To have the best chance of impressing the hiring manager and landing your dream job role, you should include a cover letter with your job application. Even if the job posting doesn't say it is a requirement, including a cover letter will set you apart and help you elaborate on your relevant skills. This is especially important when it comes to pursuing a legal career, as you will need to be able to present your knowledge from attending law school and experience from working at other law firms. You may think that a resume allows you to mention these aspects, so you can stick with creating a resume. However, a cover letter will help you provide examples of when you used specific skills, giving the hiring manager an incentive to ask you to attend a job interview. But, how do you create a cover letter that is professional and concise? Read on to find out all the cover letter tips you need to know, complete with cover letter samples ready for you to use.
To help you get the most out of our guide, we will refer to this legal cover letter template, which follows a specific structure that ensures all of your most significant experience and knowledge is highlighted. If you would also like support in creating an excellent resume, then you can use ResumeNerd's resume templates and resume builder to help you write the perfect job application.
All job seekers should follow a structure when devising a cover letter. Having a professional and precise cover letter format will serve you well when aiming to enter the legal profession. Below, we will go through this structure and show you how you can apply your work experience and skills to your cover letter.
The first section of your cover letter should be used as an introduction, but you need to make this engaging. An enticing hook will stick in the hiring manager’s head and allow you to quickly express your most outstanding achievements. You should also open your cover letter by directly naming the job title and company name, showing that you have edited this cover letter specifically for this position.
Your second paragraph is where you will go into the most detail about your recent job experience and time as a paralegal law student while detailing your GPA, if applicable. This is the main section of your cover letter where you can sell yourself and add meaning to all the legal skills you mentioned in your legal resume, so make sure to give examples of when you used these skills.
If you struggle to decide which legal skills you want to write about, then you should study the job description to see which skills the hiring manager is looking for. For example, if you complete a legal research program and one of the skill requirements is legal research, you should include and elaborate on this skill.
The final section of your cover letter should be used as a closing paragraph. However, this doesn’t mean that this sign-off should be vague. For example, it is always a good idea to include a statement such as “I look forward to discussing what I could bring to this role with you,” to show that you want to take action and are confident that you could be beneficial to the legal job in question.
Of course, these paragraphs make up the main body of your cover letter. And above your first paragraph, you should include your contact information, including your phone number, email address and professional job networking profile or portfolio links, if you feel it is relevant to your job.
Before you jump into your first paragraph, you should also include a professional salutation. This should be “Dear Ms./Mr. (insert surname.)” You may use “Dear hiring manager” if you researched and could not find the hiring manager or recruiter’s name. Do not address the recruiter using terms such as, “To whom it may concern.”
Providing a cover letter will improve your chances of hearing back from a prospective employer. In addition, using a cover letter template will ensure that you stick to the formal structure favored by hiring managers while including all the information you need!
Although a cover letter is a great way to elaborate on your skills, you don't want to ramble for too long! It would help if you aimed for a cover letter length of 3/4 of a page, sticking to no more than four paragraphs. This may be hard if you have a lot of experience, but just hone in on your most relevant and most recent positions!
Even if you don't have extensive experience, you can still create a great cover letter by following the example we have provided. By following a proven successful structure, you can tailor the content on each paragraph to suit your experience, whether that be education, internships or apprenticeships.
