Sample Cover Letters

Below are five sample cover letters, each adapted from actual cover letters sent by clerkship applicants in prior cycles.  Example 1 is the most common kind used.  Each sample is followed by commentary on the letter's strengths and weaknesses.


Example #1: The Short Letter

[Applicant's name and contact information in header]

[Date]

[Address Block]

Dear Judge [Name]:

I am a rising third year student at [law school name] and an editor of the [school name] Law Review. I am very interested in clerking for you in the 2013-14 term.

I have enclosed my resume, law school transcript, and writing sample. The writing sample is a recent case comment on the [omitted] Circuit decision in [case name], which appeared in the [month/year] issue of the Law Review. You will be receiving, under separate cover, letters of recommendation from the following individuals:

Professor [Name] [Law School] [Address 1] [Address 2] [Telephone #]

Professor [Name] [Law School] [Address 1] [Address 2] [Telephone #]

Professor [Name] [Law School] [Address 1] [Address 2] [Telephone #]

Please let me know if I can provide any further information.  Thank you for your time and consideration.

Sincerely,

[Name]

Commentary: This is a very well-executed "short" cover letter. Most Harvard Law School students use a similar letter as their template.  The applicant's contact information is easy to find, right at the top of the letter. All of the key information appears, including recommender contact information, in an organized, straightforward fashion. Plus, the letter gives some brief background on the writing sample. This is the best template to use when you have no particular ties to a judge. You could even use it if you did have ties, by customizing the second sentence in the body.  The main drawback to the short format is that it often comes across as sterile.


Example #2: The Second Clerkship

[Applicant's name and contact information in header]

[Date]

[Address block]

Dear Judge [Name]:

I am a third-year student at [law school] and would like to be considered for a clerkship in your chambers for the next available term.

I will clerk for [Judge Name] in the District of [jurisdiction] during the 2012-13 term and hope to clerk for a circuit judge the following year. I am particularly interested in working in [city] a second year, as my family has close ties to the area.  Please find enclosed my resume, official transcript, writing sample, and four letters of recommendation. The writing sample is my note, which the [school] Law Review will publish this year. It shows that [brief characterization of what the note covers].

The recommendation letters are from three professors and one practitioner: [Professor 1 Name], [Phone #], for whom I worked as both a research assistance and a teaching assistant; [Professor 2 name], [Phone #], who taught [class name]; [Professor 3 name], [Phone #], who taught a seminar on [issue]; and [AUSA name], [Phone #], for whom I worked in the United States Attorney's Office for the [jurisdiction].

If you would like any additional information, please do not hesitate to contact me at [phone #] or [e-mail]. Thank you in advance for your consideration.

Sincerely,

[Name]

Commentary: This is a format used by people with one clerkship when applying for a second.  All of the essentials are easy to find.  Note that the applicant's first clerkship should be included in his or her resume.  The most common format for such listings is:

The Hon. [Name], U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, Pasadena, CA
Law Clerk, anticipated August 2012 - August 2013

Three more letters -- including two that illustrate common mistakes made by applicants -- appear after the jump.
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