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JUDICIAL CLERKSHIP COVER LETTERS
Judicial clerkship cover letters should be kept brief—in no circumstance should they be more than
one page. The cover letter is simply the conduit for your application materials, so allow your resume
to convey your pertinent information. Above all, you must avoid making any grammatical or
typographical errors in your cover letter. It is essentially your first writing sample, so any mistake
can cause your application to be thrown out without further review. Use a simple, easy-to-read font
matching your resume’s font in 10- or 12-point size and margins of at least one inch.
Addressing the Letter
Correctly address your cover letter and envelope with the proper titles. All judges are referred to as
“The Honorable,” followed by his or her full name (including middle initial, if known), the court in
which the judge sits, and the address:
The Honorable Denise L. Cote
United States District Court for the Southern District of New York
Daniel Patrick Moynihan United States Courthouse
500 Pearl Street
New York, NY 10007
The Honorable Patricia O’Brien Cotter
Montana Supreme Court
Justice Building
215 North Sanders
Helena, MT 59620
In the salutation, always use the appropriate title (e.g., Judge/Justice/Chief Justice) followed by the
judge’s last name.
Dear Judge Cote:
Dear Justice Cotter:
Senior, magistrate, and bankruptcy judges are addressed simply as “Judge” with no modifier.
Close the letter with “Respectfully” instead of “Sincerely.”
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Writing the Standard Form Letter
Your cover letter should contain the following information:
1) Your contact information (mailing address, phone number, and email address) in an address
block or header.
2) Your status as a student at Notre Dame Law School and your year of graduation.
3) The judicial term for which you are applying (e.g., I am writing to apply for a position as a
law clerk in your chambers for the 2018–2019 term). If you are interested in both one- and
two-year clerkships, state that you are applying for a clerkship “beginning in 2019.”
4) The items that are enclosed with the cover letter (e.g., Enclosed please find my resume,
transcript, writing sample, and a list of references who will provide letters of
recommendation under separate cover).
5) A brief description in the cover letter of the context of your writing sample.
6) The names, titles, and contact information of people who will be sending letters of
recommendation on your behalf, or the names and titles of people whose letters are included
in your application.
7) Any references. For example, if you did a judicial externship, then that judge may note write
a letter of recommendation but will serve as a reference. You can note that in your letter.
8) Any dates you will be near the courthouse and available for an interview.
Going Beyond the Universal Cover Letter
Every cover letter should contain the information above. In some cases, particularly when applying
to state courts, it is appropriate to include more information. Do not simply restate your resume,
though. Remember to focus on why you are interested in this specific judge and any unique
qualifications you possess.
Some additional facts you may want to include are:
1) A geographic connection to the area that is not immediately evident from your resume, the
fact that you are only applying to courts in a specific geographic area, or that you have a
strong commitment to practice in that location after clerking.
2) The name of any person who specifically referred you to the judge.
3) Something about a judge’s background that makes you especially interested in clerking for
him or her.
4) Extensive legal writing experience.
5) Your interest in a specific area of law if the court is one of limited jurisdiction, or your
particular interest in a trial or appellate court.
6) Relevant specialized classes or prior experience in a field directly related to the court.
7) How a prior judicial internship influenced your desire to clerk.
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Sample Judicial Clerkship Cover Letters
Sample Letter #1 – the Basic
Ruggero Aldisert, a former judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, advocated a
standard form cover letter. In his article The Rat Race: Insider Advice on Landing Judicial Clerkships, he
supplies the following sample letter as a good example. We recommend this cover letter for the
majority of situations.
Joseph Applicant
123 Eddy Street
South Bend, IN 46556
August 15, 2016
The Honorable Jane Branstetter Stranch
701 Broadway, Room 330
Nashville, TN 37203
Dear Judge Stranch,
I am a third-year student at Notre Dame Law School and ____________ editor of the
__________ Journal/Law Review. I am writing to apply for a 2018–2019 term clerkship in your
chambers.
Enclosed please find my resume, law school and undergraduate transcripts, and writing sample.
The writing sample is a Note a wrote examining _________. Also enclosed are letters of
recommendation from Professors Julian Velasco (574.631.4965), Paolo Carozza (574.631.4128),
and Veronica Root (574.631.4766). The Honorable Rebecca R. Pallmeyer of the United States
District Court for the Northern District of Illinois has also agreed to serve as a reference and may
be reached at 712.546.8811.
If there is any other information that would be helpful to you, please let me know. Thank you
for your consideration.
Respectfully,
Joseph Applicant
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Sample Letter #2 – Format for Including More Detail
[Your address]
[Date]
[Judge’s Address]
[Salutation]
[1st Paragraph: Identify yourself, your law school, what position you are seeking,
and for what time period. If you have specific reasons for wanting to clerk for this
judge, state them here. For instance, mention a geographical connection to the
area, the name of a person who referred you to this judge, any connection you
have with this specific judge, or your interest in a trial or appellate court or specific
area of law for a court of limited jurisdiction.]
