Writing samples employers want--memo, brief, summer work? Forum

[RudeDudewithAttitude]

When OCI employers ask for a writing sample, does it matter whether I submit my memo or brief from LW, or do employers want summer work product?

I'd prefer to send my memo because I got a 3.8. I got a 3.4 on my brief so it is less "ready." And my summer externships have required minimal writing. Should I just submit my memo? Thoughts?

[Renzo]

Use whatever is your best writing. If that's your LR brief, so be it.

[drew]

Any thoughts on sending the write-on submission (assuming it passes honor code muster)? I feel like that is my best work personally.

[ggocat]

IMO, qualities of a good writing sample:

1. Written well (explains concepts clearly, organized, effective use of headers and font and white space, free of grammar and citation errors, objective if it's supposed to be objective and persuasive if supposed to be persuasive = satisfies the goal)

2. Interesting topic for the audience (e.g., a memo about a peculiar Sentencing Guidelines issue may not be the best memo for biglaw).

3. Short (as short as it can be, this ties in with "well written" because good writing is crisp writing, cut down any and all unnecessary sentences and words; general rule of thumb = less than 10 pages).

[RudeDudewithAttitude]

Good stuff. Thanks GoCat.

[Posner]

Agreed. Though, if one piece of writing is clearly better than others and exceeds 10 pages, I would still submit it. I think my sample was slightly over 15 pages. If it is long, chop out sections if they are severable obviously, but often they are not. Quality is most important. Length is a little more secondary is my understanding from talking to others.

[RudeDudewithAttitude]

Is it better to keep a 15 page memo in its entirety or omit sections?

My memo has 4 major sub-headings and I deleted 2 of them and inserted ---> (section XX omitted)

The memo is exactly 10 pages now. It looks good to me and you can follow it, though I am a bit skeptical that employers actually read these writing samples.

[ggocat]

Is it better to keep a 15 page memo in its entirety or omit sections?

My memo has 4 major sub-headings and I deleted 2 of them and inserted ---> (section XX omitted)

The memo is exactly 10 pages now. It looks good to me and you can follow it, though I am a bit skeptical that employers actually read these writing samples.

I think it's better to keep the whole writing sample rather than omit a particular section.

However, to the extent you have time and the memo has issues that are easily severable, I would omit those issues and narrow the questions presented, facts, and analysis so that you are talking about only one issue.

For example, if you have one question presented that requires proving four elements, I think it would be best to keep the whole paper and include discussion of all four elements. But if you have two questions presented, I would cut one along with the appropriate analysis and facts.

There's no hard and fast rule.

[king3780]

Is it better to keep a 15 page memo in its entirety or omit sections?

My memo has 4 major sub-headings and I deleted 2 of them and inserted ---> (section XX omitted)

The memo is exactly 10 pages now. It looks good to me and you can follow it, though I am a bit skeptical that employers actually read these writing samples.

I also wonder how much of the writing samples actually get read or if they just scan to weed out the people who can't put two consecutive coherent sentences together. I would submit the entire memo and let the employer choose to skip parts if they want to. If you delete parts, the employer may think you just cut out the weak parts of the paper.