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Law student cover letter: what you need to know + samples.

Reviewed by:

David Merson

Former Head of Pre-Law Office, Northeastern University, & Admissions Officer, Brown University

Reviewed: 4/12/24

Need to write a law student cover letter? We’ve got you covered! Below, we discuss the dos and don’ts of writing a cover letter for law school. 

A cover letter is often an overlooked aspect of any application, but it is the first thing potential employers read. If your cover letter doesn’t impress the reader, your entire application risks being passed over. 

If you are unsure of how to write a strong cover letter, look no further. We’ll outline key tips, review examples of cover letters, and answer some frequently asked questions. Let’s get started!

What Is a Law Student Cover Letter? 

A law student cover letter is a document a law student submits with their resume to potential employers for internships or employment opportunities within their field of study.

It serves as a personalized introduction and persuasive pitch to potential employers. This letter connects the applicant's qualifications and experiences listed in their resume to the specific position they're applying for, highlighting their suitability for the role. 

It concludes with a call to action, expressing interest in an interview. Moreover, a cover letter is a tool for law students to demonstrate their qualifications and enthusiasm, aiming to secure an interview and the desired role.

Why Do You Need a Cover Letter as a Law Student?

Cover letters are a key part of any job application, whether you are in law school or not. It is important to include a cover letter unless specified otherwise, especially if you’re applying to multiple law schools . They allow you to demonstrate professionalism and show off your communication and writing skills. 

Cover letters are important for law students; they allow you to discuss important qualifications and experiences that aren’t always included within your resume, such as extracurricular activities . Here’s the information you should include in your cover letter: 

• Research experience and activities 
• Coursework 
• Other valuable skills 

A cover letter for law students is a great opportunity to share your accomplishments and skills outside of your work experience. 

What to Include in Your Law Student Cover Letter

Your cover letter is the first thing an employer will read, so be positive and enthusiastic! While your resume outlines your relevant work experience and education, it doesn’t show off your personality. 

A cover letter can be a great opportunity to humanize yourself to the employer and make them want you to be a part of their team. 

Berkeley Law outlines the precise content you should include in your cover letter : 

• First Paragraph : Introduce yourself and why you are interested in applying for the position. 
• Body Paragraphs : This is where you show off all your work experience, research, achievements, qualifications, and other skills that are related to the position you are applying to. Be persuasive but not too showy. Remember to be honest and genuine. 
• Final Paragraph : To conclude, thank the employer for taking the time to read and consider your application, and leave contact information for a prospective interview. Remain positive and confident that you will get an interview!

While these are just suggestions to help you get started and structure your cover letter, you should try to follow this format as closely as you can. 

What NOT to Include in Your Law Student Cover Letter

It is tempting to highlight all of your experiences, but that is not the purpose of a cover letter. Cover letters should be concise and to the point. You should only mention experiences that are relevant to the position you are applying for. 

When deciding which experiences to include, focus on those that you have completed recently. You only have a few short paragraphs to sell yourself to employers, so be sure to avoid accomplishments from over three years ago. 

You also want to avoid being negative, doubtful, or coming across as insecure in your cover letter. 

Formatting Tips for Law Students Cover Letter

Understanding the structure of a cover letter for a law student is essential to creating an impressive and effective application for legal internships or job opportunities. Here are some easy to follow tips to help you format your cover letter. 

1. Include a Header

Prior to writing the main sections of your cover letter, review and update your personal information. Make it easily accessible by positioning your contact details in the header section at the top of the letter. 

This includes your full name, email address, phone number, city, state, and date. This ensures the hiring manager can quickly locate your information for interview scheduling.

2. Address the Hiring Manager

Begin your letter with a professional and personalized greeting by addressing the hiring manager by name, incorporating their appropriate title (e.g., Mr. or Ms.). If you don't have their name, conduct online research, as law firms often provide employee information on their websites. 

In cases where you can't find a name, you can use the standard "Dear Hiring Manager" as your greeting.

3. Page Format and Length

When crafting your cover letter, remember to keep it concise, fitting all content onto a single page. Structure it with an introductory paragraph, followed by one to three skill-highlighting paragraphs, and wrap it up with a concluding paragraph. This format ensures that your message is clear and impactful while respecting the reader's time.

4. Margins and Alignment 

Ensure you follow the standard margins , typically one inch on all sides. If you opt for smaller margins, such as around 0.7 inches, make sure to maintain consistency across all sides of the page. 

Additionally, align all paragraphs to the left for a clean and conventional presentation, although some choose to use an indentation for the first line of each paragraph, although this is less common in modern formatting.

5. Use a Suitable Sign-Off

Conclude your cover letter with a professional and balanced tone. It shows your professionalism, which law firms often value in candidates. Consider sign-offs like "Regards," "Sincerely," or "Best Regards." Allow some space after this closing for your name.

Law Student Cover Letter Example

We have some sample legal cover letters from law students below to give you an idea of tone, style, and length. 

Here is an example of a strong cover letter for a first-year law student at Yale University: 

Dear [Employer’s Name]: 

I am a first-year student at Yale Law School seeking a position with Curtis, Mallet-Prevost, Colt & Mosle for Summer 20XX. I am a native New Yorker and hope to work in New York City this coming summer. 

