro . At the time , women prosecutors in the city were uncommon . Grumblings that she was the beneficiary of nepotism were countered by her being rated as qualified by a screening committee and by her early job performance in the Investigations Bureau . The following year , Ferraro was assigned to the new Special Victims Bureau , which prosecuted cases involving rape , child abuse , spouse abuse , and domestic violence . She was named head of the unit in 1977 , with two other assistant district attorneys assigned to her . In this role , she became a strong advocate for abused children . She was admitted to the U.S. Supreme Court Bar in 1978 . 
