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Writing Sample Question

Posted: Wed Jan 08, 2014 7:31 pm
by Liam
At what point does a writing sample cease to be "yours?" I am currently writing a brief section for an upcoming moot court competition, and am really happy with what I have put together so far, but the brief will ultimately be marked up and cite-checked by my partner. I am curious whether those more informed than I have any insights on how much input from people other than myself is too much for me to call it my own writing sample.

Re: Writing Sample Question

Posted: Fri Jan 10, 2014 6:41 pm
by Anonymous User
Liam wrote:At what point does a writing sample cease to be "yours?" I am currently writing a brief section for an upcoming moot court competition, and am really happy with what I have put together so far, but the brief will ultimately be marked up and cite-checked by my partner. I am curious whether those more informed than I have any insights on how much input from people other than myself is too much for me to call it my own writing sample.
I sent an app into some federal courts for 1L internships with my FDMCC brief as my sample and the advice I got from my legal writing professor (former 9th circuit clerk) was as so: it's a heap problem, but you'll know when it isn't yours anymore.

Her point was that substantive help was over the line, but basic editing was totally fine. She did refuse to check my citations for me, so that may fall into substantive.