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Is it against firm policy to use a memo that I wrote for an assignment as a summer associate as a writing sample in job applications?

Thanks in advance

Anonymous User wrote:Is it against firm policy to use a memo that I wrote for an assignment as a summer associate as a writing sample in job applications?

Thanks in advance

I would assume yes.

I would ask your firm if you could redact the client's name and show it (if you want to go that route). OR I'd simply just give them an academic assignment.

If you want to use it, you should get the firm's permission. If you are worried that telling the firm you're using it in job applications will create awkward conversations, you can always say something like, "I would like to explore the idea of clerking before joining the firm. Is it OK if I use this memo as a writing sample?" That way you're at least inferring that you're planning to join the firm regardless of how the job search turns out.

If you are actually applying to jobs that care about writing samples, a real life assignment is likely to be way more helpful than submitting an academic assignment. Anecdotally people here seem to suggest that biglaw doesn’t care much about writing samples, but clerkships and the feds do.

I don’t think there’s any issue with at least asking about their policy.

Anonymous User wrote:Is it against firm policy to use a memo that I wrote for an assignment as a summer associate as a writing sample in job applications?

Thanks in advance

Why would you ask random strangers who don’t know what firm you’re at instead of someone at your firm?

ookoshi wrote:If you want to use it, you should get the firm's permission. If you are worried that telling the firm you're using it in job applications will create awkward conversations, you can always say something like, "I would like to explore the idea of clerking before joining the firm. Is it OK if I use this memo as a writing sample?" That way you're at least inferring that you're planning to join the firm regardless of how the job search turns out.

Yes definitely this. Ask, and ask in the context of clerking. They will probably let you use it, but it may need to be redacted and approved by some byzantine process.