Legal Internship Cover Letter

The third paragraph of this model letter shows that the author knows and understands the law firm to which she is applying. She understands what types of cases she handles and what she seems to accomplish. The author uses this to mention why, given these considerations, it would be a good fit for this undertaking. When writing a cover letter for a legal internship, it is important to use a professional tone. This means avoiding informal language or colloquial terms. You should also avoid contractions (e.g., can`t, can`t, won`t want to) and instead use full words (not, can`t, won`t want to). Cover letters should follow the standard format for business letters in terms of distance, greeting, etc. If you`re not sure about the intricacies, consult a reference source for business correspondence. Avoid shortcuts, contractions, and abbreviations (e.g., a forward slash instead of “or”), while there is an accepted short form of the name of the organization you are writing to (e.g., ACLU or Howard Rice), it is acceptable to use it in the body of your letter. Your phone number and email address should appear somewhere in the letter, either at the top of your address or in the last paragraph when you ask them to contact you. Note that your resume is “attached” and not “attached” (i.e. truncated or stapled).

The purpose of this paragraph is to give the reader a reason to want to finish reading the letter. If you don`t have a personal connection to mention, try to establish a connection between you and the employer, such as knowledge of their practice, an established commitment or interest in their work, a connection to their city, or something else that indicates that you`re not just texting them as part of a direct mail for a job anywhere. (If that`s really what you`re doing, try not to be too obvious. An employer might think you were looking for it intentionally and not accidentally.) Employers don`t expect first-year students to have highly developed legal skills. Therefore, for first-year students writing to private companies, this section may be a single short paragraph, unless you have a strong background in a relevant field. But even inexperienced first-year students writing to public interest organizations or industry should strive to describe skills and interests that are relevant to the employer. Don`t just repeat and tell your resume. Tailoring your cover letter to the specialties and needs of a particular company can help you stand out as a sophisticated and professional candidate. Your cover letter should show your personality and give concrete examples – whether in your job, education or previous internship – of how you can accomplish the tasks of the internship.

The most common mistakes in student cover letters are: In our office, we also work to help employers become familiar with gender-specific approaches such as “Dear [first name] [last name]”, but like any educational process, this will take time. In the meantime, our primary goal is to ensure that all Berkeley law students are fully informed as you navigate the legal job market. We are always at your disposal to discuss individually which approach suits you best. 3. Some OCI employers require students to bring a cover letter to the initial interview. This is essentially to force students to think about why they want to work for this employer, but it is a letter that deviates from the usual “please consider me for an interview” approach. Below are suggestions for cover letters from the OCI. You will notice in this cover letter example that the student wastes no time explaining who she is and what she has accomplished so far. It`s right there in the first sentence, and that`s fine. This is important information. Don`t let your reader chase him.

Your cover letter is just as important as your resume because it is often read first and plays an important role in your interview search. A cover letter is not a circulation letter, and you`ll be surprised how long it takes to create a good one. A cover letter has a purpose, which is to let an employer know why they should bother to read your resume and why they should meet with you. It also serves as an example of your written work product; Therefore, it should be clear, short and written in a business letter style without typos. The first paragraph of your cover letter should introduce you to the hiring manager. This paragraph should include your name, the school you are attending, the year you are in, and the type of legal internship you are applying for. Internships go hand in hand with law studies. If you`ve just graduated from law school, you`ve probably heard countless times about the importance of articling before graduation. Many experts recommend doing multiple internships to give you the best chance of getting a full-time job. It is appropriate and rare for a public interest cover letter to be slightly more detailed or personal than a private sector cover letter. Of course, it is always very important to be brief, but it is acceptable for the letter to be a full page if your experience requires it. In a public interest cover letter, it is important both to highlight your demonstrated commitment to the organization`s mission, work, and clientele through your own relevant work or life experience, and to illustrate your relevant skills.

Take another look at your resume for articles that show your interest, commitment, and skills. Even if you don`t have experience in the specific area in which an organization operates, it`s still important to highlight your demonstrated commitment to the public interest and link that overall commitment to the specific work of the organization. Since it`s important not to just regurgitate your resume, consider a story that shows you`re interested or qualified for the job. 2. When responding to a job offer, you will generally be asked to submit a cover letter as part of your application. In this case, use the job description and the qualifications required as a guide. While you may not only imitate the language of registration, your letter should show that you have what the employer is looking for. If you don`t know who to send your letter to, it`s always okay to write to the executive director of a nonprofit or hiring partner or hiring manager at a company. You can forward your request to the appropriate person within the organization. If possible, write to someone by name, not “manager” or “recruitment coordinator.” The websites of companies and organizations are very useful for finding this information (and confirming correct spellings and the like); It can be more difficult to find the name of a single recipient for government job postings.

If you do not have a person`s name, the greeting should be “Dear Sir or Madam” (not “Who is concerned”). Of course, when responding to a job offer, address your letter exactly as directed. Last paragraph. In your last paragraph, thank them for their attention and say you hope to hear from them soon. For out-of-town employers, indicate when you expect to be in their geographic area and indicate your availability for an interview. Be sure to include your phone number and email address in this paragraph, unless you`re using a letterhead style that includes them at the top of the page. If you indicate that you will call the employer to process your application, be sure to do so. 1. Cover letters for spontaneous applications are of three main types: First, check that you have the correct name of the company and its hiring staff. Can you see the error in the sample letter here? You can bet Ms. Monroe will.

I have experience in legal research and writing and am confident that I can provide valuable support to Smith, Stevens and Tucker`s lawyers. In addition, I am a strong team player and motivated to learn as much as possible about the legal profession. I have experience writing in various forms and deciphering complex, data-driven information.