ByKat Hours Updated
Comments 98 Comments

Wednesday’s TPS Report: Black Sea Cashmere Knit Color Blocked Cardigan

Magaschoni Black Sea Cashmere Knit Asymetrically Color Blocked Cardigan | CorporetteOur daily TPS reports suggest one piece of work-appropriate attire in a range of prices. Bluefly has some steep discounts on great inventory right now, including reader cashmere favorites like Magaschoni, August Cashmere, and more. This black and white cardigan looks edgy but professional — love. It was $298 but is now $143. Magaschoni Black Sea Cashmere Knit Asymetrically Color Blocked Cardigan Here's a lower-priced alternative and a plus-size option. Seen a great piece you'd like to recommend? Please e-mail tps@corporette.com. (L-4)

Sales of note for 12.10

And some of our latest threadjacks here at Corporette (reader questions and commentary) — see more here!

Some of our latest threadjacks include:

98 Comments

  1. Thoughts on the Charter Club cashmere available at Macy’s? Is the quality comparable to Lord & Taylor or Talbots?

    1. I think both Lord & Taylor and Talbots are better quality. Charter Club feels soft and fluffy, but looks shabby within a year in my experience.

      1. Charter Club cashmere is disposable quality–one season or less. L&T is better quality. Talbots is better quality still. Caveat that I have not seen Talbots in person this year yet.

    2. I have a Charter Club cashmere cardigan from 2002 or 2003 that still looks new — and it gets a lot of wear. I don’t know about more recent quality.

      1. This. I got a CC sweater as a gift in 2007 and it still looks great. No idea about more recent years. FWIW, I bought a pair of cashmere gloves at L&T last year and they looked awful after about 2 weeks – pilling everywhere.

        1. L&T isn’t consistent throughout their house brand. I bought two lovely waterfall cardigans last year that wore like iron and I expect to have for a long time. Also purchased a cashmere hoodie (same house brand) and it looked and felt so thin and cheap. Didn’t like it enough to find out if it would pill.

    3. I think it’s pretty comparable to Talbot’s, but it has gone downhill a bit in the last few years. I have a sweater from 2006 that just wore out in the armpit, but a sweater from 2012 that’s looking a bit shabby. It’s not bad for the price, but it’s not buy it for life cashmere either.

  2. Navy blue shoes! My fantastic husband bought me Ferragamo Vara pumps in navy blue as a gift (apparently not remembering he previously bought me the Carla pumps in the same color… but a husband who buys Ferragamos as gifts is not one to complain about). My blue Carla pumps haven’t gotten much play- any advice for creating more outfits that work with navy blue shoes?

    2. They both do a lot of navy. I struggle with navy, esp, shoes, once it gets to be tights weather. Too easy for things to go the flight attendant route. Much easier for warmer weather — it looks so much less severe than black.

    3. Navy is a great neutral. Do you have any navy pants or skirts? I think it’s pretty easy to match your shoes to your bottoms, and/or you could find a dress with a touch of navy in the pattern.

          1. And any shade of burgundy/maroon. I also like black and navy but that has to look intentional and is admitted not for everyone.

    4. I’d start by treating them as black shoes and seeing what you might sub them in for. For example, gray pants + green blouse? Would look great with navy or black. Blush, burgundy, camel, winter white, and most pastel and jewel tones all look great with navy.

    5. I’m wearing a navy dress with yellow accessories today. I also like it with emerald green, red and magenta.

    6. Can you exchange them for a different color? If you’re already struggling with how to wear the navy shoes you have, a second pair in the same color does not seem like a great addition to your wardrobe.

    7. I wear navy blue shoes all. the. time. I wear navy a lot though — more often than black. But I think you can wear navy with just about any color other than black (meaning, I wouldn’t wear navy shoes with a black dress, but you could intentionally mix navy and black).

      Navy looks great with grey, burgundy, yellow, red, green …

      1. I’m not much of a shoes-and-handbag-must-match person, so I would say no, and do camel/beige/gray instead. But that’s just me.

