law firm cover letter uk

legal careers guide

6. legal cvs and covering letters.

Despite the widespread use of application forms, the CV is still a vital tool in the recruitment process. This Step guides you through the process of constructing a legal CV and writing a successful covering letter.

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Writing Legal CVs and Covering Letters

The curriculum vitae (CV) is the traditional method of application and is widely used throughout the legal profession. You will still need a CV, even if you are applying to organisations that use application forms, for two main reasons.

• The information on your CV forms the basis of many of the answers you will need to give on application forms
• Having an up-to-date law CV is useful when applying for work experience or to give information to a useful contact.

Before you start drafting

Think about the type of organisation or specific organisation you are applying to. What are they likely to be looking for in a candidate? See your work from Step 1 and 4.

Know what skills and experience you have to offer a prospective employer. See your work from Step 2.

Know what you want to use the CV for. Is it to apply for work experience or a speculative application? See your work from Step 2 and 3.

Tips for a good law CV

• Target your legal CV – you need to adapt your CV to each individual recruiter so that they are able to see how you could fit in with their organisation.
• Length – keep it to no more than two sides of A4 paper.
• Make it easy to read – create a clear structure, leave enough white space and make use of formatting like headings.
• Look professional – use plain white paper, a size 11 standard font like Arial or Calibri, and avoid photos and exclamation marks.
• Correct spelling and grammar is essential – don’t rely on spellcheck; proofread several times to make sure your CV is error free.
• Be honest whilst ensuring you are making the most of what you have to offer.
• Focus on your cover letter as much as your CV.

Legal CV structure and layout

There is no single correct way to lay out a law CV and you will have to try different structures to see which one works best for you.

A traditional structure contains the following information:

Personal details

Include your name and contact details such as address, email address and phone number as a heading. You don’t need to put the words ‘Curriculum Vitae’ on your CV.

Education and training

Arrange your education in reverse chronological order, with your most recent example displayed first. Include the name of the institution, subjects, dates and your grades. Detail any professional legal qualification you have such as the Legal Practice Course (LPC) or the Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE) . Don’t forget to mention the areas of law that you studied and state your dissertation title if relevant.

Employment and work experience

Depending on how much experience you have, you might want to separate out and highlight any legal, commercial or voluntary experience. Describe your key tasks and responsibilities, mentioning the positive results of your actions. Apply your law work experience to demonstrate your passion and part-time or voluntary work to show your transferable skills such as teamwork and communication.

Additional skills

A brief mention of other relevant skills you have such as the languages you speak, a proficiency in software packages or technical skills such as programming languages.

Extracurricular activities

Mention things you do outside of work and the classroom such as sports and clubs. Experiences such as membership in the Law Society or starting a new club at the University will help you stand out.

Stating ‘references available on request’ will usually suffice.

Legal Covering letter tips

• Aim for a professional and personable tone
• Fonts and formatting – maximum of one side of white A4 paper, with the same font as your legal CV. Proofread carefully to avoid spelling and grammar mistakes.
• Find out who you are addressing – find out the name of the recipient if possible and sign off ‘Yours sincerely’. Try to avoid using Dear Sir or Madam, but if you do remember to use ‘Yours faithfully’ instead.
• Signing off – be polite, say thank you and that you look forward to hearing from them.

Legal Covering letter structure and layout

The purpose of your application.

Talk about the opportunity you are applying for and where you saw it.

Why are you applying to them?

Explain why you are interested in their organisation.

Why should they pick you?

Explain what you have to offer that is relevant to them and the opportunity. This could be your performance on your degree, recent work experience with a similar organisation or experience in their area of practice.

Activity – CV Makeover

In this activity, you can practise applying your knowledge of CV writing as you try to improve the legal CV of a fictitious student named Georgina Berry.

Download CV Makeover Activity ➔

Frequently Asked Questions

I’m making speculative applications. who do i address the covering letter to.

Call the firm you’re targeting, explain that you’d like to send your CV in as a speculative application and ask who to best address the letter to.

If you’re unable to get a specific name, use “Dear Sir/Madam” and you’ll need to sign off as “Yours faithfully”.

I spoke to someone at a law fair recently. Should I mention this in my cover letter?

Definitely mention that you spoke to a representative from the organisation, and give the name of the event. This is evidence to back up your interest in the organisation and shows that you have done your research.

It is a useful tip to write down the name of whoever you speak to as soon as possible. Usually exhibitors wear name badges but if not, politely ask if you can take their name at the end of your discussion.

I have a substantial previous career. Is it important to fit it all on 2 sides of A4?

It is important to keep to the two page limit, so you will need to work out a way of cutting down the content without losing your key selling points.

If you’ve accepted your place or are currently studying with us, seek advice from our careers advisers.

