Writing Samples

Creating and presenting an effective writing sample is a vital part of securing employment in the legal sector. Here are a few tips:

Choose an Appropriate Document to Present

Most legal employers want to see the kind of documents practitioners produce. Appropriate writing samples include the memoranda and briefs you have written in Legal Rhetoric or during a summer or academic year internship/externship. Scholarly or academic work should only be submitted if it is relevant and you are certain it will be welcomed by a particular employer.

If you are using a document you created at the direction of an attorney in a previous job/internship experience, be sure to get permission to use the document. In addition, it is extremely important to ensure that you do not inadvertently disclose confidential information.

Your writing sample should reflect your own work. If you have produced a document with another writer (e.g., your appellate brief for Legal Rhetoric), omit the portions the other writer drafted. Many employers will ask you for an "unedited" writing sample. We take this to mean that the work must be your own. Consultations with your Rhetoric instructor and/or Dean's Fellow and/or any other Rhetoric instructor do not disqualify you from using an assignment you have prepared for class. However, substantive editing of content by a supervising attorney or any other individual would disqualify the document as it would no longer be an example of your "unedited work."

Unless an employer specifies a page limit, a writing sample that is 5-10 pages in length is usually appropriate. The document should clearly illustrate your analytical skills.

Professionals Expect Documents to be Flawless

Proofread your writing sample extensively. Make sure it does not have spelling or grammatical errors and that your citations are all correct.

How to Present Your Writing Sample

Use an appropriate cover page. Your cover page should present the same personal information (i.e. address, telephone number, etc.) as your cover letter or resume. You can include a centered title stating "Writing Sample."

Beneath your title, include a short, single-spaced paragraph identifying whatever it is that you are submitting and provide any other relevant information. For example, if you have deleted the Facts section from a memo in order to meet an employer's page limit, you might include two or three sentences summarizing the point of controversy you are analyzing or give the most important facts relating to it. Your cover page should be concise and only contain 1 or 2 paragraphs. Double-space memos and briefs unless you are otherwise directed.

What to do When You Need to Edit a Document

A good writing sample should contain the complete analysis/argument covering one major issue. If you have more than one issue and you need to reduce pages, consider excising one of the issues in its entirety. If you do this, your cover sheet should reflect that you have removed an issue to comply with the employer's page limit and you may offer to send the complete document to the employer if necessary.

Other things you might consider deleting: the Conclusion section of memos where you have a Brief Answer and portions or all of the Facts section.

Where to Get Help/Advice/Feedback on Your Writing Sample

The Legal Rhetoric faculty is available to meet with you to discuss writing samples. It is best to schedule an appointment to review your document.