(Time sensitive) Questions on applying for jobs as a lawyer

[Garfield]

Asking for a friend who is applying for jobs as a lawyer. He is a junior lawyer (1-3 year call) in a litigation heavy area of the law. He is looking to go to another firm within the same area of law. He is still working at the firm that he wants to leave and does not intend to leave until he has accepted an offer. For reasons that I won’t be stating, he is looking to leave his firm as soon as possible. He has the following questions:

- Where a writing sample is required, he wants to know if he should redact documents even if they are on the public record. For example, he is considering submitting a factum or affidavit he wrote but is wondering if he should redact them, even if they are on the public record

- He is concerned if he is asked for a reference. He has worked only for the firm that he currently at and is concerned that if he asks one of the partners for a reference, that it may not be held in confidence. He was thinking of asking one of his professors for a reference. He knows that it is not ideal, but considers it better than asking one of the partners at his firm. Could he ask an associate he trusts for a reference or is it better to have his professor provide a reference? He also did student jobs prior to working as a lawyer that are not in the field of law (e.g. a research role at a think tank prior to law school) but I told him I think this is too dated and unrelated. Any thoughts for what he could do?

Thank you in advance.