Law Student Cover Letter Samples

Law student cover letters are extremely important for students of law to know how to write and have on-hand, regardless of what year of study you’re currently in. A cover letter serves as your chance to show off your skills and to make sure that the motivation behind your career choice and your suitability for the role; this is especially important for things like summer job opportunities related to your program and internships. This blog will walk you through everything you need to know about writing a law student cover letter—from what information it should contain, how it should be formatted, and a few samples of law student cover letters so you’ll know how to prepare your letter with ease!

What is a Law Student Cover Letter?

You are now a law student! After completing dozens of application components, such as your law school personal statement, law school resume, and other law school optional essays, you have finally made it! But, if you think that you are done planning and working on application materials, you are wrong! Now that you’re a law student, you must work to gain relevant experience and knowledge by participating in internships, articling, and other law-related job opportunities. To succeed in your applications, you will need a stellar law student cover letter.

A law student cover letter is a document that you write to accompany your resume, which you send along with your application for various internships or employment opportunities that are related to your area of study. In your case, this is law, but it may be a specific sector of law that you have a special interest in, such as family law or environmental law. A cover letter is used to connect the dots between your experiences listed on your resume by providing your potential employer with a short, organized narrative that details why you’re an ideal candidate for the role.

As a law student, it's important for you to create effective marketing materials that stand out from the crowd of applicants. A well-written cover letter will help employers remember who sent them the application—and put it at the top of their pile when they're shortlisting candidates for an interview!

Simply put: you’ll want to stand out to potential employers, and having a well written cover letter can enhance your application!

Need help with your cover letter? Reach out to a law school advisor:

Cover Letter: Why You Need One, and When You’ll Need to Use It

Without a cover letter, your application may only consist of a resume, and/or any other documentation that is required. Most, if not all, jobs recommend a cover letter. The same can be said for internships. Whether paid or unpaid, internship positions are often in high demand, and many law students will likely apply for the same position. Many students may have similar academic paths and accomplishments, so, having a stellar cover letter gives you an opportunity to stand out (in just a few short paragraphs) and works to enhance the valuable information and experiences on your resume.

You should prepare a law-specific cover letter when you want to apply for any professional role related to law. Commonly, law student cover letters are required/recommended to go along with internship applications.

Even if you’re not currently seeking an internship or employment, you may also want to have an established cover letter if you’re interested in alumni networking as a law student, or learning about opportunities without the immediate intent of applying to them.

Your cover letter is a professional extension of you, and should almost act as a narrative that encompasses your abilities as a law student as they relate to the role you’re hoping to obtain.

Every law student cover letter you create and submit should be completely unique. This doesn’t mean that your latest cover letter cannot follow the same format as another you’ve written, or include the same background information about your skills. Rather, you should ensure each cover letter is tailored to the specific company and position you’re applying for. Each role has different requirements and expectations, so it’s important you take the time to share why you feel you’d be a good fit for a specific role, and not submit the same, generalized cover letters to every role you apply for while you’re in law school.

Why Should I Have a Law-Specific Cover Letter as a Student?

If you're a law student, cover letters are an important part of your job search while you’re still in school, and can really come in handy if you’re planning on pursuing an internship, whether one is a mandatory component of your program or not.

Even if internships are required by your institution, it does not mean you’ll be automatically awarded an internship. You may need to apply yourself in order to stand out and be considered above other candidates for your desired position at the company you wish to intern with; especially if it’s competitive.

Cover letters give you the chance to explain why you would be a good fit for a position and show that you're serious about getting the job. Resumes are brief and often point-form, highlighting a few academic accomplishments and credentials, along with employment history and workplace skills. But sometimes, a job title and a brief description of your duties isn’t sufficient enough to look like the best candidate in the application pool!

The first thing most hiring managers look at when they get an application is the cover letter; this is true across many fields, but especially in law. It gives them a sense of who you are as a professional, and shows them whether or not you may be an ideal fit for their company. Each company has its own culture and set of values; they’re looking for specific talent and skills to add to their team, and the only way they’ll know if you have these is by reading your detailed cover letter.

If yours doesn't stand out from the rest, you may not hear from your dream company!

What Information Should I Include in my Law Student Cover Letter?

Your law student cover letter should include the following:

• Your name, address and phone number.
• The date of your application. If you are applying for multiple positions at once, it’s helpful to make sure that your cover letter goes with each job posting.
• A short summary of your career history so far (including any relevant work experience). This could be a paragraph or two long, but shouldn't take up more than half the page.
• Brief descriptions of the internship or role you are applying for and what makes you qualified for it. You should emphasize the knowledge and skills you possess, and experiences you’ve had, in order to demonstrate why you think you’re a perfect candidate.
• A concise summary about why you want to work in law, and why you want to work for this employer in particular. You can include the steps you’ve taken towards achieving this goal so far—this would include some information about your years spent at university as well as activities outside of class, such as extracurriculars related specifically to legal studies or volunteer opportunities.

What Information Should I Refrain from Putting in my Cover Letter?

Yes, there is definitely information that should not be included in any cover letter, but especially a law student cover letter.

First, you should refrain from including overly personal information. This means you should not provide details about your personal life, irrelevant points about hobbies or interests unrelated to law, and any information about your age, race, gender, political opinion, or preferences, unless this was a requirement for the role! For example, some internship and job postings may be looking for students under 30 years of age, somebody who is bilingual, somebody who identities as female, or even a person with a specific area of interest that is relevant to the position.

