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What is the proper, or is there even a proper, way to ask a partner/associate at a law firm where I have a SA this summer to let me use a motion i wrote as a writing sample for OCI? I say that with the thought that I may even come back to this firm next summer if I am offered, but I would potentially like the ability to split and compare firms.

Thoughts?

jrthor10 wrote:What is the proper, or is there even a proper, way to ask a partner/associate at a law firm where I have a SA this summer to let me use a motion i wrote as a writing sample for OCI? I say that with the thought that I may even come back to this firm next summer if I am offered, but I would potentially like the ability to split and compare firms.

Thoughts?

You'd probably hvae to redact a shit ton for privilege issues. I don't even know if you can use it really because its the firms IP. I'm not positive about anything I just said tho.

jrthor10 wrote:What is the proper, or is there even a proper, way to ask a partner/associate at a law firm where I have a SA this summer to let me use a motion i wrote as a writing sample for OCI? I say that with the thought that I may even come back to this firm next summer if I am offered, but I would potentially like the ability to split and compare firms.

Thoughts?

Just ask the partner you wrote it for if you can use it as a writing sample. He/she will either say yes or no, and if yes, then tell you to redact and send to him/her for approval.

jrthor10 wrote:What is the proper, or is there even a proper, way to ask a partner/associate at a law firm where I have a SA this summer to let me use a motion i wrote as a writing sample for OCI? I say that with the thought that I may even come back to this firm next summer if I am offered, but I would potentially like the ability to split and compare firms.

Thoughts?

If the motion were filed and is public record, then you can use it however you wish. Though asking permission might be the courteous thing to do since the motion probably didn't have your signature on it. And whoever actually signed it might not like it to be known that he or she didn't write it. For example, supreme court clerks write much of the decisions, under the justice's guidance of course, but they can never say that they actually wrote them.

rdawkins28 wrote:

jrthor10 wrote:What is the proper, or is there even a proper, way to ask a partner/associate at a law firm where I have a SA this summer to let me use a motion i wrote as a writing sample for OCI? I say that with the thought that I may even come back to this firm next summer if I am offered, but I would potentially like the ability to split and compare firms.

Thoughts?

If the motion were filed and is public record, then you can use it however you wish. Though asking permission might be the courteous thing to do since the motion probably didn't have your signature on it. And whoever actually signed it might not like it to be known that he or she didn't write it. For example, supreme court clerks write much of the decisions, under the justice's guidance of course, but they can never say that they actually wrote them.

Regardless if it is public record or not, OP should in no way just go ahead and use it without first checking with the partner it was written for. It's probably not an unusual request from law students, and the partner likely won't have an issue with it, but OP damn well better check first. Not checking would be unprofessional and piss off the partner.