THE COVER LETTER:

A cover letter is just as important as a resume! Unless otherwise indicated, a cover letter should always accompany your resume.

The main purpose of a cover letter is to convince the reader to review your resume and grant you an interview. The cover letter should be personalized for each employer. It should clearly establish your reasons for applying for a particular position and include what is unique or relevant in your background that would qualify you for the advertised position. It should not be a summary of your resume.

The content of a cover letter should be clear and straightforward. Let them know why you are writing; where you learned of the job (if applying to a specific job lead); why you are interested in them; what you can contribute to them. Include a sentence or two that makes it clear that you are familiar with the firm and have done some background research on it.

Note: Do not start off your letter with "my name is..." Employers consider this to be a fairly unsophisticated approach.

A sample cover letter appears at the end of this guide. Take a moment to consider that all Touro students receive this guide with the same sample cover letter and thank you letter. If everyone uses these samples without modification, employers will have little to distinguish two Touro candidates. You must set yourself apart to get the job – put in the effort and be creative!

If you seek employment outside the New York metropolitan area, indicate your reason for doing so (e.g., plan to relocate upon graduation, or that you were originally from that area before attending law school). Emphasize any ties you may have to the area, and whether you will be in the area on specific days so that an interview can be scheduled. The employer may decide that based on the strength of your resume, and the fact that you are going to be in the area anyway, it would make sense to set up an appointment to meet with you. [Please note that employers rarely pay for the travel arrangements for screening interviews.]

Always type letters on standard 8 1/2" x 11" bond stationary, using business letter format and signing each one individually.

Be sure to address the letter to a specific person. If you do not know who to address the letter to, simply call the employer and ask who is in charge of recruitment.

Remember your audience – lawyers - language and focusing on details are their livelihood. Your resume and cover letter are the employer’s first introduction to your work habits. Make sure that there are no typos, all names are spelled correctly, that addresses are accurate, and that your return address and telephone number are on the letter.

It is a good practice to keep track of all employers to whom you have written. Keep a list of names, dates, responses and results of interviews. This simple task will prevent the embarrassment of sending more than one resume to an employer or not knowing whom someone is when he or she calls you for an interview.

As you may know, employers are not always timely in terms of responding to letters. If you have not heard from an employer after two weeks or so, you should place a brief call to the employer to inquire about the status of your application. But, avoid making frequent phone calls. Use your judgment with respect to which employers should get calls and, if you feel a phone call may be inappropriate, send a follow-up letter instead.

THE THANK YOU LETTER:

Now that the interview is over, you can breathe a sigh of relief. But, before your enthusiasm wanes, and while the interview is still fresh in your mind, take some time to write a thank you letter to the person with whom you have interviewed.

The thank you letter should be mailed within 48 hours (24 hours if the decision is going to be made in the next couple of days) and should convey your continued interest in the job and your appreciation for the interviewer’s time. Generally, even a well-written thank-you letter will not "set the world on fire," but it will keep your name fresh in the interviewer’s mind and demonstrate that you are observant of professional courtesies. As a rule, the letter should be typed and very short. It is entirely appropriate to use the same color and type of paper that you used for your resume and cover letter. In any case, you want your last contact with the prospective employer to convey the same image as your resume, cover letter and interview – professionalism and thoroughness.

The letter should be addressed to the attorney with whom you interviewed. If there was more than one attorney conducting the interview, or if you spent the afternoon being shuffled from one office to another, you can write individual letters to all of the interviewers (do not duplicate the same letter – each one must be different) or write one letter to the senior or main interviewer. If you write one letter, be sure to ask the recipient to relay your thanks to the other attorneys with whom you spoke. Therefore, whether you write individual letters or one letter, make sure you get the names of all the interviewers you saw at the office. (Upon leaving an interview, consider taking a business card so that you will have the proper spelling of the attorney’s name for subsequent correspondence.)

Your thank you letter should follow a business letter format similar to your cover letter. The first paragraph should express that you enjoyed meeting with the interviewer and should include the date and location of the interview. You can also incorporate a sentence of "firm flattery" in the first paragraph if you are comfortable doing so, but don’t be too solicitous. The second paragraph should convey your continued interest in the position for which you were interviewed and close by offering any additional information that is necessary.

The following examples may be helpful in composing your thank you letters:

I very much enjoyed meeting with you at your office on _______________

I greatly enjoyed speaking with you and your colleagues.

It was a pleasure to meet you and your colleagues, John Doe, Jane Doe and Chris James, on ___________________

Please convey my appreciation to your colleagues (insert names if not already mentioned) for an informative afternoon at Dewey, Huey & Louie.

I was very impressed by the caliber of people I met and the opportunities available at your firm.

I was impressed by the diversity of work and challenging environment presented by Cahn, Jones.

I look forward to hearing from you in the near future. If you require any additional information, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Please find enclosed the writing sample you requested. If any additional information is necessary, please feel free to contact me.

Please keep in mind that these are merely suggestions. Your letters should be personalized to suit each interview and interviewer. Reflect on the interview before sitting down to write your letters.

Make a note of what impressed you about the firm or the interviewer and why you want to work for that particular firm. Try to incorporate some of these ideas into your letter. Personalizing the letter by referring to something you discussed with the interviewer (e.g., a recent case she handled, skiing, etc.) can be helpful. Above all else, keep it short and to the point. A sample thank you letter can be found at the end of this section.

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SAMPLE FOLLOW-UP LETTER