If you’re unsure (or it wasn’t listed as a requirement), it’s best not to write it about your own. If you don’t meet a mandatory requirement, it’s best not to waste time applying.

Additionally, in most cases, you won’t need to include any information about your GPA or specific academic achievements in terms of grades or performance.

A law student cover letter should be brief, but detailed enough to let your future employer/supervisor know that you’re the best candidate for the role because you have a specific set of skills, traits and knowledge that would benefit your performance, and, that working at their company would align with your future goals.

How to Format Your Law Student Cover Letter

When formatting your law student cover letter, consider the following:

Sample Law Student Cover Letter

November 1, 2020

Mr. John Smith

XYZ District Attorney’s Office

123 Anywhere Street

Newtown, NY

73304

Dear Mr. Smith,

I am a second-year student at ZYX Law School and I’m elated to be writing to you in response to your posting for a spring intern at your downtown office. I have been a passionate advocate for many social justice movements in the downtown core, and feel working at the XYZ District Attorney’s Office would be an invaluable experience. I am also confident that I have several established skills that would make me a great addition to your office over the course of the fourth month position.

I attended ABC University for my undergraduate degree and received my honors degree in Justice, Political Policy and Law in 2017, with a minor focus in Labor Studies. Prior to beginning my current program, I accepted a part-time position as a youth program coordinator at Newtown’s Indigenous community center. I thoroughly enjoy drafting and organizing programs that will benefit the young minds in this city, and throughout my academic and professional endeavors, I’ve grown to be the passionate, dedicated law student I am today.

I am passionate about social justice and empowerment which is why a role interning at your office not only piqued my interest as somebody eager to learn more about district law, but somebody who is so excited about working in this city. I also firmly believe I am capable of demonstrating the intensive research skills and organizational abilities required for this role, as I exceeded in political research and research analytics during my undergraduate degree, specifically with my fourth-year thesis, where I presented my case on the relation of Generational Trauma, Systemic Racism and Social Welfare Crises. Last summer, I completed an internship at CDF Law Firm as a research assistant and thoroughly enjoyed my time there. I successfully compiled and drafted several documents during my two months at CDF, and, I learned how to best organize my findings in an approachable and concise manner.

Overall, I feel an internship at XYZ District Attorney’s Office would be phenomenal opportunity. I feel in this position, I’d be able to successfully enhance my skills as a law professional, and learn new research and leadership skills that will be imperative to my growth and will contribute to my journey toward one day becoming a District Attorney myself. I have a lot to learn, but I know I have a lot of value and skill to offer.

Thank you in advance for taking the time to review my cover letter. I look forward to connecting with you. I can be reached at (102)-304-1234, or by email, [email protected].

Sincerely,

Jane Doe

Sample Law Student Cover Letter 2

ABC County Municipal Government Center

1999 Anytown Ave - 18

Anycity, NY

01234-45

March 10, 2018

To Whom it may Concern,

I am a third year ABC Law student determined to pursue a career as a public defender, which is why I am excited to be formally applying for your internship at ABC Country Municipal Government Centre. I have an extensive background studying criminal law and public defence, both in my post secondary courses and internships, and volunteer endeavors. I feel my combination of experience and dedication to becoming a law professional allow me to demonstrate the skills necessary for this role, including knowledge of the criminal justice system, municipal law, and defence, as well as impeccable analytical and critical thinking abilities.

Last summer, I worked for the Public Defender Service for the District of CBA as a part-time intern. There, I helped my designated attorney prepare for trial and conducted extensive research on cases specific to juveniles, as well as other crimes that impacted the community, like vandalism. I helped prepare court documents and by the end of my contract, I was preparing documents entirely on my own; they were then granted approval upon review and used in court. I also witnessed and participated in defence interviews as an observer and got a first-hand look at what it takes to not only question to convicted, but to see the big picture and understand, from a professional standpoint, what their true intent is/was. I always strive to hear everybody and ask the appropriate questions to ensure I have a thorough understanding of every case.

I have completed eight criminal law courses, with honors, in my current program, and exceeded in criminal law during my undergraduate career, too. Currently, I volunteer as a journalist for the law “paper”, that is a student-run and funded blog, at ABC University. I enjoy volunteering my time to not only to inform the law community of pertinent issues and stories in our community, but to ensure I have polished and pristine research and writing skills. I believe the only way to learn and improve, is by doing.

My training during workshops and mock trials has helped me to develop the strong oral advocacy skills critical in the courtroom, which I am looking to put to use, alongside my research, writing, and analytical skills, at an internship at your office. My academic career and professional goals, make me a strong candidate for this position. I would appreciate the chance to discuss my qualifications with you.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Sincerely,

John Smith

Final Thoughts

As a law student, you’ll benefit tremendously from knowing how to draft a quality, concise law student cover letter for all of your future internships and employment opportunities. It’s essential that you mention relevant details and highlight your assets in your law student cover letter, as it’s your only opportunity to offer a narrative to support your resume/application, and speak to your own character and potential!

Be sure to review our samples above, and review the recommended structure so that you can format your law student cover letter well and attach it to all of your applications! Remember, for each job you apply for, you should create a custom cover letter.

FAQs

To your success,

Your friends at BeMo

BeMo Academic Consulting

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