How long should a law writing sample be?
Asked by: Dr. Mark Schumm PhD | Last update: October 22, 2025Score: 4.7/5 (41 votes)
The legal writing sample is an integral part of the hiring process for lawyers. Here are tips for preparing the best sample of your legal writing skills. The writing sample should be five to ten pages in length, unless otherwise indicated by a particular employer.
What is a good length for a writing sample?
Writing samples should be five to ten double-spaced pages in length, excluding any cover page. A cover page (see example below) explaining the assignment is always recommended rather than providing the entirety of an assignment that is longer than 10 pages.
What should a legal writing sample be?
Examples could include: moot court brief; upper year seminar paper or research project; memo, letter, administrative comments, or advocacy piece from an internship or externship; clinic work sample; or journal note. o Remember that your sample should (usually!) be only 5-10 pages.
How long is the LSAT writing sample?
Under standard testing conditions, you will have 50 minutes to complete your LSAT Argumentative Writing sample — 15 minutes for prewriting analysis and 35 minutes for essay writing.
How long is the writing sample for judicial clerkship?
Typically judges prefer no more than 10-15 pages, so if your preferred writing sample is longer, send a discrete section. It can be a memo from a summer job, a portion of a moot court brief, or a part of a journal note. Attach a cover page with your name and contact information.
12 Frequently Asked Questions About Legal Writing Samples
How long should legal writing samples be?
The legal writing sample is an integral part of the hiring process for lawyers. Here are tips for preparing the best sample of your legal writing skills. The writing sample should be five to ten pages in length, unless otherwise indicated by a particular employer.
Is clerking for a judge prestigious?
State Supreme Court Clerkships: Prestige at the State Level
The Supreme Courts of California, New York, and Texas, for example, are known for their competitive clerkship processes and the caliber of their clerks.
What makes a good LSAT writing sample?
While your writing sample has no word limit, you should aim to be as clear and concise as possible. Most writing samples on the LSAT are between two and four paragraphs long. Ensure you prioritize quality over quantity.
Can I take the LSAT writing in my bedroom?
If testing remotely, make sure you'll have access to a quiet, well-lit, private, enclosed room for the entire time you're taking the test. You cannot move testing areas after you complete the room scan and begin the LSAT.
Do law schools look at the writing sample?
How Much Does the Writing Sample Matter? To a busy admissions officer, your LSAT writing sample is worth little more than a glance. It will go unnoticed unless it is so incoherent, inappropriate or incompetent that it casts doubt on the authenticity of your application or your suitability for law school.
What writing sample to use for clerkships?
Nearly all judges require a writing sample with the initial clerkship application materials. Memos and briefs are best –you want to show the judge you can be helpful to them by your strong legal analysis and organization.
Should I include references in a writing sample?
You will want to ask the program their preference, but usually references do not count unless they explicitly say they do. Images do count and could be included, but also make sure they aren't taking up a lot of your space needed to show your ability to think and write.
What to redact for a legal writing sample?
Make sure you redact any confidential or sensitive information. someone else, neatly cross out sections that are not your work. Alternatively, you can attach only your sections and explain in the cover sheet that the sample is only a section of a brief that was written by you.
What if my writing sample is too long?
If you want to use a paper that is longer than five pages, provide an excerpt with a notation at the top that tells the employer that it is an excerpt from a _(number)-page paper on ___(topic)___ and where in the paper this excerpt is from.
What is a reliable sample size?
For populations under 1,000, a minimum ratio of 30 percent (300 individuals) is advisable to ensure representativeness of the sample. For larger populations, such as a population of 10,000, a comparatively small minimum ratio of 10 percent (1,000) of individuals is required to ensure representativeness of the sample.
What makes a good legal writing sample?
Legal Reasoning—A writing sample must demonstrate your legal reasoning and analytical skills, i.e., apply law to facts, and distinguish cases on their facts. Thus, an academic survey of case law or a note that summarizes a recently published decision is not the best choice as it does not include legal analysis.
Is the LSAT going away in 2025?
The ABA's House of Delegates will vote on the Council's proposed change in February 2023. If the House votes to nix Standard 503, the standardized-test requirement won't go away until 2025. So, the LSAT isn't definitely going away, and it's definitely not going away until 2025.
How long should my LSAT writing sample be?
How long should my LSAT writing sample be? While there's no strict word limit, most responses are between 300-500 words, so 1-2 pages long. Your LSAT writing sample should be as longs as necessary to present a clear and persuasive argument in response to the prompt, typically spanning a few well-organized paragraphs.
Can I wear earplugs during LSAT?
What if I need headphones, earplugs, or earbuds to take the test? Remote LSAT takers may use soft, non-electronic, non-corded/banded, generic foam ear plugs, which will need to be shown to and approved by your LSAT proctor.
Can you use Grammarly on LSAT writing?
(This is so you can download the required proctoring software.) Before you launch LSAT Argumentative Writing, be sure to shut down all non-essential applications. This includes disabling any grammar-checking extensions (e.g., Grammarly, Microsoft Editor, etc.).
Can you redo writing sample LSAT?
If you have already completed an LSAT Writing or LSAT Argumentative Writing sample, you do not need to complete LSAT Argumentative Writing again. However, if you would like to retake LSAT Argumentative Writing as well, please contact LSAC's Candidate Services team at LSACinfo@LSAC.org or 1.800. 336.3982.
What does an LSAT writing prompt look like?
The LSAT Writing prompt will always center on a debatable issue. You'll be provided with a Key Question that highlights this issue, along with different perspectives that offer various claims and arguments within the debate. Your task is to write an argumentative essay taking a clear position on the issue.
What degree do most judges have?
Most judges have a law degree and prior experience working as a lawyer. A high school diploma, a college degree, and three years of law school are minimum requirements for a law degree.
Do law clerks have to pass the bar?
Law clerks don't need to pass the bar examination to qualify for their jobs. They can choose to do so, though, in order to legally practice law. Their education prepares them for many careers in the law industry with ample opportunities for advancement. Paralegals, unless they obtain a J.D. or an LL.
Is court clerk a stressful job?
Frequently Asked Questions About Court Clerk Jobs
Stressful and difficult situations can occur, and clerks must be physically, psychologically, and emotionally equipped to deal with them.