Many candidates who apply for legal assistant jobs are unable to provide the usual samples of writing found in most job ads. This is because these candidates are either too new to practice law or they haven’t had much experience. In most cases, writing samples are required and the candidate either has to rely on past samples or ask colleagues for help.
Luckily, lawyers are people and people are kind which means there are people willing to help. The problem is finding those people who are willing to provide you with samples and willing to give helpful advice on your paper. To solve this problem, we have compiled a short list of tips that will enable you to successfully write a convincing legal assistant sample.
Understand The Purpose Of The Sample
As the name implies, a writing sample is used by employers to evaluate your writing skills. They want to know that you have the rhetorical and linguistic skills necessary to succeed as a legal assistant. Therefore, it is important to understand the purpose of the sample before you start your paper. This will help you choose the right audience and the right tone for your writing. You should also familiarize yourself with the typical expectations of the industry.
Don’t Focus On The Format
Lawyers are known to be detail oriented. This means they will nitpick every aspect of your paper and expect you to know all the technicalities. One of the things they will check for is the formatting of your paper. Believe it or not, a great deal of legal research is done on computers and most law firms have automated the process of formatting papers. This makes things extremely easy for the employer. They will expect you to know the ins and outs of using MS Word to format your papers. Even if you have never used MS Word before, you will not be able to fake it because the task will be so easy to do incorrectly.
Start Small
When you are starting your legal assistant writing career, it is advised that you begin with very small papers. These papers should be no longer than three to five pages. If you are unable to write a simple research paper, this is probably a good sign that you don’t yet possess the necessary academic writing skills. Start small then, and only try and tackle bigger, more complicated assignments as you gain experience. As a first step, you can always ask a trusted colleague or better yet, a lawyer who is employed at the same firm to help you write a few paper for practice.
Use The Right Online Tools
There are many online tools that can be of great assistance in the drafting process. If you are looking for a free tool, Microsoft Word’s track changes function is a great option due to its simplicity. As you make your paper, you will simply need to keep track of any changes you make. When you are happy with the final version, you can either print it out or save it as a PDF file.
Make Sure That You Are Confident In The Topic
When choosing your topic for the writing sample, make sure that you are confident that you can write an entire paper on it. If you lack confidence in your ability to do so, then choosing this topic might not be the best option. On the other hand, if you feel that you can pull it off, then go for it! Just make sure that you are aware of the expectations of the industry in terms of the length of the paper.
Don’t Forget About Grammar And Spelling
Your paper’s overall quality is determined by a number of factors including its content, its organization and its formatting. Spelling is extremely important because it gives the reader the impression that you really do know how to spell. Many people who apply for legal assistant jobs do not believe that they will have the opportunity to correct the occasional spelling mistake. Therefore, it is extremely important that you pay attention to spelling and grammar, especially when applying for entry-level positions. To ensure that your papers look professional, proper English is a must!
Proofread Your Work
Once you have finished your writing, you should take the time to proofread it. For extra points, ask a friend to read it through and point out any errors. After you have made the necessary corrections, you should re-read the paper and make sure that everything is clear and that you have addressed all the points that were raised during the editing process.
Make Sure That Your Paper Is Up To Date
As a legal assistant, you will be required to stay abreast of the latest developments in the industry. This includes knowing what is current legislation as well as what is happening at court. To ensure that your paper is always up to date, you should either check the latest cases or the most recent legislative amendments. In some instances, you might even need to conduct research to find the exact details of an event or case. Familiarizing yourself with the most recent developments in the industry can only benefit you in the long run.
Consider Publishing Your Paper
When you have finished your paper, you should consider submitting it to a legal journal or blog. Most professional legal organizations and many law firms have websites where they post articles that their attorneys have written. In most cases, these websites are open to the public and anyone can read the articles. Although it might be unlikely, in some instances, your paper could be chosen to be published.
When choosing which legal journal or website to submit your paper to, make sure that they are reputable and that your paper will be deemed as being of high quality. Finding a legal publication or blog that accepts submissions from new authors is very easy because most of them are highly motivated to find new contributors. Remember, though, that the more you publish, the more you will be judged by.
Understand That You Are Being Taught
Whether you want to admit it or not, writing a legal assistant sample is actually a pretty advanced task. In most cases, you will be expected to write an entire paper without any help. Even those who do their own legal research often need assistance in putting it into paper form. This is why many legal assistants end up relying on their friends, colleagues, and even their clients for help. It is also why many bar associations and legal societies sponsor scholarships for law students who show promise.
Writing a legal assistant sample is a great opportunity for any law student, regardless of whether you are a 1L, 2L, 3L, or even a grad student. Even if you are not yet admitted to the practice of law, you can still apply for a job as a legal assistant and learn a valuable skill that can be very useful to you in the future.