Paralegal cover letter
Paralegal letters should name the practice area and one document. They should also stay clearly on the right side of the line: you support attorneys, you do not hold yourself out as one.
How to open
State the area of law and the document type. Mention attorney review. If you are switching areas, say the skill that transfers, such as a deadline calendar or a factual record, and the area that is new.
A work product
One document type you drafted or assembled is the proof. Say who reviewed it.
A system
A deadline calendar or a way you organized productions shows the daily job.
No client tale
Do not tell a war story that identifies a client or a strategy.
An example paragraph
This is an example to adapt, not a letter from a real applicant. Use it only where every detail is true for you.
You are hiring a litigation paralegal. I assembled discovery responses from client documents, kept the deadline calendar, and drafted first versions an attorney revised before filing.
What to skip
Skip legal advice, client names, a claim that you ran the case, and areas of law you have not touched written as specialties.
Questions
- Should I include a writing sample?
- Yes if they ask, and only a sample that is not confidential. A cleaned exercise is better than a real client's brief.
- What if I am a new graduate?
- Label internships and clinics as such, name the document types, and do not imply you staffed matters alone.