Most legal assistant cover letters will not even go to trial. With our guide, you will be able to build a strong case in your favor and get a unanimous “hired” verdict.
You might not be a lawyer yet, but you understand it’s necessary to build a strong case. Your legal assistant cover letter is you making your case—For yourself.
It is up to the strength of your legal cover letter whether your motion to be hired will be dismissed. Or not.
In this article:
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I know you have no time to waste, so let’s start with our two ready legal cover letter samples. Note the pattern they follow to get themselves picked out of the pile.
The first cover letter for legal assistant positions comes from John who already has some experience under his belt.
The position calls for someone that is experienced with case management software, drafting and reviewing legal correspondence, as well as basic court documents during case preparation. Additionally, they are asking for someone who knows how to conduct client intake interviews.
Here’s how to write a cover letter for a legal assistant with experience:
John Parsons
2641 Woodland Avenue, New Orleans, LA 70113
Phone: +1- 985-686-0074
Email: john@parsons.com
New Orleans, Sept 31, 2019
Claire Smith
HR Manager
Bear & Jones LLC
1 Court Avenue
New Orleans, LA 70112
Dear Claire,
Having learned of Bear & Jones’ reputation as flawless litigators as soon as I started immersing myself in the world of law, I was more than delighted to see an opening for a Legal Assistant. In my 2 years in this position at Stone, Mason & Zane LLC, I have taken part in preparing more than 25 multimillion-dollar litigations.
In the job ad, you place a strong focus on being familiar with case management software—at my current work, I have become expert at managing documents through iManage, and managing cases, billing and clients through Clio. I used the functionalities within to define that in my two years there, I have prepared more than 1,250 pages of court documents and legal correspondence. At my firm, I am entrusted with billing clients on behalf of 2 partners—taking responsibility for more than $650,000 annually. Part of my duties is performing client intake duties whenever needed. This year, I have secured the business of 88% of the clients I processed. I have a good grasp on the reality of a high-profile firm, and I am more than confident I can step up to the challenge at Bear & Jones.
My strong interest in this position is due to the reputation of Bear & Jones being not only that of a firm that is effective, but one that plays by the rules. For me, part of the enjoyment of success is knowing that it was earned fairly. For this reason, I believe that this opportunity is the ideal one for me to develop my skillset.
When could we schedule a call or a meeting to discuss how I can apply my litigation preparation experience to help Bear & Jones uphold its stellar reputation?
Thank you,
John Parsons
Phone: +1- 985-686-0074
Email: john@parsons.com
John has certainly built a strong case for himself to get through discovery to the preliminary hearing.
Do you need to write a more entry-level legal assistant cover letter? We got you. Here’s a candidate with less experience, Kimberly.
This position calls for strong office and computer skills, basic knowledge of legal terminology, forms, policies and procedures, as well as management of various tasks and issues for assigned lawyers.
Kimberly has not worked in this position before, but she has crafted her legal cover letter to tick all their boxes.
Kimberly A. Bowles
1497 George Avenue, New Orleans, LA 70113
Phone: +1- 251-342-6547
Email: kimberly@bowles.com
New Orleans, Sept 31, 2019
Claire Smith
HR Manager
Bear & Jones LLC
1 Court Avenue
New Orleans, LA 70112
Dear Claire,
I would like to express my gratitude for the opportunity to apply for a Legal Assistant position at Bear & Jones. As a final year Legal Administrative Assistant student with a 4.0 GPA, I am hungry for the experience of working in a firm as esteemed as yours.
You say you are seeking an assistant with strong computer and office skills, legal terminology and procedures, and managing the affairs of lawyers. During my college study, I have excelled at modules such as Administrative Office Procedures, Business Law & Communications, and Introduction to Law and Business Practice. I am more than ready to handle all kinds of clerical tasks, as I am experienced with office equipment, such as copiers, faxes, scanners, and imaging equipment—and I type at 80+ words per minute. With a year of experience as a corporate secretary at Neocorp, where I handle the diaries of 25 executives, and college modules like Database and Calendar Management, I am confident I can provide effective assistance to the lawyers at Bear & Jones.
I admire that at Bear & Jones, ethics come first. You have a reputation to uphold, and I will be a helpful conduit in that, as those values resonate with my personal ones. Therefore, I am sure that this is the ideal opportunity for me to grow and develop as a legal professional.
Could we set up a meeting or a call to discuss how I can put my strong education background and existing clerical skills into practice at Bear & Jones?
Best Regards,
Kimberly A. Bowles
Phone: +1- 251-342-6547
Email: kimberly@bowles.com
These are two legal assistant cover letter samples that rule in their own favor.
A legal cover letter along won’t land you that job. You also need a strong resume. Check out our dedicated guide: Paralegal Resume—Examples and 25+ Writing Tips
Now, let’s build up your defense.
Structure is important in any legal document. Treat your legal cover letter as such.
Nobody is going to run eDiscovery on your letter to find the juicy bits. You have to present your case swiftly, clearly and effectively.
