1l law firm cover letter

Internships go hand-in-hand with law school. Many experts recommend that you do several internships to give yourself the best chance of getting a full-time job. This is where a well-written, thoughtful cover letter comes in. It can be a powerful tool for securing a law internship, an opportunity to demonstrate your expertise, work ethic, knowledge, and passion for the subject. Tailoring your cover letter to a particular firm's specialties and needs can help you stand out as a polished and professional applicant. Your cover letter should show your personality and give specific examples—either from your work your education or in a previous internship—of how you can fulfill the internship's responsibilities.

Five Tips for Crafting a Compelling Legal Cover Letter

Your cover letter is as important as your resume because it is often read first and plays a vital role in your quest for an interview. A cover letter is not a transmittal letter, and you may be surprised at how time-consuming it is to craft a good one.

A cover letter has a purpose, which is to let an employer know why they should bother reading your resume and why they should meet you. It also serves as an example of your written work product; thus it should be clear, brief, and written in a business letter style, without any typographical errors.

When you respond to a job listing, you will usually be requested to submit a cover letter as part of your application. In this case, use the job description and requested qualifications as a guide.

While not simply imitating the language of the listing, your letter should demonstrate that you have what the employer is looking for. A few employers at OCI request that students bring a cover letter to the initial interview. See below for suggestions on OCI cover letters. Cover letters should follow standard business letter format, as to spacing, salutation, etc.

If you are not sure of the fine points, consult a business correspondence reference source. Your telephone number and email address should appear somewhere in the letter, either at the top with your address, or in the closing paragraph, when you ask them to contact you. If you are not sure to whom you should send your letter, it is always acceptable to write to the executive director of a nonprofit, or the hiring partner or head of recruiting at a firm; they can forward your application to the appropriate person within the organization.

Of course if you are responding to a job posting, address your letter exactly as instructed. However, we understand that this prevailing business norm may not be inclusive of individuals who do not use either of those titles for example, because they identify as gender nonconforming. While awareness around these issues is increasing, we believe that, unfortunately, it is still not a small number of recruiting representatives and attorneys who might draw the wrong conclusion.

One way to navigate this tricky situation might be to see if the recipient has an online presence e. Otherwise, you will need to make your own judgment as to whether recipients are more likely to recognize your inclusivity or to view the greeting as awkward or erroneous.

In the meantime, our primary goal is to make sure that all Berkeley Law students are fully informed as you navigate legal job markets. We are always available to discuss individually what approach would be the best fit for you. First Paragraph. Begin your letter with a statement of who you are and why you are writing. Introduce yourself as a law student including the year you are in or a graduate of Berkeley Law and specify what it is you are seeking: a summer job, an associate position, a clerkship, part-time work during the school year, etc.

The goal of this paragraph is to give the reader a reason to want to finish reading the letter. If that in fact is what you are doing, try not to be too obvious about it. An employer wants to think that you sought him or her out purposely rather than randomly. Body Paragraph s. Call attention to something which substantiates your interest in this particular employer.

It could be coursework in their specialty, the recommendation of a professor in their area of practice, undergraduate residency in their city, or any other indication of your interest. Try also to show how your experiences will translate into skills which will be useful to this particular employer.

Highlight relevant qualifications which are not on your resume, such as coursework, research, or a prior connection to the organization or the issues they work on. If you have general legal skills such as negotiation, litigation, client counseling, interviewing, mock trials, etc.

As much as possible, try to convey understanding of, and enthusiasm for, the aims of the organization. Employers do not expect first-year students to have highly-developed legal skills to offer. Therefore, for first-year students writing to private firms, this section can be a single, short paragraph, unless you have a strong background in a relevant area.

It is appropriate and not uncommon for a public interest cover letter to be somewhat more detailed or personal than a private sector cover letter. Of course, it is still very important to be concise, but it is acceptable for the letter to be a full page if your experience dictates.

Take another look at your resume for items that show your interest, commitment and skills. Even if you do not have experience in the specific area in which an organization works, it is still important to emphasize your demonstrated commitment to the public interest, and to draw connections between that general commitment and the specific work of the organization.

