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Electronic Submission of Letters 1  \nB. Hard Copy Letters 2  \nC. Font Style, Size and Color 2  \nD. Signing Cover Letters 2  \nE. Spacing 3  \nF. Error-Free 3  \nIII Style and Format 3  \nA. Writing Style 3  \nB. Length 4  \nC. Sentence and Paragraph Structure 4  \nD. Page Margins 4  \nE. Format 4  \nIV Before Writing: Research 5  \nA. Internet Resources 5  \nB. Human Resources 5  \nC. Other Resources 5  \nV Content 5  \nA. Heading/Date/Employer Address/Salutation 5  \nB. Introduction 7  \nC. Body 8  \nD. Conclusion/Last Paragraph 10  \nE. Closing and Signature 11  \nF. Naming the Employer 11  \nVI Additional Key Points 11  \nA. Irrelevant or Unnecessary Information and 11  \nDocuments Not Requested  \nB. Organize Printed Applications 11  \nC. Creating vs. Recycling Letters 11  \nVII Points for Graduates  \nA. Shift in Career Focus 12  \nB. Gap in Work History 12  \nC. Confidentiality 12  \nAppendix: Sample Letters 13  \nI. INTRODUCTION  \nWell-written letters powerfully and positively impact your candidacy and are part of your professional branding. The type of letter most frequently associated with a job search is the cover letter (sometimes called “letter of interest” or “letter of intent”) . A cover letter is a preliminary or “cover” communication that accompanies and frames your application materials. There are other types of communications you may draft in the course of a job search, including a thank you letter (see, Guide to Thank You Correspondence in the Career Planning Handbook), a statement of continued interest, or a request for an informational meeting. Always consider the purpose and audience of a letter before drafting it.  \nLegal employers tend to rely on cover letters when selecting candidates for interviews because writing and reasoning skills are essential skills for practicing attorneys. Failure to meet expectations for quality, structure, and content of letters is likely to impact your candidacy. Using example letters and advice from resources specific to other industries and general online resources may be to your detriment because of the unique and significant emphasis placed on cover letters in the legal profession.  \nII. APPEARANCE  \nA. Electronic Submissions of Letters  \nMost employers request that cover letters be submitted electronically either as email attachments or uploaded into online application systems. As such, the electronic appearance of the letter is important. A cover letter being attached and/or uploaded should be saved as a PDF file before uploading/attaching the document. Doing so preserves the intended format. After you save the document as a PDF, you should always open the document and confirm that the font size and style remain as intended, that tabs and bulleted points remain aligned, and that the document retained its single-page status. (Most cover letters should be a single page in length. )  \nThe title of the saved letter needs to be professional and informative. Best practice indicates that you should save a letter using your first and last name and with a term that indicates to the reader the nature of the document. You may also want to include the employer’s name as a quality check to confirm you are attaching the correct letter for the receiving employer (Example: Joseph. Pagel. Letter. Foley. pdf) .  \nWhen an employer requests an application be sent by email, the email itself should not serve as the cover letter unless an employer expressly directs you to use an email for this purpose. A cover letter should be drafted as a Word or Google document, saved as a PDF, and attached. The email should serve as a concise preamble to the attached documents and include brief statements as to your communication's purpose; your interest in th","cbCaitOF0SKvYjw2","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCaitOF0SKvYjw2","pdf",676762,25,"English","# Contents\n## I Introduction\n## II Appearance\n### A. Electronic Submission of Letters\n### B. Hard Copy Letters\n### C. Font Style, Size and Color\n### D. Signing Cover Letters\n### E. Spacing\n### F. Error-Free\n## III Style and Format\n### A. Writing Style\n### B. Length\n### C. Sentence and Paragraph Structure\n### D. Page Margins\n### E. Format\n## IV Before Writing: Research\n### A. Internet Resources\n### B. Human Resources\n### C. Other Resources\n## V Content\n### A. Heading/Date/Employer Address/Salutation\n### B. Introduction\n### C. Body\n### D. Conclusion/Last Paragraph\n### E. Closing and Signature\n### F. Naming the Employer\n## VI Additional Key Points\n### A. Irrelevant or Unnecessary Information and Documents Not Requested\n### B. Organize Printed Applications\n### C. Creating vs. Recycling Letters\n## VII Points for Graduates\n### A. Shift in Career Focus\n### B. Gap in Work History\n### C. Confidentiality\n## Appendix: Sample Letters","[{\"question\":\"Why are well-written cover letters important in a legal job search?\",\"answer\":\"Well-written letters strongly and positively influence candidacy and support professional branding. Legal employers often rely on cover letters because writing and reasoning skills are essential for attorneys.\"},{\"question\":\"What are the key requirements for submitting cover letters electronically?\",\"answer\":\"Submit the cover letter electronically as a PDF, preserving the intended format. After saving as PDF, confirm font size/style, alignment of tabs and bullets, and that the document remains a single page.\"},{\"question\":\"What should the cover letter content include and how should it be structured?\",\"answer\":\"The guide outlines content sections such as heading/date/employer address/salutation, an introduction, a body, a conclusion/last paragraph, and a closing/signature. It also highlights naming the employer and using clear, organized communication throughout.\"}]","Writing Effective Letters Guide | PDF",1789290711,9]