I am interested in your firm because of its international law practice generally and, more particularly, because of your firm’s presence in France and numerous French clients. Your Paris office’s focus in the areas of international commercial arbitration, as well as corporate, banking, and finance work, aligns with my long-term interests in a practice serving international corporations. Having lived and studied in Paris for one year during college and having served as a teaching assistant for French language and literature courses, I am fluent in French and knowledgeable about French culture. My undergraduate majors in International Relations and in Economics provided me with an understanding of many of the complex issues facing businesses with the increase in globalization. I plan to further my understanding of these issues as a member of the Yale Journal of International Law. 

To your firm I will bring proven legal research, writing, and analytical skills that will support your firm and its clients. During my undergraduate education, I served as a member of the University Judiciary Committee, and as a student judge I heard cases, interpreted university codes, and wrote rulings summarizing the Committee’s conclusions. I also drafted a thesis in which I drew from archived primary sources and first-person interviews to write a fifty-page document over the course of a year. Here at Yale, through our first-year writing course this fall, I have streamlined my skills and adapted them to the legal environment. Next semester, I will enroll in YLS’s Advanced Legal Writing course to deepen my understanding and experience. 

Attached please find my resume. If you would like me to provide you with additional materials, I would be more than happy to do so. I am confident that my background and skills will enable me to make a positive contribution to your clients. Thank you for considering my candidacy. I look forward to hearing from you soon. 

Sincerely, [Your Name]

This is a successful cover letter because the individual outlines specific academic skills and experience that make them a qualified candidate. Remember, being specific is key to writing a strong cover letter. 

Employers want to read about a couple of examples rather than a general (and usually vague) overview of all your qualifications and experiences. 

For first year law students, you can highlight where you completed your undergrad and your major, as you will have most likely just completed this degree. You can also include why you are interested in pursuing a law career. 

For those who are in their second year of law school, here is another excellent sample legal cover letter :

I am a second-year student at Yale Law School seeking employment with the Food Research and Action Center for the summer. If funding is not available for summer interns, Yale could fund my summer employment. 

FRAC’s mandate to eradicate poverty-related hunger and undernutrition in the United States is compelling to me. I understand that through a combination of research, advocacy, program monitoring, training, collaboration, and public-information campaigns you seek to address the root causes of hunger. As a former nurse who has worked on issues of nutrition and health policy, I am very interested in the work of the Center in the areas of health law and nutrition in maternal and child health. I would greatly value the opportunity to work with and learn from your attorneys, policy analysts, and advocates. 

I have practical work experience in these fields that would be of service to you and your clients. My work as an assistant ombudsperson at a major hospital helped me to understand the importance of nutrition for health and the need for advocacy on behalf of those who cannot effectively advocate for themselves. My experience with the National Health Law program exposed me to the legislative and policy side of health law and the value of legal training in public service. After my first year of law school, I was able to combine my nursing degree and health care experience with my new legal research and writing skills at the Center for Reproductive Law and Policy. This experience has strengthened my interest in grassroots organizing and advocacy of nutrition issues for low income Americans.

I would welcome the opportunity to speak with you or someone in your office about a position as a summer intern at the Center. I will call your office in the next few weeks to see whether it might be possible to arrange an interview and look forward to speaking with you then. 

I have enclosed my resume, law school transcript, a writing sample, and a reference list. Should you require additional application materials, please let me know, and I will forward them to you immediately. 

Thank you for your consideration. 

Like the first example, this cover letter works so well because it clearly outlines and describes the specific experience of the candidate. 

As a second year law student, the individual speaks about how their experience relates to the areas of law the student is interested in pursuing, demonstrating that the position the candidate is applying for will help them achieve their career goals.    

These examples are a good starting point to structure your own letter off of, but remember to make your cover letter your own.

Cover Letter Template for a Law Student 

Here is a cover letter template for law students provided by the University of Notre Dame. 

Your City, State Zip

Your Phone Number 

Your Email Address

Name of Contact Person 

Title of Contact Person 

Employer Name 

Address City, State Zip     

Dear Mr. (Ms.) last name of contact person:   

First Paragraph: Tell why you are writing – name the position for which you are applying. If you have a personal referral or connection, mention it here. Identify your career goals and indicate why you are interested in working for this employer. If you have ties to or have lived in the area, mention it. Specify your interests in the type of work the employer does. Describe what is particularly appealing to you about the employer.    

Second Paragraph: Show how your background qualifies you for the position. Point out the experience and coursework you have that relate to the employer's field or type of work. Focus on what skills or experiences you would bring to the employer. Emphasize pertinent items on your resume and supplement it with other details. Tie experience to tangible, transferable skills. Convince the employer that you would be an asset.   

Third Paragraph: Restate your interest in working for the employer. Have an appropriate closing to pave the way for an interview. Indicate your willingness to interview personally by stating when you will be in the area or by offering to make yourself available at the employer's convenience. Thank the employer for his/her consideration.   

Sincerely,    

(leave 4 blank lines for signature)     

Your full typed name 

There are many law school application mistakes to avoid . If you’re having trouble writing your cover letter, this help template will aid you in writing a stellar one! 

FAQs: Law Student Cover Letter

Still have questions about writing a cover letter for law school? We answer some of your frequently asked questions below. 