  3. I work in a small satellite office of MidLaw. The vast majority of my practice group is located in the main office approx. 250 miles away. There’s a good deal of work generated out of our office so we aren’t completely dependent on the main office. That being said, I’m trying to maintain visibility and integration with my group and the firm as a whole and would appreciate any tips. So far, I’m trying to work out of the main office for a day or two every 4-6 weeks (flights are expensive and drives are long). I’m also volunteering to help on any projects that come across in group-wide emails. I’m somewhat senior so there is some hope that I can take on some mentoring for our younger associates in the group, but that’s harder when I don’t see them regularly. Anything else people have found successful on staying visible in an outlying office?

    1. Does your practice group have a blog or website? You could volunteer to write blog posts for major cases/developments in your practice area. Maybe find some speaking opportunities in the community – CLEs, client presentations, etc. I’d also focus on client development in the major city and invite attorneys from the main office along.

    2. Two words: Video chatting. Can you propose that you move some of your phone conferences to some kind of virtual meeting platform? Then turn on your camera. You can make it clear that you don’t expect them to turn theirs on as well, but that you think it’s important for them to be able to see you since you’re remote. It’s a little awkward at first, but the difference between just voice, and voice + video is astounding.

    3. Does your group cross offices? We did group training lunch-and-learns by conference call and I tried to lead them periodically (and maybe do so from main office)? Also, help on any recruiting events (law school visits) where there are people from both offices going.

      More than anything else though: get clients of your own — no one ever paid attention to anything I did until I got my own indenpendent client (it’s like: to get a boyfriend, you need a boyfriend; then everyone asks you out).

      When you visit the office (which I think is great), do you go to lunch with people? To client events? To summer events? Thing of it as a business development trip where you need lots of face time with your internal clients. If you’re sitting in the office doing work, you might want to rethink that (I’ve only done that to help integrate a frosty new office of all laterals who didn’t seem to like us, just they hated their old firm more).

    4. Bring in business. Land some clients from your satellite, farm a little work out to the main office, and everyone will know you.

    5. Volunteer to attend conferences specific to your practice area. Get published, and speak up when you are published. Speak on panels. These things can happen locally, but if you get announcements in the paper/web announcements, forward those on. Do you see any initiatives you could offer to take the lead on? I used to work at a remote office and someone in a different remote office came up with the idea to do quarterly regional women’s dinners. Or a mentoring program.

  4. This sweater just looks ripped to me. Maybe a different color shirt would avoid that.

    1. Same here. I had to look really hard at it to figure out that was the design. Maybe I would feel differently if there was a different color shirt underneath, but I think another color would look weird, so I will just say pass on this one.

  5. Can we have a big “boo” for employers you interview with who never get back to you and don’t respond to your follow-up emails?

    I had one process get delayed for another round, and have a third option in the works – and have started applying again. But it’s been 3 weeks from my first choice last interview. Even a “thanks but no thanks” or “we’re still in the interviewing process” would have been great…

    3. I fully acknowledge the stress of interviewing and the special hell involved in waiting to hear back. But I wouldn’t call 3 week “never”. Maybe a little on the long side, but not out of the realm of possibility. Remember, the hiring process drags for you and speeds by for the company.

      Good luck with the job search.

    4. Ugh, I hear you. I applied for a job in June, got told in July they were scheduling interviews, finally had one in August, and two and a half weeks ago they sent an email saying they’d finished interviewing and would let people know in “the next week or two”. It’s been two and a half and while I’m not surprised, I want to KNOW!

    5. Hug’s to you. Employer’s can really stink, especialy in the legal profesion. I told the manageing partner that we should NEVER be like the firm’s that promise to call back, but NEVER do. It did NOT take the manageing partner long to agree, b/c he is thinkeing of replaceing MASON b/c he still never passed the NY Bar. It is important to have an admitted NY attorney, in good standeing, that can go into court, and do MORE then carry my breifs and shoe’s. The manageing partner said he can let Lynn do that, and the did NOT hire Mason to just have sex with Lynn. I am afraid that if we fire Mason, that Lynn could leave to, but the manageing partner said no, Lynn would not want to give up her paycheck here. Mabye he is right.

