Completely self editing writing sample? Forum

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timmyd

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Joined: Sun Jul 14, 2013 8:50 pm

Completely self editing writing sample?

Post by timmyd » Sat Jul 21, 2018 1:22 pm

I've seen a lot of judges recently calling for "completely self edited" writing samples. I previously clerked for a fed district judge and have been in private practice for two years now, often writing intensive. I don't think I have a completely self edited piece. I have an unreleased opinion from my prior clerkship and multiple msj briefs that I could use; none of these were from spared from at least light edits from the judge/partner...

If I specify light edits, is this an auto ding from the judge? I just don't think completely self edited, substantially samples, exist for youngish lawyers unless it's like a note or something, which I think would be weird to use after practicing/clerking

Puffman1234

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Re: Completely self editing writing sample?

Post by Puffman1234 » Sat Jul 21, 2018 10:45 pm

You don't have a single pre-other-person's-edits draft of any order you wrote that, if unsatisfactory to you now, you could edit to better reflect your presumably more-advanced abilities today?

I clerked for a fed d.ct judge. My writing sample I used for the job search later was just a 100%-mine draft of an order that I edited (at the time of putting my applications together) to better reflect my current level. My cover letter explained this process.

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