A paralegal cover letter briefly outlines your skills and experience in supporting legal professionals and companies. This document is typically submitted alongside a paralegal resume, but it’s written in a more personal and creative manner to highlight your personality and motivation.
In this article, we’ll explore the intricacies of writing a compelling paralegal cover letter. We’ll define what makes a good format and layout and then go through each individual section to teach you how to write them. Finally, we’re going to show you a professional example and leave you with several expert cover letter-writing tips.
Let’s dive in!
Key Takeaways
A business letter format is the best for a paralegal cover letter.
For a visually clean layout, you want a professional font size of 10–12 pt, 1-inch margins, and 1.0 or 1.15 line spacing.
To build rapport right off the bat, address the recruiter or hiring manager by their name.
A catchy introductory paragraph helps grab the reader’s attention, while a call to action toward the end maximizes your chances of getting invited for an interview.
Ensure that all the skills, qualifications, and accomplishments listed in your paralegal resume match the requirements from the job ad and are needed for the role.
How to Format Your Paralegal Cover Letter
To format your paralegal cover letter in a professional and legible manner, you should follow a business letter format. This is a well-established approach to written correspondence in the professional landscape, which ensures that every part of your cover letter is optimally placed in the document.
Here’s how you should structure your paralegal cover letter following this format:
Cover Letter Format
Contact information and date
Greeting
Introduction
Skills, qualifications, and experiences
Reasons for applying
Closing paragraph with a call to action
Conclusion and sign-off
This arrangement is optimal, and it shows recruiters and hiring managers exactly what they want to see when they want it. With it, you need a strong cover letter layout to make your document visually appealing.
Here are the tips for creating an exceptional layout:
Cover Letter Layout Guidelines
Your cover letter should be one page long, having between 250–400 words and 3–5 paragraphs.
A professional cover letter font, like Arial or Helvetica, boosts the document’s readability.
Font size should be 10–12 pt.
Margins of at least 1 inch on all sides will contribute to an elegant look.
Line spacing should be 1.0 or 1.15, with an additional line between paragraphs.
While following these rules and guidelines can help you craft an impeccable paralegal cover letter from scratch, you can also use software tools and templates to speed things up. Our cover letter builder is a custom software solution designed to help you create a cover letter in minutes with no prior knowledge.
You simply pick one of the various paralegal cover letter templates, customize the layout to your liking or use it as-is, input your information in predesignated places, and download a complete document.
Paralegal Cover Letter: 7 Essential Components
Here are the seven essential sections your document should have to maximize your chances of impressing hiring managers. To help you keep track of what goes where as you’re learning how to write a paralegal cover letter, here’s a concise visual overview of what the document should look like:
#1. Heading
The heading is the top of your cover letter and the best place for contact information and the date of writing.
You should always list your details first by including the following:
Heading Mandatory Details
Name
Job title
Phone number
Email address
In addition to these mandatory details, you can also include your:
Heading Optional Details
Address
LinkedIn profile
Relevant social media
Personal website
Next, you should date the letter and add the location of writing before listing the recipient’s contact information.
Let’s see what that looks like in an example:
Heading Example
Jay Lang Paralegal 2001 Armbrester Drive Los Angeles, CA 90017 310-501-2910 jaylang@example.com
Los Angeles, 09/10/2024
Diane Copeland Hiring Manager Mitchell & Taylor LLP 155 Doctors Drive Los Angeles, CA 90017
#2. Greeting
A greeting is meant to address the reader and introduce them to your writing. It helps establish a connection with the recipient, especially if you include their name. A simple “Dear” followed by the name of the hiring manager or recruiter will do the trick.
Here’s an example:
Greeting Example
Dear Ms. Copeland,
You can typically find the name of the person who will read your letter on the company’s website or socials. However, if you researched the company and came up with nothing, you can use the recipient’s job title or department name. What you want to avoid are overly generic greetings, like “To Whom It May Concern.”
#3. Introduction
The introduction gives you the chance to grab the reader’s attention with your strongest qualities. Consider this your elevator pitch, and include your most notable skills or accomplishments to impress the recruiter and persuade them to keep reading. You should also specify the role you’re after.