Next step: 7

Go to step 7 in the Student Employability Programme.

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How to write winning covering letters for law firms

targetjobs editorial team

Last updated: 24 Mar 2023, 17:42

When applying for a training contract or vacation scheme, your covering letter may be the first part of your application a law firm considers.

Your covering letter creates a powerful first impression, so make it easy for the recruiter to see that you have strong potential as a lawyer.

Many law graduate jobs at solicitors’ firms in the UK will ask you to apply for a training contract with a covering letter. Read this advice from recruiters at Slaughter and May, Cleary Gottlieb and Ince & Co, then follow our law cover letter template.

Some recruiters will want you to upload your covering letter as part of an online application form (such as Baker McKenzie and Jones Day), while others – usually smaller, high street law firms – will want you to send the letter alongside a CV (see our law CV example here ).

• Cover letter template: see our annotated law covering letter sample for more tips and format examples .

How to write a law cover letter tip #1: use the letter to explain why you want to be a solicitor at that particular law firm

A covering letter is a golden opportunity to explain your motivations for becoming a lawyer and for applying to that specific firm. ‘My advice is to use the cover letter to introduce yourself and to explain why you are applying to that firm,' says Janine Arnold, trainee recruitment manager at Slaughter and May . ‘Be sure to include any additional information that you feel is relevant to your application.’

If you’re uploading a covering letter as part of a larger application form you should avoid repeating examples you’ve used to answer questions on the form. Give as broad a picture of your skills and experience as possible and only repeat something if you think it is particularly significant to that law firm. Your covering letter is an introduction to get the recruiter’s attention – a sample of your potential, if you like – not your overall application.

‘A well-written, succinct, persuasive covering letter crafted by an aspiring trainee solicitor who has really thought about the firm stands out,’ says Nichola Rowe, director of legal human resources at Cleary Gottlieb . ‘Ask yourself: what sets this firm apart from other law firms and how do my individual skills and experiences marry with that firm?’.

How to write a law cover letter tip #2: how long should it be?

A covering letter should be a maximum of one page, with a font size of 11 or 12. Slaughter and May ’s Janine Arnold agrees: ‘A lengthy covering letter is not necessary; aim for it to be no longer than one side of A4.' Remember that some firms will give a word count for the covering letter they want you to write as part of your application. It's important to stick to that word count. It shows that you can write succinctly and follow instructions.

Get the insights and skills you need to shape your career journey with Pathways. We’ll show you exactly what goes into a convincing cover letter, so you can give yourself the best chance of getting to the next stage of the application process.

How to write a law cover letter tip #3: the format law firms like

The best law cover letter examples have a clear structure, such as:

1. The introduction to your cover letter

Introduce yourself, explain what stage you are at in your degree course (including the university you’re attending), state that you are applying for a training contract and where you read about the law firm. This should only be a sentence or two.

2. A paragraph on why you want to work at that law firm

The second paragraph should cover why you want to be a solicitor and why you want to work for that law firm in particular. Highlight any experiences you’ve had that have convinced you that you want to be a solicitor, such as vacation schemes, open days or insight days. You can even mention mini-pupillages – it will impress graduate recruiters if you’ve put the effort into comparing the two sides of the legal profession, as long as you have good reasons for picking a career as a solicitor (this could come up at interview).

Make it clear why you want to work in the particular area of law that the firm focuses on. For example, if it’s a commercial firm you’ll want to draw on any work experience you’ve had at other commercial firms. Show off your research about the firm by explaining your interest in their main legal practice areas – don’t just say ‘I am interested in shipping law’, for example, but provide evidence of that interest.

You might also want to mention the firm’s training structure. Some firms will have compulsory seats, in which case you’ll need to show an interest in those areas. If you’ve chosen a firm that doesn’t have compulsory seats, or has no seat structure at all (such as Jones Day for example), then you could explain why this appeals to you above a more defined training contract structure.

3. A paragraph highlighting why you're a good fit for the law firm

Next, you need to pitch yourself to the recruiter. Make it clear that you are suited to a career as a solicitor: highlight achievements that show you have the competencies the firm has asked for. If the firm hasn’t specified exactly what it's looking for, see our article here on the skills most legal recruiters want from applicants. Don’t just say ‘I have good communication skills’ – you need to mention an achievement that hinged on your use of those skills.

4. The ending to your law covering letter

Close by referring the recruiter to your CV or application and stating your availability for interview(s) or assessment centre(s).

How to write a law cover letter tip #4: explain any extenuating circumstances

'Covering letters should also explain any mitigating circumstances relating to exam results and to address any questions that you may reasonably expect to arise from your application, such as any gaps in your CV,’ explains Janine.

