Writing Samples for post-clerkship apps Forum

[Anonymous User]

Just curious..for writing samples in your app to firms, which is the better move, use your best writing sample (content and analysis wise) even though the topic is not too common at your firm (ex: district court review opinion of a lower bankruptcy court's decision), or would you go with not your best writing sample but it is on more common topic related to your intended firm's practice (ex: Summ J motion on contract dispute)??

[forza]

Is your judge going to be cool with you using either of those (since, technically, it's his/her name at the bottom of it)?

[Anonymous User]

Is your judge going to be cool with you using either of those (since, technically, it's his/her name at the bottom of it)?

This. I also would not use something from a clerkship unless you can say with sincerity that it is 100% your work. I don't know how that could possibly work in a clerkship, but maybe it happens.

FWIW, I am clerking and in a few interviews they've asked about why I'm using a writing sample from 2L. I've explained that none of my 3L classes had take-home writing assignments and during both my 2L summer job and my clerkship I didn't do anything that was 100% my own work. No one really cares. My guess is that if you get a good rec from your judge, it means you can write well enough.

[Anonymous User]

I also would not use something from a clerkship unless you can say with sincerity that it is 100% your work. I don't know how that could possibly work in a clerkship, but maybe it happens.

Some judges really really really don't like to write.

[Anonymous User]

Is your judge going to be cool with you using either of those (since, technically, it's his/her name at the bottom of it)?

OP here- The judge is fine with whichever writing sample I decide to use. And I agree with not using anything that is not 100% yours; the two options I mentioned above are 100% my work.

So which one will you choose?

p.s. I know most firms don't even ask for writing sample but this one firm I am interested in asks for one, which is why I am asking yall input!!

[A. Nony Mouse]

This is just a gut reaction, but since nothing you write as a clerk is going to be quite like you'd write it in practice, I'd go with the one that best shows your overall writing and analysis (plus I think it goes without saying you'd handle a lot of MSJs as a clerk).

[bradley]

Is your judge going to be cool with you using either of those (since, technically, it's his/her name at the bottom of it)?

This. I also would not use something from a clerkship unless you can say with sincerity that it is 100% your work. I don't know how that could possibly work in a clerkship, but maybe it happens.

FWIW, I am clerking and in a few interviews they've asked about why I'm using a writing sample from 2L. I've explained that none of my 3L classes had take-home writing assignments and during both my 2L summer job and my clerkship I didn't do anything that was 100% my own work. No one really cares. My guess is that if you get a good rec from your judge, it means you can write well enough.

Where have you interviewed? From what I can tell this is the first sign of movement on the post-clerkship job hunt. Feel free to pm me if you don't want to say here.