Lawyer Cover Letter
Although briefly, but employers do read the cover letters that supplement your resume. It's hardly a minute's time that is spent by the employer in glancing through each of the application material that drop in at their desk. So, as a lawyer, make your cover letter succinct. This is the chance for you to inject quickly your persona into your application package. Your cover letter should be drafted in such a manner so that after reading it your prospective employer gets a feeling that he/ she knows you a little better than your competitors.
Necessary Tips
When writing a lawyer cover letter ensure that you convey your years of working experience to the hiring manager along with the fact that you are well accustomed with the courtroom procedures, your association with some of the cases and depositions that might be of the employer's interest. All these material integrated in the very first section itself bounds the reader to hold his/ her interest for reading the rest.
Describe your Background
When applying for the position of a lawyer, it is an added bonus for you to have graduated from a prestigious and reputed law school and/or if you have some training experiences associated with any of the city attorney's office. All these points demand attention in your cover letter.
The Letter Headline and Format
Cover letter is the best places that allow you to demonstrate all your writing skills and capabilities you honed in your law school or throughout the years of writing briefs. However, it should always be kept in mind that the cover letter is no more than a brief supplement to your resume. So be sure to keep it short, specific and to the point. Do not exaggerate unnecessarily. Start off the letter mentioning your name, contact details and the application date. Next is the addressing section. Address the letter to the specific person by his/ her name. Please, NO "Dear Sir/ Madame". Now directly above your greeting, let your headline stand out prominently. Headlines like: "EXPERIENCED COMPANY LAWYER READY TO TAKE UP NEW CHALLENGES" or "AVAILABLE IMMEDIATELY: ATTORNEY AT LAW” makes the reader read what you've written in the very next line. A lawyer cover letter should be no longer than a page i.e. 3 - 4 paragraphs.
Letter Content
The body of the letter is the place where you can go into further detail related to your work and experiences. Along with your academic background, you are also expected to flesh out and demonstrate your achievements till date. Express the fact that you can prove to be a valuable asset to your potential employer. Focus your uniqueness and skills in a concise yet fashionable manner and then let them draw the conclusions. Never narrow down your search with these kinds of sentences: "As per my past experience in accounting, I can prove to be a valuable asset to your company." What if the finance department have no opening, and the hiring person thinks you would be perfect for the tax department? So avoid being close-minded, or else chances to miss out upon excellent opportunities become high. Be dynamic and project your skills in a positive manner, and show the HR person how the company would be benefited by hiring you.
Winning-Closer
This is the time to close the deal. Sum up all your capabilities, skills, talents and abilities out here. Stress more upon your interest in working as a lawyer of the target company or organization State that you look forward to meeting your potential employer in person and discuss other related details, and end the letter in a cordial manner i.e. "Yours truly" or "Best Regards".