1. How Do I Write a Cover Letter for a Law Student?

Before you begin writing any cover letter, familiarize yourself with the job posting, the company/organization you are applying to, and use words and phrases found in the job posting. 

This will demonstrate that you are genuinely interested in the specific job, and will also show off your attention to detail (a skill employers always look for). After you have written the cover letter, proofread and edit for grammar and spelling errors before you submit your application. 

2. What Should Be Included in a Cover Letter for Law?

Your cover letter should include: 

• Your Address and Contact Information 
• Your Full Name and Location 
• The Date of Your Application 
• A Brief Introduction to Yourself 
• Concise Outline of Professional and Academic Experience 
• Highlights of Why You Are Qualified for the Position 
• A Professional and Polite Closing 

Highlight the school you’re attending, as law firms may prefer students from certain colleges. 

Take your time when writing your cover letter; it takes quite a bit of work to craft an impactful one. However, a strong cover letter will maximize your chances of getting the job or internship you want, so it will be well worth it. 

3. How Long Should a Law School Cover Letter Be?

A cover letter should only be one page long and broken up into a few short paragraphs for ease of reading. Make sure that you follow typical business correspondence formatting. 

4. How Do You Address a Law School Cover Letter?

Normally, people have addressed cover letters with Mr. or Mrs. [Last name] . However, this may not always be appropriate because you do not know how the individual would like to be addressed. 

Nowadays, people typically address employers with a simple Dear [First and last name] . This is still a personal and respectful way to address someone, and avoids assuming someone’s gender identity and offending them. 

Yale Law School suggests addressing your cover letter to a specific individual rather than a vague ‘Sir’ or ‘Madam.’

5. ​​Can I Use The Same Cover Letter For Multiple Law Schools?

Yes, you can use the same cover letter for multiple law schools . However, you may only reuse parts of it. It’s important that you personalize every cover letter you write and tailor it to the school you’re sending it to. 

6. Do I Need Multiple Cover Letters?

Yes, you need multiple cover letters. You’ll need to personalize each cover letter you write. However, you can reuse parts of your cover letter that are generic. 

Final Thoughts

Writing a cover letter is not as easy as many people may think. You need to pay close attention to detail, flex your communication and writing skills, and professionally brag about your accomplishments and capabilities in a way that compliments your resume. 

If you would like help with your resume, we also have tips on building a great resume to go along with your cover letter. Good luck!

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Whether you’re just starting your legal journey or are an experienced legal professional seeking a new role, there’s no way around it: demand for legal positions is high, and the job outlook for lawyers in the US grows at a faster-than-average pace . Pair this industry growth with movement from lawyers already working in the industry (the 2022 Legal Trends Report found that in the 12 months before April 2022, nearly one in five lawyers left the law firm they were working for, and nine percent planned to leave their firm in the next six months), and it’s clear that many lawyers will find themselves needing to stand out in a competitive job market. 

However, despite the high demand for legal positions, people still need legal expertise—and law firms need capable legal professionals to fill open roles.

Whether you’re a law student, recent graduate, or experienced legal professional, this post will help you with your legal cover letter writing. We’ve started by providing sample cover letters for legal positions below and will then guide you through the essentials of writing a compelling cover letter for law firms. 

Legal cover letter examples

If you’re feeling overwhelmed when drafting a cover letter for law firms, don’t worry. Seeing a legal cover letter example can give you the confidence to write your own. Below, we’ve compiled some sample cover letters for legal positions, covering different backgrounds and levels of experience.

• Cover letter examples for summer associates and interns, Columbia Law School.  
• Cover letter examples for 1L – 3L students, Harvard Law School .
• Cover letter examples for 1L – 3L students, Yale Law School .
• Cover letter example for applying to an immigration law firm by a recent graduate with previous paralegal experience .
• Cover letter example for applying to a Big Law firm, Boston University. 
• Cover letter example for an IP lawyer with 11 years experience, Monster .
• Cover letter example for a litigation attorney with 12 years experience, My Perfect Resume .
• Cover letter examples for applying for private sector roles, Yale Law School .
• Cover letter example for seeking a summer judicial internship, University of Georgia School of Law .

Berkeley Law also provides an excellent guide for legal cover letters. 

You can start by using one of these examples as inspiration when structuring your cover letter and what you may want to highlight. You can also take insights from these sample cover letters for lawyers—insights you can apply to your own cover letter when following our tips below.

How to draft a cover letter for a law firm

It’s one thing to review examples of legal cover letters, but how to write one? By following the standard etiquette and structure—and then personalizing it—you can draft an effective cover letter. First, let’s review some legal cover letter best practices.

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Even after reviewing some legal cover letter examples, the dos and don’ts of legal cover letter writing aren’t always easy to spot. You may ask yourself: what should a legal cover letter include for a law firm? While the content of your cover letter will differ between employers, these points of etiquette should not.

• Don’t skip it. The first—and potentially most important—element of legal cover letter etiquette is just writing one. While job sites and hiring portals may state “Cover Letter Optional,” disregard this, it is always best to send a cover letter.
• Be concise. The hiring manager is likely receiving dozens, or maybe even hundreds, of cover letters a day. Respect an employer’s time by getting straight to the point. Long legal cover letters may also indicate an inability to achieve quick and succinct results.
• Match their tone. Write as if you’ve already been hired for the role. It’s subtle, but an employer will appreciate this personal touch.
• Prioritize the employer. Don’t include unnecessary details about your life that won’t impact how you’ll perform the job.
• Don’t recycle legal cover letters. Be original. It’s time-consuming work, but it’ll show your potential employer your dedication.
• Triple-check it. Spelling and grammatical errors should be avoided at all costs. Given the highly competitive nature of the legal job market, you don’t want to be passed up over a simple error.