How to write a law cover letter tip #5: proofread your cover letter before you hit ‘send’

Once you’ve put your covering letter together, don’t be tempted to rush it off. Ask friends, family and your university careers adviser to check it. ‘There is no good excuse for spelling errors, especially when you’re applying for a job that requires scrupulous attention to detail,’ points out a legal recruitment adviser at Ince & Co . ‘The number of applications we receive that contain errors is surprising. Your application is all we’ve got to go on, so you owe it to yourself to ensure it’s not let down by something so easily avoidable.’

Remember that law firms will be judging your ability to communicate professionally with clients on the professionalism of your covering letter – you’re making a pitch, just like you would do as a practising lawyer.

Legal recruiters at major law firms read through hundreds, if not thousands, of applications from aspiring trainee solicitors each year and will only spend a minute or so reading your covering letter. Some recruiters say that they make their decision paragraph by paragraph – if you haven't impressed upon them that you would be a good fit for their firm halfway through the cover letter, they might not even read the rest. Your covering letter creates a powerful first impression, so make it easy for the recruiter to see that you have strong potential as a solicitor by following the tips above.

In other news: Massive changes to the way solicitors qualify are on the horizon. Do you know how they will affect you? Find out here .

targetjobs editorial advice

This describes editorially independent and impartial content, which has been written and edited by the targetjobs content team. Any external contributors featuring in the article are in line with our non-advertorial policy, by which we mean that we do not promote one organisation over another.

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Writing a CV

Writing a covering letter, preparing for an interview.

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Preparation

When applying for a job you should check the instructions carefully to see what the employer is asking for, such as a CV and covering letter, or an application form.

Before you write your application:

• check the requirements for the role – these will normally be listed in a job description or person specification – and think about how you can show that you have them
• research the organisation, so that you can explain why you’re suited to work there
• check that your CV covers all the requirements, and tailor it if necessary

What to include

If the employer asks for a CV, you should also write a covering letter that is tailored for the role. This is your opportunity to say how you meet the requirements for the role. It should show that you understand what the employer is looking for and that you know about the organisation.

• your contact details
• which role you’re applying for
• why you’re interested in the role
• how you meet the requirements for the role
• relevant skills and experience
• reference to relevant parts of your CV
• any specific information that the employer asks for, such as salary expectations

Check the advert and the job description, and make sure that your covering letter includes all of the requirements if possible. Give evidence to back up your claims. Do not just say that you are good at team working or research – give an example, such as a project you have worked on.

End the letter on a positive note, saying when you're available for interview and that you look forward to hearing from them.

Your covering letter should be concise – around one page.

You may want to send it as a Word attachment, rather than simply an email. You should make sure it is well laid out, with a consistent format and a clear font. Check carefully for spelling mistakes or other errors.

Address your letter to an individual if possible. 

Application forms

Many organisations recruit using application forms rather than CVs and covering letters. This means they can ask specific questions and easily compare applications.

Application forms are designed to get the right amount of information to make a decision, so the recruiter will normally ignore anything else you provide. Often they will have a word limit for each question. However, you should be able to use information from your CV, such as your work history and your skills, to complete the form.

Read through the form carefully and follow the instructions. Be clear and concise, and make sure you provide evidence of how you meet the requirements for the role.

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Writing a legal CV and cover letter

If you want to succeed in the competitive field of law, it helps if you get the basics right. To ensure your applications don't fail at the first hurdle learn how to craft a strong legal CV and cover letter

When it comes to selling your qualifications, skills and experience to potential employers your CV and cover letter are your shop window.

Despite many firms now using online forms for their applications, a CV and cover letter are important as they allow you to gather all your information in one place. They're also useful for speculative or ad hoc opportunities. Having a strong up-to-date CV and cover letter means you will be ready for any opportunity which might arise.

What should I include in my legal CV?

Your legal CV should be around two pages in length, and follow this general structure:

• Personal details  - At the top of the page, include details such as your name, address, email and telephone number.
• Education and qualifications  - Detail any professional memberships (e.g. the Law Society) or qualifications you possess, such as the  Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE)  or the  Legal Practice Course (LPC) . List your degree, A-levels and GCSEs; when discussing the former, mention the  areas of law  that you studied while at university and state your dissertation title.
• Work experience  - Profile your work history, including the organisation you worked for and its location, plus your job title and, if applicable, your practice areas. Describe your key tasks and responsibilities, paying close attention to the significant results of your actions. You could separate your work experience into different categories, such as legal, commercial and  voluntary . Use your  law work experience  to demonstrate your passion for a career in the field, and your part-time work to exhibit your transferable skills such as commercial awareness.
• IT and language skills  - Outline your level of proficiency with relevant software packages such as Microsoft Word and Excel and mention any additional languages that you speak.
• Activities and interests  - Avoid listing irrelevant hobbies such as reading or listening to music. Instead, discuss your involvement in sporting teams and other organisations, highlighting any positions of responsibility you've held or awards you've gained. Experiences - such as starting a new club or society at university - can help you stand out.
• Referees  - You don't necessarily need to give references at this stage. Stating 'references available on request' will usually suffice.

