Legal Cover Letter for Law Firms: Examples & Writing Tips

You know your way around a brief and law firm. Your job now is to give the hiring manager solid proof. Do it with this legal cover letter sample, complete with expert tips.

Jacques Buffett, CPRW

Certified Professional Résumé Writer, Career Expert

Updated 27/11/2023

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This legal cover letter sample gives solid proof they need to hire you.

Your biggest problem?

The hiring manager—we’ll call him Chris. He’s so busy he barely has time to glance at your cover letter for legal jobs.

You need to hook him fast, then give evidence you’re hireable before he knows what hit him.

Do that with the right facts, skills, and achievements and he’ll read your legal CV as if it’s the original Bill of Rights.

This guide will show you a legal cover letter sample, plus tips for how to write your own great cover letter for legal jobs.

Want to write your cover letter fast? Use our cover letter builder. Choose from 20+ professional cover letter templates that match your CV. See actionable examples and get expert tips along the way.

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Use this cover letter template

Sample Cover Letter for a CV—See more cover letter templates and create your cover letter here.

Looking for a cover letter for other careers? Read more:

Here’s the sample:

Sample Cover Letter for Legal Jobs

Helena Sinclair

Paralegal

36 Effra Road

London

SW19 8NT

0777 777 7777

h.sinclair_zety@gmail.com

linkedin.com/in/h.sinclair_zety

24th November 2020

Simon Jefferson

HR Director

Allerton Jones & Partners

14 Cross Way

London

SW1A 7HQ

Dear Mr Jefferson,

With great enthusiasm, I am writing about your vacancy for a paralegal, as advertised on your website. Using my legal research and investigation skills in a fast-paced corporate law firm like Allerton Jones would be an exciting and challenging career opportunity, where I could excel and grow.

I believe my four years as a paralegal at Farrely Solicitors has given me the exact legal skills you require. In the job description, you mention the key skills of research, client counselling, and report preparation. In my previous job I conducted research daily, generating over 400 reports for corporate clients with a 99.9% accuracy rate. I also assisted partners in advising 3–5 clients per week concerning their legal needs.

The main reason this is an ideal position for me is your commitment to employee growth. I’m currently pursuing a Bachelor of laws part-time and I’d be thrilled to make Allerton-Jones a lifelong partner as I develop my legal career.

I’d be delighted to speak to you in person or on the phone about how my skills can assist with Allerton-Jones’ quest for continued excellence in the corporate law field.

Yours sincerely,

Helena Sinclair

Paralegal

That legal cover letter could get you hired at the finest law firms in the land. Now it’s time to write your version.

Legal Cover Letter Template

1. Use the right legal cover letter format

Best fonts: Cambria or Arial
Font size: 11pt or 12pt
Line spacing: 1 to 1.15
Margins: 1”

2. Start with a professional cover letter header

In your legal cover letter header, list:

Your name at the top left
Your address
Your email, phone, and LinkedIn
Today’s date
The employer’s contact info

Can’t figure out the name of the hiring manager? Try LinkedIn, the company website, or try calling the receptionist and asking.

3. Start with a hook

Begin with ‘Dear’, then ‘Mr’ or ‘Ms’ and the manager’s last name.
Give the job title you’re applying to.
Make clear why you’re enthusiastic about the job.

4. Give proof you’re the right legal job candidate

Mention your biggest legal accomplishments.
Pick achievements that prove the legal skills they want.
How do you know what skills they want? Check the job offer.
Give scale to your legal ‘wins’ by adding numbers like ‘400’ or ‘99.9%’.

What’s the right legal cover letter length? The Perfect Cover Letter Length

5. Make an offer

To wrap up your cover letter for legal jobs:

Ask to meet them in person or on the phone.
Offer to explain how your legal skills can help them meet their goals.

6. End with a professional signature

Tie things up with, ‘Yours sincerely’ or ‘Yours faithfully’ plus your full name and professional title.
If it’s an email cover letter, sign off with your digital signature.

A good legal cover letter can return a ‘hired’ verdict. Bolster it with a job-getting CV.

When making a CV in our builder, drag & drop bullet points, skills, and auto-fill the boring stuff. Spell check? Check. Start building your CV here.

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When you’re done, Zety’s CV builder will score your CV and tell you exactly how to make it better.

Thanks for reading! Now it’s your turn. How is writing a legal cover letter going for you? What burns you up most about applying to legal jobs online? We’d love to hear from you!

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