Dear Emma Hamilton (Newcastle Recruitment Specialist),

I am writing to apply for the paralegal position at Clifford Chance. I graduated from Newcastle University this summer, with an average of 67.3 and a 2:1 classification in Law. After thoroughly enjoying my studies at university, I now want to begin a career in the legal profession at a commercial firm.

After studying law at A-Level and university I have developed an enjoyment for the problem solving involved in the field. I find it rewarding to resolve challenging issues by finding new and creative ways to apply the rules at hand, and have been fascinated by how strict rules can be made flexible by interpreting words differently. In this sense, I like the possibility of finding solutions to legal issues which did not seem possible upon first glance. At university I found that my favourite modules to study were commercial areas such as Contract and Company, where I was intrigued by the issues faced by companies and how the law can be used to resolve them. These interests form the basis for my pursuit of a career in the commercial sector. Further, I think that commercial law will be a very exciting area for me to be involved in in the future, with the effects of rising inflation and living costs already becoming apparent in recent disputes between Heinz and Tesco. 

Joining Clifford Chance would present me with the opportunity to work with some of the world’s most successful and innovative companies such as Jaguar and HSBC. This is an attractive opportunity to me as these will be the companies with the most complex legal issues which can test my skills the most, allowing me to experience uniquely challenging work that will help me to grow as a legal professional. Assisting lawyers as a paralegal at a top law firm would also give me the chance to learn from people at the top of their profession. Employees of the Newcastle office have indicated that everyone is willing to help, which is another important factor for me in this early stage of my career, and after living in Newcastle through university I would be more than happy to work here in the future. 

Working in a restaurant for 4 years after leaving secondary school taught me a lot of valuable skills which I think would make me a great addition to your team at Clifford Chance. Working with a lot of different people from various backgrounds in this role has made me a strong team worker, with an appreciation of the importance of communicating and co-operating with colleagues effectively. Serving customers in this job has also given me experience that would be useful as a paralegal, as I have often needed the ability to understand customers’ needs and decide the best course of action to provide this. 

Whilst at university I worked on a pro-bono programme with Freedom Law Clinic, which involved working with a team of students to build an appeal against a criminal conviction. This experience allowed me to observe how my skills can be applied effectively to legal work, such as the importance of paying close attention to detail when presented with such a large case file. During this project I enjoyed working under the pressure of knowing that my work will have an impact on a real case and found it valuable to experience legal work outside of an academic environment. I am also excited for upcoming experience at Cobains Solicitors which I am due to complete this summer, which will give me experience of life in a legal office. 

Personally, I enjoy playing and watching a range of sports in my spare time, but I have always been an avid football fan. At university I played weekly in an intramural football team. 

Thank you for taking the time to consider me for this opportunity, I look forward to hearing from you.

Yours faithfully,

[Name]

Our thoughts

Positives

• Great concise opening and closing. No need for more than this (if anything, the opening is a little long).
• Covers the three key elements of a cover letter: why law? why the firm? and why you?
• Generally well written.
• I like that the why law paragraph gives some very law-specific reasons why the career appeals, including the applicant's interest in interpretation of language and solving complex legal issues, plus their enjoyment of related university modules.
• The why the firm paragraph shows some good research, through mentioning specific clients. It also reflects well on why the research shown actually enhances their interest (e.g. high profile clients = more complex legal issues = uniquely challenging work = more growth as a legal professional). 
• It specifically addresses why Newcastle (albeit briefly), which again shows the app is tailored.
• It covers some key transferable skills, including teamwork, attention to detail, communication, and collaboration.

Potential points for improvement

• Technically the sign-off should be "Yours sincerely" as they used the recruiter's name. 
• I think words like "fascinating" and "intriguing" can be a little too dramatic, plus being intrigued by something isn't the same as liking/enjoying it.
• I don't think rising inflation and living costs are particularly relevant points to make for why you want to work in law.
• There could be more reasons for why the applicant is applying to the firm. They could have made space for this by being a little more concise (e.g. finding a way to make the point about high profile clients without needing to use 69 words).
• I like that it specifically mentions a benefit of the paralegal role (learning from people at the top of the profession), showing it wasn't simply copied/pasted from a vac scheme/training contract application. However, I'm not sure that "Assisting lawyers as a paralegal at a top law firm would also give me the chance to learn from people at the top of their profession" really relates to "why the firm?". It's probably better suited to the "why the career/role?" paragraph.
• Each paragraph could potentially start with a sentence that indicates more clearly what the applicant will be discussing in that paragraph (note that the "Why the firm" paragraph starts with a sufficiently clear indicator of the content of that paragraph). For example:
  • The "Why commercial law" paragraph could open with something like "My interest in commercial law stems from..." or "I am pursuing a career in commercial law for the following key reasons". 
  • The "Why you" paragraph could potentially have started with something like "Finally, I believe I have developed a foundation of the key skills required to succeed as a paralegal at Clifford Chance".
• In the restaurant section of the why you paragraph, they focus on teamwork, communication, and understanding customer needs. However, there's arguably isn't enough detail around the actual role to evidence that these skills were developed. They could also have mentioned adaptability and resilience, for example if they had dealt with customer complaints / difficult individuals.
• In the second "why you" paragraph, they give more detail about the law clinic role, but rather than saying they developed/utilised skills. they say they "observed" how these skills can be applied - this isn't quite as convincing. 
• It also doesn't cover organisation/project management/time management, which is key, plus the final sport-related statement doesn't include any transferable skills.