Sample Cover Letters


OPIA provides these samples letters as guides in structuring your own unique cover letter. Be careful not to mimic the sample letters too closely; employers are likely to notice if they receive letters from several people that are worded similarly. See our list of action verbs and our cover letter tips for further ideas.

Cover Letter Types

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Sample 1L cover letter

10 Hastings Hall
Cambridge, MA 02138

December 16, 2006

Ken Johnson, Esq.
Executive Director
Bay Area Advocates
10 Union Street
San Francisco, CA 94115

Dear Mr. Johnson:

I am a first-year law student at Harvard Law School and I am interested in volunteering in your office this coming summer. I was excited to learn about Bay Area Advocates from Mary Sinclair, a staff attorney in your office who spoke at a Practice Perspectives panel at Harvard Law School last month. Having grown up in San Francisco, I would like to return for the summer and hope to find an internship where I can continue my commitment to civil rights work.

During the summer after my junior year at Duke, I volunteered at Ackerman & Alter, a small civil rights law firm that specializes in employment discrimination. My case research explored the civil rights of gay people who were denied jobs for which they were fully qualified and women who received less pay than men who worked in similar positions. I learned a great deal in a relatively short amount of time about legal research and writing about civil rights litigation. It was this fulfilling experience that prompted me to go to law school, where I could pursue civil rights work more directly.

During my first semester at Harvard, I have continued to concentrate on civil rights issues by externing with the Boston chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union. I have assisted our lawyers on issues ranging from death penalty policies to fair housing legislation. My desire to become a civil rights advocate has only increased as a result. I thoroughly believe that my background, as well my familiarity with the San Francisco area and its political landscape, would enable me to make significant contributions to Bay Area Advocates.

Enclosed is a detailed resume that highlights my experience and education. I would appreciate the opportunity to meet with you to discuss summer employment and can be reached at (617) 495-8856. I will call your office next week about the possibility of arranging an interview while I am in San Francisco the week of December 23rd. Thank you in advance for your time.

Sincerely,

Douglas D. Conti

Sample 1L cover letter

14 Williamson Avenue
Cambridge, MA 02137
(617) 493-2727

December 1, 2006

Dinah Wiley
Director
Whitman-Walker Clinic Legal Services
1407 S. Street, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20009

Dear Ms. Wiley:

I am a first year law student at Harvard Law School with a background in children's law who has worked with children with AIDS or infected with HIV. A summer internship with the Whitman– Walker Clinic, which I learned about through Harvard Law School's publication, Serving the Public: A Job Search Guide, would allow me to build upon my experience working with children in need.

Last summer at Camp Heartland, I supervised nine and ten year old children who had AIDS or were infected with HIV. As a counselor, I was responsible for the emotional well-being of my campers and throughout the summer, I counseled them on coping with their illnesses. During my time at the camp, I realized the negative impact that social stereotypes have on children whose lives are affected by HIV and I decided to devote my legal education to fighting this discrimination.

This fall, I have continued to work on HIV/AIDS and children's issues through Harvard Law School's Children's Rights Project. I have researched Congressional legislation and have drafted proposed child AIDS legislation that will be presented at The Children with AIDS Conference next September. I believe that my research skills and credentials, combined with my dedication to this area of law, would allow me to make a valuable contribution to your office.

Enclosed are a resume and brief writing sample. I would like to meet with you to discuss opportunities at your organization and will call your office next week to schedule an appointment. Thank you in advance for your consideration.

Sincerely,

William S. Zabala

Sample 2L cover letter

40 Oaklyn Street, Apt. 3
Somerville, MA 02143

October 24, 2006

Sandra Hauser, Esq. National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty
918 F Street, N.W., Suite 412
Washington, D.C. 20004

Dear Ms. Hauser:

I am in my second year at Harvard Law School and am interested in working with your office on poverty law issues this summer. Alexa Shabecoff, Assistant Dean for Public Service at Harvard Law School, suggested that I contact you personally. As you can see from the enclosed resume, I have experience working directly with low income clients. I have worked on grassroots organization, advocacy for individual clients and policy development. I believe that impact litigation will be an important addition to my experience. Working as a VISTA volunteer in poor, rural North Carolina provided me with grassroots experience and a perspective on how the law often inhibits, rather than assists, efforts to improve individual communities. My tenure at VISTA helped me develop the interpersonal skills crucial to assisting clients effectively. In addition, I had the opportunity to continue my work in policy development, specifically housing policy, which I had previously performed at Habitat for Humanity.

Last summer, I served as a translator for the Australian aborigines, enabling their stories of injustice to be more widely read. Our work was constrained by judicial interpretation of the relevant land rights statutes and by administrative institutions. While in Australia, I came to see that the aborigines had problems which, in many ways, mirrored the problems of North Carolina's rural poor. These hardships, which I aim to address more effectively with my legal education and background, include poor housing, inadequate education and unresponsive legal systems.