'Make sure your CV is in chronological order with your most recent work experience and education at the top of each section,' advises Katherine Sharp, early careers manager at Dentons.

As a general rule your CV should contain facts, while your cover letter provides the narrative around the facts.

For more advice on what abilities recruiters in the legal sector are looking for, see  7 skills for a successful law career .

How do I fine tune my law CV?

'Law firms receive thousands of applications. The best advice is to make it easy for the person reviewing your application by having clear sections with heading, including all of the relevant information so they don’t have to contact you for more detail,' explains Katherine. 'Make sure that it is consistently formatted with a simple layout. Sell yourself, don't just say 'I worked for X firm as a Y.' Tell us what you actually did, the skills you developed and what you achieved.'

As well as following the above advice, you should also ensure that your CV is:

• presented using bold sub-headings and bullet points
• if necessary, printed on good-quality paper
• read by a friend, family member or careers adviser before submission
• submitted well before the deadline
• typed in size-11 Arial, or a similarly clear and professional-looking font.

It doesn't matter if you're completing a bespoke application form or drafting your own legal CV, the basics stay the same. You need to:

• Pay attention to detail  - 'Double check spelling and grammar – a lack of attention to detail will inevitably mean that you do not progress to the next stage of the recruitment process,' says Katherine. Ask someone else (a family member, friend or careers adviser) to check your work. After all, spelling a firm's name incorrectly doesn't give the best first impression.
• Remember that relevant work experience doesn't always have to be legal  - Other types of work and volunteering experience can demonstrate that you are customer-focused, well organised, a good team player and a successful problem solver. Firms like to see what you have been up to outside of your studies. Rather than thinking 'I have no experience' try to work out how to articulate the experience you do have in a way that firms will see as relevant.

For more tips on how to write a good CV see  how to write a CV .

What should I leave out of a legal CV?

When writing a law CV, you shouldn't:

• leave any unexplained gaps in your career history
• add too much detail
• include 'personal details such as your date of birth, marital status, nationality or a photo,' says Katherine.
• include your age, gender, marital status etc. as these are irrelevant details and  recruiters don't like to see them included
• use overly outlandish formatting
• use pictures or tables
• write bland profile or objective sections
• write 'CV' or 'curriculum vitae' at the top.

It should go without saying, but also avoid lying on your CV. Be authentic. Integrity in law is everything.

How do I write a legal cover letter?

As the number of applications often far outweighs the number of jobs available, writing a strong cover letter is essential for any law career, as it helps to persuade employers that you'd be a fantastic recruit. It should be one page long, and:

• demonstrate your knowledge of the law firm and wider  legal sector
• elaborate on your key skills, experiences and characteristics, without simply repeating your CV
• explain why you aspire to work for the organisation.

Bear in mind that employers look at your legal cover letter as an indication of your written communication, so make it interesting.

Write about why you want to work for a particular firm. For example, if you're applying to a niche sports law firm have you had work experience with a sports company or are you part of any sports teams or clubs? If you're applying to an international firm, is it because you have language skills or have you had experience of working abroad?

Make sure to read job adverts carefully. What is the firm telling you they want in a candidate? Do they mention communication skills, attention to detail etc.? This is your chance to choose something from your experience to demonstrate those skills. As prospective lawyers employers want to see you using evidence to support the points you make. If you're a good communicator what's the evidence?

To achieve these objectives, your legal cover letter should follow this general structure:

• Opening paragraph  - Briefly mention the position you're applying for and how you found out about it.
• Second paragraph  - Tell the recruiter who you are and what stage of your career you're at. Explain how your qualities can benefit the firm with practical evidence from your work experience, academic history or extra-curricular activities. Use powerful and positive language throughout without exaggerating.
• Third paragraph  - Tell the organisation why you're specifically attracted to them and their work citing, if possible, any current or recent cases of interest.
• Closing paragraph  - Mention that you've enclosed your CV and look forward to hearing from the firm. Explain when you'd be available for interview and cover any practical issues you've been asked to address, such as salary expectations.

Highlight what makes you stand out and make your cover letter punchy and accurate.

Find more general advice on  cover letters  and discover  5 things to avoid when writing a cover letter .

How do I target my application to a law firm?

It's much wiser to submit between five and ten highly targeted applications than dozens of generic, copy-and-paste ones. Every application should be treated as an individual project.

