Whether you’re just starting your legal journey or are an experienced legal professional seeking a new role, there’s no way around it: demand for legal positions is high, and the job outlook for lawyers in the US grows at a faster-than-average pace . Pair this industry growth with movement from lawyers already working in the industry (the 2022 Legal Trends Report found that in the 12 months before April 2022, nearly one in five lawyers left the law firm they were working for, and nine percent planned to leave their firm in the next six months), and it’s clear that many lawyers will find themselves needing to stand out in a competitive job market.
However, despite the high demand for legal positions, people still need legal expertise—and law firms need capable legal professionals to fill open roles.
Whether you’re a law student, recent graduate, or experienced legal professional, this post will help you with your legal cover letter writing. We’ve started by providing sample cover letters for legal positions below and will then guide you through the essentials of writing a compelling cover letter for law firms.
If you’re feeling overwhelmed when drafting a cover letter for law firms, don’t worry. Seeing a legal cover letter example can give you the confidence to write your own. Below, we’ve compiled some sample cover letters for legal positions, covering different backgrounds and levels of experience.
You can start by using one of these examples as inspiration when structuring your cover letter and what you may want to highlight. You can also take insights from these sample cover letters for lawyers—insights you can apply to your own cover letter when following our tips below.
It’s one thing to review examples of legal cover letters, but how to write one? By following the standard etiquette and structure—and then personalizing it—you can draft an effective cover letter. First, let’s review some legal cover letter best practices.
Even after reviewing some legal cover letter examples, the dos and don’ts of legal cover letter writing aren’t always easy to spot. You may ask yourself: what should a legal cover letter include for a law firm? While the content of your cover letter will differ between employers, these points of etiquette should not.
To whom it may concern: Always take the time to find the correct contact. When writing cover letters for law firms, it’s a common misstep to dedicate so much time and attention to the body of the letter that you overlook the basics—like who and how you’re addressing the letter.
Here are some best practices for addressing your legal cover letter:
In your cover letter’s opening paragraph, you have two main goals:
In the first paragraph, include details about:
The body section of your cover letter is your chance to shine—and to concisely summarize exactly how you meet the requirements in the job description.
In one or two paragraphs, give a high-level overview of your legal education and experience to show:
Above all else, ensure your legal cover letter highlights your skills. Relevant qualifications for a law firm cover letter include:
For example, consider a job posting that describes their ideal candidate as someone with personal injury litigation experience, excellent communication skills, and who works well both independently and as a part of a team in a fast-paced office environment.
If you were applying for this role, your cover letter’s body paragraphs might detail your past personal injury litigation experience and specific examples of how you’ve successfully communicated within a team and in a fast-paced environment.
Remember: Be specific, but keep in mind that this is not the place to restate your resume —if you can grab the hiring manager’s attention here, they will read your resume for those details. Your cover letter is where you can entice the reader to move on to your resume by providing context and highlighting how your experience lines up with what’s needed for the role.
Finally, your concluding paragraph is where you’ll succinctly wrap the cover letter up, close the loop, and leave a positive impression. In your closing paragraph, be sure to:
The legal industry is rapidly evolving, and job hunters need to set themselves apart to get hired (unless, of course, you decide to start your own law firm ).
If you’re applying for a job as a lawyer, whether it’s a traditional position or a legal work-from-home job , here are five tips to make sure your cover letter lands at the top of the pile.
Perhaps the most important tip for writing cover letters for lawyers is to make it personal.
Many of your competitors have similar education and professional experience, so being generic is a fast track to being forgotten.
Use a personalized cover letter to showcase the unique reasons why you’re the best candidate. Show that you know the person you’re writing to, and highlight any connections. If that isn’t possible, you can always write about the firm to show that you’ve done your research.
When writing a lawyer cover letter, focus on what you have to offer. Regardless of why you’re looking for a new job, you bring a unique mix of attributes to the table. Highlight these attributes, whether they’re your:
If you’re a law student or recent graduate, you may not have a long legal career to highlight. However, you can still note strengths like technology skills that make you an asset.
To a hiring law firm, being tech-competent and familiar with certain cloud-based tools like Clio could be an advantage that sets you apart from other candidates.
For example, more and more law firms are adopting artificial intelligence (AI) tools to help them run their practices more efficiently, with the 2023 Legal Trends Report finding that nearly one in five legal professionals are using some form of AI in their practices already. With this in mind, lawyers up-to-date with AI technology may stand out for hiring law firms.
Legal cover letters are not the place to be long-winded, and droning on will almost certainly have the opposite effect of what you’re going for. Keep cover letters for attorneys short, to the point, and persuasive—the trick is to be memorable and limit yourself to one page. Because you want to make a lasting impression on a single page, it’s also a good idea to check your cover letter’s sentence structure. Do you start all of your sentences the same way? Are they all the same length? Ensure there’s some variety so your reader stays engaged.
Tone matters. While what you say in a cover letter for lawyers is obviously important, it also matters how you say it.
No matter what type of legal job you’re applying for, you always want to convey a professional tone. However, depending on the law firm you’re applying to, using a personal tone may work to your advantage. Tailor your tone to match the law firm you’re applying to.
If you’re writing a Big Law cover letter, for example, you’ll want to err on the side of being more formal. For a smaller local law firm? Check their website and match the tone to demonstrate your familiarity with their firm.
There is zero room for typos or grammatical errors in cover letters for lawyers. With so much competition for legal jobs, don’t give hiring managers a reason to eliminate you. Take the time to carefully proofread your cover letter yourself, and consider enlisting someone else to proofread your cover letters as well.
In a crowded legal job market, there’s no better way to outshine the competition than an excellent legal cover letter. Ensure you’re putting your best foot forward with your future employer by:
While finding a new legal job in a competitive market isn’t exactly easy, staying resilient and adaptive will lead you to success. By crafting a great cover letter, you’re more likely to be noticed in this—and any—job market.
And, no matter what job you’re applying for, knowing technology can help set you apart—both when job hunting and once you’re working at your new firm. If you’re a law student and want a head start, you may be able to get free Clio access via Clio’s Academic Access Program (CAAP) at your law school. Learn more about CAAP here .
In a competitive job market, hiring managers at law firms read cover letters to help determine which candidates may be the best fit. A well-written legal cover letter can entice the reader to review your resume—and, hopefully, invite you for an interview—by showcasing how your experience and skills align with the role.
We published this blog post in June 2020. Last updated: June 13, 2024 .
