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I currently looking for advice on a cover letter for a second clerkship. I'm hoping for some general advice about how to draft my cover letter.
Additionally, I'd like some more specific advice as well because I am currently clerking in a somewhat unique place (location wise, not court wise).

(1) I'm wondering if it makes sense to lead the first sentence of the letter with where I am currently clerking. Basically, could my first sentence say: I'm currently clerking in X and am applying for a position in your chambers for [year]. I'm hoping that the unique locale might get people more interested in the application.

(2) My idea of an order is: (1) currently clerking + applying for your chambers; (2) summary of law school [grades + law review]; (3) unique aspect about my current job; (4) Why I want to follow up my current job with a clerkship in their chambers; (5) what is included in my app + thanks.

I did a search and came upon this old thread, but it hasn't been updated in a couple of years.

Your first sentence is fine. It is best to lead with where you are at now. Your summary of law school should not be any longer than I sentence ("I graduated from XYZ law school with honors in 20xx, where I was the editor on ABC law review.").

The rest of your cover letter is fine. Just make sure to add a "how" section to your cover letter: how is your current law clerk experience going to make you a good law clerk for the next judge. Also be sure to note any connections you have to the location you are applying to if you haven't already addressed it in your "why" section.

This is the same approach I used when I was applying for district court clerkships while clerking for a magistrate judge.

arodtoo wrote:I currently looking for advice on a cover letter for a second clerkship. I'm hoping for some general advice about how to draft my cover letter.
Additionally, I'd like some more specific advice as well because I am currently clerking in a somewhat unique place (location wise, not court wise).

(1) I'm wondering if it makes sense to lead the first sentence of the letter with where I am currently clerking. Basically, could my first sentence say: I'm currently clerking in X and am applying for a position in your chambers for [year]. I'm hoping that the unique locale might get people more interested in the application.

(2) My idea of an order is: (1) currently clerking + applying for your chambers; (2) summary of law school [grades + law review]; (3) unique aspect about my current job; (4) Why I want to follow up my current job with a clerkship in their chambers; (5) what is included in my app + thanks.

I did a search and came upon this old thread, but it hasn't been updated in a couple of years.

About the bolded - if this is to show what connections you have to the judge or the location, that works great (and I would even put it in the beginning: "I'm currently clerking for the [whatever court/judge] in X and applying for a position in your chambers for [year]. Your former clerk, John Doe, suggested I apply when I worked with him [explain circumstances]/I'm particularly interested in clerking in [location] because I have extended family there and intend to stay in the region to practice after my clerkship.") If the bolded is more along the lines of "I'm interested in clerking for a Court of Appeals because after clerking for a trial court, I want to learn more about the appeals process/grapple with issues of law rather than issues of fact" or whatever would apply in your case, and applies generically to any judge you're applying to, I probably wouldn't bother. Judges know why candidates want to clerk, and taking up space in your cover letter explaining what's great about clerking doesn't add much of anything. I'm not saying it's really going to hurt you, but I don't think it helps, and if it doesn't help, it's not worth including.

I've seen maybe one clerkship applicant with a cover letter that was anything more than a neutral factor, but we've sent maybe 5 to the ding pile just because of weird shit in cover letters. Honestly, I'd make your cover letter as basic as possible. "I'm a graduate of x school, I'm currently clerking for y judge, Here's my application to work in your chambers."

The only time I think it is worth departing from that is to breifly explain a connection with the judge you are applying for or the area s/he is located.

Anonymous User wrote:I've seen maybe one clerkship applicant with a cover letter that was anything more than a neutral factor, but we've sent maybe 5 to the ding pile just because of weird shit in cover letters. Honestly, I'd make your cover letter as basic as possible. "I'm a graduate of x school, I'm currently clerking for y judge, Here's my application to work in your chambers."

The only time I think it is worth departing from that is to breifly explain a connection with the judge you are applying for or the area s/he is located.

