When you hire a lawyer, you expect them to be highly knowledgeable about their specialist area of the law. In addition, they should be able to guide their clients on any legal battles they find themselves embroiled in. Therefore, just as you would be meticulous with your spoken and written words as a lawyer, you should write your lawyer cover letter in the same manner.
Lawyers are typically masters of the written and spoken word, so it is unlikely that you will need tips about how to put your case across. Having said this, you may not have applied for a new job for a while, so it may be worth giving some thought as to the messages that you include in a cover letter. What is acceptable? How can you make your cover letter complement the information in your CV? What will the hiring manager want to hear about?
In this cover letter guide, together with the lawyer cover letter example, we will introduce you to the key elements that contribute to making an excellent cover letter. We will cover the following topics:
- The best cover letter format to use and the standard paragraphs it should contain.
- General ideas for the content for each section of your lawyer cover letter.
- How to give yourself the best possible chance of being invited for an interview.
When you sit down to write your cover letter, you should think about how you can set yourself apart from the other candidates, and this is what you will discover by reading this guide. You can also look at our cover letter examples for further guidance when you get to this stage of your application.
Best format for a lawyer cover letter
Your lawyer cover letter should flow thanks to a robust format and structure. Therefore, before you start writing the content for your cover letter, you should consider the format you intend to use.
You can use this general structure to follow when writing your cover letter:
- Cover letter header
- Greeting/salutation
- Introduction
- Middle (body of cover letter)
- Conclusion and call-to-action
Write your cover letter in a way that reflects your passion and understanding of your field and how you deal with and manage your clients. You can use these cover letter format tips for a more comprehensive guide to this aspect of your cover letter.
This lawyer cover letter example can be used to help you devise and develop your own:
Dear Ms. Mohammed,
I would like to apply for your family lawyer position as mentioned to me by an acquaintance and current MP Legal employee, Peter Garcia. As a diligent and compassionate lawyer, I possess eight years of experience managing family cases, achieving favorable outcomes, including domestic violence and neglect cases.
I have volunteered with the Local Lawyers organization, providing legal assistance to low-income families facing divorce, custody, and support matters. In terms of divorce law, I have negotiated high-net-worth divorce settlements involving multiple businesses, real estate, and international assets, as well as drafting, and reviewing over 50 prenuptial and postnuptial agreements.
Your outstanding reputation has attracted me to this role, and I feel that my range of experience in family law could offer a lot of value to the business. I also hold a First-Class Honours Degree in Law from Manchester University.
I am a conscientious individual, who believes in dealing with clients in a manner that puts them at ease and makes the legal process more accessible.
I have attached my CV and would welcome the chance to discuss the role with you in more detail.
Regards,
Claire Hampson
Cover letter header
Your cover letter header will be at the top of the cover letter and contain your essential contact details, including your name, phone number, and email address. The cover letter header will usually be in a larger font than the rest of your cover letter to help it stand out. Check out the header on our lawyer cover letter sample for more ideas on getting started.
Remember that data protection is important as a lawyer - only include your town and state for your home address. As a lawyer is a formal position, it may be advisable to include an "inside address" of the employer, even though you will be sending the cover letter by email. Observing due formality is part of your job, after all.
The aim of the cover letter header: Nice and simple – the cover letter header contains the necessary details for the hiring manager to contact you.
As lawyers are professional and networking is an essential aspect of the role, you may want to include your LinkedIn profile on your cover letter header. You may even have some connections in common with the hiring manager.
Cover letter greeting
As a lawyer, how you introduce yourself to a client is important. The hiring manager will expect you to be professional, friendly, and approachable. After all, you will be dealing with very sensitive and personal information.
Your cover letter greeting should create the same impression; personable and professional. You can address your cover letter with “Dear Mr/Mrs/Ms. Surname” if you are aware of the application recipient. Alternatively, you can use “Dear Recruitment Team” or similar.
The aim of letter greeting/salutation: Begin your cover letter in a formal, personable way by addressing the recipient.
