Dear 1L: OCI Advice Recap
Dear 1L,
In case you’ve been away, here’s a recap on advice to help you get a job at a law firm.
🔹 FIRST: I’ve added to my website a free, 16-point checklist to help you self-edit your legal writing. You can download from my Writing Law Tutors website. (See link at top of my profile, and DM any questions.)
🔹 SECOND: Since May, I’ve written more than a dozen tips for you on how to get a job for next summer and beyond. Posts cover:
perfecting your legal writing samples;
preparing for law-firm interviews; and
networking with lawyers on LinkedIn.
Please let me know if you have trouble finding anything.
🔹 THIRD: Here are top reminders for your OCI writing sample.
PAGE NUMBERS
Start page 1 on the first page of the brief or memo itself.
Your cover memo and any full title/caption page, table of contents, etc. do not count in the page limit and should not be numbered.
This should go without saying, but always number pages in anything you write with 2+ pages.
THE PARTIES
If you omit the introductory sections of a larger work in an excerpt for your writing sample, you must reintroduce and define who’s who at the start of your writing sample. Otherwise, your new Reader will be lost.
THE DEFINED TERMS
If you define a term—e.g., the school’s student-athlete search policy (the “Policy”)—do not repeat the long phrase, “the school’s student-athlete search policy,” again in your writing sample. Just write “the Policy.”
THE COURT
You must capitalize the word “court” any and every time you refer to the United States Supreme Court.
Unless otherwise instructed, you should capitalize the word “court” when referring to the specific court where your case is pending.
⭐️ 5. YOUR READER.
We are tired, busy, and bleary-eyed. We may only read the beginning to decide if the rest is worth our time. We know nothing about your case. We may even be reading your brief on a phone. Anything you can do to make the reading job easier will win you points.
* * *
I hope you’ve been having the most wonderful summer. You have certainly earned it!
Fondly,
💌 Amanda
July 20, 2022
P.S. Follow —> #Dear1L (1,350 followers) to receive future letters.
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