Addressing cover letters for lawyers

To whom it may concern: Always take the time to find the correct contact. When writing cover letters for law firms, it’s a common misstep to dedicate so much time and attention to the body of the letter that you overlook the basics—like who and how you’re addressing the letter. 

Here are some best practices for addressing your legal cover letter:

• Know who you’re speaking to. Do your research and be specific. Address your cover letter to the person responsible for hiring at the firm you’re contacting, like the senior partner or hiring manager. If you don’t have this information, the law firm’s website might come in handy, or you can contact the law firm’s human resources department for guidance. 
• Be careful with salutations. The salutation is a place to convey respect and showcase that you’ve taken the time to personalize the letter. Mistakes in the salutation are a sign that you’ll miss details, which won’t bode well for your chances of impressing your potential employer. If you’re certain of the recipient’s preferred gender-identifying language, you can write the salutation as “Dear Ms.” or “Dear Mr.”; however, if you aren’t certain (and don’t make assumptions) or you don’t want to use gender-identifying language, drop the “Ms.” or “Mr.” and write out the person’s full first and last name.
• Double-check your spelling. People will always notice if you spell their name wrong, and there are multiple ways to spell even common names. Ensure you start on the right foot by getting the basics right.

Introductory paragraph

In your cover letter’s opening paragraph, you have two main goals:

• Introduce who you are.
• Explain why you’d be a good fit for this particular firm. 

In the first paragraph, include details about:

• Who you are. Are you currently a law student? Are you an associate at a law firm?
• Who you know. Mention any referrals or mutual acquaintances right away.
• Why you’d be a great fit for the firm. Include specific reasons—you’re looking for a way to create connections with the senior partner or hiring manager.

Main cover letter body

The body section of your cover letter is your chance to shine—and to concisely summarize exactly how you meet the requirements in the job description. 

In one or two paragraphs, give a high-level overview of your legal education and experience to show:

• Why you want to work for this firm. Elaborate on what makes you genuinely excited about the firm—whether it is an area of interest you’ve specialized in, the firm’s reputation or mission, or past experiences that will make you a uniquely good fit.
• Why this firm should hire you. Make clear connections between your qualifications and aspects of the role you’re applying for. If there is a job posting, look closely for key attributes that the firm is looking for, and then detail how you meet those expectations. 

Highlighting your qualifications

Above all else, ensure your legal cover letter highlights your skills. Relevant qualifications for a law firm cover letter include: 

• Past legal work experience or positions.
• Community service roles.
• Academic or research specializations.
• Publications.
• Relevant awards you’ve received.
• Your personal background.

For example, consider a job posting that describes their ideal candidate as someone with personal injury litigation experience, excellent communication skills, and who works well both independently and as a part of a team in a fast-paced office environment.

If you were applying for this role, your cover letter’s body paragraphs might detail your past personal injury litigation experience and specific examples of how you’ve successfully communicated within a team and in a fast-paced environment.

Remember: Be specific, but keep in mind that this is not the place to restate your resume —if you can grab the hiring manager’s attention here, they will read your resume for those details. Your cover letter is where you can entice the reader to move on to your resume by providing context and highlighting how your experience lines up with what’s needed for the role.

For tips on writing a standout lawyer resume, read our blog post here.

Concluding paragraph

Finally, your concluding paragraph is where you’ll succinctly wrap the cover letter up, close the loop, and leave a positive impression. In your closing paragraph, be sure to:

• Say thank you. Gratitude can make a difference, so always thank the reader for their consideration.
• Assert your next steps. It’s fine to clearly outline how and when you will follow up on your application, rather than waiting indefinitely for an answer. And, if you say that you’ll follow up at a specific time, be sure to do it—and hold yourself to your word.
• Provide relevant contact details. Let the reader know how to reach you by phone or email, if these details are not already outlined in your letter’s header.

Tips for using your legal cover letter to stand out

The legal industry is rapidly evolving, and job hunters need to set themselves apart to get hired (unless, of course, you decide to start your own law firm ). 

If you’re applying for a job as a lawyer, whether it’s a traditional position or a legal work-from-home job , here are five tips to make sure your cover letter lands at the top of the pile.

1. Make it personal

Perhaps the most important tip for writing cover letters for lawyers is to make it personal. 

Many of your competitors have similar education and professional experience, so being generic is a fast track to being forgotten. 

Use a personalized cover letter to showcase the unique reasons why you’re the best candidate. Show that you know the person you’re writing to, and highlight any connections. If that isn’t possible, you can always write about the firm to show that you’ve done your research. 

2. Prioritize the positive 

When writing a lawyer cover letter, focus on what you have to offer. Regardless of why you’re looking for a new job, you bring a unique mix of attributes to the table. Highlight these attributes, whether they’re your: 

• Other legal careers
• Relevant work experience 

If you’re a law student or recent graduate, you may not have a long legal career to highlight. However, you can still note strengths like technology skills that make you an asset.

