Best Legal Assistant Cover Letter [+ Tips & Examples]

As the name suggests, the main role of a legal assistant is to assist lawyers as they go about their daily business practicing law. Whether it be in law firms, or anywhere, legal assistants are necessary for a multitude of different reasons. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, legal assistants are expected to help lawyers with everything from organizing documents to investigating facts and calling witnesses for a case.

What this all boils down to is a very well thought out, well-written application, including, and perhaps most especially, a good legal assistant cover letter. Lawyers base their livelihood off of their excellent command of language and attention to detail. It is therefore imperative that your legal assistant resume/cover letter reflects this too.

But what should a cover letter for a legal assistant job look like? And how to write a legal assistant cover letter with or without experience?

The following legal assistant cover letter samples and legal assistant cover letter template can help you form a better idea of how to format your cover letter. If you’re still stuck, don’t worry. Just follow our tips for how to write a legal assistant cover letter and you’ll be crafting an amazing legal assistant cover letter in no time!

Regardless of what you call it, ‘application letter for legal assistant’, ‘legal assistant cover letter’, ‘cover letter for law firm assistant’ or even ‘legal administrative assistant cover letter’, this document is key to your acceptance. 

If you’ve never come across a legal assistant cover letter before, don’t worry. Format-wise, an application letter for a legal assistant is exactly the same as any other cover letter, containing the introduction and opening, main body, closing and sign off paragraphs.

Context-wise though, as you’ll be able to see from the two examples below, things are not quite the same. Here’s a legal assistant cover letter sample for those with and without experience.

Legal Assistant Cover Letter With Experience

Legal Assistant Cover Letter With No Experience

Now that we’ve seen what a legal assistant cover letter with experience and without should look like, it’s time to think about how to write a legal assistant cover letter.

Here are 5 basic steps you should follow:

Step 1: Create a tailored legal assistant cover letter header

Like all letters, a legal assistant cover letter needs to be addressed to someone. However, formality is key, so be sure to do your homework. Very rarely can you get by nowadays by simply saying ‘Dear Hiring Manager’ instead of the actual person’s name.

Be sure to include information about yourself and the person you’re sending the legal assistant cover letter/application to. You may put it in a format like this:

Step 2: Introduce yourself and your background

Never forget to introduce yourself. Not only does it make your cover letter more memorable than all the other legal assistant cover letters, but also shows that you’re serious about this position and want to make a good first impression. 

Remember to include information about:

• Where you found this job posting
• What makes this job attractive for you
• Why you want to work for this company, (e.g. is there something particularly interesting about them, what do they do, or where are they based?)

Here’s an example of what the introduction of an entry level legal assistant cover letter might look like:

Step 3: Summarize key qualifications relevant to the position

Similar to your usual cover letter, a legal assistant cover letter must discuss how your past experiences relate to the job requirements. You don’t have the space to mention everything, so briefly mention any key things that are related to this particular company and position.

They might include your past work and life experiences, and relevant skills, qualifications, and/or accomplishments.

Here’s an example of this section for a cover letter for legal assistant position with experience:

Step 4: Close with a motivated tone and inviting CTA (Call To Action)

Thank the reader for their consideration and suggest (respectfully and subtly) for an opportunity to discuss your application further. Don’t forget to sign off professionally and with your full name.

Here’s an example of a closing from a cover letter for law office assistant:

Step 5: Include your attachments

Don’t forget to add your CV/resume to your application, and any other documents mentioned in the job requirements.

Stuck on where to start? It can be challenging taking your first steps into writing a professional legal assistant cover letter, especially if you don’t have any experience in the legal field.

To help you format your own cover letter, here’s a cover letter template for a legal assistant:

Although you should know by now what a legal assistant cover letter should look like and how to write one, there are a few things you should be aware of before getting started.

The following are 3 tips for writing a strong cover letter for a legal assistant job, as well as 2 tips for writing a legal assistant cover letter (with and without experience).

Tip #1: Highlight your relevant legal assistant skills

Like all jobs, a range of soft and hard skills make an ideal candidate. Throughout your cover letter for legal assistant positions, you should make an effort to highlight some of the following skills:

Unlike in CVs and resumes, it might not be ideal to just list your skills. You have to weave them into your legal assistant cover letter by linking them with your past experiences. Refer back to ‘How to write a legal assistant cover letter’ section for an example.

Tip #2: Do not make any typos or grammatical errors

Experienced recruiter and hiring manager J. Palmer from Indeed quoted that proofreading as a common problem among candidates. Make sure you’re not the next person she catches for a spelling error! 

Tip #3: Be personal

The legal assistant cover letter is your chance to stand out from the crowd, so keep it cheesy, but true. Don’t pass up on this opportunity by monotonously recalling what you’ve done and how this relates. Add a touch of personality to your writing by showing enthusiasm and expressing desires - all while maintaining a professional tone.

Tip for writing a Cover Letter for Entry Level Legal Assistant

As a talent solutions company LHH mentions, a legal assistant cover letter is your opportunity to advocate for yourself, not just to show off your writing skills. Since this is basically what any lawyer does, your cover letter for a legal assistant will be expected to be convincing. So put on your persuasion shoes and argue for why you deserve the position. 

Tip for writing a Legal Assistant Cover Letter No Experience

For those writing an entry level legal assistant cover letter with no experience, you need to mention your educational background. Make it a priority to discuss subjects that are relevant to the job position, linking what you learned with the soft and hard skills required for this role.

If in doubt, repeat the phrases used in the requirements of the job posting and link these to subjects or courses that you’ve covered during your degree.

By reading this article, you should now be able to answer the questions: what should a cover letter for a legal assistant job look like and how to write a legal assistant cover letter. We’ve also covered what key things to include for a legal assistant cover letter, including 5 steps and 4 tips for crafting your own.

Before you go, remember that in any cover letter, you must specifically address the job requirements mentioned for that specific position and relate them to your experiences. And you need to do it in a persuasive way.

If you can implement all the things and craft a memorable but brief cover letter, ideally in 1 page, then you have all the more reasons to believe that you can nail that legal assistant position!

--- Originally written by Eva O’Mara ---