As a designer, feedback from a good "goddamn copy writer" is invaluable. If they can't succinctly describe the thing I've designed to somebody who doesn't already know how to use it, or they can't fit what they need to say into the spaces I've left for them, it's often a sign that I haven't designed it very well.

I'd hope they wouldn't even consider somebody for this sort of job who's too young to know what to ask.

That's kind of naive, of course you want young people who will work hard and maybe not know what they are getting in to. I was offered a job at oracle back in the day, I would have felt a lot of despair if this is what it was.