Here’s how to have the cover letter format dead to rights:
Now you’re ready to start thinking about what to include in your cover letter.
I’m not going to stoop as low as to tell you that you need to write your name down on your legal cover letter. Just make sure it matches your resume header.
List the city and date like on any other letter, and double-check that you have remembered to paste the contact details of the hiring manager below.
You can quickly cross compare against our legal assistant cover letter sample header to make sure you have everything:
[ Your Full Name]
[ Your Job Title ] (Optional)
[ Phone Number ]
[ Email Address ]
[ LinkedIn Profile ]
[ City and Date ]
[ Hiring Manager’s Full Name ]
[ Hiring Manager’s Position ]
[ Company Name ]
[ Company Street Address ]
[ City and Zip Code ]
Expert Hint: Most law firms will run their recruitment online. There are some specific issues to keep in mind when sending your legal assistant cover letter electronically, which our email cover letter guide will clue you up on. At ResumeLab, there is also always more cover letter tips, dos and don’ts to know.
Double your impact with a matching resume and cover letter combo. Use our cover letter generator and make your application documents pop out.
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Wherever there is so much legal work that legal assistants are needed—You can be sure there’s always going to be people coming in and out at all rungs of the ladder.
Don’t waste the hiring manager’s time once they pick up your legal assistant cover letter.
For starters, address the recruiter by name in your cover letter. If it’s not listed in the ad, do some research through the company website, LinkedIn, or, wait for it—a phone call. Open your cover letter by indicating which position your law cover letter is targeting. Right away, give them something to bite on—a skill, experience, or achievement that they’re looking for.
You can start with this legal cover letter sample. Fill in the [blanks] with information relevant to you and the position you’re applying for.
Dear [Hiring Manager’s Name]:
Once I discovered that at [Target Company Name] you’re looking for [Position Name], I was thrilled. Having worked as a [legal assistant/Previous Position Title] for [number of years]+ years, I developed extensive [administrative support/schedule management/case preparation/legal document drafting/document management/other relevant skills you have] skills, I know I can contribute my efforts to the smooth operation and development of [Target Company Name].
Expert Hint: Looking to get certified as a paralegal? The NALA and NFPA offer the most recognized certifications. Once you have one of those, look up our guide to putting certifications on a resume.
Once you’ve got past the pleasantries, let’s get to the meat of your legal assistant cover letter. In your second paragraph, you are making your arguments for why exactly they should hire you.
Study the job ad closely—synthesize what’s most important to them, and what you can best back up with some sort of achievement or metric. Be it an estimation of how many bills you file a year on behalf of the lawyers, or even the number of pages of documents you process and your typing speed.
Numbers don’t only show performance. The fact that you know these numbers shows you care about your performance.
Here’s the bare bones:
You are searching for a [Position Name] experienced in [refer to the requirements of the job]. While working as a [Previous Position Title] at [Name of Your Most Recent Company], I have acquired extensive experience in [responsibilities, duties, or projects you’ve successfully completed, supported by metrics, if possible]. I am well-equipped to face the challenges at [Target Company Name].
Expert Hint: BLS statistics forecast much faster than average job growth for Legal Assistants and Paralegals—by 12%, or 39 thousand, in the next decade. Get your legal assistant or paralegal resume ready for trial with our guides.
Every employer understands you’re playing the numbers game and sending out dozens of legal cover letters to increase your likelihood of getting hired. We all know how statistics work.
But this doesn’t change the fact that each one of those employers wants to receive a legal assistant cover letter that feels like it was written especially for them. And they want to hire that person.
The good news is it really won’t take you much time to customize your cover letter. Research their values, notable projects, what’s important to them—and think about how you can link that to your own convictions.
A “culture-fit” is an increasingly significant part of the hiring process, and this covers that base.
Start off here:
The reason why I’m so intent on joining [Target Company Name], is your focus on [values/way of working/something you genuinely admire about the company]. This is important for me personally, which makes working at [Target Company Name] the opportunity I’ve been waiting for to fulfill my potential.
You’re wrapping up your case. This is your closing statement. It’s no time to ease up.
When signing off your cover letter for legal assistant positions, be decisive. Ask explicitly for an interview or a call at the very least, and reason it with your most relevant strength or achievement.
Here’s a closing from a legal assistant cover letter example:
When’s good to set up a call or a meeting to discuss how my [your best, most relevant skill/their most important requirement][skills/experience] can help [Target Company Name] reach [something important to this company]?
Best regards,
[Digital Copy of Your Handwritten Signature]
[Your Full Name]
[Phone Number]
[Email Address]
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Before you send off your legal assistant cover letter, remember to:
Did you find our legal assistant cover letter samples helpful? Drop 5 stars! Do you need extra guidance on your legal administrative assistant cover letter? Drop me a comment, I’ll be more than happy to hear from you!
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Dave is a career expert delivering a wide range of well-researched advice regarding the job hunting and application process. At ResumeLab, his data-driven resume and cover letter guides help readers capitalize on their potential.
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