      But we will probabley be lookeing for a WC associate to support me, and go with Me to court and learn the nuances of WC law, if not already expreenced in this VERY complex area. I do NOT want to tip Mason off that he is getting the axe, but he realy has NOT stepped up to the plate, the manageing partner says.

      We do pay fairley and try to be progressive as a firm, so that is a good thing. And there IS advancement oportunity, as I started at the bottom and am now a partner and HEAD of the WC department. YAY!!

    6. I actually got the email right after I posted this that I wasn’t selected. It sounds like they are moving in a different direction with hiring (small small company) but who knows.

      They were very gracious, offered to bring me on for freelance projects that would have been part of the role, and also offered to help me with networking to find my next role (I’m fairly junior, in the ~5 YOE camp, non-legal). So, at least I know and I can move on and commit to my search!

      1. Esp if they are paying and you can make the time, consider taking on the smaller projects. I’ve ended up hiring a few people to my team who were proactive in this way. They were right on the edge of being hired in the first place, and after them showing their dedication and work, they shot to the top of the list w my next opening.

  6. I follow the blog Outfit Posts and in today’s post the inspiration came from the blog bluecollarredlipstick dot com. I rarely find fashion blogs that feature real life outfits that can be worn to the office, but this is one that I really like. I’ve been spending the morning perusing the archives.

    1. I love her. Her outfits are great and she definitely seems like someone you’d want to be friends with. I don’t have the thrifting interest/patience that she does, but she always looks awesome.

    2. Just popped over to check it out–great find! I like her style (and really envy her hair). Thanks for sharing!

    4. She is my favourite!! I subscribe to her updates and love getting them in my inbox in the morning.

  7. I’m sure this has been covered before, but my searches are coming up empty. Thanks in advance for your help. I work in a largely business casual environment, but have an upcoming two day conference where I will need to wear my suit. I own one suit, a navy skirt suit from BR. I will be on stage each of the days, with minor speaking rolls. Can I wear the same suit each day? (With a different top underneath.) I feel like men would be able to do this, no problem. But I feel a little weird about it. What would you do in this situation? Thanks!

    1. Yes, you can definitely do this. If it were, say, a hot-pink suit, I wouldn’t wear it both days, but navy, of course!

    2. You can totally do this. I would change out of the suit ASAP after the conference, and run an iron over the skirt, to avoid it being stained or wrinkly.

    3. Yes definitely – I’d pick two different styles of shirt (e.g., striped button-front and then patterned shell or bow blouse) and perhaps two different pairs of shoes to mix it up.

      1. +1 Choose very different blouse/shoes/accessories on each of the days. Eg. Day 1: Navy suit, white button-up shirt, yellow necklace, grey suede pumps; Day 2: Navy suit, blush silk shell, fuchsia patent kitten heels.

    4. Honestly, since you will be on stage, I’d try to go out and get a second suit. If you don’t have time or money to do so, and if you have separates (skirt/pants), I would switch up those each day. Otherwise, what happens if you spill a drink on yourself at the first day of the conference (or any other day?)

      1. I was originally with the other commenters, but ace makes a good point about spillage. I definitely think you can wear the same suit both days, with very different shirt/shoes choice, but maybe it’d be safer to buy a second suit and take with you? Since you don’t wear a suit often, you could leave the tags on and return it if you don’t need it. But the spill factor would make me nervous to only have one outfit. Is the navy dark enough to hide any stains?

        1. I can’t imagine any drink staining navy so much that a bunch of water dabbing within an hour wouldn’t take care of it. OP, I would totally wear the same suit– maybe just avoid red wine.

      2. This is why I only drink water at conferences. Or gin. Advice given to me by a senior appeals court judge many years ago – she was a star. Don’t buy another suit just for this – nobody will notice (or care if they do).

      3. Instead of buying a second suit, you could also buy a tweed jacket that coordinates with your navy skirt. You could always wear the jacket later with jeans.