Let’s see that in a good example:
Introduction Example
I am writing to express keen interest in the open Paralegal position at Mitchell & Taylor LLP. I have more than five years of paralegal experience in litigation and corporate law. Furthermore, exceptional administrative skills helped me improve legal operations efficiency at Platinum Global by 23%, making me confident I can replicate these results in your corporation.
#4. Skills, Qualifications, & Experiences
Your paralegal skills, qualifications, and experiences relevant to the position you’re after should take the central part of your paralegal cover letter. Potential employers look into past efforts as an indicator of future performance, so you want to show your most impressive work to demonstrate that you’re the right person for the job.
For instance, if you’re writing a corporate paralegal cover letter, you might want to focus on legal research and regulatory compliance. On the other hand, real estate paralegals should emphasize their proficiency in lease agreements and contract preparation.
However, if you’re writing a paralegal cover letter with no experience (e.g., a recent graduate looking for their first job), you can focus on your skills and academic accomplishments over your work history.
Here’s what that looks like in an example:
Skills, Qualifications, & Experiences Example
During my previous role at Platinum Global, I have performed analyses and assessments for over 65 litigations, aiding in achieving best-case outcomes. I have also drafted 150+ legal documents, including NDAs, contracts, and bylaws. Finally, I assisted attorneys in high-stakes negotiations that resulted in over $25 million in settlements for the company.
#5. Reasons for Applying
When you emphasize your reason for applying for the job, you demonstrate drive and motivation that extend beyond just looking for a paycheck. Commitment in the workplace is essential to employers as it results in better productivity and work quality.
One of the best ways to achieve this is by highlighting something specific about the organization you want to join (e.g., its service, goals, or values) and showing how it resonates with your personality or career goals.
Here’s a good example:
Reasons for Applying Example
I am particularly interested in joining Mitchell & Taylor LLP due to your firm’s expertise in the field of corporate and intellectual property law in today’s ever-shifting digital age. Your recent efforts in protecting the creations of high-profile digital creators are the type of impactful work that I am eager to support, and I believe my experience in corporate law can help.
#6. Call to Action
A call to action (CTA) is frequently used in marketing to elicit a response. In the context of your paralegal cover letter, you can add a call to action to suggest the reader invite you for a job interview or examine your resume. A CTA is best implemented at the end of your cover letter to capitalize on all the previously disclosed information.
Let’s see that in an example:
Call to Action Example
Thank you for taking the time to review my application. For more information, you can find my resume attached. I look forward to discussing over an interview how my background and skill set align with the needs of your organization.
#7. Conclusion & Sign-Off
Conclusion and sign-off should briefly and politely close your paralegal cover letter. To write it, you want to add a cordial farewell statement followed by your name.
Here’s an example:
Conclusion & Sign-Off Example
Sincerely, Jay Lang
Here’s a complete example of a paralegal cover letter to help you put into practice everything that you’ve learned so far:
Finally, here are some must-know tips for drafting a paralegal cover letter that will help polish your document to perfection and get you ahead of the competition:
4 Must-Know Tips for Drafting a Paralegal Cover Letter
Quantify your accomplishments. Include numbers and statistics next to your work-related achievements to add measurable value and increase the impact they have on the reader. So instead of saying, “Managed many litigation cases,” try going with “Managed 150+ litigation cases.”
Match your cover letter to your paralegal resume. Hiring managers often look at both documents while gauging your qualifications. A uniform layout and format create a cohesive application package that looks clean and professional. Moreover, you shouldn’t repeat the information between the two documents; include unique details in both.
Proofread before submitting. Paralegals need to be precise and meticulous in their work, so the last thing you want is a typo or a grammar error in your cover letter. Moreover, proofreading allows you to spot areas where you can improve your writing, whether to trim some bits or expand certain parts.
Highlight your certification. This is particularly important if you’re an entry-level candidate with little to no professional experience. While certifications aren’t needed to become a paralegal, they validate your knowledge. Moreover, some firms and organizations will only hire certified paralegals.
Final Thoughts
Paralegals and legal assistants look at 1% job growth between 2023 and 2033. While that’s not much, it still amounts to about 37,300 new openings each year. Still, the competition can be fierce, which is why it’s vital to write an exceptional paralegal cover letter, get ahead of the pack, and secure an interview.
Remember to focus on role-specific skills and qualifications and to highlight your motivation. Capitalize on that with a smart call to action toward the end of the letter, and you’ll all but guarantee an interview invite. Best of luck!
