Embarking on your job hunt, you've encountered the crucial step of writing a litigation paralegal cover letter, a task more daunting than expected. Striving for the sweet spot, your cover letter must capture a personal career triumph without echoing your resume. It challenges you to be engaging, dodging clichés while maintaining formality, all within the confines of one page. Let's guide you through showcasing your proudest achievement effectively, setting you apart in your job quest.
- Step your best foot forward in the litigation paralegal cover letter introduction;
- Be inspired by other professionals' certified cover letters;
- Structure your litigation paralegal cover letter to feature what matters most;
- Close off your litigation paralegal cover letter to make a memorable impression on recruiters.
But where to start writing? Upload your resume into Enhancv's AI, which will prepare your litigation paralegal cover letter (all you need to do is personalize it, and you'll be good to go).
If the litigation paralegal 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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Litigation paralegal cover letter example
Taylor Foster
San Francisco, CA
+1-(234)-555-1234
help@enhancv.com
- Emphasizing a proven track record in relevant fields (like high-stakes litigation support and debt recovery) directly connects past experience with the potential future performance—it shows the hiring manager that the candidate is already successful in similar roles.
- Quantifying achievements (such as managing over 350 cases with a high success rate and handling a portfolio of high-value debts) provides concrete evidence of the candidate's capabilities and can be more convincing than general claims about skills or experience.
- Highlighting specific tasks performed (like drafting precise court bundles) not only showcases the candidate's relevant skill set but also demonstrates a clear understanding of the work involved in the role they are applying for.
The must-have sections and format of your litigation paralegal cover letter
When writing your litigation paralegal 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 litigation paralegal cover letter, refer to one of our templates, which automatically takes care of the spacing and margins.
Choose the same font for your litigation paralegal 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 litigation paralegal cover letter from our builder in PDF to keep the same formatting and image quality.
The top sections on a litigation paralegal cover letter
- Header: Includes the candidate's contact information, date, and the recipient's details, ensuring the letter is directed to the correct person and showcasing the paralegal's attention to detail.
- Greeting: Addressing the hiring manager by name demonstrates research and personalization, which are important traits for a litigation paralegal who will often address court officials and clients.
- Introduction: Briefly explains the applicant's interest in the litigation paralegal role and provides a hook, such as a significant accomplishment or unique skill set, that aligns with the firm's needs.
- Body: Highlights the candidate's legal knowledge, case management experience, understanding of litigation procedures, and any specialized skills, such as document discovery or trial preparation, that will benefit the law firm.
- Closing: Ends the letter with a strong, professional call-to-action, expressing eagerness to discuss how the candidate's specific litigation support skills can contribute to the success of the legal team.
Key qualities recruiters search for in a candidate’s cover letter
- Experience in legal research and writing: Vital for assisting attorneys in preparing for trials and briefs by gathering and analyzing legal sources.
- Strong organizational skills: Necessary to manage voluminous case files, documents, and exhibits efficiently.
- Proficiency with litigation support software: Critical for efficient handling of e-discovery, document management, and trial preparation tools.
- Attention to detail: Essential for accurately proofreading legal documents, ensuring compliance with court procedures, and avoiding costly mistakes.
- Familiarity with court procedures and rules: Important for scheduling, filing documents correctly, and understanding litigation timelines.
- Excellent communication skills: Required for effectively liaising between attorneys, clients, experts, and court personnel, as well as drafting clear and persuasive communications.
Kick off your litigation paralegal cover letter: the salutation or greeting
When writing your litigation paralegal 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 litigation paralegal 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's Name] Recruitment Team,
- Dear [Name of Managing Partner or Hiring Attorney],
- Dear [Name of Practice Group] Hiring Committee,
- Dear [Mr./Mrs./Ms. Last Name],
- Dear Members of the [Name of Department/Legal Team],
Using your litigation paralegal cover letter intro to show your dedication
We know just how difficult it is to start writing your litigation paralegal cover letter introduction.
There are so many great qualities you have as a professional, which one should you choose?
How about writing up to two sentences about your passion and commitment to the work you do or are set to do?
Try to describe exactly what you enjoy about the potential role.
A positive attitude from the get-go will help you stand out as a motivated litigation paralegal professional.
The middle or body of your litigation paralegal cover letter body: a great instrument to tell a story
Now that you've set the right tone with the greeting and introduction of your litigation paralegal cover letter, it's time to get down to business.
Hear us out, the body of your litigation paralegal cover letter is the best storytelling instrument you have, in your job-hunting arsenal.
Writing the next three to six paragraphs, take the time to reassess the advert to discover job-crucial requirements.
Next, choose one accomplishment that covers those key skills and talents.
Use precisely that achievement to tell an exciting story of how you match the ideal candidate profile.
In the undertones of your story or litigation paralegal cover letter body, hint at the difference you'd make and sell your application as the perfect one for the job.
A sincere and original way to end your litigation paralegal cover letter
When writing their litigation paralegal cover letter, candidates tend to use one of these phrases, "Sincerely yours" or "I look forward to hearing from you".
Both statements show good manners, but your cover letter should end in a more actionable manner.
Write about:
- how you see yourself growing in the role/organization;
- the benefits you would bring about (you'd impress even more with tangible metrics);
- the next steps in the process (provide your availability for interviews).
Is it beneficial to mention that you have no experience in your litigation paralegal 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
We hope this litigation paralegal cover letter writing guide has shown you how to:
- Format your litigation paralegal cover letter with the mandatory sections (e.g. header, greeting, intro, body, and closing) and select the right font (P.S. It should be the same as the one you've used for your resume);
- Substitute your lack of professional experience with your most noteworthy achievement, outside of work, or your dreams and passions;
- Ensure recruiters have a more personalized experience by tailoring your cover letter not just to the role, but to them (e.g. writing their first/last name in the salutation, etc.);
- Introducing your biggest achievement and the skills it has taught you in your litigation paralegal cover letter body;
- Write no more than two sentences in your litigation paralegal cover letter introduction to set the right tone from the get-go.