As it is important not to merely regurgitate your resume, consider including a story that illustrates you are interested or qualified in the position. If your application raises questions that are readily answered, such as availability after the Bar exam, judicial clerkship plans, etc. Final Paragraph. In your last paragraph, thank them for their consideration, and say you hope to hear from them soon.

For out-of-town employers, indicate when you plan to be in their geographic area and state your availability for an interview. Be sure to include your phone number and email in this paragraph unless you use a letterhead style that includes them at the top of the page. If you state that you will call the employer to follow up on your application, be sure you do so.

If you are bringing a cover letter to an on-campus interview which you should do only if the employer requests you to , the content will be a bit different. But you can thank the employer for interviewing you and say that you welcome the opportunity to learn more about the employer and to discuss the possibility of working for them. The important thing is to show why you are interested in this particular employer, and how you think your background makes you a good match for them.

Other cover letter mistakes include: being defensive or apologetic; appearing arrogant or entitled, and being too long and wordy. Generic reasons for your interest in the employer e. Of course typos and inaccuracies, such as misspelled names, or please!

Your letter should, of course, be original work that reflects your unique background and the job you are aiming at. Contents A. Purpose B. Types C. Format D. Content E. Purpose Your cover letter is as important as your resume because it is often read first and plays a vital role in your quest for an interview. Types 1. Cover letters for unsolicited applications come in three main types: Personal Letter. These are the most effective cover letters and are sent to people you have met or with whom you have a mutual acquaintance.

Targeted Letters. Next best thing. Targeted letters are based on research of the employer, and are individually tailored. Your letter should incorporate the information learned through your research to show the employer that you have skills they will be able to put to use.

Mass Mailers. Least desirable. These are generic except for the name and address of the employer, and have a very low success rate of getting interviews. Common Cover Letter Mistakes The mistakes most commonly found in student cover letters are: Restating your resume. Instead, you could say briefly how your work experience led you to pursue a legal career in an area practiced by the employer.

Focusing on what you stand to gain from the job. Try to say how your skills and enthusiasm will help the employer serve its clients, or otherwise further its aims.

Being too informal or familiar. Return to Contents.

spierce@parrotsprint.co.nz December 1, Miriam A. Nunberg. Staff Attorney. U.S. Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights. 32 Old Slip, 26th Fl​. stating an interest in a practice area that the firm doesn't have, are automatic application-killers. Our cover letter template provides suggestions only; please do not.

Jump to navigation. Cover letters or letters of interest are the letters that accompany a job application, either in response to a job listing or inquiring about the possibility of unadvertised work. They provide a bridge between your resume and the specific employer. When applying to jobs through Symplicity, you are not required to upload a cover letter unless the employer requests one. However, you may want to submit one if there is key information that may be crucial to their hiring decision e.

Introduction There are two opposite, yet equally wrong, myths about cover letters that we must dispel right away. A cover letter which recites one's experience in reverse chronological order is a duplication of the resume.

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Cover Letter Advice & Samples

Your cover letter is as important as your resume because it is often read first and plays a vital role in your quest for an interview. A cover letter is not a transmittal letter, and you may be surprised at how time-consuming it is to craft a good one. A cover letter has a purpose, which is to let an employer know why they should bother reading your resume and why they should meet you. It also serves as an example of your written work product; thus it should be clear, brief, and written in a business letter style, without any typographical errors. When you respond to a job listing, you will usually be requested to submit a cover letter as part of your application. In this case, use the job description and requested qualifications as a guide.

Sample Cover Letters

Toolkit for Student Job Seekers. The cover letter is a sample of your written work and should be brief preferably one page , persuasive, well-reasoned, and grammatically perfect. Determine to whom you should address the cover letter. If you are applying to law firms, address your letter to the recruiting director. NALP also provides a useful mail merge feature for generating multiple letters. For other employers, you can refer to their websites, or contact the office to determine to whom your materials should be directed. Although there are many ways to write a cover letter, the following format has worked well for students in the past. Studying Law at Yale. Areas of Interest Degree Programs.