County Prosecutor's Office Forum

[Anonymous User]

Anyone have experience in applying for a internship in the county prosecutor's office?

If it helps, 1L, and a resident of the local county.

[Anonymous User]

Yes but the process is going to vary wildly from county to county. Just call the office and ask if they take on summer interns and how to apply.

[Anonymous User]

I have and they requested a cover-letter, resume, and a writing sample by the middle of December.

I am kind of unsure if i can submit my open memorandum as my writing sample, as we recently submitted it and it has not been graded.

[Anonymous User]

I have and they requested a cover-letter, resume, and a writing sample by the middle of December.

I am kind of unsure if i can submit my open memorandum as my writing sample, as we recently submitted it and it has not been graded.

You can submit it. You just want to make sure it is a polished as possible.

[AreJay711]

I have and they requested a cover-letter, resume, and a writing sample by the middle of December.

I am kind of unsure if i can submit my open memorandum as my writing sample, as we recently submitted it and it has not been graded.

You can submit it. You just want to make sure it is a polished as possible.

Actually, I'd note that in your cover letter for your writing sample. It lets them know that your professor hasn't went over your application and fixed all the mistakes and it is really your own work.

[California Babe]

I have and they requested a cover-letter, resume, and a writing sample by the middle of December.

I am kind of unsure if i can submit my open memorandum as my writing sample, as we recently submitted it and it has not been graded.

You can submit it. You just want to make sure it is a polished as possible.

Actually, I'd note that in your cover letter for your writing sample. It lets them know that your professor hasn't went over your application and fixed all the mistakes and it is really your own work.

That's a terrible idea. The assumption for any writing sample is that it is your own work. All you will do by pointing out that it is ungraded is leave the impression that you're making an excuse for any mistakes.

[AreJay711]

I have and they requested a cover-letter, resume, and a writing sample by the middle of December.

I am kind of unsure if i can submit my open memorandum as my writing sample, as we recently submitted it and it has not been graded.

You can submit it. You just want to make sure it is a polished as possible.

Actually, I'd note that in your cover letter for your writing sample. It lets them know that your professor hasn't went over your application and fixed all the mistakes and it is really your own work.

That's a terrible idea. The assumption for any writing sample is that it is your own work. All you will do by pointing out that it is ungraded is leave the impression that you're making an excuse for any mistakes.

So, you think that it is better to lie when you use your polished to death one that HAS been graded. You could do this in a pretty chill way: "I produced this for my Legal Writing and Research course but it is entirely my own work. It does not include the changes suggested by my professor or any other reviewers."

[California Babe]

So, you think that it is better to lie when you use your polished to death one that HAS been graded. You could do this in a pretty chill way: "I produced this for my Legal Writing and Research course but it is entirely my own work. It does not include the changes suggested by my professor or any other reviewers."

It is not lying when you turn in work that you have modified from feedback. When you turn in work at your real job, you might get feedback and rewrite things. It is still your work product. My experience is that professors don't rewrite work for you—they help you improve it. And here's a little reality check: even when it is a writing sample from real world work product, it is going to be "polished to death" and probably reviewed by peers and supervisors. It doesn't mean it isn't your work. That's how this works.

Employers will receive writing samples that are products of legal research and writing classes. They know the drill at this stage, because you don't have real work product to show yet. By specifically pointing out that it was not yet graded, it sounds like you're trying to make excuses for any mistakes that might appear. Whether or not you intend it to come off that way, it simply doen't do any good to try and point out you haven't edited your assignment.

At my job this summer, any motion or memo a law student wrote was reviewed by a supervising attorney with feedback returned. We improved our work based on the feedback from our supervisors, and we used our assignments as writing samples. It would have been asinine to turn in a writing sample that no one reviewed, and then inform our employer that we wrote it without receiving any feedback. Why would anyone do that? The message is that either you're a 1L who thinks he doesn't need anyone's help, or you're trying to point out that any mistakes might be there because no one has reviewed it yet. How are either of those options a good message?

[leobowski]

It is not lying when you turn in work that you have modified from feedback. When you turn in work at your real job, you might get feedback and rewrite things. It is still your work product. My experience is that professors don't rewrite work for you—they help you improve it. And here's a little reality check: even when it is a writing sample from real world work product, it is going to be "polished to death" and probably reviewed by peers and supervisors. It doesn't mean it isn't your work. That's how this works.

Employers will receive writing samples that are products of legal research and writing classes. They know the drill at this stage, because you don't have real work product to show yet. By specifically pointing out that it was not yet graded, it sounds like you're trying to make excuses for any mistakes that might appear. Whether or not you intend it to come off that way, it simply doen't do any good to try and point out you haven't edited your assignment.

At my job this summer, any motion or memo a law student wrote was reviewed by a supervising attorney with feedback returned. We improved our work based on the feedback from our supervisors, and we used our assignments as writing samples. It would have been asinine to turn in a writing sample that no one reviewed, and then inform our employer that we wrote it without receiving any feedback. Why would anyone do that? The message is that either you're a 1L who thinks he doesn't need anyone's help, or you're trying to point out that any mistakes might be there because no one has reviewed it yet. How are either of those options a good message?

Wrong. When you turn in any writing sample for legal internships, you want to explain the degree to which it is your own work. Example: "This is an essay from my international space bird law seminar. It has not received any substantive edits from anyone else." You're thinking into this way too much.

[California Babe]

Wrong. When you turn in any writing sample for legal internships, you want to explain the degree to which it is your own work. Example: "This is an essay from my international space bird law seminar. It has not received any substantive edits from anyone else." You're thinking into this way too much.

I have not had a single employer ask a question related to what extent my LRW memo was my own work.

[leobowski]

Wrong. When you turn in any writing sample for legal internships, you want to explain the degree to which it is your own work. Example: "This is an essay from my international space bird law seminar. It has not received any substantive edits from anyone else." You're thinking into this way too much.

I have not had a single employer ask a question related to what extent my LRW memo was my own work.

Your personal, limited experience does not override conventional wisdom regarding writing samples.

[California Babe]

Wrong. When you turn in any writing sample for legal internships, you want to explain the degree to which it is your own work. Example: "This is an essay from my international space bird law seminar. It has not received any substantive edits from anyone else." You're thinking into this way too much.

I have not had a single employer ask a question related to what extent my LRW memo was my own work.

Your personal, limited experience does not override conventional wisdom regarding writing samples.

Let me rephrase: the conventional wisdom when submitting writing samples for jobs is that your writing sample is a reflection of your work. You don't need to explicitly point this out. If your work is not solely your work product, then it is appropriate to note the manner in which other people collaborated or edited—but I'm not sure why you would ever submit something that doesn't reflect your own work.

Just like on your resume when you add a line about how you "supervised 100+ employees" you don't write, "supervised 100+ employees all by myself."

[morris248]

It is all about who you know. Try to find a local attorney that will recommend you.

[sundance95]

Wrong. When you turn in any writing sample for legal internships, you want to explain the degree to which it is your own work. Example: "This is an essay from my international space bird law seminar. It has not received any substantive edits from anyone else." You're thinking into this way too much.

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