How to write a great legal administrative assistant cover letter
When it comes to legal proceedings, there is a whole lot of administrative work that needs to be taken care of every hour of every day. To win a job as a legal administrative assistant, you need to write a cover letter that showcases your professional work ethic and prowess.
In this guide, we will teach you everything you need to know about writing a job-winning cover letter as a legal administrative assistant. Keep reading to learn all about:
- How to properly craft your cover letter header & headline
- Why to personalize your legal administrative assistant cover letter
- What to say to impress employers in your cover letter introduction
- Which details to include to describe your skills & accomplishments
- How to conclude your legal administrative assistant cover letter persuasively
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1. How to properly craft your legal administrative assistant cover letter header & headline
Anytime you write a cover letter, the very first step is to create a header and headline.
Well-formatted headers and headlines give a cover letter excellent visual appeal, helping the applicant’s name and contact information to stand out.
The cover letter header comes first and should contain all the key identifying information about the applicant and employer, including:
- Your name and professional title
- Your professional contact information
- The name of the company or law firm you are applying to
- The address of the company or law firm
Here is an example of a well-formatted legal administrative assistant header
Jack Peters, Legal Administrative Assistant
(123) 456-7890 | jackpeters@email.com | linkedin.com/in/jack-peters
To: Buncombe County Courthouse
Administrative Department
1234 Street Address
Asheville, NC 28801
Next up is your cover letter headline, which uses key details to hook an employer’s attention and compel them to read further. These details include:
- A relevant keyword
- An attention-grabbing number and/or trigger word
- A captivating adjective and/or verb
- A promise to the employer that this letter is exclusively written to them
Here is an example of a well-written headline from a legal administrative assistant cover letter
My 3 Best Skills as a Legal Administrative Assistant & How They Can Support Your Legal Team
Trigger Word/Number: 3 Skills
Keyword: Legal Administrative Assistant
Adjective/Verb: Best, Support
Promise: Your Legal Team
2. How to personalize your legal administrative assistant cover letter
When writing a cover letter, you have two main writing style options to choose from: a personalized cover letter or a generalized cover letter.
We recommend always opting for a personalized letter, as it gives you the greatest opportunity to include specific information that is highly relevant and valuable to the employer. To create a personalized cover letter, you must research the company and search for essential details, such as:
- The company’s specialized area of legal expertise
- The needs of the company’s staff currently
- Who at the company is in charge of reviewing applications
Using this last bit of information, you can create a personalized greeting that addresses this specific staff member by name, immediately indicating that your letter is tailored.
Here are 3 examples of personalized cover letter greetings
- Dear Head Judge Mary Smith,
- Dear Administrative Manager Jane Doe,
- Dear Mrs. Jane Doe,
3. How to impress employers with your legal administrative assistant cover letter introduction
With your header, headline, and greeting in place, you can now write the first paragraph of your cover letter — the introduction.
To create an introduction that impresses employers, make sure to include:
- A brief overview of your professional history (years of experience, specializations, etc.)
- A statement on why you are enthusiastic about applying to this company
- A mutual acquaintance (when possible) — if you do not have a mutual acquaintance, an online platform like LinkedIn can be a powerful tool for building your professional network and connecting with relevant professionals in your field.
Here is an example of an excellent legal administrative assistant introduction
Dear Administrative Manager Jane Doe,
I am a legal administrative assistant with more than 6 years of experience working in state-level courthouses, for both civil and criminal cases alike. Your law firm stands out to me for its overall commitment to courtroom integrity, and I believe joining your team is the best next step in my career. Mr. John Smith, an attorney at your firm, recently met with me to discuss this position and highly recommended that I apply upon reviewing my resume.
4. What are the best skills & accomplishments to include in your legal administrative assistant cover letter
A cover letter presents you with an excellent opportunity to dive into greater detail regarding your relevant skills and accomplishments.
When describing these qualifications, it is important to consider both the specificity and context you are providing to an employer. Ideally, each skill or accomplishment you include should be highly contextualized to give the employer the greatest possible impression of your abilities.
Additionally, whenever possible, including quantifiable details — such as performance review data or statistics — can help you to showcase the real-life value you have achieved.
Here are 6 examples of legal administrative skills to describe in a cover letter
- Coordinating correspondence between legal counsel
- Transcribing court proceedings
- Drafting legal documents
- Conducting legal research
- Developing schedules for appointments and meetings
- Arranging deliveries of legal paperwork
Here is an example of how to describe an accomplishment in a legal administrative assistant cover letter
As a legal administrative assistant at [Former Employer], one of my key responsibilities was assisting with legal research and providing notes for the team of attorneys. To meet this goal, I created more than 100 research presentations which helped to reduce overall case preparation time by more than 30% on average.
5. How to conclude your legal administrative assistant cover letter persuasively
The final step for writing your legal administrative assistant cover letter is to write a strong conclusion that convinces the employer to contact you.
This conclusion should include:
- When and how you can be best contacted
- When you intend to follow up
- A formal sign-off
Here is an example of a persuasive closing statement from a legal administrative assistant’s cover letter
As the newest addition to your legal administrative team, I will ensure your firm’s attorneys and counselors receive the vital support needed to win each case. I am greatly looking forward to hearing from you and can best be contacted any day of the week from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at (123) 456-7890. If I have not heard back by next Tuesday afternoon, I plan to follow up via email at that time.
Best Wishes,
[Applicant Name]
If you have ever wondered how a cover letter differs from a resume, this article will tell you everything about the key differences between the two.