WRITING SAMPLES Legal employers will usually want to see an

WRITING SAMPLES

Legal employers will usually want to see an example of your legal research and writing skills

before making you an offer. Below are some guidelines to help you select an appropriate piece of

your work for this purpose.

Legal Reasoning—A writing sample must demonstrate your legal reasoning and analytical skills,

i.e., apply law to facts, and distinguish cases on their facts. Thus, an academic survey of case law

or a note that summarizes a recently published decision is not the best choice as it does not

include legal analysis. Possible writing samples include:

• A memorandum from your legal writing class.

• Your portion of your moot court brief. The best way to present an excerpt is to keep the

statement of facts, the table of contents, and your argument, or a section thereof. You should

indicate that sections have been redacted for length.

• A memorandum of law or brief that you created during an internship. Redact any information

such as the client’s name or identifying characteristics to protect privilege. You should always

ask for permission from your employer first before using your work product as a writing sample.

• A memorandum or draft opinion you wrote for a judge during an internship. Again, you must

ask for permission. Your writing sample should always be what you provided the judge, and not

the opinion itself.

Length—Unless employers indicate otherwise, writing samples generally should be 7-10 pages

(some employers may request 5, in rare instances 12). You may excerpt if necessary, but

remember to describe the nature of the larger document and context of the analysis in your cover

sheet. Re-read it to make sure the shorter version makes sense and flows well.

Recent—Writing samples should be current, and reflect your best possible effort.

Practical—Employers prefer to see work product from an internship or law clerk position.

Proofread—Typos, poor grammar, or incorrect citations will disqualify you for the job.

Blue Book—Cite legal authority accurately and in proper “Blue Book” format.

Confidentiality—As mentioned above, if you are using a sample from a job or internship be

sure to obtain permission for any documents not considered public record. In addition, take out

any confidential or privileged information. You should use fictitious names rather than blacking

out the information, but indicate you have done so in your cover sheet. For legal opinions, you

must obtain the express permission of your judge and only submit your draft of the opinion.

The Employer— Check whether the employer has specific writing sample guidelines, and

consider your audience when choosing a writing sample. If possible, choose a sample that

pertains to the employer’s practice.

Your work—Use a sample that you wrote on your own. If it is a collaborative sample, excise

any part written by others and be sure to provide an explanation on your cover sheet. If the

sample incorporates light editing from a professor or employer, this should be noted on the cover

sheet.

Cover sheet—Attach a cover sheet to your writing sample that offers a brief explanation of the

document, including whether confidential information has been redacted or changed, whether the

sample is an excerpt of a larger document, and when and for whom the original was written.

Examples:

Draft of Legal Opinion submitted with the express permission of The Honorable Marge

Simpson, U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana.

The attached writing sample is a memorandum for a Legal Writing I course, Fall 2019. It

incorporates suggestions by my writing professor, but is unedited by any third party.

The attached writing sample is an excerpt of the appellate brief that was submitted for the 2020

Thurgood Marshall Moot Court Competition. The sample includes the Statement of Facts, the

Table of Contents, and Section III of the argument. Sections I and II of the argument has been

redacted for brevity. It is unedited by any third party.

Formatting tips: Use the same header you employ for your resume and cover letter, and center

justify the text of the cover sheet, and place about 1/3 of the way down the page. Set your

margins as wide (1” top/bottom, 2” right/left) to center the text.

Example:

ALEX VAUSE

1415 Maryland Avenue · Baton Rouge, LA 70808

(225) 453-1234 · [email protected]

WRITING SAMPLE

The attached writing sample is a memorandum for an Introduction to Lawyering Skills (ILS)

course, Fall 2020. It incorporates suggestions by my writing professor, but is unedited by any

third party.