    6. Voice of dissent. If I was on stage two days in a row, I wouldn’t wear the same suit, even if styled differently. I would second Bonnie about maybe getting a new jacket that would coordinate with the same skirt. Or just finding some alternative style to a second suit so shopping isn’t necessary. Sheath dress perhaps? If you think of Marissa Mayer or Sheryl Sandberg, they frequently appear in dresses that aren’t necessarily suits.

      1. I’d vote for a second suit. Sure, you probably won’t spill anything but I’ve had other people spill things on me. And you could have a “wardrobe malfunction” like a split skirt seam that would be a pain if it happened right before the meeting.

  8. Last year you hit it out of the park with the tweed / boucle zip jacket from Ann Taylor. What jackets are you looking at for fall?

    1. I am searching for a basic jacket but coming up empty. Anyone see a black, collarless, single-button jacket that isn’t too long for a fuller skirt?

          1. I am trying very, very hard to convince myself not to immediately buy the belt they show with the suit. Fingers crossed it makes its way to the sale section soon.

          2. +1 on loving that suit, but the skirt is only 23 inches which is about 4 inches too short for tall me :( boo.

          3. How tall are you? I have a 36″ inseam and wear 23″ skirts all the time. I’m fine with above the knee though. Do you insist on below the knee?

          4. I’m Anon from 11:51am, and yes, I only wear skirts/dresses that hit directly below my kneecap. Personal preference, but can be limiting when looking for workwear!

          5. I have a 34″ inseam – and 23″ would be too short for me, too. I also fully acknowledge that just below the knee cap is most flattering on me, and because I’m short waisted (I tend to size my skirts so they sit at my hip instead of my waist), skirts have a tendency to creep up while walking or sitting. Longer lengths help those problems from becoming problematic.

  9. Just wanted to tell the poster who was considering cancelling her trip to Turkey…I just returned from Istanbul and Cappadocia and had an amazing time (thanks in part to recommendations from commenters on this site). Someone I spoke to in Cappadocia said that they estimated a 30% or so reduction in tourism at this point, probably due to concerns about instability. I suppose we benefited from that! I never felt that we were in any places or circumstances less safe than my own DC neighborhood. We did check our e-mail for U.S. State Department alerts every day, just in case.

    And if you’d like any details or recommendations or anything, feel free to post here or post an e-mail address!

    1. Not the OP, but I’d love recommendations. Headed there in about a month or so for 9 days. How did you get from Istanbul to Cappadoccia? You can email me at dj2015burner at gmail. TIA!

      1. I’m the anonymous below- we booked internal flights between Istanbul and Cappadocia, it seemed fastest, and the internal flights aren’t all that expensive.

      2. I did an overnight bus, but wish I had sprung for a flight. Some overnight buses though are only three seats across and have wifi. Stick with Metro and it would be fine if you can sleep anywhere and want to save the $ on a hotel. Flights really aren’t that expensive, but I was on a budget. I think flights were ~$80 when I was there in 2014.

        As far as recommendations, I think Cappadocia is best with tour guides, because you probably aren’t as familiar with the history as people are with Istanbul. Whoever you book through make sure you ask if the tour will be all English speaking or split between English and Turkish. Hot air ballooning is a thing, but I was underwhelmed. I was traveling alone, and was in a balloon with only Portuguese speaking people, so that played a part I’m sure.

        In Istanbul don’t skip the Hagia Irene if it is open, the Basilica Cistern, and specifically go to the Hagia Sophia and Blue Mosque park area around the call to prayer. It is absolutely beautiful to hear them calling back and forth to each other. Skip the Chora Church. It is under construction for the next few years, and you cannot see many of the mosaics. Also the area around it is rough, so take a taxi. However if you do go, a short walk around the old city wall is a must, it has nooks and crannies that are fun to peak into.

        I highly highly highly recommend downloading a map to your phone. I used Ulmon Pro and it got me absolutely everywhere I needed to go with no issues. Turkey is old, so all the streets are twisty. It tells you where you are on the map and what direction you are pointing without using cell data.

        I used Rick Steve’s book for Istanbul and Lonely Plant’s for the rest of Turkey and was happy with the background history, maps, etc in both.

