A writing sample is an important part of your job application process. Most law firms, public interest organizations, and government agencies will request a writing sample at some point in the application process. Employers use your writing sample to confirm that you are capable of rigorous legal analysis. They also expect that your writing sample is completely free of grammar, spelling, and citation errors.
What should I submit as a writing sample?
Because legal employers are generally looking for legal analysis skills, a legal memorandum or a brief is preferred over a research paper. Memos and briefs written for your Legal Research & Writing class are entirely appropriate, even if the subject of the document is not relevant to the employer’s practice area. Legal employers recognize that first-year law students have limited choices for writing samples. Upper-level students may submit a document that was created at the direction of an attorney or supervisor during an internship or externship. Be sure to ask permission to use such a document and be certain to redact any confidential information. Scholarly or academic work should be submitted only if specifically requested.
The writing sample should reflect your own work. If you have written a document with another writer (e.g., your appellate brief for Legal Research & Writing II), omit the portions that the other writer drafted. If a section was jointly written, so indicate. Many employers will request an “unedited” writing sample. This means that the work must be substantially your own and should not have been edited by another person. You may personally edit any document, including one that was produced at a law-related job. If you are submitting a Legal Research & Writing assignment, you may incorporate changes based on comments you received on the graded paper. You should not, however, ask someone else, including Legal Rhetoric Professors or Writing Fellows, to edit your work or to make substantial changes for you. To preserve the integrity of the process, the Legal Rhetoric Program will provide guidance and answer any specific questions you have about your writing sample but will not edit or proofread.
How long should the writing sample be?
Unless an employer specifies a page limit, five to ten pages is an appropriate length. If your potential sample is too long, you may excerpt a part - the Discussion section of an office memo, for example. Be sure that the excerpt illustrates your analytical skills and append a brief explanation to put it in context.
How should I present it?
Create a cover sheet for your writing sample. It can be the heading of your resume or cover letter and a simple centered title stating, “Writing Sample.” Use your cover sheet to give any necessary background information. For example, if you are using the closed memorandum from your Legal Research & Writing class, provide a note naming the class, describing the assignment, and explaining that the research was provided with the assignment. Keep it short. Just a couple of sentences.