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Hello, collective wisdom of TLS,

Posting anonymously because I don't want to get no-offered.

My firm is really big on people who will stay, and hates when people leave, but I need a writing sample. If they know I'm applying elsewhere, I probably won't get an offer (and I need an offer to get the next job). Any ideas on how to get a writing sample without tipping them off? I don't want to use one without permission, screw up client confidentiality, etc.

Thanks in advance,

Anonymous

Use a memo or a brief from class, rather than your firm, if you really think it would be a problem.

BriaTharen wrote:Use a memo or a brief from class, rather than your firm, if you really think it would be a problem.

Yeah I think this is right. Having a real world writing sample is a plus but not enough to justify burning a real world bridge.

Say it's for clerkship applications?

Thanks for the suggestions, guys. I think I'll write a new memo based off of something I wrote for work, and bluebook heck out of it.

Anonymous User wrote:Hello, collective wisdom of TLS,

Posting anonymously because I don't want to get no-offered.

My firm is really big on people who will stay, and hates when people leave, but I need a writing sample. If they know I'm applying elsewhere, I probably won't get an offer (and I need an offer to get the next job). Any ideas on how to get a writing sample without tipping them off? I don't want to use one without permission, screw up client confidentiality, etc.

Thanks in advance,

Anonymous

Merely applying could tip them off. So whether you use a writing sample from the firm or not doesn't have an effect, unless it's something that is particularly interesting to the employer you're interviewing with such that he would call your previous firm about it.

As for confidentiality, once a document is filed and made public record, there is no more confidentiality attached to it, and you can use it as a writing sample.