3 Professional Law School Cover Letter Examples for 2025

As you embark on your law career, crafting an impactful law school cover letter can be a daunting task. You may already be applying for jobs and realizing the significance of a compelling cover letter that complements, not echoes, your resume. Your goal is to weave a narrative around your proudest professional milestone, avoiding clichés while maintaining a formal tone. Remember, brevity is key – this crucial document should encapsulate your achievements in just one page. Let's tackle these challenges together.

What are the basics of the design or format of your law school cover letter?

To start, here's a reminder for you: the Applicant Tracker System (or software that is used to assess candidate profiles), won't be reading your law school cover letter.

Recruiters enjoy reading law school cover letters with a standardized format that uses:

• the same font as the resume (e.g. modern ones like Raleway or Volkhov are prefered over the clichéd Times New Roman or Arial);
• single spacing to keep the content concise and organized (this is all ready for you in our cover letter templates);
• a one-inch margin to wrap around the text, like in our cover letter builder;
• PDF as a file format, as it allows your design (and visual element) to stay the same.

Finally, we can't go on without mentioning the key sections of your law school cover letter.

In the top one-third, make sure to include a header (with your contact information, name, role, and date), a salutation, and an introduction.

Next, follows the heart and soul of your law school cover letter or its body.

End your law school cover letter with a closing paragraph and, if you wish, a signature.

The law school cover letter salutation: how to address hiring managers

After covering the format of your law school cover letter, let's look at the salutation.

Back in the day, the cordial "To whom it may concern" or "Dear Sir/Madam", might have worked out fine.

But, nowadays, your cover letter should approach hiring managers on a more personal basis.

So, what to do about your cover letter salutation?

If you've messaged the recruiters and are on a first name basis or a more formal one, use the hiring manager's name in the greeting (e.g. "Dear Sophie," "Dear Ms. Givens", or "Dear Mr. Everett,").

Always aim to make the effort to find out the name of the hiring manager, who'd be assessing your application. Search on LinkedIn, double-check the advert on the corporate website, or message the brand on social media to find out more about the role.

If you can't find the hiring manager's name (and still want to sound professional), use "Dear HR Team,", "Dear Hiring Manager,", or the likes.

First introductions in your law school cover letter

Within your law school cover letter introduction, genuinely state what you like about the organization.

Research the latest company projects, honorary awards, company updates, etc.

Write up to two sentences to let recruiters know what impresses you about the company,

This would help you to set a good tone for the rest of the communication.

How to write an achievement-focused law school cover letter body

We've got the intro and greeting covered. Now, comes the most definitive part of your law school cover letter - the body.

In the next three to six paragraphs, you'd have to answer why should recruiters hire you.

What better way to do this than by storytelling?

And, no, you don't need a "Once upon a time" or "I started from the bottom and made it to the top" career-climbing format to tell a compelling narrative.

Instead, select up to three most relevant skills for the job and look back on your resume.

Find an achievement, that you're proud of, which has taught you these three job-crucial skills.

Quantify your accomplishment, using metrics, and be succinct in the way you describe it.

The ultimate aim would be to show recruiters how this particular success has built up your experience to become an invaluable candidate.

Thinking about the closing paragraph of your law school cover letter

Before your signature, you have extra space to close off your law school cover letter.

Use it to either make a promise or look to the future.

Remind recruiters how invaluable of a candidate you are by showing what you plan to achieve in the role.

Also, note your availability for a potential next meeting (in person or over the telephone).

By showing recruiters that you're thinking about the future, you'd come off as both interested in the opportunity and responsible.

Is it beneficial to mention that you have no experience in your law school cover letter?

Lacking professional experience isn't the end of the world for your law school cover letter.

Just be honest that you may not have had roles in the industry, but bring about so much more.

Like, your transferable skills, attained thanks to your whole work and life experience (e.g. the skills your summer spent working abroad taught you).

Or, focus on what makes you, you, and that one past success that can help you stand out and impress recruiters (think of awards you've attained and how they've helped you become a better professional).

Alternatively, write about your passion and drive to land the job and the unique skill set you would bring to enhance the workplace culture.

Key takeaways

Creating your law school cover letter should be a personalized experience for the role and the recruiter, where you:

• Format your cover letter using the same ATS-friendly font (e.g. Railway) as you did for your resume;
• Greet recruiters, using their name, and follow up with two sentences to introduce yourself, your interest in the role, and to stand out;
• Map out one key success from your career (or life) that has taught you job-crucial skills;
• Substitute your lack of experience with an achievement from your internships, degrees, or volunteering gigs;
• End with a promise for your potential or your availability for an interview.