Consider why you're applying to a particular firm, because it's more than likely you'll be asked this question at interview stage. What attracts you to certain areas of law and particular firms? Do your values match the firm you’re applying to?

Thoroughly research the prospective organisation - the more you know about the firm, the more tailored your application will be. Regularly checking the news sections of firms' websites will allow you to reference current cases and projects in your application and understand which skills would come in useful. What's more, possessing such knowledge will allow you to address your application to the most relevant individual.

All of this also helps you to determine whether your skills and career preferences would be suited to the specialist work that the firm undertakes and vice versa.

This is as invaluable when  choosing a law firm  as it is when attending law fairs, open days and  vacation schemes .

How do I make my application stand out to legal employers?

You are more than the sum total of your academic studies and work experience so be brave and tell prospective employers what it is about you, over and above the academics and work experience that makes you the ideal candidate.

If your legal CV and cover letter do their job and your application is progressed to the next stage, learn more about the  questions you might be asked in a law interview .

Find out more

• Get more advice on writing CVs and cover letters .
• Discover top interview tips .

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How to write a cover letter for a law firm.

Who are Next CIty Lawyer?

We are a team of qualified lawyers from US, Magic Circle and Silver Circle law firms law firms.  We publish articles like this one every fortnight to give you the inside scoop on how to secure your training contract.

With years of experience analysing and reviewing documents for some of the world's most sophisticated clients, we've channeled the same level of care and attention into curating our database of successful applications to world's best commercial law firms.

Introduction

Having to write a law cover letter is more common than candidates might think. Although most law firms now use application forms with a short answer question format, many law firms ask you to submit a cover letter (sometimes within the wider context of an application form). Therefore, it is always important to have your legal cover letter-writing skills up to scratch.

But many candidates don't know where to start. What should you include? If there is no word limit, how long should it be? Should you be writing an introduction or other pleasantries? There are so many questions and doubts shared by the majority of candidates.

We hope to answer some of these questions and guide you on how to write a legal cover letter in the context of applying to law firms for vacation schemes and training contracts.

What to expect

Over the course of this article, we will look at:

• what a legal cover letter is, and what's its purpose;
• a general structure for writing a law cover letter; and
• some top tips and tricks for writing a good legal cover letter.

Understanding a law cover letter

What is a legal cover letter.

A legal cover letter is, traditionally, a one-page document that introduces the applying candidate and explains why they would be a good fit for the firm and the role they are applying for.

Having said that, unless stated otherwise, there is no stipulation as to what can or cannot be included in such cover letters. As we will discuss, however, there are some general unwritten rules.

What is a legal cover letter's purpose?

We can examine a legal cover letter's purpose from two perspectives: graduate recruitment or the law firm you are applying to, and the candidate who wishes to become a trainee solicitor at the firm.

From the firm's/graduate recruitment team's perspective, a legal cover letter's purpose is to get a broad snapshot of a candidate. They hope that your cover letter will give them a sense of your written communication skills, motivations, relevant competencies, and prior work experience.

In this way, a cover letter can massively simplify a law firm's application process and make the reviewing of each candidate much easier. After all, there is far more room for you to go wrong in an open-ended cover letter. This means that candidates can be more readily rejected and the pool of 'good' candidates can be more quickly refined.

From the perspective of the applying candidate, naturally, much of this purpose is shared. The candidate wants to use their cover letter to demonstrate to the law firm why they are the best fit for the role in that specific firm. To achieve this, the best candidates will know that they must discuss their motivation for the career and the firm, and the best skills and experience that they could use in the role.

You may choose to consider a cover letter like a sales pitch. The law firm wants you to pitch yourself to them, and you must successfully convince them of your suitability. But beware - you're not a salesperson out of Mad Men.

As we will discuss, you must be precise and concise in what you write. You can sell yourself best when you make clear arguments backed up by specific evidence.

What structure should I use?

Many candidates do not know where to start with a legal cover letter. They panic about whether to include addresses, introductions and so on. We hope that the following will give you some guidance on what to include and what you can leave out.

The structure of a legal cover letter

The addresses.

Traditionally, as with all letters, you would need to put both your name and address (in the top right of the letter), and the name and address of the recipient (below your address but on the left), in the cover letter.

In the modern age, it is unlikely that you will be delivering a cover letter by hand or mailing it in the post. Therefore, if you are writing your cover letter as part of an online application form, you do not need to include any addresses in your cover letter.

However, if you are writing your cover letter in a separate word document and sending it to the firm (by attaching it to an application form or emailing it), it may be wise to include such names and addresses.

Firms like Slaughter and May require you to attach a cover letter to your online application. Given the firm's preference for tradition, it is prudent to adhere to traditional letter-writing rules.

