Many law school graduates decide to enter a legal clerkship after passing the bar! This prestigious and difficult career position depends heavily upon gaining support from the judge! Although it may seem obvious, this starts with the a correctly written cover letter. Here are 5 tips to follow when preparing to write yours!
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Law Clerk Career - Prospective Job Seekers - Cover Letter Tips
1. THE 5 MOST IMPORTANT COVER
LETTER WRITING TIPS
FOR A JUDICIAL CLERKSHIP
Presented by LawClerkCareer.com
2012
2. • After Law school, many graduates start to
consider a judicial clerkship, which is a great
experience and resume builder.
• Special Care needs to be taken when crafting
your cover letter so it makes the judge want
to know more about you!
3. You’re probably thinking this is common sense, but I can’t tell you how
many cover letters arrived with misspelled words and incomplete or
incoherent sentences. This is simply inexcusable and will almost certainly
mean the end of your clerkship dream.
Read your cover letter aloud. Have someone else read it to you. And then
do these things again. Do whatever it takes to make sure your letter
makes sense.
If you cannot successfully write one page about a subject you know well
(you), the judge, if your letter even gets past the clerk, will have little
confidence that you can write about complex legal issues; you won’t even
get to the interview stage.
4. The judge doesn’t want to read a lengthy, drawn-out description of an
applicant and why she is simply perfect for the position of law clerk. Be
concise and include only those achievements that make you stand out. If
you have extensive experience in research and writing or in any areas that
may be relevant to that particular chambers, be sure to include it.
For example, if you’re applying to a bankruptcy judge, be sure to mention
your semester spent in a bankruptcy clinic.
Good writing, whether in cover letters or court memoranda, gets to the
point quickly and effectively. Besides, the fewer words you write, the less
likely you are to make typos or grammatical errors.
5. You may think you are hilarious, and the judge or clerk may
appreciate that--in the interview. But you have to get to the
interview first, and the way to do that is to present yourself in
a professional way in your cover letter. Save the stand-up
routine for your stint in Vegas.
6. Many qualified candidates will be applying for the same
clerkship; don’t make yourself stand out in a bad way by
extolling your virtues too much. You should be proud of your
accomplishments, but simply highlighting what you’ve done
will do that.
It’s a fine line, to be sure, so this is another reason you should
have someone else read your letter; be sure to ask them for an
honest opinion as to whether you’re coming across as
pompous. For the record, sentences like “No one can write a
legal memorandum like I can” are over the line.
7. As a practical consideration, email and cell phones are the
easiest way to reach you, so make it easy for the judge to offer
you an interview. Don’t forget to include all of your contact
information on your cover letter.
No one is guaranteed a judicial clerkship upon graduation, but
these tips will help increase your chances of getting an
interview with the judge of your choice. Scoring the job
thereafter is up to you and your sparkling personality.
8. This informational slideshow was created and presented to you by
LawClerkCareer.com, a informational website devoted to answering any
and all questions pertaining to the legal clerkship occupation.
Notas del editor
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