To a hiring law firm, being tech-competent and familiar with certain cloud-based tools like Clio could be an advantage that sets you apart from other candidates.

For example, more and more law firms are adopting artificial intelligence (AI) tools to help them run their practices more efficiently, with the 2023 Legal Trends Report finding that nearly one in five legal professionals are using some form of AI in their practices already. With this in mind, lawyers up-to-date with AI technology may stand out for hiring law firms.  

3. Get to the point

Legal cover letters are not the place to be long-winded, and droning on will almost certainly have the opposite effect of what you’re going for. Keep cover letters for attorneys short, to the point, and persuasive—the trick is to be memorable and limit yourself to one page. Because you want to make a lasting impression on a single page, it’s also a good idea to check your cover letter’s sentence structure. Do you start all of your sentences the same way? Are they all the same length? Ensure there’s some variety so your reader stays engaged.

4. Set the right tone

Tone matters. While what you say in a cover letter for lawyers is obviously important, it also matters how you say it. 

No matter what type of legal job you’re applying for, you always want to convey a professional tone. However, depending on the law firm you’re applying to, using a personal tone may work to your advantage. Tailor your tone to match the law firm you’re applying to. 

If you’re writing a Big Law cover letter, for example, you’ll want to err on the side of being more formal. For a smaller local law firm? Check their website and match the tone to demonstrate your familiarity with their firm. 

5. Proofread

There is zero room for typos or grammatical errors in cover letters for lawyers. With so much competition for legal jobs, don’t give hiring managers a reason to eliminate you. Take the time to carefully proofread your cover letter yourself, and consider enlisting someone else to proofread your cover letters as well.

Final thoughts on how to write a legal cover letter for a law firm

In a crowded legal job market, there’s no better way to outshine the competition than an excellent legal cover letter. Ensure you’re putting your best foot forward with your future employer by: 

• Making it personal. At every step, customize your cover letter to the firm you’re applying to—from the tone to the specific skills you detail.
• Keeping it brief. Cover letters for lawyers are a one-page summary to let the hiring manager know that you’re a candidate they should talk to further. You want to give them enough information to draw them in, but not overwhelm them and risk losing interest.
• Showcasing your strengths. Focus on the positives, and don’t be afraid to highlight how your past experiences make you uniquely qualified.

While finding a new legal job in a competitive market isn’t exactly easy, staying resilient and adaptive will lead you to success. By crafting a great cover letter, you’re more likely to be noticed in this—and any—job market. 

And, no matter what job you’re applying for, knowing technology can help set you apart—both when job hunting and once you’re working at your new firm. If you’re a law student and want a head start, you may be able to get free Clio access via Clio’s Academic Access Program (CAAP) at your law school. Learn more about CAAP here .

Do law firms read cover letters?

In a competitive job market, hiring managers at law firms read cover letters to help determine which candidates may be the best fit. A well-written legal cover letter can entice the reader to review your resume—and, hopefully, invite you for an interview—by showcasing how your experience and skills align with the role. 

We published this blog post in June 2020. Last updated: June 13, 2024 .

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Yale Law School Personal Statement Examples

Yale Law School personal statement examples are useful tools to understand the content, structure, and narrative flow of strong personal statements. The personal statement is only one component of how to get into Yale Law School , which also includes a 250-word essay and other, supplementary essays. There are many types of law school personal statement examples , but Yale Law School has specific requirements for their program. One unique aspect of the Yale Law School personal statement is that candidates do not have to explain why they want to go specifically to Yale Law School, but rather why they want to go to law school in general.

This article will detail other, sought-after characteristics of personal statements for Yale Law and provide examples.

>> Want us to help you get accepted? Schedule a free initial consultation here <<

Article Contents 10 min read

How to get into yale law school.

As an Ivy League school, Yale is one of the most prestigious law schools in the world, and there are thousands of applicants each year for only a few hundred spots. The Yale Law School’s acceptance rate hovers around 8% of applicants, so it is a very competitive program. All aspects of a potential candidate's application, including personal statements, are considered in the admissions process.

LSAT and GPA 

Two central components of a Yale Law School application are your LSAT and GPA scores, which should be higher than 155 and 3.32, respectively. However, if you're exploring how to get into law school with a low GPA , keep in mind the importance of your personal statement and other writing samples like a law school letter of intent .

Law School Diversity Statement

Yale Law School also asks – but does not require – that applicants submit a law school diversity statement , which is more of an opinion-style essay about what your identity means to you than a personal statement, which is a general narrative about your motivation for going to law school and becoming a lawyer.

Addenda 

Applicants may also submit any addenda as a supplement to the rest of the application. Reading law school addendum examples is a good way to brush up on what to include and how to write one, but they are not that different from personal statements, and you should consider whether you need to include one with your application.

Letters of recommendation from two professors who you studied under are also a part of any Yale Law School application.

Activities Section

Another written section of the Yale Law School application is the activities section, which covers basic questions, including what you have been doing since you graduated (if it has been more than three months), what you did as an undergrad, what you did when you had time off during your undergrad, and a general question about personal activities or pursuits.

