Writing Samples
What does great legal writing look like?
This is the right place to find out. Some employers want to get a sense of your writing chops, especially if you’re applying for clerkships. Find out how you can sharpen your sample and impress your future employer.
Why Your Writing Sample is Important
In any law position, your ability to produce clear, concise, and timely research and writing will establish your reputation. If you have excellent research and writing skills and the ability to complete assignments well within the specified timeframe, you’ll gain increasing levels of responsibility.
Choose Your Best and Most Appropriate Writing Sample
Be sure that your sample reflects your best writing and that it is your unedited work. You can use class assignments as long as you’re the person who did the final revision. Carefully check the grammar and spelling and make sure to pick a readable typeface!
Be smart. Work hard on your research and writing assignments. This is your time to learn. Carefully consider your instructor’s comments and rewrite your assignment as many times as necessary.
If you are a third-year student, use your Appellate Advocacy paper or something you wrote for an employer instead of your first-year Legal Research and Writing class assignments.
Rules For Your Writing Sample
- Submit your most persuasive legal writing.
- Pick something recent.
- Make sure it is easily understood and easy to read.
- Provide your own work.
- Keep it short if possible (about 10 pages).
- Avoid lurid subjects.
- Take out confidential/sensitive information.
- If you have had anything published, make sure you bring a copy to an interview. If it’s short enough, you could use it as your writing sample.