        1. Adding on, I spent over a month in Turkey, I am more than happy to help where I can with specifcs I just don’t know what specific infroamtion is helpful/wanted. My email is: froggielovelove at the googles

    2. That’s really good to her! We leave in a few weeks, and I’ve been a little stressed about it, sometimes the media blows things out of proportion.

      I’d love specific recommendations for Istanbul/Cappadocia! If you’d rather email, you can at cdn[this$ite] at the google mail.

    3. So, we flew to Cappadocia from Istanbul (Pegasus airlines). I would recommend it…we just didn’t want to deal with the discomfort of an overnight flight. Our flight was out of the Sabiha Gokcen airport, not Ataturk. The Havatas Bus was a cheap (and really easy and comfortable) way to get from Taksim Square to either airport (or the other direction).

      Recommendations (sorry so long!) include:

      FOR ISTANBUL:

      If looking for places to stay, I’d recommend the Cihangir neighborhood. We stayed in an airbnb there for a bit, and in Sultanhamet for a bit. You can get from Cihangir (and anywhere else on the New City side of the Golden Horn) to the Old City easily via tram. Just figure out the tram system early. It’s cute and neighborhood-y, great coffee shops, etc. If you stay in Sultanhamet, I’d recommend going elsewhere for a couple of meals.

      As you probably know, Istanbul can be kind of divided into the Old City (Western part of the European side, the west side of the Golden Horn, includes most of the big mosques, churches, museums, etc.), the New City (Eastern part of the European side, the east side of the Golden Horn, includes Taksim Square, Beyoglu, Besiktas, Ortakoy, Bebek districts and most of the Bosphorus sightseeing coastline), and the Anatolian Side (this is the Eastern part of the Bosphorus, huge area in itself, includes downtown Kadikoy).

      If seeing sites, buy the Museum Pass (85 Turkish Lira for 5 days, and you get to skip lines). Things we did and enjoyed included:

      New City:
      – Galeta Tower and adjacent markets, Yeni Cami mosque; explore surrounding neighborhood
      – Explore local neighborhoods of Tünel, Galeta, and Karaköy (part of the huge Beyoğlu area). This includes Istiklal Street, which is huge, but venture off onto side streets.
      – Lemon Tree for high-end meze dinner (I think it’s in the Tünel area)
      – Ficcin for more low-key Circassian meze
      – Explore Cihangir (dinner at Hayat; breakfast at Van Kahvaltı Evi)
      – Istanbul Museum of Modern Art in Beyoglu (decent restaurant on the water)
      – Kilic Ali Pasa Hamami (gorgeous, designed by Sinan, different men’s/women’s times)
      – Baklava atFaruk Güllüoglu (Taksim)

      Old City/Sultanhamet
      – Hagia Sophia (2 hours; get there first thing in the morning) * works with pass
      – Blue Mosque (1 hour; go between 5:30 and 6pm)
      – Archeological Museums (4 hours) * works with pass
      – Grand Bazaar (3 hours), Suleiman Mosque (1.5 hours), in same area
      – Topakai Palace (6 hours) (get tickets ahead of time; get there at 9am) * works with pass,
      – Hippodrome (1 hour)
      – Basilica Cistern (45 min.)
      – Lunch or dinner at Sultanahmet Köftecisi Selim Usta (only if you like meat, casual place for kebab/meatballs)

      Old City/Eminönü (this area is halfway between the Old City and the New City on the tram, by the water on the Old City side of the Golden Horn)…recommend for 1st day:
      – Lunch/dinner at Hamdi Restaurant in Eminönü (introduction to the stunning views and food staples)
      – Explore Eminönü, Haliç and the Bosphorus (bazaras…doesn’t take long)
      – Rustem Pasha Mosque (30 minutes)
      – Walk across Galeta Bridge at sunset, fish markets

      Anatolian side: (we took the public ferry from Eminönü and spent half a day)
      – Kadikoy neighborhood (good for food; fish market (Balik Pazari); massive market on Tuesdays)
      – Moda neighborhood (20 minutes walking from Kadikoy), with tea gardens (Cay Bahcesi) and a boardwalk
      – Ciya Sofrasi for lunch/dinner