Cover Letter Introduction
The cover letter introduction discusses the attributes and experience you have that are relevant to the role. It only needs to be around two sentences, but it should summarise what makes you the ideal candidate.
The hiring manager should read the introduction and have confidence that you have the necessary attitude and expertise. Inform them of your specialism and why you have a desire to work in this area of law, and use our cover letter samples as guidance.
The aim of the cover letter intro: Give the reader a clear understanding of why you are the right person for the role.
Dear Ms. Mohammed,
I would like to apply for your family lawyer position as mentioned to me by an acquaintance and current MP Legal employee, Peter Garcia. As a diligent and compassionate lawyer, I possess eight years of experience managing family cases, achieving favorable outcomes, including domestic violence and neglect cases.
Cover letter middle part (body)
Lawyers need to have extensive knowledge within their field and the ability to communicate well with others. Compassion and understanding are also essential qualities. Therefore, the body of your cover letter should detail the most important aspects of your career and examples of how you have the relevant attributes for the role. It does not need to be extensive, keep it brief but personalise it and ensure it is compelling to read.
While many of your cases may be confidential, you can share details of the type of cases that you have handled as well as the areas of law that you practice. Any statistics about your career such as win ratios and court successes could also be included. Be matter if fact with your cover letter when you talk about your cases - do not include too much detail. You will have plenty of time to discuss that during a future interview.
Below you’ll find the body of our lawyer cover letter example.
The aim of the body of your cover letter: What are your main achievements, and how are you committed to the role?
I have volunteered with the Local Lawyers organization, providing legal assistance to low-income families facing divorce, custody, and support matters. In terms of divorce law, I have negotiated high-net-worth divorce settlements involving multiple businesses, real estate, and international assets, as well as drafting, and reviewing over 50 prenuptial and postnuptial agreements.
Your outstanding reputation has attracted me to this role, and I feel that my range of experience in family law could offer a lot of value to the business. I also hold a First-Class Honours Degree in Law from Manchester University.
I am a conscientious individual, who believes in dealing with clients in a manner that puts them at ease and makes the legal process more accessible.
Don’t forget to include keywords in your cover letter, which you can find on the job spec. The company may have an ATS in place, and they could filter out your application if you don’t have these. The letter should be written for the specifics of the job in mind, so make sure that you have included the right aspects of your experience.
How to close a lawyer cover letter (conclusion and sign-off)
Every good lawyer cover letter will finish with a conclusion and sign-off. Here, you will reaffirm your interest in the role and your desire to work for the company. You can personalise this where possible, for instance, mentioning something specific that entices you to want to join.
Your sign-off should be professional and confident. You can also mention that you would love to attend an interview to discuss your experience and skills in more detail. Our cover letter samples throughout the guide can give you an idea of how to close your lawyer cover letter.
The aim of the conclusion: Reaffirm your interest and desire to attend an interview.
I have attached my CV and would welcome the chance to discuss the role with you in more detail.
Regards,
Claire Hampson
Writing psychology: how to show your work ethic in your cover letter
There should be a clear structure with your lawyer cover letter, but you can personalise it more than you would with your CV. The human touch is crucial as it gives the reader a better insight into who you are, rather than just what you can do. As lawyers are dealing with people and building connections, the reader should get a feel for how you treat people and how you work.
Your future boss will be reading between the lines to sense what it will be like to work with you. Give enough detail so that they can imagine you at work. The lawyer cover letter should achieve the following goals to help you secure an interview:
- Show how you work on a day-to-day basis and manage your workload
- How you communicate with your clients and build rapport
- Reflect on your approach to your work
- Highlight your main skills and attributes
Key takeaways
- Leave the reader with a good understanding of how you work as a lawyer and build connections.
- Show the hiring manager that you have a passion for your specialism and are committed to continuous learning.
- Our cover letter samples will show you how to Illustrate key details of your experience as a lawyer.
At Resume.io, we aim to help eradicate the challenges you face when writing your lawyer cover letter. That’s why we’ve created dozens of cover letter templates designed using the layout rules that hiring managers respond to.