Standardized Tests

Yale Law School will accept scores from several types of standardized tests, including the LSAT (Law School Application Test), GRE (Graduate Record Examinations), LSAT-Flex, and GRE General Test at Home. However, you must submit scores from only one of your tests and declare which test score you are submitting on your application.

Yale Law School has specific formatting requirements for personal statements that include:

Yale Law School also asks applicants to pay attention to what the school’s admissions officers refer to as “movement” in the personal statement. “Movement” is a law school personal statement tip that can help push along your story, so you don’t get stuck describing one single event in unnecessary detail.

Two to four pages is more than enough space to encompass important, relevant aspects of your personal story, but you should not feel like you must write up to four pages. Write down things about your past, present, and future that affected your decision to become a lawyer, but do not deviate into recalling difficult moments in your life, or inane details from your law student cover letter .

Yale Law School Personal Statement Example #1

I had two choices before me: working as an entry-level inventory clerk at a high-end clothing retailer or becoming a community organizer in a low-income neighborhood, organizing residents to improve their environment. I was very proud of my application to the luxury clothes retailer and was charmed by my interviewer, who was friendly, outgoing, and sympathetic.

At the time, I was in my second year of undergrad at Emory as a philosophy major. A lot of my classes were about modernist and existentialist philosophy – Spinoza, Heidegger, and Sartre – but by some accident, I had started reading more politically minded thinkers like Antonio Gramsci, Rosa Luxembourg, and Marx himself.

I felt a kind of bombast when I started learning more about political and economic exploitation in our society. I had always had a keen desire for the pursuit of justice, and after learning more about the ingrained, systematic exploitation our society is based on, I felt the need to put my reading, learning, and knowledge into action.

The job at CORE (Community Organization for Residents of Emory) seemed to offer that opportunity – at least, I thought it did at the time. I called the personable interviewer from my other job offer, who graciously accepted my refusal and even supported my decision when I told him the job I was taking. I felt even more justified in my decision.

My first day at CORE involved going door-to-door in high-rise buildings trying to organize (read: sign up) new members and get them to commit to paying monthly dues to support the organization. I was a little disappointed that my job as a community organizer involved getting money from working-class people and immigrants.

I imagined rousing residents of these high-rises into action, marching in the streets to demand more affordable rents, more accountability from landlords, more maintenance and repairs, and better living conditions, in general. But people were not interested. In my first few weeks, I went to various low-income neighborhoods trying to sign people up.

I told my supervisor about my reservations, and he put things into perspective. “All those things you are talking about,” he said, referring to my desire for direct political action, “will only be possible if we remain independent, which means collecting dues and having a strong, active membership who supports the organization."

I took his words to heart and rededicated my efforts to sign up more people. But my zeal took me to another extreme. I did not realize how far I had gone to the other side until we had a free tax clinic at our offices. Before they met with our accountant, I was supposed to pitch people to become a dues-paying member of CORE.

I met with one woman who was initially receptive to my pitch but declined when I asked her to become a member. I had been trained to answer a “no” with prepared prompts that could skirt their refusal, and every time she repeated “no,” I kept pushing. Frustrated with my insistence, she got up and said she was going to leave if I didn’t stop.

Taken aback, I stopped, got up, and left the room. This is not what political organizing was supposed to be. I was ashamed that I had not listened to that woman who was clearly not interested and concluded that I did not have the skillset to become a community organizer, even though I still had an intrinsic desire to do good.

It was around that time that Obama had been elected president, and I remembered one day as I rode the bus home that he too had worked as a community organizer in Chicago after completing his undergrad and before attending Harvard Law School. I don’t have any political aspirations, but I understood that real, definitive change is won through the framework of the law, more than direct political action.

I switched my major from philosophy to political science and graduated with Honours. By the time I graduated, I knew that I wanted to become a lawyer, but I wasn’t sure of what law to practice. I worked as a summer associate for Alden Reid, a law firm in Atlanta, where I spent time carrying out law research, conducting mock interviews with lawyers, and drafting motions for all kinds of cases.

I formed a close relationship with one of the lawyers at the firm, Galen Rizzuto, who encouraged me to apply to Yale Law School because it was where his mentor went. The flashy Mr. Rizzuto was always dressed to the nines and could remember the fineries of a legal brief faster than anyone I have met.

After my stint at Alden Reid, I spent another year working as an intern at the Legal Defense Fund for the South Side, which helped low-income offenders find legal representation. The people who came into my office had not committed violent crimes but had other legal problems, like unpaid parking tickets, misdemeanor, and simple loitering charges. Their lives had been upended for little more than jaywalking, and things snowballed from there. Hearing their stories made me see the other side of what I did at CORE. Instead of getting people to sign up and pay dues, I was listening to people who needed help for their very real problems.

It was in that clinic that I realized I could actually help people and not just promise them change in exchange for a few dollars a month. I knew that my future lay in learning the law, preferably housing and tenant law, which is an area of the law that has grown in significance with the colliding interests of corporate ownership, gentrification, and the loss of affordable housing.

We had spent almost a year preparing the motion to grant a new trial, and it felt like another year waiting in the courtroom hallway for the judge’s decision. I was part of a twelve-member team made up of pre-law students that worked to help exonerate James Sweeney, who had been convicted of a double murder based on dubious, now-discredited evidence.