      Other:
      – Take the full-day Bosphorous Cruise with Istanbul’s official ferry company, which starts at the Boğaz Ferry Terminal just east of the Galata Bridge in Eminönü…avoid weekends; get there early and buy tickets day before, after 10:30 am)…cruise leaves at 10:30am and takes all day (GO WHEN TIRED). Stop at the town of Anadolu Kavagi only, to walk to castle and have a fish lunch
      – Rumeli Hisari (small castle by the Bosphorus * can use pass (before going, have an early morning breakfast at Kale Restaurant)
      – Church of Chora (also see nearby Byzantine era defensive walls)…take a taxi (worth it, though much closed due to reconstruction)
      – Princes Islands (Kizil Adalar or Adalar, small islands in the Sea of Marmara…apparently of the 4 islands you should skip more touristy Büyükada. Take the FIRST SEA BUS OF THE DAY (operated by IDO, from Kabatas). Burgazada has a nice, pretty Greek Orthodox church on the other side of the island. Path across island leads to restaurant called Kalpazankaya. Great sea view (go at sunset).

      FOR CAPPADOCIA:

      I stayed at the Aydınlı Cave House in Göreme, and would absolutely recommend it. It is family owned, and everyone who works there is so, so friendly and fantastic. Great recommendations. It’s gorgeous. And the included breakfast is amazing. They’ll also drive you to different places for drop offs for hikes, and drive to pick you up. Due to being pregnant, I couldn’t do the balloon rides, but I did wake up early (6ish) to see the balloons from the balconies at the hotel one morning.

      Activities and restaurants:

      – Göreme Oren Air Museum (2 hours; go at 12-2 or 4:30-6:30 to avoid tour groups)
      – Underground City (Derinkuru or Kaymakli) (45 minutes)…we did (and I’d recommend) a day long tour that included Derinkuru, a small hike in the Ihlara Valley, and a couple of other places (arranged through the hotel). I’d recommend Ihlara Valley, which is about an hour away from Göreme
      – Hiking in the valleys (Red, Rose, Pigeon, Love). We did all of these…a couple are only a few hours. Factor in extra time to get lost/explore…everything is not well marked, but you’ll always be able to make it out. Red and Rose can be done in one hike. I did them all pregnant in 90 degree weather, no problem. You see caves, old churches in caves, they’re all pretty cool.
      – Avanos was the only other town we went to. Honestly, didn’t need much time. You can check out pottery here (Göreme is better for carpets). Mado, an ice cream chain, started here (I believe) and has delicious ice cream. Also, there is a pretty cool farmer’s market with cheap and delicious produce…we caught a ride there with the grocery shopping team from our hotel.
      – Restaurants I’d recommend in Göreme include Bibek Traditional Cook for dinner (call to make reservations 1-2 hours ahead of time; get clay pot); Firin Express (for pide; casual); – Seten Restaurant: Anatolian Cuisine (more upscale); Alaturca Restaurant (more upscale)…make reservations for the latter two

      Apologies for the length!

      1. Oh, and adding on, the absolute highlights were:

        – Hiking the Red and Rose Valleys in Cappadocia, and breakfast at our hotel
        – Kilic Ali Pasa Hamami (for my husband, they wouldn’t let me in pregnant…)
        – the Hagia Sophia
        – the Rustem Pasha Mosque
        – Rumeli Hisari, and breakfast at the Kale Cafe
        – Basically all of the food
        – Exploring parts of Beyoğlu

  10. Ok, weird request. I want to book a fall or christmas mini-session for me and my DH. Looking for Northern VA photographer recommendations! I’m overwhelmed when looking online.

    1. Virginia Payne advertises at my pediatrician’s office with big, beautiful posters of families. I always love looking at her work. It’s lovely. I’ve never actually worked with her though.