During law school, I have gained advocacy skills through clinical programs and extracurricular activities such as counseling clients, gathering information, providing referrals and advocating in court. Working directly with clients in the legal system has given me opportunities to see how the law affects real people, but that justice often seems to get lost in the shuffle of overwhelming caseloads.

I would greatly appreciate the opportunity to discuss the National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty's current projects and how I might be of assistance this summer. I have enclosed my resume and, as a writing sample, a second-place brief in the Ames Moot Court competition. I can be reached at (617) 666- 8553 and will call you in a week to discuss the possibility of a meeting. Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,

Louisa Rose

Sample 3L cover letter

1595 Darlington Ave - 57
Cambridge, MA 02138-8212

October 26, 2006

Stuart Rappaport, Esq.
Public Defender of Santa Clara County
County Government Center, West Wing
70 West Hedding Street
San Jose, CA 95110

Dear Mr. Rappaport:

I am a third year Harvard Law student determined to pursue a career as a public defender upon graduation. I am particularly interested in working for your office and would like to speak to you about the opportunities available.

As you can see from the enclosed resume, I have a strong background in criminal defense work. During the summer after my first year of law school, I worked for the Public Defender Service for the District of Columbia, where I helped attorneys prepare for trial and conducted extensive research on whether juveniles could be granted jury trials under district law. In my second summer I interned for the North Carolina Resource Center, researching issues for capital trials and appeals, writing court documents and meeting with death row inmates. Perhaps my most gratifying work experience came in interviewing a woman on death row about her childhood, looking for signs of abuse to support her appeal. Working with her confirmed my commitment to client-based criminal defense work.

In addition to my summer positions, I have taken every opportunity possible to prepare myself for a career in criminal defense. I have completed virtually every criminal law course offered by Harvard Law School. Through my work on the Women's Law Journal, I have refined my research and writing skills. My training during the Trial Advocacy Workshop has helped me to develop the strong oral advocacy skills critical in the courtroom, which I am now putting to use in the Criminal Justice Institute clinical program.

My academic and professional training, combined with my passion for criminal defense work, make me a strong candidate for a public defender position. I would appreciate the chance to discuss my qualifications with you. I can be reached at (617) 555-6452 and will call your office in the next few weeks to speak about the possibility of setting up an interview. Thank you for your time and attention.

Sincerely,

Elizabeth Weiss

Sample 3L cover letter

70 Park Street, Apt. 41
Somerville, MA 02143

November 7, 2006

Derek K. Childress
Attorney Recruitment Coordinator
U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission
450 5th St., NW
Washington, D.C. 20549

Dear Mr. Childress:

I am a third year law student at Harvard Law School and am interested in pursuing a career representing the government in securities and finance fraud cases. The focus of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on enforcing the law in the financial and business world for the public good, rather than for private interests, is the perfect fit for my interests and skills.

I spent my first summer in law school as a summer associate at a small litigation firm in Portland, Oregon, honing my research and writing skills. During my second summer, I worked at Davis, Polk & Wardwell in New York, where I assisted attorneys in a complex financial fraud case. Although I enjoyed the substantive legal matters involved in the case, I found myself more engaged by the prosecution's arguments. In my third year of law school, I enrolled in a clinical placement at the United States Attorney's Office in Boston, investigating the prior convictions of a repeat felon, helping to prepare the present case against him and assisting during the trial. I found the work both in and out of court tremendously compelling, reaffirming my interest in becoming a federal lawyer.

While in law school, I have taken numerous courses on finance, including Corporations, Bankruptcy and Consumer Finance, which have strengthened my understanding of securities and finance. As the Notes Editor for the Journal on Legislation, I have gained significant experience with collaborative and detail-oriented work and have further refined my research, writing and analytical abilities.

The skills I have gained during my three years at Harvard Law School and the strong commitment I have to working on securities fraud issues make me a qualified candidate for a Staff Attorney position at the Securities and Exchange Commission. I have enclosed a resume for your consideration and will contact you next week to discuss my candidacy. If you wish to reach me, please call (617) 624-2120. Thank you in advance for your time and I look forward to speaking with you soon.

Sincerely,

Daniel Jacobson

Sample 1L cover letter for someone with significant experience prior to law school

12 Oxford Avenue
Cambridge, MA 02138
(617) 643-2886

December 13, 2006

Ms. Gail Ridgler
Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press
473 North Adams Street
Washington, D.C. 20006

Dear Ms. Ridgler:

I am a former investigative journalist in my first year at Harvard Law School and am interested in the summer internship offered by the Reporters' Committee for Freedom of the Press. Tim Cotler, who held the position last year, mentioned the internship to me. After discussing the position with Tim, I believe my background in journalism and interest in the legal rights of journalists would be a great fit for your office.

While working part-time for the San Francisco Post as an assistant city desk editor and senior reporter, I focused mainly on investigative reporting and won several awards for my work. My responsibilities included assisting other reporters in obtaining documents and informing them of their rights in court. Working on the legal aspects of journalism at the Post gave me a new passion — advocating for the rights of journalists. Thus, I made the decision to go to law school and pursue this passion as my career. I am committed to working toward two goals: making access to documents easier and protecting journalists from unfair libel prosecution.

