Writing Sample Basics

The Writing Sample is a short essay section that follows the five multiple-choice sections. It is the home stretch at the end of the test day.

The Writing Sample is not marked and your performance on it does not contribute in any way towards your final LSAT score. However, a copy of the writing sample is sent to every law school where you apply.

Some schools hire markers to read through the writing samples. If you are on an admissions shortlist at one of these schools, and your essay is full of mechanical errors, you may be eliminated from their pool of qualified applicants.

Constructing an Effective Essay

Constructing a good writing sample is really not a difficult task. There is no reason to risk giving an admissions committee a negative impression because of a poorly written essay.

Here are some basic techniques for producing a winning writing sample each and every time. The writing sample section involves three activities:

1. Reading and understanding the writing sample statement

2. Analyzing the situation it describes and selecting a position to defend

3. Writing a coherent essay under time constraints

You have exactly 30 minutes to finish all three tasks.

You’re allowed about 25 lines, single-spaced, for your essay. It is very important that you don’t go over the 25-line limit, since you are not allowed to turn the page over and to continue writing on the other side. You must make do with the space provided.

The essay is written in pencil on a duplicate form. A carbon copy of the essay is made as you write, and you keep the bottom copy when you leave the test room. In the past, the writing sample was written in pen, so test-takers could not erase what they had written. Now this section is written in pencil, which means that you will have the chance to erase your work. However, you should not make a habit of erasing because it can get messy and it wastes valuable time.

You also get some extra scrap paper for drafting your ideas. Anything written on this scrap paper will not be included as part of your essay. Most test-takers would rather have the scrap paper in the other sections, to use for drawing Analytical Reasoning diagrams for instance. Sadly, we have no choice in the matter: you get scrap paper when you need it the least.

Essay Topics

The topic for the writing sample is always assigned. If you don’t like it, you cannot choose another topic. You’re not allowed to make any changes to the information given in the Writing Sample statement.

The format of the writing sample does not change, which means that you will always know what to expect in this section. You are presented with a problem and two possible alternatives for solving it. Neither alternative completely solves the problem, which causes a dilemma. You have to choose one of the alternatives for solving the problem to and defend your choice. The argument you make for your choice should be direct, well organized and convincing. Your best approach is to keep it simple. The thinking behind this format is that as a future lawyer, you will have to argue convincingly for one position-that of your client.

Sample Essay Topic

The problem described in the Writing Sample statement is always hypothetical. You will never be asked to write on some controversial issue from real life.

Technique for handling the Writing Sample:

Step 1 - Choose an alternative.

In this case, the choice is between eagle and muskrat. The choice is arbitrary. There is no right choice or wrong choice. You should pick the alternative that’s most appealing to you, and the one you think will be easier to defend. Test-takers sometimes try to guess which alternative their marker might prefer. This is not important. The more you believe in your chosen alternative, the better our essay will be.

Step 2 - Stick to the facts provided in the statement.

You should base your argument on the facts provided in the problem statement and not on your personal expertise with eagles and muskrats. So, for example, if you happen to know a lot about the mating habits of muskrats, you should not use your added knowledge in your essay. Stick to the facts as they are given.

Step 3 - Argue convincingly.

Your essay must be structured as a coherent argument. This means that you need to anticipate possible objections to your position, and to argue against them. We’ll see how to do this a little later on. Avoid justifying your choice of one of the alternatives by attacking the other. Your approach should be to defend your choice on its own merits.

Step 4 - Link your alternative to both of the guidelines provided in the question.

The alternative that you choose-eagle or muskrat-will satisfy one of the guidelines, but not both. However, if you can show how your choice partially satisfies the competing guideline, your paper will stand out as a well-constructed argument.

For example, if you choose the eagle, you should admit that your choice does not satisfy the requirement of “being a contemporary symbol of local and general familiarity.” However, you should suggest how the eagle might possibly fulfill the requirement to some extent.

Step 5 - Make the structure of your argument clear.

Since a large number of essays have to be read all at once, markers can only devote about a minute or two to each one. The clearer the structure of the argument, the easier it will be for your marker to read the essay. Therefore, clarity and good organization are essential.