  11. Suit top and bottom matching question for the hive: I’ve been eyeing a j.crew suiting dress in navy, but don’t want to buy the matching blazer (which is sold out in my size anyway). I do have a j.crew blazer in the same fabric in navy pinstripe – would it look odd to wear that on top? I’ve noticed lots of women do not wear identical blazers and bottoms, and I was thinking my idea would still coordinate, but not match perfectly. Thoughts?

    2. If you’re not going to get a matching colored one, what about something totally different like one of their metallic tweed or plaid blazers? I get a ton of wear out of tweed and plaid blazers in the fall, and I think it looks a little more intentionally mismatched if that makes sense.

    3. To me, I think it looks best with a coordinating one that’s in a different fabric and color, like a tweed or a nubby fabric. The navy blue dress with the pinstripe jacket runs the risk of looking like you didn’t realize they weren’t the same until you were already out the door.

  12. Hey ladies (particularly attorneys and/or non-profit folks)! I’m applying for an attorney position with a non-profit, and I’m getting hung up on the writing sample part of the application. I’m coming from a private practice background, and I’m bothered by the fact that all of my potential writing samples are coming from the “wrong” side of the case (think, dispute between David and Goliath and my client is Goliath). I’m going out of my way to explain the transition I’m looking to make in my cover letter, but it feels weird to submit a writing sample on the finer points of why Goliath isn’t legally responsible for David’s sad misfortune to an organization whose work is, while not necessarily on behalf of David, at least David-adjacent.

    I think I’m going to have to get over it and submit the least-bad sample I can find, since I don’t really have anything else (although if the verdict is that this is death to my application, I could try to write something new), but am I right to be concerned about this? Is this the type of thing that’ll knock me out of the running? I’m super passionate about the work the organization I’m applying with does, and I’d happily give my right arm to work with them (and I have volunteer work to back up my interest, just nothing that’s led to a good writing sample). I’d hate to mess up what is likely to be a rare opportunity with a tone-deaf writing sample. Thoughts?

    1. I wouldn’t worry too much. We all need “enemy knowledge.” Plaintiff firms hire former insurance defense attorneys. Prosecutors become criminal defense attorneys. When you know what the other side is going to do, you have an advantage.

      1. +1. Pick something that shows off your writing. The fact that you kicked a$$ for the enemy is a plus from a strategic standpoint. Gotta explain how those skills translate (sounds like you get that), but you have to do that regardless of your writing sample.

    2. Don’t worry about it. You wrote it for your client, not because you hate David personally. They’ll be interested in you because you know Goliath’s position and his ways and the finer points of the law. Just show your dedication/ being a good fit with the organization. So many people want to make the transition from private–> non profit and are just waiting for that magic opportunity/ being told they’ll never make partner that I think you’ll find that most people understand and won’t blink twice. I work in a fairly “contentious” area and have been in government agencies, non-profits, and private practice. The general reaction to going to non-profits is “wow, that’d be awesome!” and the reaction I get from non-profits is “oh, working there will be great training.”

  14. I would focus more on picking the best writing (in terms of style, content, polish, logic), and forget about the content, since this is what you have to work with. When I hire for positions that require writing samples, I don’t care about the content at all – I just really want to know how they think, and write, and to see their attention to detail. Is there anywhere on the application where you give context or an explanation for the samples? If so, you might include a short statement (preferably 1 or no more than 2 sentences) to the effect that you’re very much looking forward to arguing the other side of this type of case. If you do that, it’s really important that it doesn’t sound like you’re justifying, apologizing, or deprecating your own work though.

    1. Thanks – I usually start my sample with a cover page giving 4-5 lines of context about the sample (particularly where I’m limited in length so I’m only presenting an excerpt of something instead of the whole thing), so it sounds like I can offer the proper context there. My cover letter is also all about why I want to join their “side,” so to speak, and how my past experiences fit in with what they do, so if they’re viewing everything all at once, it should be pretty clear that my personal ethics don’t necessarily line up with the legal work that I’ve done on behalf of Goliath, Inc. – I think I’m just overthinking because I want this job so badly!

      1. You’ve got this then! Just don’t let your urge to overthink cause you to delay your application – get it done and sent in ASAP! Fingers crossed for you :)

Comments are closed.