Sample Cover Letters

The following cover letters are reproduced with the authors' permission. Information has

been changed to maintain privacy. These letters do not carry any endorsement from the

firm in terms of composition, grammar, etc. They are personal statements and, as such,

should be used and interpreted accordingly. We do not recommend you copy these

letters, but merely use them as a resource to assist you in creating your own personal

cover letter.

John Doe

314 Legal Street

Toronto, Ontario M5H 2A5

john.doe@gmail.ca

September 1, 2017

(RZ\QQH1REOH

Director, Professional Development

Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP

333 Bay Street, Suite 2400

Bay Adelaide Centre, Box 20

Toronto, Ontario M5H 2T6

Dear Ms. 1REOH:

RE: Application for 2018 Summer Student Position

I am a second year law student at Osgoode Hall Law School and I am writing to express my interest in a

position with your Toronto office as a 2018 summer student.

I had the pleasure of meeting you and Ms. Jane Doe at the Fasken Resume and Interview Preparation

Workshop. Ms. Doe and I had a very informative conversation about the expertise in intellectual property

law that your firm has, and this conversation added to my desire to join your firm. I have developed an

interest in this area working as a blog writer and research assistant for Professor John Smith at Osgoode

Hall Law School, and as the manager of the Intellectual Property Law Clinic. I would greatly appreciate

the opportunity to gain further exposure to these areas at Fasken.

Prior to enrolling in law school, I spent over six years working in the automobile industry as a

Professional Mechanical Engineer and then as a Project Manager for ABCDE Technology. During this

time I developed a proficient set of technical, problem solving, communication, and project management

skills that I will continue to refine and utilize in my new law career. In particular, my management

experience has allowed me to become proficient in integrating technical and business considerations to

manage complex assignments. I have chosen to pursue a law degree to both take on a larger challenge in

my career and to learn how the legal climate affects and shapes engineering-based industries.

I wish to build on my experience in the automotive engineering field to bring a knowledgeable

perspective to the Information Technology and Intellectual Property practices of your firm. Working for

Fasken will allow me to work on modern technology issues that I have had the opportunity to deal with as

an engineer, but now in a legal setting. I have designed and built mechanical systems and led projects

achieving strategic corporate goals; I feel that this experience would be very valuable as it would allow

me to appreciate the legal, business, and the technical side of issues that a client may face.

Attached with this application are my resume and a scanned copy of both my law school transcript and

undergraduate transcript. Please let me know if you need any further information concerning myself or

any other part of this package.

Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,

John Doe, B.A.Sc., P.Eng.

Jane Doe

123 Princess Street, Apartment #6 | Kingston, Ontario K1B 1Q6 | Jane.Doe@queensu.ca | (613) 123-1234

August 28, 2017

Ms. Noble

Director, Professional Development

Fasken Martineau Dumoulin LLP

333 Bay Street, Suite 2400

Bay Adelaide Centre, Box 20

Toronto, Ontario

M5H 2T6

Dear Ms. Noble,

Please accept this letter along with the accompanying documents as my application for a summer position

at Fasken. In addition to attending the Firm Tour, my conversation with you about the firm has stimulated

my interest in Fasken as a workplace. Fasken’s dedication to being one of the foremost business law firms

in Canada assures me that it would be an ideal home for me to both become a lawyer and grow as a

professional. While I have a particular interest in the Corporate/Commercial and Mergers & Acquisitions

groups at Fasken, I am also open to exploring other areas such as your firm’s Litigation & Dispute

Resolution group. My upcoming participation in the Clinical Correctional Law Project will give me an

opportunity to develop advocacy and research skills through representing clients at hearings before the

National Parole Board and the Penitentiary Disciplinary Courts.

Prior to enrolling in law school, I worked as an associate in the Commercial Banking Group at ABC Bank.

