Writing Samples

Most employers will ask for a legal writing sample at some point in your job search. Some employers will request one at the same time as they request your resume; others will wait until the first or second interview stage. Generally, you do not need to send a writing sample along with your resume unless you are responding to a posting that requests one or you have spoken with an employer who has asked that you include one.

Writing samples are very important in the hiring process, and you should select your writing sample carefully. Always include a cover page that contains your name, address, and telephone number so that the employer knows who it is from if it becomes separated from your other materials.  

Appropriate Types of Writing Samples

A writing sample for a legal employer needs to be a polished memorandum, brief, or other legal document that demonstrates your legal writing and analysis skills. The document must be free of typographical errors and stray marks.

Your sample can be a document from a course or work product. Many first-year students use a brief from their Legal Research & Writing class. A writing sample should showcase your writing style, as well as your ability to synthesize case law, statutes and other authorities and provide solid legal analysis. If your writing sample is something you have done for a class, it should not contain the professor’s comments. If it is something you have done in a work context, you must seek permission from the employer to use the document and protect the confidentiality of the parties by redacting names and other identifying information. Some jurisdictions also require permission of the client for whom the document was drafted before it can be used as a writing sample.

Length

Your writing sample should be five to ten pages, unless requested otherwise. Employers are looking for clear, concise language and format, although relevancy and interest to the employer can be a plus.

If you are creating a writing sample from a document longer than 10 pages, you can excerpt a section. If you use an excerpt, you may want to write a brief introduction to provide context to the reader. This typically includes a brief statement of the type of document (e.g., a brief submitted to a particular court, a memorandum drafted while working at a past employer, etc.) and possibly a short statement of facts or background explanation, if necessary.