Crafting an attorney cover letter can be daunting, especially when your job hunt has escalated to the point where it's no longer a choice but a requirement. It’s not just about repeating your resume; it’s your chance to spotlight a significant professional triumph, sharing the story behind your proudest achievement with finesse. This pivotal letter must strike a balance—professional yet unique, substantial but concise, capping at one uncluttered page. Let's dive in and make your cover letter a standout testament to your legal expertise.
- Including all the must-have paragraphs in your structure for an excellent first impression;
- Learning how to write individual sections from industry-leading cover letter examples;
- Selecting the best accomplishment to tell an interesting and authority-building professional story;
- Introducing your profile with personality, while meeting industry standards.
And, if you want to save some time, drag and drop your attorney resume into Enhancv's AI, which will assess your profile and write your job-winning cover letter for you.
If the attorney 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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Attorney cover letter example
DANIEL ANDERSON
Philadelphia, PA
+1-(234)-555-1234
help@enhancv.com
- Emphasizing notable achievements, such as leading a class action lawsuit with a significant settlement, showcases the candidate's competency and direct relevance to the position.
- Highlighting the utilization of legal tech innovations indicates the candidate's forward-thinking approach and adaptability to modern legal practices, keeping pace with evolving industry standards.
- Detailing the ability to manage high-stake, multijurisdictional litigation demonstrates the candidate's skill in handling complex cases, an essential aspect for a litigation attorney position within a firm that handles mass tort and class action lawsuits.
The must-have sections and format of your attorney cover letter
When writing your attorney cover letter, keep in mind that it'll only be read by the recruiters and not the Applicant Tracker System (or software used to assess your profile). That's why you should structure your content with a/an:
- Header (apart from your contact information, include your name, the role you're applying for, and the date);
- Personalized salutation;
- Opening paragraph to win the recruiters over;
- Middle paragraph with key details;
- Closing that starts from clichés;
- Sign off (that's not mandatory).
Industry standards dictate your paragraphs to be single-spaced and to wrap your content in a one-inch margin. Designing your attorney cover letter, refer to one of our templates, which automatically takes care of the spacing and margins.
Choose the same font for your attorney cover letter as you did for your resume: the likes of Lato and Bitter would help you to stand out in a sea of cover letters in Arial or Times New Roman.
Export your whole attorney cover letter from our builder in PDF to keep the same formatting and image quality.
The top sections on a attorney cover letter
- Header: This section includes your contact information, the date, and the recipient's details, establishing a professional tone and providing the recruiter with your pertinent details for correspondence.
- Opening Greeting: Tailor the greeting to the recipient, if known (e.g., "Dear Ms. Smith"), to show that you have personally addressed the letter and respect the formality of the legal field.
- Introduction: Clearly state the position you are applying for, your current role or most relevant experience, and a thesis statement on why you are a strong candidate for the position, grabbing the recruiter's attention and setting up the narrative of your suitability for the role.
- Body: Use this section to delve into your relevant legal experience, case successes, understanding of the law firm's practice areas, and your ability to meet the specific needs of the position, showcasing your expertise and making a compelling argument for your fit with the firm.
- Closing: Reaffirm your interest in the position, state your availability to discuss your application further, and thank the recipient for considering you, ending the letter on a courteous and call-to-action note.
Key qualities recruiters search for in a candidate’s cover letter
- Persuasive communication skills: crucial for arguing cases effectively in court and negotiating settlements.
- Attention to detail: essential for meticulously reviewing and drafting legal documents to avoid costly errors.
- Analytical thinking: key for developing legal strategies and dissecting complex legal issues.
- Strong research abilities: fundamental for building cases and staying current with evolving laws and precedents.
- Ethical integrity: non-negotiable for maintaining client confidentiality and upholding the law.
- Resilience and stress management: important for handling the high-pressure environment and long hours common in the legal profession.
Kick off your attorney cover letter: the salutation or greeting
When writing your attorney cover letter, remember that you're not writing for some complex AI or robot, but for actual human beings.
