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So, I'm working for an oil state's Department of Law, Division of Oil, Gas & Mining and so far my summer projects have been incredibly interesting, but also -- as you can imagine -- incredibly confidential. It's kind of cool to be able to know stuff that no one else in the country knows, but at the same time letting any of my research get out to the public could be disastrous.

I'm just a tad worried about getting a writing sample out of this job that I'm actually allowed to use. I could always go to an attorney and ask them to make something up, but I'm not sure I'll have time to add another project. So what do you think? Work overtime to get an unrelated writing sample done? Or ask an attorney to give me legitimate work I can use in interviews? I mean, I'm sure I'll come up with something, but I'm interested in what you guys think.

Ask your boss. My work has an explicit writing sample policy. You have to ask them permission and they mark the document up before you can use it. I'm sure employers understand.

you should ask and see if you can help write something that will be made part of the public domain. that way you can use it. I am sure your supervisor will understand..they know that interns need to get certain things from the experience and one of those things is a writing sample.

If this department usually takes on law students for the summer, you can be sure they've encountered this question before. Check with your boss (or HR if you haven't started yet).

Plenty of 1L employers straight up forbid using a product from the job as a writing sample. You'll just have to use something else. Good news is very, very few employers at the 1L/2L hiring level give a shit.

Can't hurt to ask your supervising attorney(s) if they can redact work that you wish you use as a writing sample.

So, do employers expect a writing sample from the 1L job, or is it ok to use one from a legal writing class? I would much prefer to use one from my legal writing class if it doesn't make any difference either way.