During my undergraduate years, as Editor in Chief of the University of Wisconsin Gazette, I was responsible not only for editing the largest publication on campus, but also for ensuring its financial stability. I worked closely with the reporters who came to me when they needed advice about a story, usually asking about what they could and could not print. As a staff writer for the Sacramento Times, I experienced the other side of reporting. I discovered, personally, how difficult it can be to obtain documents vital to a story, as well as how easily accusations of libel can be made.

The knowledge which I have gained through my journalism experiences will allow me to be an asset to your organization. I will be in Washington, D.C. from December 22 to January 15 and would appreciate the opportunity to meet with you to discuss the possibility of working for you this summer. I will call your office next week to schedule an appointment. Please find enclosed a resume and writing sample. I thank you in advance for your time and consideration.

Sincerely,

Carly Smith

Sample 1L cover letter for someone with little relevant work experience prior to law school

75 Kiran Street
Cambridge, MA 02137
(617) 465-6892

December 2, 2006

Jason K. Stearns
Director of Legal Recruitment
Bronx County District Attorney's Office
198 East 161st Street
New York, NY 01232

Dear Mr. Stearns:

I am a first year law student at Harvard Law School and am very interested in working next summer as a Legal Intern in the Bronx County District Attorney's Office. I hope to one day become a criminal prosecutor and I believe that working in your office would be an invaluable step toward that goal. Serving as a Legal Intern would also allow me to contribute my advocacy skills to your office.

While an undergraduate at Boston College, I served on the Student Government as the Co-Director of Women's Issues. This role allowed me to promote gender equality while developing my leadership skills and organizational abilities. During my undergraduate career, I also represented students appearing before the Judicial Board as a student advocate for the Student Rights Committee. This experience greatly contributed to my desire to pursue a career as a trial attorney. I witnessed the critical role that attorneys play in ensuring justice for all parties in need of representation in legal proceedings.

For the past three summers I have served as Camp Director at Shady Grove Day Camp for Girls. My position required that I oversee a staff of thirty camp counselors and over 150 campers. As Camp Director, I was responsible for interacting closely with parents, children and fellow counselors. This experience allowed me to develop my interpersonal skills and motivational abilities, traits I believe are critical to be an effective legal advocate. Over the past year, I have had the opportunity to study Criminal Law with Professor Carol Steiker. Professor Steiker introduced me to the complexities of criminal procedure and reinforced my enthusiasm for criminal work.

I believe I could make a substantial contribution to your office if offered the opportunity. I hope to meet with you in person to discuss my qualifications for a position with the Bronx County District Attorney's Office. I can be reached at (617) 465-6892 or tmardi@law.harvard.edu. Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,

Toni Mardirossian

Sample 1L cover letter for someone with little public service experience prior to law school

514 Cambridge Street
Cambridge, MA 02198

December 17, 2006

William Schaeffer, Esq.
Manhattan Lawyers for Justice
395 Broadway, Apt. 7D
New York, NY 10012

Dear Mr. Schaeffer:

I enjoyed speaking with you earlier this week and I write to express my continued interest in Manhattan Lawyers for Justice (MLJ). As I mentioned, I would greatly value the opportunity to volunteer at your office this coming summer. I have reviewed the materials on the MLJ Summer Program and am convinced that an internship with your organization would grant me exactly the experience that I am seeking. Working in depth on a few specific impact litigation cases while also gaining exposure to the broader array of public interest specialization areas and advocacy activities strikes me as an ideal mix.

Three years out of college, my commitment to public interest work has never been stronger. I applied to law school in my last undergraduate year at Harvard and then deferred matriculation in order to broaden my experience and focus my career goals. I went to work at McKinsey & Company to learn all that I could about a business world utterly foreign to me. Consulting helped me to hone my analytical ability, creative problem-solving skills and eye for detail and allowed me to learn quite a bit about the telecommunications and healthcare industries. My work with McKinsey gave me invaluable training in large-scale client services, but it ultimately reinforced my belief that the clients who mattered most to me were those striving for a greater public good. In my pro bono work for one of our nonprofit clients, I found that I was happiest, most driven and most effective.

Now, in my first semester of law school, I have rededicated myself to public service. I spend my time pursuing public interest activities, including legal research work with the Civil Rights Project and assisting with the Civil Rights-Civil Liberties Law Review. This summer, I am seeking to complement and build upon these experiences through a position that will grant me real-world exposure to public interest impact litigation.

I am certain that a volunteer internship with Manhattan Lawyers for Justice is the complement I am looking for and I believe that my dedication, research facility, creativity and analytical rigor would allow me to substantively contribute to your office as well. I have enclosed a resume presenting my qualifications in further detail. I hope that you will allow me the opportunity to speak with you in person about the possibility of a summer position; I will call your office after the new year to see if I may arrange an appointment for an interview.

I very much appreciate your time and consideration and I wish you a very happy holiday season.

Sincerely,

Rachael Ward

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