And recruiters, while on the lookout to understand your experience, would enjoy seeing a cover letter that is tailored to the role and addresses them. Personally.
So, if you haven't done so, invest some time in finding out who's the hiring manager for the role you're applying to. A good place to start would be LinkedIn and the corporate website.
Alternatively, you could also get in touch with the company to find out more information about the role and the name of the recruiter.
If you haven't met the hiring manager, yet, your attorney cover letter salutation should be on a last-name basis (e.g. "Dear Mr. Donaldson" or "Dear Ms. Estephan").
A good old, "Dear HR Professional" (or something along those lines) could work as your last resort if you're struggling to find out the recruiter's name.
List of salutations you can use
- Dear Hiring Manager,
- Dear [Law Firm Name] Team,
- Dear Mr./Ms. [Last Name],
- Esteemed Members of the [Law Firm Name],
- Dear [Practice Area] Selection Committee,
- Respected [Position Title],
What to include in those first two sentences, or your attorney cover letter introduction
Have you ever wondered what the best way is to present your profile in the attorney cover letter introduction?
There's no right or wrong answer if you're being concise and authentic to yourself.
Some professionals start their attorney cover letter by:
- congratulating the company - focusing on something impressive, whether that's an award, an industry-leading project, or a key event;
- aligning their passion for the field or industry with the job - if you're enthusiastic about what you do, you'd thus grow your skill set and value as a professional.
What to write in the body of your attorney cover letter
Now that you've got your intro covered, here comes the heart and soul of your attorney cover letter.
It's time to write the middle or body paragraphs. This is the space where you talk about your relevant talent in terms of hard skills (or technologies) and soft (or people and communication) skills.
Keep in mind that the cover letter has a different purpose from your attorney resume.
Yes, you still have to be able to show recruiters what makes your experience unique (and applicable) to the role.
But, instead of just listing skills, aim to tell a story of your one, greatest accomplishment.
Select your achievement that:
- covers job-crucial skills;
- can be measured with tangible metrics;
- shows you in the best light.
Use the next three to six paragraphs to detail what this success has taught you, and also to sell your profile.
Ending your attorney cover letter to avoid "Sincerely yours"
Yes, this sort of closing statement may work best before your signature.
But you want to give recruiters something more with your attorney cover letter ending.
Some professionals choose to go down the path of promises. In a single sentence, they map out what they'd bring about to the role (whether that's a particular technical skill set or personal traits).
Others, decide to be more concrete by thanking recruiters for their time and prompting for their next interview.
Whatever path you choose, remember to always be polite and respectful of the opportunity you've had. Good manners go a long way.
Addressing limited to no experience in the attorney cover letter
There's nothing to worry about if you lack professional experience.
Your attorney cover letter could bridge the gaps in your professional history by focusing on what matters most to recruiters, that's either:
- skills - focusing on transferable ones you've gained, thanks to your life experience (e.g. volunteering, certificates, etc.);
- achievements - select the most relevant and noteworthy one from your history (e.g. education, projects, etc.);
- motivation - describe how you envision your professional growth in the next up to five years, thanks to this opportunity.
Key takeaways
Writing your attorney cover letter doesn't need to turn into an endless quest, but instead:
- Create an individual attorney cover letter for each role you apply to, based on job criteria (use our builder to transform your resume into a cover letter, which you could edit to match the job);
- Stick with the same font you've used in your resume (e.g. Raleway) and ensure your attorney cover letter is single-spaced and has a one-inch margin all around;
- Introduce your enthusiasm for the role or the company at the beginning of your attorney cover letter to make a good first impression;
- Align what matters most to the company by selecting just one achievement from your experience, that has taught you valuable skills and knowledge for the job;
- End your attorney cover letter like any good story - with a promise for greatness or follow-up for an interview.
Attorney cover letter examples
Explore additional attorney cover letter samples and guides and see what works for your level of experience or role.
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Entry-Level Attorney
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