A few notes about cover letters:
- Most judges are happy to see a shorter, more succinct cover letter. Although your cover letter is a good forum for relevant information not otherwise conveyed in your application, there is no need to rehash what is already on your resume. Do not summarize your previous job experience or your school activities. The judge does not need to know what you hope to learn from him; judges read hundreds of letters a year and it is tedious to hear from every student that they hope to hone their legal research and writing skills or gain insight into judicial practice. Padding your letter only serves to waste the judge's time and drown out the important information your letter is meant to convey.
- Some types of information that should be included in the cover letter: a specific connection to the city or state where the judge sits, the names and numbers of all of your references, relevant specialized classes you have taken (i.e. bankruptcy, patent law, trusts and estates) or, similarly, prior experience in a field specifically relevant to the court.
- Don't stretch to make a connection. While judges are often interested in candidates who share a geographic connection with them, they can see through tenuous assertions of interest in their home city. If you have lived, worked, or gone to school where you are applying, you should definitely mention it in your cover letter. Vague statements about loving the city when you visited it or your interest in the city because of some particular feature of its legal community are best left off your letter. If you don't have something concrete to offer in regards to geography, it is best not to mention it at all.
- Do not say that your recommenders would be happy to speak with the judge directly unless you’ve checked with them first.
- Do make sure that your cover letter contains no mistakes of any kind. Have at least one other person proofread your letter. Put it aside for a day and look at it again. Typos show a lack of attention to detail that will not be welcome in any judge's chambers.
Below are two sample cover letters, one that can be used with all judges, and one that shows your more specific ties to a judge or region. Do not copy the exact wording of any of these samples, or judges will be receiving a lot of identical cover letters.
(basic cover letter)
Your Name
Your Address
Charlottesville, Virginia 22903
September 7, 2010
The Honorable ..............
........... District Court,
..........................(.Address )
............................
Dear Judge Doe:
I am a third-year student at the University of ............ School of Law, and I am writing to
apply for a clerkship in your chambers following my graduation in May 2011.
I am enclosing my resume, my law school and undergraduate transcripts, and a writing
sample. You will also be receiving letters of recommendation from Professors X and Y.
Both professors have said that they would be happy to speak with you directly. If you
would like to reach them, Professor X’s telephone number is ................. and
Professor Y’s telephone number is ..................................
Please let me know if I can provide any further information. I appreciate your
consideration.
Sincerely,
Your name
(A more substantive cover letter)
Your Name
Your Address
Charlottesville, Virginia 22903
December 1, 2009
The Honorable John Doe
U.S. District Court, E.D.N.Y.
225 Cadman Plaza East
Brooklyn, New York 11201-1818
Dear Judge Doe:
I am a first-year student at the University of Virginia School of Law, and I am writing to apply
for a clerkship in your chambers during the summer of 2010.
I have always enjoyed writing, and graduated magna cum laude from Dartmouth College in 2002
with a degree in English. After college, I worked as a paralegal at Jones and Jones for three
years. During that time, I also volunteered at the Neighborhood Legal Services Program, where I
assisted attorneys who represented indigent clients in landlord/tenant court. Both of these
experiences whetted my appetite for trial work, which led me to law school. I hope that my
writing experience will be an asset to your chambers this summer.
Enclosed please find a copy of my resume, a writing sample, and my undergraduate transcript.
My first semester grades from law school are not yet available, but I will forward a law school
transcript to you as soon as it has been released. Thank you for considering my application.
Sincerely,
Your Name
(A more substantive cover letter)
Your Name
Your Address
Charlottesville, Virginia 22903
December 1, 2009
The Honorable John Doe
U.S. District Court, E.D.N.Y.
225 Cadman Plaza East
Brooklyn, New York 11201-1818
Dear Judge Doe:
I am a first-year student at the University of Virginia School of Law, and I am writing to apply
for a clerkship in your chambers during the summer of 2010.
I have always enjoyed writing, and graduated magna cum laude from Dartmouth College in 2002
with a degree in English. After college, I worked as a paralegal at Jones and Jones for three
years. During that time, I also volunteered at the Neighborhood Legal Services Program, where I
assisted attorneys who represented indigent clients in landlord/tenant court. Both of these
experiences whetted my appetite for trial work, which led me to law school. I hope that my
writing experience will be an asset to your chambers this summer.
Enclosed please find a copy of my resume, a writing sample, and my undergraduate transcript.
My first semester grades from law school are not yet available, but I will forward a law school
transcript to you as soon as it has been released. Thank you for considering my application.
Sincerely,
Your Name
(state court cover letter)
Your Name
Your Address
Charlottesville, Virginia 22903
May 7, 2010
The Honorable John Doe
Virgine Court of Appeals
500 Pearl Street, Room 2230
New York, NY
Dear Judge Doe:
I am a third year law student at the University of Virginia School of Law, and I am writing to
you to apply for a clerkship in your chambers. I expect to receive my J.D. in May 2011 and will
be available to work any time after that.
I was born and raised in central Virginia, and I hope to practice there upon completion of a
clerkship. I hope to join a small law firm with a regional practice. I am particularly interested in
a clerkship with your court, because I believe it will help me prepare for a general practice in
state law. While in law school, I have taken classes in contracts, torts, property law, family law,
and trusts and estates. In addition, this year I have participated in the Elder Law Clinic, where
we have worked on issues ranging from domestic relations and elder abuse, to tax, land use, and
contracts. I believe these experiences have prepared me to contribute meaningfully to your
chambers.
Enclosed please find a copy of my resume and my most recent transcript. I have also enclosed,
with permission, a copy of a motion that I prepared as part of my clinic experience this year. I
may be contacted at (xxx) xxx-xxxx for further information. Thank you very much for
considering me.
Sincerely,
Your Name
(Kennedy Fellow cover letter)
Your Name
Your Address
Charlottesville, Virginia 22903
June 1, 2013
The Honorable John Doe
U.S. District Court, S.D.N.Y.
500 Pearl Street, Room 2230
New York, NY
Dear Judge Doe:
I am a recent graduate of the University of Virginia School of Law and a recipient of the
Kennedy Fellowship, which provides funding for up to a year of work in the public sector. I
would like to use my fellowship to work in a {federal or state} court, and I am writing to ask
whether you would consider me for an unpaid clerkship in your chambers. I would be available
to work beginning in August of this year.
{OPTIONAL: I was born and raised in Peekskill, New York, and I have spent each of my last
three summers working in Manhattan. I intend to return to Manhattan permanently upon my
graduation from law school.}
Enclosed please find a copy of my resume and my most recent transcript. I have also enclosed as
a writing sample a draft of an opinion that I wrote for Hon. Walter S. Smith, Jr. last summer,
forwarded to you with his permission.
If you have any questions or need to contact me for any reason, please feel free to reach me at
the above address and telephone number. Thank you very much for considering me.
Sincerely,
Your Name