Paralegal Cover Letter Examples and Templates for 2024

A hiring manager reads many job candidate cover letters for each open position so come up with a catchy “hook” in your opening that will grab the listener’s attention and immediately show that you’re qualified. Think of a specific skill you have that’s in demand for a paralegal like “fluent in English, Spanish and sign language,” or impressive results you’ve achieved like, “I’ve contributed to team that specializes in medical malpractice litigation, with 10+ winning cases over the last two years.” Leading off with the right “hook” will make a prospective employer want to read the rest of your cover letter.

As a paralegal, be specific about your legal representation statistics and past achievements in your cover letter. How many legal cases did you win in one year? How many criminal law clients have you represented? Letting a prospective employer know how much you can do as a paralegal and how your extensive skill set has helped you perform your job in the past will get you noticed as a top candidate. Example, “Represented 160 clients in one year with 38 cases won out of 42 cases handled.”

Make the hiring manager believe without a doubt that you know exactly what job role and company you’re applying for. A generic cover letter will not be effective because it will lack relevant information from the specific job description. Customize your cover letter to show that you have researched the role’s responsibilities and spell out why you’re the right candidate to get the job done. Include keywords and skills outlined in the job posting so you pass through applicant tracking systems (ATS) that employers use to select qualified candidates. If the job description lists “Assist attorneys in preparing for trials, hearings, and depositions, drafting subpoenas and pleadings” as one of the primary job functions, then make you use keywords such as “trials, hearings, depositions, and drafting subpoenas and pleadings” in your cover letter.

Paralegals require an assortment of skills to effectively handle legal cases from research and case management to litigation. Be sure to feature hard skills (legal knowledge and legal software proficiency like LexisNexis and Westlaw) that reflect the job description and soft skills (confidentiality, accuracy and teamwork) that reflect how you approach work as a paralegal.

Since attention to detail when drafting legal documents is crucial for a paralegal, you need to demonstrate your proofreading skills by carefully reviewing your cover letter. The same holds true for your accompanying paralegal resume and job application. The extra few minutes you spend correcting typos or grammatical errors will be worth it when your flawlessly written cover letter shows your detail-oriented and effective communication skills, helping you sail through the hiring process.