I agree with this advice. Here is the basic outline I found in some other thread around here. It works and doesn't get me into trouble.

I am a [year] graduate of [Law School] and would like to be considered for a [term] clerkship in your chambers. I will begin a one-year clerkship with [judge] on [court] in [month] of [year], and I would like to follow that experience with a [insert type of] clerkship.

Then I have the obligatory info describing what I've attached, but I don't feel there's any need to provide them with more info. The clerks/JA/judge reading your app understand why you're applying. The only reason I would make an exception would be for specialized courts like CAAF or Federal Circuit or if you had some exceptional connection to the specific judge.

tww909 wrote:

Anonymous User wrote:I've seen maybe one clerkship applicant with a cover letter that was anything more than a neutral factor, but we've sent maybe 5 to the ding pile just because of weird shit in cover letters. Honestly, I'd make your cover letter as basic as possible. "I'm a graduate of x school, I'm currently clerking for y judge, Here's my application to work in your chambers."

The only time I think it is worth departing from that is to breifly explain a connection with the judge you are applying for or the area s/he is located.

I agree with this advice. Here is the basic outline I found in some other thread around here. It works and doesn't get me into trouble.

I am a [year] graduate of [Law School] and would like to be considered for a [term] clerkship in your chambers. I will begin a one-year clerkship with [judge] on [court] in [month] of [year], and I would like to follow that experience with a [insert type of] clerkship.

Then I have the obligatory info describing what I've attached, but I don't feel there's any need to provide them with more info. The clerks/JA/judge reading your app understand why you're applying. The only reason I would make an exception would be for specialized courts like CAAF or Federal Circuit or if you had some exceptional connection to the specific judge.

Yeah, I agree with both these posts. I think if you are going to put extra stuff in your cover letter, "why I want this clerkship" (other than connections to the judge/location) is the least helpful/interesting/useful, but anything that's on your resume doesn't need to be in the cover letter.

What are people's thoughts about expanding on skills through stuff that isn't on your resume or isn't explained on your resume (e.g. activities)?

Additionally, any credence to the idea that the people wanting short letters will just skip the extra stuff and people wanting longer letters will be glad you put it there? Basically, is it true that a longer letter (barring any typos) can only help?

arodtoo wrote:What are people's thoughts about expanding on skills through stuff that isn't on your resume or isn't explained on your resume (e.g. activities)?

Additionally, any credence to the idea that the people wanting short letters will just skip the extra stuff and people wanting longer letters will be glad you put it there? Basically, is it true that a longer letter (barring any typos) can only help?

Definitely not true in my chambers. For us, putting a bunch of irrelevant stuff in you cover letter can hurt. A short & sweet cover letter never will.

arodtoo wrote:What are people's thoughts about expanding on skills through stuff that isn't on your resume or isn't explained on your resume (e.g. activities)?

Additionally, any credence to the idea that the people wanting short letters will just skip the extra stuff and people wanting longer letters will be glad you put it there? Basically, is it true that a longer letter (barring any typos) can only help?

Yeah, I don't think longer can only help - I tend to go with a tiny bit more detail than some here advocate (that is, I do have a sentence or so about my previous experience), and even so, when a cover letter goes on too long I glaze over and think slightly less of the applicant.

I don't think anything that's clear from your resume should be in the cover letter (except the school you go to/year of graduation), and I don't think activities need explanation - they're usually pretty obvious and not as unusual as people think they are. They're usually clearly either pro bono legal aid type stuff, or school clubs or government positions, or moot court/mock trial etc. If they're more substantive, they should be in your experience where you can describe what you did. If they're quirkier, they can go under interests. If the judge is curious, they'll ask in an interview. I'm not sure what skills you'd be talking about in the cover letter that aren't clear on the resume.

I don't mean the above to sound harsh or cranky. It's just I find that it's way more common to read more than is necessary in a cover letter than to be left wondering about anything. And when a judge has limited time and has to hire every year, they don't want anything more than necessary.