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What can you use as a writing sample for 2L summer associate interviews? Do employers prefer to see court documents (motions, briefs) or can you use an internal research memo addressing a legal question?

By the same token, is it absolutely disastrous NOT to use a writing sample from your 1L internship? Sort of feel like my LRW appellate brief is a better overall product...

I'd use the LRW memo (or whatever you wrote for the class). I know my memos at my 1L internship didn't have to be by the book and they weren't as in depth as the class assignment.

Just my two cents.

24secure wrote:I'd use the LRW memo (or whatever you wrote for the class). I know my memos at my 1L internship didn't have to be by the book and they weren't as in depth as the class assignment.

Just my two cents.

Same here. I'm planning on using a legal writing memo or brief.

So it doesn't matter? I've heard that Legal Writing memos are not the best bet because many people from your school use the same thing and having someone read arguments, even if well-written, that they've already seen multiple times seems like it could hurt you.

But it shows that you are capable of making a legal argument. There really isn't a whole lot to show the employer if you just turned in some court orders you wrote. A lot of the stuff employers have you write just doesn't involve a lot of citation or a lot of argument. I'd rather show them something that involves a lot of legal analysis than show them something they haven't seen from 20 other people.

Everything else being equal, a work product writing sample is better. However, if your LRW sample has better/higher quality writing, then you probably should use the LRW sample.