As an associate, I managed a portfolio of corporate clients and learned the importance of maintaining

existing relationships while always being hungry to solicit new business. I developed analytical skills

through performing due diligence on our borrowers and their business industries and providing

recommendations to our credit risk management team. Working closely with a Relationship Manager and

a Client Support Officer, I learned how to collaborate with other professionals within a team to deliver

quality and timely service to our clients. I was able to develop a high comfort level communicating with

both colleagues and clients ranging from administrative to executive levels. My experience at ABC has

equipped me with a versatile set of skills that I believe are transferable to a legal career and I hope to have

the opportunity to further cultivate these skills at Fasken.

My role as VP of Finance of the Law Students Society (LSS) is of great importance to me. Throughout the

summer, I have been advising the Club Governance Committee, the Orientation Committee and VP of

Activities on funding for several events, including the annual Queen’s Welcome Day and our 3-week

Orientation. I have been acting as the gatekeeper between club heads and the LSS President and have

learned the importance of balancing competing interests in deciding how to allocate the school’s funds. I

am confident that my role as VP of Finance will strengthen my conflict management and multi-tasking

skills, which will prepare me to effectively tackle the potential challenges lawyers face.

Thank you for taking the time to review my application and I look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,

Jane Doe

JANE DOE

XXX Avenue | Apt XXX | Windsor ON | N9B XXX | (519) XXX-XXXX

XXX Blvd | Toronto ON | M5M XXX | (416) XXX-XXXX

[email protected]

September 5

, 2017

0V(RZ\QQH1REOH

Director, Professional Development

Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP

333 Bay Street, Suite 2400

Bay Adelaide Centre, Box 20

Toronto, Ontario M5H 2T6

Dear Eowynne:

Re: 2018 Summer Student Position

Please accept this letter and enclosures as my application for a 2018 Summer Student Position at Fasken.

As a law student at the University of Windsor with previous professional experience as an Electrical

Engineer, I am interested in a large, full-service firm that will allow me to apply and broaden my wide-

ranging skills and interests. Since I studied engineering and was accepted into Windsor Law’s Advanced

IP & Business Practicum, I am interested in intellectual property but would also like to explore other

areas of law. Having followed an inspiring Trial Advocacy course this summer at Monash University in

Kuala Lumpur, and having been coached by The Honorable George Law AM QC, I am eager to join a firm

with a strong focus on litigation. My entrepreneurial experience of starting a Sole Proprietorship, XYZ

Tutoring, led me to a keen interest in business and commercial law.

Prior to entering Law School, I worked for two years at a Toronto Research and Development Consulting

Firm, ABC Inc. This experience provided me with the fundamental skills necessary to contribute to your

firm next summer and into the future. The work required creativity, analytical thinking, problem solving,

large scale presentations, proposals, quotations and meetings with clients, and project management with

billable hours. My projects involved the Green Energy Act, Smart Grid, FIT, Ontario Energy Board

Regulations, software development and financial planning for distribution utilities.

During my undergraduate degree, I excelled as a leader in many extra-curricular activities. I led a

committee of five Chairs, 15 Managers, 100 Designers, Security, Engineers, and Construction companies

in a year-long project to convert Grant Hall into The Queen’s Science Formal. As a dedicated athlete, I

swam on and coached the Varsity Synchronized Swimming team. My demanding academic degree

combined with my leadership roles improved my time management, organization skills and ability to

thrive under pressure.

I am passionate about being actively involved in the community. This year, I have the privilege of being

the co-chair of Windsor Law’s External Outreach Committee. The committee organizes student

volunteers for initiatives including the Soup Kitchen, the Boys and Girls Club and several charity events. I

also volunteered at Community Legal Aid as a caseworker and am involved in the Student Law Society as

an Orientation Leader, Social Committee member and Law Games 2018 Committee member.

Thank you very much for taking the time to consider my application. I look forward to hearing from you.