In the UK, the address section should be structured as follows:

• Your name, followed by your address should be on the top right of the letter.
• Standard titles, such as Mr, Mrs, Ms, Dr, and so on, should not have any punctuation marks (to include one is an Americanism).
• If the recipient is female and you do not know her married status, use 'Ms'. When in doubt, this is also the title to use.
• Your address is followed by a line break and the date.
• Below the date, on the left-hand side, you should write the name, company, and address of the recipient. If you do not know the recipient's name, address it to the team or department you are sending the letter to (such as 'Graduate Recruitment Team'). If you do not know the team or department you are addressing the letter to, use 'Dear Sir/Madam'.

Legal Cover letter example of the address section

Mr John Smith 1 Acacia Avenue Hamleton AB1 2CD Ruritania

1st April 2022

Mrs Jane Doe BigLaw LLP 1 King Street VW1 2XY Urbenstan

The introduction

After you have written the address section (or omitted it, as discussed above), you must begin with a salutation and a short paragraph that introduces yourself and your reason for applying. This can be kept very short. You should include the following:

• The appropriate salutation of 'Dear [title][full name],'.
• A short paragraph summarising your immediate academic background, and your reason for applying.
• The best candidates will link an event to their reason for applying.

An example of an introductory paragraph

Dear Mrs Jane Doe,

I graduated from the University of Bookhead in 2021 with a First in my LLB Law degree. Following my discussion with Mr David Gold at the 2022 BigLaw networking event in Hamleton, I am writing to apply for a 2022 vacation scheme at BigLaw.

The Main Body

With most of the technicalities out of the way, you must now focus on the main content of your cover letter. We will get into what exactly to write in a later section, but for now, you should know that you should split your main body into three sections. Depending on the permitted length of your cover letter, this may be three paragraphs.

As an aside, if you do not know how long your cover letter should be, you need to keep it to one A4 page. Some law firms will allow you two pages but do your research beforehand.

The three sections of your answer should be a discussion of your:

• motivation for the career;
• motivation for the firm; and
• the reasons why you are the best candidate for the role at that specific firm (think about what your competencies, skills, and strengths are).

If you have read any of our previous articles, you will know that this follows a very typical 'why law, why firm, why me'-style of structure. This is the main bulk of your letter!

If you are limited concerning space, you can integrate the third section into the previous two. However, you must be extra careful to ensure the clarity and concision of your writing!

Ending the letter

You should sign off the letter by simply writing the correct valediction and your name.

• If you know the name of the recipient, write 'Yours sincerely,'.
• If you do not know the name of the recipient, write 'Yours faithfully,'.

You should avoid any other kind of valediction so as not to come across as too informal or inappropriate.

You may also have a short ending sentence to allow the letter to end smoothly. We suggest words to the effect of 'Thank you for your consideration, and I look forward to hearing from you'.

Cover letter examples of valedictions

In the case that you know the recipient, Mrs Jane Doe:

Yours sincerely,

In the case that you do not know the recipient and are addressing it to 'Sir/Madam':

Yours faithfully,

What should I write about?

Now that you are familiar with the structure of a legal cover letter, you need to consider the content that you must include in the main body of the letter. You may need to cut down on this content in some areas; however, this article aims to give a thorough overview of what the optimal legal cover letter includes.

As a reminder, your main body should have three sections addressing 'why law, why firm, why me'.

Why do you want to be a commercial solicitor?

We have technically covered this in another article, ' How to Answer "Why Commercial Law" '; however, here are a few of the key points.

First, you should use a PEE/AL structure . You should start your paragraph off with a clear, relevant point: 'I am pursuing a career as a commercial solicitor because [insert specific reason here]'. This must then be followed up with a personal example that demonstrates the existence of that reason. You should then explain your evidence and how it demonstrates the existence of that reason. You must then link your answer back to the question of why you want to be a commercial solicitor by explaining why the existence of that reason is important, attractive, and/or suitable for you.

Second, you should look to include anywhere between two to three points to answer this question fully. If you only address one facet of the career, you risk your motivation looking superficial. If you include more points, your cover letter may become too lengthy and verbose.

Third, your chosen reasons for the career must be specific and address the whole career. You must give reasons as to why you are interested in law and commerce, and why you wish to pursue a legal career as a solicitor (as opposed to a barrister or another career).

Fourth, you must try to select some unique or uncommon facets of the career. Too many candidates cite an 'intellectual challenge' as a reason for their motivation for the career. This is too vague and too common of an answer. You need to choose something personal to you, given your interests and your work experience.

We suggest reading our article ' How to Answer "Why Commercial Law" ' for more in-depth advice and guidance.

Why do you want to train and work at this firm in particular?

