Prospective Law Clerks - 5 Cover Letter Tips!

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The 5 Most Important Cover Letter Writing
Tipsfor a Judicial Clerkship

• Presented by LawClerkCareer.com
• 2012

www.LawClerkCareer.com
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Intro

• 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!

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1 Proofread!
Youre probably thinking this is common sense,
but I cant 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 wont even get to the interview stage.
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2 Keep it short
The judge doesnt 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
youre 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.
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3 Dont Attempt to be witty or funny!
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.
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Dont Be Arrogant!
Many qualified candidates will be applying for
the same clerkship dont 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 youve done will do
that. Its 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 youre coming across as
pompous. For the record, sentences like No one
can write a legal memorandum like I can are over
the line.
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Include all Contact Information!
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.
Dont 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.
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For more information
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.
www.lawclerkcareer.com