Best regards,

Jane Doe

Encls.: resume, transcripts

John Doe

123 Law Street | Toronto, Ontario, L5M 2K9 | T: (416) 123-3134 | E: johndoe@myemail.ca

August 30, 2017

(RZ\QQH1REOH

Director, Professional Development

Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP

Bay Adelaide Centre, Suite 2400

333 Bay Street, Box 20

Toronto, Ontario M5H 2T6

Re: Second Year Summer Student Position – Summer 2018

Dear (RZ\QQH:

I am currently entering my second year in the Faculty of Law at Queen’s University. I am

excited at the prospect of joining Fasken and would like to apply for a summer position.

My business-focused background has led to a strong interest in corporate law. However, I

enjoyed a variety of the legal subjects in my first year and thus I am confident that Fasken’s

customized and non-rotational summer program will provide the perfect fit. I had the pleasure of

meeting with you during two university OCI workshops, and was impressed by Fasken’s

commitment to professional development demonstrated by your presence at these sessions. This

along with Fasken’s collaborative approach to success drives my desire to join your firm.

I am a goal-oriented individual, and I use a combination of my passion and creativity to succeed.

While working with in-house counsel to ensure The ABC Foundation’s compliance under new

legislation, I crafted unique by-laws that were customized to meet both the needs of the

foundation’s directors, and new legislative requirements. Furthermore, while chairing a national

business conference, I brought a novel strategy to my executive team which enabled them to

secure the largest sponsorship budget in conference history. By leading these initiatives, I shared

my passion and creativity to generate a collegial atmosphere where our teams found solutions to

complex problems. I am confident that these traits will allow me to thrive in the innovative and

team-oriented culture present at Fasken.

Fasken is also dedicated to maintaining its strong client relationships. As a Territory Manager at

ABC QTG, I handled the needs of over 200 customers and implemented customized solutions to

increase territory sales. This experience allowed me to develop strong negotiation and

prioritization skills, which I firmly believe will enable me to uphold Fasken’s tradition of service

excellence.

Thank you for your consideration, and I look forward to the opportunity to meet with you in

October.

Sincerely,

John Smith

John Doe, P.Eng

Joh[email protected] • 202 Legal Street, Ottawa, ON K9E 7B9 • 613.555.5555

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

August 29, 2017

Ms. (RZ\QQH1REOH

Director, Professional Development

Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP

333 Bay Street, Suite 2400

Toronto, Ontario M5H 2T6

Dear Ms. 1REOH:

Re: Application for 2018 Summer Student Position

Please accept this letter and enclosures as an application for summer employment at Fasken. I am

currently enrolled in the University of Ottawa’s Common Law program. As you may recall, I attended your firm

tour in July. During the reception I had the pleasure of talking to many members of the Fasken team including

yourself and Jane Doe. These conversations were extremely insightful and helped contextualize the research I

had conducted on the firm. While I feel drawn to litigation, I like the idea that as summer student I have the

opportunity to tailor my experience to see if there are any other areas of practice, such as securities or real estate,

that pique my interest. Most importantly, during the event I felt an instant comfort level with the professional

environment at Fasken. Having worked as an engineer for five years prior to attending law school, I understand

the importance of a positive, cohesive work environment. I believe I would be working under both such

conditions at your firm. The prospect of this is a major reason why Fasken is my top choice for summer

employment.

As we discussed, I spent the past summer working extensively with John Smith in the legal department at

ABC Group Inc. Having the opportunity to work closely with John and other experienced lawyers has had a

positive effect on the development of my fundamental legal skills such as research and writing. From the

beginning of the summer I was given a high level of responsibility for my work. Undertaking work and receiving

input from the ABC lawyers helped streamline my legal thought process and improve my analytical abilities.

Working closely with Mr. Smith and others in the legal department also helped me appreciate the many intangible

attributes an effective lawyer should possess, including, high ethical and professional standards. The highlight of

my summer came when I was given the opportunity to run a small claims trial. I believe my summer experience

with ABC has provided me with a solid legal base on which I hope to continue to build at Fasken.

