BCG Attorney Search Tools - Cover Letter Guidelines

BCG Attorney Search's new, revised 2007-2008 Cover Letter Guide offers the definitive word on what makes an effective cover letter. Expanding on last year's edition, not only does this year's Guide offer helpful tips to make sure you do not make the kind of errors in your cover letter that your spellchecker will not catch, we also give you advice on what should be included in an effective letter and what is probably better left for the interview process.

Many people insist that the cover letter is the least important process of the job application process. As a legal recruiting firm, we can tell you that is not true. We receive thousands of resumes and cover letters from attorneys every year, and we continually see the same types of mistakes that we know could potentially deter a firm from hiring an otherwise perfect candidate.

In the course of your legal career, your writing abilities will constantly be put to the test. If your first communication with a potential employer shows sloppy thinking, poor decision-making, or even simple, avoidable grammatical mistakes, the chances you will be hired are slim. Make sure that you get careful consideration from employers by reading through our search letter guidelines and confirming that your letter is error-free and ready to make a good impression on employers.

Click here to download the 2007-2008 BCG Attorney Search Letter Guidelines and Style Sheet(pdf file)