Once again, we have given most of our advice on this matter in our article, ' How to Research Law Firms '. Here are some of our key points of advice:

First, your answer should be split into three parts: the firm's work, training, and culture (in that order of priority). Culture is a mercurial thing, and can be omitted if you are short on space. However, if you are omitting the paragraph on culture, you should try to integrate some reference to culture in your answer if possible.

Second, when discussing the firm's work, drill down into their practice area specialisms (and why they interest you), and their business strategy (and why that suits you or aligns with your ambitions).

Third, when discussing a firm's training, examine the size of the firm's trainee intake, their training contract seat structure, and any other relevant activities or opportunities open to trainees.

Many law firms have small or large trainee intakes and have similar seat structures. What will really differentiate a law firm is the unique opportunities that trainees get alongside their traditional training contract. For example, a firm might have a special committee that allows trainees to get involved with business development right from day one.

Fourth, culture should only be referenced if you have some personal experience with it. Have you spoken to someone at the firm? Have you undertaken prior work experience at the said firm? Did you attend the law firm's open day or insight scheme? These are the kinds of experiences that will allow you to discuss culture without your answer sounding vague or unsubstantiated.

We suggest reading our article ' How to Research Law Firms ' for more in-depth advice and guidance.

Why would you make for a good trainee solicitor at this firm?

Across our previous blog articles , we have also touched on the relevant competencies and skills that law firms look for. Some of our key pieces of advice are as follows:

First, you need to familiarise yourself with the main competencies that law firms look for. Amongst others these are teamwork, organisation, determination, resilience, dealing with difficult people, interpersonal communication, and integrity.

Second, you must still stick to a clear PEE/AL structure in your answer. Your point is the particular skill that you are claiming to have. Your evidence is a personal experience in which you developed or demonstrated the skill. You must then explain how your evidence developed or demonstrates the skill. Finally, you must link your discussion back to the question, and demonstrate how that skill would make you a good trainee solicitor at the firm in question.

Third, ideally, you should include some specific discussion of the firm and why the skills you are claiming to have would be especially useful there. For example, motivation or determination would be especially important when training at a firm with a small trainee intake or low headcount. This is because you will need to take on more responsibility at an earlier stage in your career and have the discipline and initiative to get on with tasks without being prompted.

Fourth, as mentioned, you must explain how you would employ your skills in the position you're applying for. Many candidates forget to give a specific explanation of how they would employ, for example, their collaborative skills in the context of being a trainee solicitor. You must give a short hypothetical description of the skill in action in the role.

For example, you could explain that your attention to detail would be particularly important when being tasked with reviewing common contracts, such as NDAs. Many individuals would gloss over these documents as they are often very similar and based on a template. However, this means that small things can easily slip by that should have been caught!

Some extra tips

So far, we have covered the structure and content of your cover letter. What now follows is a selection of tips and reminders that are useful to bear in mind when writing your covering letter.

Proofread your work

Cover letters are a test of your writing skills - having an error-free cover letter is non-negotiable. If you have spelling mistakes, get the firm name wrong, or just have the odd typographical error, you taking on a huge risk of being rejected. Those in the legal profession pride themselves on its written accuracy and powers of articulation. Law firms will have these kinds of errors count against you in a big way.

Before you submit your cover letter, proofread your work and use a spellchecker such as Microsoft Word or Grammarly. You may even get a family member or trusted friend to check your work for errors. It can be helpful to have a fresh pair of eyes look over your work to help you see the wood through the trees.

Use the appropriate tone

A cover letter is a piece of professional, written communication. As a result, you should adopt formal writing conventions. You must not use contractions, such as 'don't' or undefined abbreviations. If you are using a name over and over again such that an abbreviation may be appropriate, you must write it out in full and put the abbreviation in brackets afterwards. You may then use the abbreviation or acronym. For example:

The Sterling Overnight Index Average ('SONIA') is an interest rate benchmark. SONIA was reformed in 2018.

Finally, your language should align with the professional expectations the firm has of you. Your future employer wants to know that you can be trusted to speak with clients and your colleagues appropriately. Your choice of language reflects not only your professionalism but also your judgement. You must avoid slang and the excessive use of idioms. You need to keep your writing clean, formal and straightforward.

Employ the right format

If you are writing your cover letter in a text box in an application form, you will not be able to format your writing beyond including line breaks. However, if you are drafting your cover letter in a separate document, you must use the correct font.

We recommend a font size of 12 and a formal font typeface such as Times New Roman, Arial or Georgia. We suggest you avoid fonts like Calibri. They can across as slightly informal.

Your paragraphs should be separated with line breaks and your margins should be no narrower than the 'narrow margin' option in Microsoft Word. Ideally, as mentioned, it should be one page in length (or a maximum of two).