Prior to law school, I spent nearly four years working as a project manager for XYZ in Toronto. This

position required that I learn to be organized and use my time efficiently. It also insisted that I be able to identify

stakeholder interests and forced me to use creative problem solving when those interests conflicted with the

execution of a project. Managing the construction phase of projects taught me to always be prepared for

unanticipated hurdles and how to think on my feet when unforeseen circumstance arose. Most significantly,

being a project manager taught me the importance of taking ownership in my work and the accountability that

comes with being ultimately responsible for the success or failure of a project.

I believe the attitude, work ethic and knowledge my past employment has imparted to me would make me

a valuable and contributing member of the Fasken team. I look forward to discussing any questions you might

have regarding my qualifications. Thank you for your time and consideration.

Regards,

John Doe, P. Eng

Jane Doe

123 Richmond Street, Apt 456 ● London, ON N3Q 7A8● 416.555.5555 ● jdoe@uwo.ca

Home: 112 Yonge Street ● Toronto, ON L4G 8K9

September 1, 2017

Ms. (RZ\QQH1REOH

Director, Professional Development

Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP

333 Bay Street, Suite 2400

Toronto, Ontario

M5H 2T6

Dear Ms. 1REOH,

I am pleased to enclose my application for a 2018 summer student position. My interest in Fasken

was confirmed after I attended the Resume and Interview Preparation Workshop. Mr. Doe was

extremely helpful and the multiple workshops held throughout the afternoon offered me insight into

the culture at Fasken.

I am entering my second year of law at Western University, having completed my first on the Dean’s

Honours List. Prior to law school, I completed my Bachelor of Arts at New York University and my

Masters of Science at Columbia University.

I greatly enjoyed the six years that I spent in New York; however, my intention was always to return

to Toronto for my professional career. I believe that working at Fasken will allow me to continue my

professional development and train with the best in the legal profession. Since this is my 3

degree,

I realize that law is my niche. I thoroughly enjoyed my first year of law school and I am energized

every time I solve a challenging legal problem. I know that by working at Fasken, I will continue to

experience the excitement of thinking through the complexities of law.

This summer I am working for both the Dispute Resolution Centre (DRC) and Community Legal

Services (CLS). As the DRC Student Coordinator, I am responsible for managing all of the

community outreach projects, student recruitment, updating the mediation and negotiation curricula

and managing all of the administrative duties. In addition, I have conducted approximately 100

intakes with residents of the London and Middlesex communities and I have mediated several

disputes. I also carry a caseload of clients from CLS spanning multiple practice areas. Managing

these multiple responsibilities and obligations required that I develop my legal knowledge and skills

in a fast paced environment while maximizing quality outputs by being organized and having strong

time management skills.

Given Fasken’s reputation of excellence in all of your practice areas, summering and articling with

you will give me the opportunity to determine in which area of law I will best excel. At this point, I am

open to all areas of practice. That said, my favourite first-year course was Contract Law. I was

pleased to have my bias reinforced when my Professor distributed my mid-term exam to the class of

80 students, to be used as an example in preparation for the final exam.

I hope that you, like me, believe that I am a strong candidate for your firm. I look forward to hearing

from you and to hopefully meet you through the selection process.

Sincerely,

Jane Doe

555 Law St., Toronto, Ontario A1B 2C3

janed[email protected]m

555.555.5555

________________________________________________________________________

September 1, 2017

Ms. (RZ\QQH1REOH

Director, Professional Development

Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP

Bay Adelaide Centre

333 Bay Street, Suite 2400, Box 20

Toronto, Ontario M5H 2T6

Dear Ms. 1REOH:

Re: Second Year Summer Student Position 2018

I am a second year student at Osgoode Hall Law School and I am writing to express my interest

in Fasken, a preeminent business law firm with a collaborative approach. Please accept this letter

and the attached résumé and transcripts as my application.