[2nd Paragraph: Provide your qualifications for a clerkship here. Instead of
restating facts that are self-evident from your resume, offer examples from your
background. Two good topics for this paragraph are extensive legal researching
and writing experience or prior employment that has prepared you for a clerkship.]
[3rd Paragraph: Explain which documents are enclosed and who your references
are. Tell the judge when you will be in the area for a potential interview. Finally,
thank the judge for considering your application.]
Respectfully,
[Signature]
[Name]
Enclosures
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Sample Letter #3 – Including the Specifics
Martin Prince
2255 Eagle Rock #5
Granger, IN 46555
555-123-6789
September 6, 2016
The Honorable Robert E. Payne
United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia
Spottswood W. Robinson III and Robert R. Merhige, Jr., Federal Courthouse
701 East Broad Street
Richmond, VA 23219
Dear Judge Payne:
Please accept this letter as an application for a clerkship in your chambers for the 2018–2020
term. Professor John Doe of Notre Dame Law School recommended that I write to you when he
learned of my interest in clerking after I graduate from Notre Dame in May 2018.
As you will see from my enclosed transcript and resume, I earned my Master’s degree in
engineering prior to law school. I am particularly interested in a clerkship with you because of
the large number of patent cases on your docket. I spent last summer clerking at Leydig, Voit &
Mayer, Ltd., an intellectual property law firm in Chicago, and I believe that this experience
prepared me well for a clerkship in your chambers.
Enclosed please find a copy of my resume, my most recent transcript, and a writing sample. My
writing sample is a draft of an opinion that I wrote for Judge Walter S. Smith, Jr. last summer,
included with his permission. Finally, letters of recommendation from Judge Smith (817-750-
1519), Professor John Doe (574-631-3642), and Professor Stacy Williamson (574-631-3572)
are also included.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at the above address and telephone
number. Thank you very much for considering my application.
Respectfully,
Martin Prince
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Sample Letter #4 – More Personalization in a Resume-Matching Format
Allison Taylor
57436 Willis Street, South Bend, IN 46637
September 6, 2016
The Honorable Charles A. Wilson
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit
Sam M. Gibbons United States Courthouse
801 North Florida Avenue, Room 16B
Tampa, FL 33602
Dear Judge Wilson:
I am a third-year student at Notre Dame Law School and am writing to apply for a clerkship
in your chambers beginning in September 2019. As a native of Florida, I am particularly
interested in returning home to clerk. My summer with the Appellate Practice team at
Foley & Lardner convinced me that clerking for a federal appellate court will be the ideal
way to begin my career.
Attached for your review are my résumé, law school transcript, writing sample, and list of
references. The writing sample is an excerpt from my legal writing assignment that
received the Dean’s Award for one of the best briefs in the class. Letters of
recommendation from Notre Dame Professors Nicole Garnett, Lloyd Hitoshi Mayer, and
Julian Velasco will be sent under separate cover.
Thank you for considering my application. Please feel free to contact me if I can provide
you with any additional information.
Respectfully,
Allison Taylor
(Note that with this letter a separate page of References would be included, listing each professor’s
name, title, email, telephone number, and address.)
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Sample Letter #5 – State Court Clerkship
JESSICA LOVEJOY
574-111-1111
101 Country Club Drive
10 Fischer Graduate Residences, Apt. 1A
Jefferson City, Missouri 65109
Notre Dame, Indiana 46556
May 7, 2017
The Honorable Daniel Kelly
Wisconsin Supreme Court
16 East State Capitol
P.O. Box 1688
Madison, Wisconsin 53701
Dear Justice Kelly:
I am a second-year student at Notre Dame Law School and an Article Editor on the Notre
Dame Law Review. I am writing to express my interest in a clerkship in your chambers for
the 2019–2020 term.
I was born and raised in Wisconsin, and I plan to practice in my home state upon
completion of a clerkship. I plan to join a small law firm with a regional practice. I am
particularly interested in a clerkship with your court because I believe it will help me
prepare for a general practice in state law. While in law school, I have taken classes in
contracts, torts, property law, family law, and trusts and estates. In addition, this year I am
participating in the Legal Aid Clinic, where I have worked on issues ranging from domestic
relations and elder abuse to land use and contracts. I believe these experiences have
prepared me to contribute meaningfully to your chambers.
A copy of my resume and my most recent transcript are enclosed. I have also included,
with permission, a copy of a motion that I prepared as part of my clinic experience this
631-6985) and Professor Julian Velasco ([email protected], 574-631-4965) will be sent
under separate cover. Thank you very much for considering my application.
Respectfully
Jessica Lovejoy
Enclosures
