In addition to the AALS register, you should consider mailing your application materials directly to those law schools in which you have a strong interest. Since appointment committee members are reviewing approximately 1,000 FAR forms, this is one additional way to get noticed by the appointments committee and invited for a screening interview.
The point of the cover letter is to tell the parts of your story – your scholarly interests or agenda, the synergies between your scholarship and unique experiences or background, your particular interest in a school, etc. – that may not be apparent from your resume or FAR form alone. Your goal is to give the committee members a more complete picture of what you may bring to their institution, so that they will conclude you are worthy of one of their interview slots.
Formatting
- Always address your cover letter to a specific individual, typically the Chair of the law school’s faculty appointments committee. Sometimes a school will have different chairs for lateral hiring and entry level hiring (and also for lawyering or clinical positions). Make sure you are addressing your letter to the correct person. If this information is not available you can address it to the Dean. During the summer, the Academic Careers Program collects this information for a number of schools and creates a database that may be mail-merged with your letters. The database is available from the Academic Careers Program in mid to late August.
- As long as you have something to say (beyond simply repeating what is contained in your resume), it is fine if your letter is two pages.
- Make sure your name is on every page.
The Opening Paragraph
- Serves as a short introduction.
- If you have a contact or reference who suggested that you write to a specific individual, start your letter by saying “[Name] recommended that I contact you.” You are trying to be noticed and this will certainly help your materials stand out.
- In the first paragraph set forth your reasons for sending a resume to a particular employer. For example: “I am writing in response to your listing in the AALS Job Bulletin” or “I am writing to express my interest in an entry level tenure track position at Yeti Law School.”
- It can be helpful to state that you will be attending the AALS Hiring Conference.
- If you have a sincere interest in a school because of geographic factors or a specific program, this is your opportunity to share that interest. Such an interest may be particularly useful at lower ranked schools and schools in less desirable locations that must compete for candidates. The key here is to demonstrate a genuine and particularized interest.
The Second Paragraph
- The second paragraph should serve as the “attention grabber” and should touch upon the features of your background that are strongest. For example, if you clerked for the Supreme Court or have a well known fellowship, mention these facts early on in your letter. However, do not repeat verbatim all of the information that is contained in your resume.
- Use this paragraph to outline the key “agenda” points that you will address in the body of the letter.
The Middle Paragraphs
- For non-clinical positions, the primary focus of your letter should be your scholarship and your scholarly agenda – past, present, and future. Thus, discuss what you have already written, what you are working on now (typically the piece you will job talk), and areas you would like to explore in your future scholarship. It helps if you can demonstrate that there is some cohesion between the three – perhaps a scholarly “agenda,” although not necessarily.
- You may wish to include a paragraph describing your teaching interests and how they relate to your scholarship and background.
- If you are applying for a clinical position, you will need to focus on three things: scholarship, experience, and pedagogy. How much you focus on each will depend upon the position for which you are applying. If it is a tenure track position, your focus should be scholarship (although you need to discuss all three). If it is a non tenure-track position, your primary focus should be work experience and your approach to clinical teaching (while still mentioning scholarship). You do not need to include a clinic proposal at this stage, unless it is specifically requested by the school.
The Closing Paragraph
- The final paragraph of the letter should refer the reader to your resume and any other materials you may have included for the prospective employer to consider. In addition to your cover letter, you should send your resume and a copy of your most recent publication (or publications). If your law school grades were exceptional, you should also include a copy of your transcript.
- You may wish to include contact information.
- In law school hiring, do not state that you will contact the school to follow up – the hiring chair is exceptionally busy and you can rest assured that if they want to interview you at the hiring conference or elsewhere, they will be in touch.