My experiences have equipped me with a foundation of skills and attributes that will enable me to

contribute significantly to the Fasken team. I have honed excellent prioritizing and organizational

skills by successfully participating in my community, maintaining part-time employment, and

achieving academic success. My longstanding employment with the City of Toronto is indicative

of both my commitment to my employer and their confidence in my communication, leadership,

and collaboration abilities by promoting me to a supervisory role in a high-pressure setting. In

this capacity, I think quickly and act calmly to respond to potentially life-threatening situations

and coordinate and support a team of staff as emergency care is provided. I also deliver first-rate

client service by developing relationships, anticipating needs, and meeting expectations. I have

cultivated analytical skills by examining programs, identifying gaps, and proposing new

initiatives. Through my employment and extracurricular activities, I have demonstrated the

faculty necessary to work successfully with people from diverse backgrounds. I communicate in

a clear and concise manner and am sensitive to my audience.

Fasken’s excellent reputation, diverse practice, and strong client focus make it an ideal place to

learn and grow as a lawyer. Based on my work and volunteerism activities, I have an interest in

labour and employment law as I gravitate towards direct interaction with people, however, I am

still eager to explore work in other practice areas as I am looking for a broad experience before

determining the path of my legal career. I was also drawn to the firm when I learned that students

are encouraged to participate in a secondment to further expand their experience of the legal field.

At Fasken, I would welcome the variety of work and level of responsibility students are given. I

would work diligently to ensure that my teams were successful and contributed to the firm.

I believe that I possess the initiative, work ethic, strong interpersonal skills, and enthusiasm that

will make me a valuable addition to your team at Fasken, both as a student and later as a lawyer.

I look forward to discussing the position with you. Thank you for your consideration of my

application.

Best,

Jane Doe

123 Bay Street, Toronto ON, M1K 3E4

(647) 123-4567 ● jane.doe@hotmail.com

August 13, 2017

Ms. (RZ\QQH1REOH

Director of Professional Development

Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP

Bay Adelaide Centre, Suite 2400

333 Bay Street, P.O. Box 20

Toronto, ON, M5H 2T6

Dear Ms. 1REOH,

Re: Application for 2018 Summer Employment at Fasken

I am a second year student at the University of Toronto Faculty of Law, and will be graduating

with my Juris Doctor in April 2019. Please accept my cover letter, resume, undergraduate

academic transcript, and statement of law school grades as my application for a summer

position at Fasken.

I am interested in working for Fasken because of your reputation for excellence in numerous

legal practice areas. Having always possessed a keen interest in litigation, I feel that the

diversity of high-quality commercial and civil litigation services offered by Fasken makes your

firm an excellent place for me to pursue this interest. I am also interested in competition law,

and mergers and acquisitions, and Fasken’s proficiency in these practice areas would provide a

great means to pursue my interests. I was fortunate to speak with Jane Smith at this year’s

Career Fair, and she informed me of the teamwork atmosphere of your firm as well as the

flexible and tailored summer programs. Together with the secondment opportunity offered to

summer students that was recently described to me at the Resume and Interview Workshop I

attended, these qualities make working for Fasken of foremost interest to me.

My extracurricular, employment and educational experiences have equipped me with personal

and professional skills that will enable me to positively perform as a summer student and into

the future at Fasken. My interest in litigation guided my decision to explore different areas of

advocacy during my first year of law school. For example, I volunteered as a caseworker in the

criminal law division at Downtown Legal Services, where I had the opportunity to gain practical

advocacy and litigation skills. I also participated in the Trial Advocacy program. This experience

enabled me to hone my legal argumentation and verbal reasoning skills. My previous work in

the restaurant service industry has facilitated the strengthening of my interpersonal and

communication skills. During this past summer, I enhanced the legal research and writing skills I

learnt during my last year of academic study as a research assistant at a law firm. Lastly, my

undergraduate and law school education thus far, has taught me that I enjoy intellectual

challenges and that I can effectively manage my time.

While it is early in my legal career, I am eager to use my strengths, skills and keen willingness

to learn on behalf of you and your clients. I am confident that my strong work ethic, goal-

oriented and client-focused attitude, and compassionate disposition will enable me to make a

valuable contribution to Fasken. I look forward to any opportunity to discuss potential

employment with you. Thank you for your time and consideration.

Sincerely,

Jane Doe