Cover letter

Lawyer cover letter: example and tips

A complete cover letter for lawyer jobs in Switzerland, what recruiters in the field look for, and the openings available right now.

What the recruiter wants to read

Your qualifications (master’s in law, bar admission, notary) and your areas of specialisation.
Concrete matters or tasks: contracts, litigation, compliance, in-house advice.
Your languages, often decisive, and the care you take in drafting.

A complete example

Names and facts are made up: replace each one with your own. A copied letter shows, an adapted one gets read.

Example

Subject: Application for the contract lawyer position

Dear Ms Cottier,

Your legal department is looking for a lawyer specialising in contract law. I have drafted and negotiated commercial contracts for four years, and joining an export-driven industrial company is the step I am aiming for.

Admitted to the bar, I practised for two years at a Geneva law firm before joining the legal department of Distribution Alpine SA. I draft distribution and supply contracts, advise the sales teams and led the update of our terms and conditions to the new data protection act.

Your presence in some thirty countries and the variety of legal questions that come with it particularly motivate me.

I work in French, English and German. My notice period is three months, and I would be glad to meet you.

Kind regards,
Clara Messerli

Enclosures: CV, work references, diplomas