As you embark on your law career, crafting an impactful law school cover letter can be a daunting task. You may already be applying for jobs and realizing the significance of a compelling cover letter that complements, not echoes, your resume. Your goal is to weave a narrative around your proudest professional milestone, avoiding clichés while maintaining a formal tone. Remember, brevity is key – this crucial document should encapsulate your achievements in just one page. Let's tackle these challenges together.
- Introduce your profile to catch recruiters' attention;
- Use professional templates and examples to make sure your law school cover letter follows the best industry standards;
- Settle on your most story-worthy achievement to shine a light on what makes your application unique;
- Write a law school cover letter, even when you lack professional experience.
Ready to start with the basics: upload your resume to Enhancv's AI, below, to see the law school cover letter it would write for you.
If the law school isn't exactly the one you're looking for we have a plethora of cover letter examples for jobs like this one:
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Law school cover letter example
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- Highlighting Relevant Experience: Mentioning the 20% reduction in preparation time for court proceedings showcases the applicant's ability to bring efficiency and positive change to clerical processes in a legal setting.
- Quantifiable Achievements: Citing the management and support of over 50 case preparations provides a tangible measure of the candidate's capabilities and experience, making the applicant's track record clear and impressive to the hiring manager.
- Expressing Ambition and Compatibility: Articulating an eagerness to handle complex cases and a desire to contribute to a team's excellence indicates both a personal drive and a compatibility with the high standards of the prospective employer’s legal firm.
What are the basics of the design or format of your law school cover letter?
To start, here's a reminder for you: the Applicant Tracker System (or software that is used to assess candidate profiles), won't be reading your law school cover letter.
Recruiters enjoy reading law school cover letters with a standardized format that uses:
- the same font as the resume (e.g. modern ones like Raleway or Volkhov are prefered over the clichéd Times New Roman or Arial);
- single spacing to keep the content concise and organized (this is all ready for you in our cover letter templates);
- a one-inch margin to wrap around the text, like in our cover letter builder;
- PDF as a file format, as it allows your design (and visual element) to stay the same.
Finally, we can't go on without mentioning the key sections of your law school cover letter.
In the top one-third, make sure to include a header (with your contact information, name, role, and date), a salutation, and an introduction.
Next, follows the heart and soul of your law school cover letter or its body.
End your law school cover letter with a closing paragraph and, if you wish, a signature.
The top sections on a law school cover letter
Header: Include your name, contact information, and the date to ensure the recruiter can easily identify and reach you.
Greeting: Address the recruiter or hiring manager by name if possible; this shows attention to detail and a personalized approach.
Opening Paragraph: Briefly articulate your interest in the specific law school program and mention any connections you have to the institution or notable alumni, demonstrating your genuine enthusiasm and research.
Body Section (Experience and Qualifications): Highlight your legal experience, academic achievements, and specific skills that align with the qualities the law school values, showcasing your potential as a law student.
Closing Paragraph: Reiterate your interest, thank the recruiter for their consideration, and mention your availability for an interview to discuss your application further, leaving a professional and proactive final impression.
Key qualities recruiters search for in a candidate’s cover letter
- Strong analytical and research skills: Demonstrates the capability to dissect complex legal issues and perform thorough legal research, which is essential for success in law school and the legal profession.
- Clear and persuasive writing ability: The ability to articulate arguments and legal concepts in writing is critical for law school assignments, exams, and future legal work such as drafting briefs and memos.
- Commitment to ethical practice: Illustrates a deep understanding of and dedication to the ethical obligations of the legal profession, which is fundamental to maintaining public trust and integrity in the law.
- Resilience and stress management: Sheds light on the candidate’s capacity to handle the rigorous and often high-pressure environment of law school and legal practice.
- Leadership and teamwork experience: Reflects the applicant’s potential to contribute to the law school community and work effectively in group settings, which is important for classroom dynamics and collaborative legal work.
- Demonstrated interest in the law: A genuine passion for legal study and a clear motivation to pursue a legal career reassure recruiters of the candidate’s commitment and long-term engagement with the field.
The law school cover letter salutation: how to address hiring managers
After covering the format of your law school cover letter, let's look at the salutation.
Back in the day, the cordial "To whom it may concern" or "Dear Sir/Madam", might have worked out fine.
But, nowadays, your cover letter should approach hiring managers on a more personal basis.
So, what to do about your cover letter salutation?
If you've messaged the recruiters and are on a first name basis or a more formal one, use the hiring manager's name in the greeting (e.g. "Dear Sophie," "Dear Ms. Givens", or "Dear Mr. Everett,").
Always aim to make the effort to find out the name of the hiring manager, who'd be assessing your application. Search on LinkedIn, double-check the advert on the corporate website, or message the brand on social media to find out more about the role.
If you can't find the hiring manager's name (and still want to sound professional), use "Dear HR Team,", "Dear Hiring Manager,", or the likes.
List of salutations you can use
- Dear [Recipient's Name],
- Dear [Recipient's Title and Name],
- Dear [Faculty or Committee Name],
- Dear [Dean or Professor's Name],
- Dear Hiring Committee,
- Dear Search Committee,
First introductions in your law school cover letter
Within your law school cover letter introduction, genuinely state what you like about the organization.
Research the latest company projects, honorary awards, company updates, etc.
Write up to two sentences to let recruiters know what impresses you about the company,
This would help you to set a good tone for the rest of the communication.
How to write an achievement-focused law school cover letter body
We've got the intro and greeting covered. Now, comes the most definitive part of your law school cover letter - the body.
In the next three to six paragraphs, you'd have to answer why should recruiters hire you.
What better way to do this than by storytelling?
And, no, you don't need a "Once upon a time" or "I started from the bottom and made it to the top" career-climbing format to tell a compelling narrative.
Instead, select up to three most relevant skills for the job and look back on your resume.
Find an achievement, that you're proud of, which has taught you these three job-crucial skills.
Quantify your accomplishment, using metrics, and be succinct in the way you describe it.
The ultimate aim would be to show recruiters how this particular success has built up your experience to become an invaluable candidate.
Thinking about the closing paragraph of your law school cover letter
Before your signature, you have extra space to close off your law school cover letter.
Use it to either make a promise or look to the future.
Remind recruiters how invaluable of a candidate you are by showing what you plan to achieve in the role.
Also, note your availability for a potential next meeting (in person or over the telephone).
By showing recruiters that you're thinking about the future, you'd come off as both interested in the opportunity and responsible.
Is it beneficial to mention that you have no experience in your law school cover letter?
Lacking professional experience isn't the end of the world for your law school cover letter.
Just be honest that you may not have had roles in the industry, but bring about so much more.
Like, your transferable skills, attained thanks to your whole work and life experience (e.g. the skills your summer spent working abroad taught you).
Or, focus on what makes you, you, and that one past success that can help you stand out and impress recruiters (think of awards you've attained and how they've helped you become a better professional).
Alternatively, write about your passion and drive to land the job and the unique skill set you would bring to enhance the workplace culture.
Key takeaways
Creating your law school cover letter should be a personalized experience for the role and the recruiter, where you:
- Format your cover letter using the same ATS-friendly font (e.g. Railway) as you did for your resume;
- Greet recruiters, using their name, and follow up with two sentences to introduce yourself, your interest in the role, and to stand out;
- Map out one key success from your career (or life) that has taught you job-crucial skills;
- Substitute your lack of experience with an achievement from your internships, degrees, or volunteering gigs;
- End with a promise for your potential or your availability for an interview.
Law School cover letter examples
Explore additional law school cover letter samples and guides and see what works for your level of experience or role.
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