Sweeney was an itinerant, drug-addicted unhoused person who was caught with clothes and other personal items he claimed he found, but which the police believed made him the prime suspect in the murders of a local, married couple. Having no idea of his right to legal representation, Sweeney went willingly with the police, believing he could get a warm meal and a few hours out of the cold.

The police interrogated Sweeney for almost twelve hours, and he offered up a full confession, even though he knew he was innocent. The officers celebrated, and the prosecutor’s office was more than happy to go to trial, but on the legal advice of a comprised and incompetent public defender who has since been disbarred, Sweeney accepted a plea deal that saw him go to prison for life.

Sweeney entered prison with a fourth-grade education, but seeing that he had nothing but time, he set about educating himself. He earned his GED within a year of entering prison and later applied to a pre-law correspondence course, which he successfully completed in four years. Having gained an in-depth knowledge of the law, Sweeney began advocating for his innocence, writing letters to law firms all over the country.

While Sweeney was writing his letters, I was still pondering my future. I had entered undergrad at Cornell as an English major because I had vague ambitions to become a writer, even though I knew I was not particularly talented. One evening, I went with a friend to see the Norman Jewison film, The Hurricane, which was – something I did not know at the time – based on the true story of the wrongly convicted boxer, Rubin “Hurricane” Carter. As Carter’s story unfolded on-screen, it was easy to see how racial prejudice, police overreach, and prosecutorial malpractice could all combine to create an environment ripe for injustice. Yet no one spoke up, save Carter himself.

As you will know, Carter was ultimately exonerated and became involved in helping free other wrongly incarcerated prisoners. Carter’s story was a revealing portrait of the complexity of the law and how it can be used to send an innocent man to prison – but also to free him. I left that cinema wanting to know more about Carter’s story, which eventually led me to the work of Bryan Stevenson. He runs the Equal Justice Initiative and has participated in the exoneration of countless wrongly convicted people.

However, as inspiring as Stevenson’s story is, I realized that it is a sad commentary on how our society has barely changed since the time when Carter was falsely accused and convicted. People continue to be caught up in legal dragnets without any oversight or accountability, and it takes the Bryan Stevensons of this world to shine a light on these injustices.

I read that the Equal Justice Initiative and other similar organizations offer internships to pre-law students to help with researching and investigating. I immediately became excited at the prospect of working with other dedicated students to help right the wrongs of a disinterested and indifferent justice system.

I decided to change my major to criminology with a focus on habeas corpus, sentencing prejudices in the modern jury system, and how social changes can move toward legitimacy via the legal system. In my third year, I applied for an internship at the Innocence Project, which is where I worked on the Sweeney case. Sweeney continued writing letters until he reached a partner at a Toronto firm who had attended a lecture given by Stevenson and referred Sweeney to the Innocence Project. The case was easy enough to investigate given that many of the witnesses, police officers, attorneys, and prosecutors were still alive.

Sweeney’s conviction was based entirely on his confession, so there was no physical evidence tying him to the crime. When none of Sweeney’s DNA matched any found at the crime scene, we decided it was time to file a motion to have his case dismissed. We worked to collect as much exculpatory evidence as possible from witnesses who saw Sweeney when he was supposedly committing the murders.

The lead attorney had delivered arguments in court, but we were not permitted to be in attendance and had to wait outside. Word came from the court clerk that the judge had reached a decision. The attorneys went back inside, while we listened on the closed-circuit TV. The judge granted the motion, and Sweeney walked free that same day.

I got the chance to befriend Sweeney, and he was a great source of inspiration and motivation. He helped me define my interests in the law and focus on social justice as a form of social defiance that uses the law to undo or right injustices performed by the law. James Sweeney passed away a few months ago, and his memory, dedication, and perseverance in the face of such incredible odds are what inspire me to write this letter and apply for this program.

Yale Law School personal statement examples are key to helping you write your own personal statement for Yale Law, along with all the other writing pieces you need to submit. The personal statement is required, but the other parts, like the diversity statement and other addenda, are optional, so you should think about the scope, content, and structure of your personal statement before submitting additional writing.

There are only a few unique aspects of writing a personal statement for Yale Law School, like the formatting requirements, but you also do not have to specify a reason for attending Yale Law specifically.

The Yale Law School personal statement requirements are that your statement must be two to four pages in length, double-spaced, and divided between an inciting incident and your reflection on it. 

You should include personal details about why you decided to go to law school and become a lawyer, and the fact that you are ready to commit yourself to law school. 

You should not overshare about a personal problem that is unrelated to your academic career, or mention things about your CV, resume, or transcripts. You should also keep your story short and make connections between it and your desire to become a lawyer. 

Yes, a written personal statement is a requirement to enter Yale Law School, along with submitting your score from a standardized test, three letters of recommendation, and a letter outlining your activities during your undergrad. 

Yale Law School admissions officers emphasize that your personal statement should embody “movement”; that is, your statement should not get bogged down in describing irrelevant details. You should move your story along to create a compelling narrative. 

The current acceptance rate for Yale Law School is around 8%, but it varies every year. College admissions consulting can help you focus on your grades and test scores if you need help. 

Yes, it is possible to be accepted into Yale Law School if your GPA is lower than the threshold, as admissions officers examine all aspects of your application and judge them against each other to create a fuller picture of you as a candidate. 