You must remember that your cover letter may be printed out and analysed by a partner in an interview. Therefore, if your font or margins are too small or your font choice is poor, you may inadvertently frustrate them and taint their initial impression of you. Anything that you can do to avoid this is worth doing!

Over the course of this article, we have looked at how to write a cover letter for a law firm. Specifically, we have covered what a legal cover letter is and what its purpose is, a general structure for writing a law cover letter, and some top tips and tricks for writing a good legal cover letter.

Our summary

Our advice can be summarised as follows:

• A cover letter tests your written communication ability, motivations for the career and firm, and why you think you'd be a good fit for the role.
• Think of the cover letter as a sales pitch. But focus on clarity and concision, rather than a salesperson-style, flowery approach.
• Your cover letter should be structured with the following sections: your name and address, the recipient's name and address, a salutation and short introduction, the main body, a short ending sentence and the appropriate valediction.
• The main body of your cover letter should address your motivations for the career, the firm, and why you think you would be a good fit for the position you're applying for.
• You should proofread your work before submission. Use spellcheckers like Microsoft Word and Grammarly to assist you with this. You may also ask a family member or trusted friend to proofread your work too!
• Use the appropriate tone. A legal cover letter is a piece of professional communication, and your language and phraseology must reflect this.
• Your formatting is also important. Use a size 11 formal font, such as Times New Roman or Arial. Do not use excessively narrow margins. Your cover letter must be printed off without any cut-off problems and easily read by the graduate recruitment team and your interviewer.

So, what next?

If you are ready to move from research to action, you should look at our application database BEFORE you put pen to paper on your applications. You wouldn't walk into an exam hall without carefully reviewing past papers.  It's exactly the same with applications to law firms. If you fail to prepare, you prepare to fail.

Most candidates read a few well-intentioned but obvious articles on how to apply to law firms.  Most candidates then spend a couple of hours writing an application before optimistically submitting it.  But most candidates don't even get an interview.  Every year, thousands of candidates are part of the 90% that are rejected at first round.

Join us as part of the successful 10% instead. Let us give you an unfair advantage: through our comprehensive analysis of successful applications to every major law firm, our qualified lawyers will break down the ingredients of a phenomenal application.  We will help you beat the odds, secure your interview and then avoid final-round failure at your assessment centre.

Related posts

How Many Training Contract Applications Should You Do?

How to Prepare for the Watson Glaser test

Should You Re-Apply to a Law Firm that Already Rejected You?

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Aug 28, 2019

Written By Jack Collins

How to write a covering letter for work experience

Virtually every employer will ask for “relevant work experience” as part of their candidate requirements.

However, that creates another issue: how do you convince somebody to take you on for a week or two, with so many other students looking to do the same thing?

How do I get legal work experience?

Since most employers  don’t promote their work experience positions or actively seek out candidates, you must take it as a given that most of your applications will be speculative.

You are going to have to grab someone’s attention and convince them of your worth without becoming an interruption.

Everyone you will be writing to will be busy, so bear this in mind when preparing your covering letter.

What is a cover letter?

The covering letter is the paper (or email) equivalent of that initial few seconds when we meet someone; much is judged upon little.

The ultimate aim of the covering letter is to convince them to take you on for work experience.

You must make it clear how you can benefit the employer with your presence for a week or two.

Consider the employers’ perspective. They will have to divert some of their attention away from their usual tasks to deal with your work experience request.

As their time is very valuable, it’s important that you do not waffle and get straight to the point.

When creating your covering letter, it’s vital that you follow a clear structure. Outlined below is a guide to help you prepare that work experience covering letter.

1) Who are you & why are you writing to me?

You must let them know this within the first few lines of your covering letter; otherwise it’s unlikely that they will read any further.

2) Why are you looking for work experience?

Most companies will literally receive hundreds of letters and emails from students each year requesting work experience.

As such, it’s important that you explain why you are looking for work experience and what you think you could offer.

Employers will be far more receptive to your application if you have taken the time to read up on their business and show them where you think you could contribute.

3) Why should I offer you work experience?

If you are fortunate enough to get some work experience, the employer will have to take time out during your visit to brief you and monitor your progress.

This takes time: time that could otherwise be spent on other pressing matters. As such, it’s important that you make it absolutely clear how and why you can benefit them.

You have to build a case that makes somebody within the organisation stop what they are doing and take the time to consider your letter.

Conclusion              

If you want to write an awesome cover letter for a work experience placement, you need to be concise and highlight any benefits that may come from having you around.

Remember that they get a lot of requests for work experience, so make it clear how you can genuinely offer them something!

***To find out who you can apply to, head over to our Vacation Schemes section .

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