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• Review your resume with a CDO counselor prior to applying to jobs. 
• Your resume is a sales tool, not an autobiography. When making decisions about what to include, consider recency and relevancy to the job for which you are applying.  
• Be prepared to discuss everything on your resume in an interview. 
• Be scrupulously honest. Exaggerations or misrepresentation will damage your reputation and professional relationships. 
• Make your resume visually clean and clear. What will an employer see in 30 seconds? 5 seconds? 
• Keep your resume to one page.
• Use a standard font such as Times New Roman or Garamond.
• Select a font size of 11 point or 12 point.
• Create margins no smaller than .5 inches on all sides.
• Use bold, underlining, and italics consistently to enhance readability.
• Make deliberate style choices, then stick to them throughout.
• Ensure your resume is error free.
• Follow our advice, “ Resume Formatting: How to Use Tabs & Styles ” to give your resume a professional look.

Resume Construction

• Include your name, mailing address, cell number, and Yale email address.
• If you do not have a mailing address in New Haven, that is fine, as mailing addresses are becoming optional.
• Add your permanent mailing address to emphasize ties to that area when applying to positions nearby.
• List your gender pronouns if you wish.

Education Section

• List degrees in reverse chronological order.
• Include all courses of study: past, present, and future.
• List each educational institution, location, degree, and degree date (expected date if currently enrolled).
• Do not include high school or LSAT score.
• Think strategically about how much space you devote to each degree. What message are you sending to employers?
• Include at your option with a strategic mindset.
• YLS awards few Honors.
• Moot court/mock trial awards and paper prizes are Honors.
• List Yale Law Journal as an Honor, due to the competitive admission process. List other journals as Activities or create a separate Journal sub-section under Yale Law School.
• List those that are not based solely on financial need and are awarded through a competitive process.
• If space permits, provide a very brief description of the selection criteria.
• Examples: Tilman Scholarship; the Paul & Daisy Soros Fellowship for New Americans; and the NAACP LDF Earl Warren Civil Rights Scholarship.
• List scholarship or fellowship awards that are associated with summer or post-graduate employment with the position in the Experience section.
• Do not list need-based scholarships and fellowships, including SPIF funding, summer Mary McCarthy funding, and Kirby Simon travel grants.
• List the following positions as Activities or in the Experience section: Coker Fellow, Research Assistant, Orientation Leader, Community Leader, Student Representative, Tsai Leadership Program Fellow, and CDO Student Advisor.
• Use this section to emphasize relevant skills and interests including research and writing skills, oral advocacy, teamwork, and leadership.
• Narrow the list, if necessary, by selecting only one of several activities that are of the same genre.
• If applying for public service positions, include as many of your service-related activities as space permits to demonstrate your commitment to service.
• Move particularly relevant, intensive, or skills-enhancing activities to the Experience section. Example: clinics.
• Be clear about the timing of future commitments, however, describing the exact timing of past activities is not strictly necessary.

Optional Sections

• Create a Select Courses sub-section to highlight courses that reflect your interest in a practice area.
• Tailor this section depending on your target employer(s).
• List courses you have already taken and courses you intend to take in the future (with a parenthetical indicating that the course is expected).  
• Create a Study Abroad sub-section in your undergraduate education listing.  
• Create a Thesis sub-section in your undergraduate education listing.
• Include especially if the topic relates to the law.

Experience Section

• List experiences in reverse chronological order.
• Include experiences to which you have committed, but not yet begun; describe using future-tense verbs.
• Dates can be general (e.g., Summer 20XX).
• Omit job titles if unimpressive or do not clarify your responsibilities, however, be consistent about including/excluding titles throughout.
• List experiences that demonstrate knowledge and skills in areas relevant to legal employers, especially research, writing, and analysis.
• Emphasize professional skills including organizational ability, leadership, initiative, creativity, communication skills, common sense, and intellectual ability.
• List both paid and unpaid experiences.
• Include work associated with a scholastic experience, including legal clinic experience, research for a professor, and extensive work for a student organization.
• Rewrite past descriptions written for different industries and audiences. Eliminate jargon and terminology unfamiliar to a general audience.
• Summarize smaller or less relevant positions to fill gaps. E.g., “Held various positions as salesclerk, server, and receptionist while in college.”
• Be prepared to discuss significant gaps at interviews.
• Think strategically about the amount of physical space devoted to each experience. More space = greater emphasis.
• Use action verbs and rich detail in descriptions. E.g., “researched and wrote memoranda on issues of jurisdiction and venue,” rather than “involved in assisting attorneys in the researching and writing of…”
• Languages: List if relevant and/or skill level is high. May be useful to delineate written vs. spoken proficiency. Be scrupulously honest regarding skill level.
• Think strategically about employers’ impressions. Publications show writing skills, but a long list of publications may signal interest in an academic career which may not be well received by non-academic employers.
• Consider selective list or summary if publication list is long.
• Use Bluebook citation format.
• Be clear about co-authored pieces.
• Interests: Include a few special interests that may be compelling and serve as icebreaker topics during an interview.
• Other skills: list only relevant skills, eliminating those which are universal (e.g., MS Word) or unrelated to legal employers’ needs (e.g., C++ programming).

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• Objective or introductory statements.
• Personal information (e.g., marital status, parental status).
• Salary requirements.
• “References available on request.”

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