SC Lawyer, Nov. 2004, #9. The Scrivener - Writing to get a legal J.O.B.

• Author: By Scott Moise

South Carolina Lawyer

2004.

SC Lawyer, Nov. 2004, #9.

The Scrivener - Writing to get a legal J.O.B

South Carolina LawyerNovember 2004The Scrivener - Writing to get a legal "J.O.B."By Scott Moise"A lot of fellows nowadays have a B.A., M.D., or Ph.D. Unfortunately, they don't have a J.O.B."

- Fats Domino

Whether looking for your first associate's position or a lateral move, two pieces of writing will determine whether you will get your foot in the door: résumés and their cover letters. Writing also plays a key role following the interview in thank-you notes and correspondence after receiving an offer. Although education and experience are the ultimate keys to getting a job, poor writing skills can certainly hurt or ruin your chances.

1. Start with research.

   All effective writing begins with understanding your audience. Each lawyer and firm has individual needs. Learn what those needs are and highlight how you can fulfill them. With information so easily accessible on the internet and in Martindale-Hubbell, applicants have no valid excuse for not knowing the basics of a firm. Such ignorance is readily apparent and suggests that the applicant is either lazy or has poor technology skills, neither of which will result in a job offer.

2. Sell your skills.

   Be an advocate for yourself. After researching firms with whom you would like to work, tailor your cover letter to show how you can help them. For example, if a products liability team needs to hire a new lawyer, they will look for your prior products litigation experience. If you do not have experience in products liability, however, sell your general litigation skills that will help the firm, regardless of prior experience in that particular field.

   Show you are flexible. Many people lose job opportunities because they show interest only in one particular field. In the interview, you can determine if the law firm would support and encourage your efforts to start a new practice area within the firm, but first show them how you can fill a need they currently have.

   Legal résumés, in typical situations, should cover the following: heading (name, address, telephone, e-mail address), legal work experience, education, publications, and legal and community memberships. Under each heading, concisely set out your experience and accomplishments in easy-to-follow phrases and bullet points.

   Résumés are not one-size-fits-all documents. Revise them according to your purpose to emphasize skills to fit the particular job you seek. The cover letter should summarize your strongest points and emphasize relevant points that may not be in your résumé.

3. Start strong.

   As with all legal writing, the beginning should be engaging so that the reader will continue. First, make sure you are addressing the letter to the correct person. A letter that begins with "Dear hiring partner" is a clear sign that the writer is sending out mass mailings or does not care enough to determine the correct recipient.

   Next, the first sentences should focus on the particular law firm or client instead of a routine "enclosed please find my résumé." One recently hired associate began his letter as follows: "After receiving my J.D. degree from State University, I am currently enrolled in New York University's L.L.M. taxation program. After graduation I would like to return home to practice law and would love to provide my services to your law firm, whose tax department is so experienced and respected throughout the state." This opening shows three things: The writer has the advanced educational degree the firm requires for a tax associate; he understands and respects the law firm and says so without seeming insincere; and he is filling a specific need.

   If you have personal contacts who are well respected within the firm, mention their names in the opening paragraph and copy them on the letter. Be sure, however, to get your contacts' permission before mentioning their names.

4. Be concise.

   Lawyers are busy and typically will not take the time to read more than a one-page cover letter. Although most publications advise keeping résumés to one page, if your experience cannot be covered in that length, go ahead with more. Make sure every word counts, and concisely show in the cover letter and résumé how your skills and experience will benefit the reader. Make the résumé easy to follow, with sub-headings and bullet points when appropriate. Use a lot of white space on the page (wide margins, paragraphs, and space between paragraphs) and make the font easy to read (not less than 10-point type).

5. Eliminate all typographical and grammatical errors.

   Cover letters and résumés must beperfect. If they contain typographical errors or grammatical mistakes, virtually no employer will be willing to take the next step. Certainly, everyone knows this, but a surprising number of letters still contain errors that could be eliminated by a careful reading. Misspelling the firm's or lawyers' names is unforgivable and insulting. Take the extra few minutes to look up the names on the internet or Bar directory.

   Catching your own errors is difficult, so ask a trusted friend or relative to proofread everything before it goes out. Employers expect this, and if these initial documents have errors, your reader will know the writer is either sloppy or does not know or care enough to do their work properly.

6. Be accurate.

   Several years back, a "student" at the University of South Carolina School of Law sent out résumés toseveral top law firms in the state. According to her résumé, her grades at the law school were very good, and her outside activities were outstanding. Unfortunately, none of it was true. She did attend classes at the law school, but she had never been admitted. Many law firms changed its hiring practices as a result of that one situation. Now transcripts are requested up front.

   Similar to high-profile coaches who have "padded" their résumés, lawyers sometimes feel compelled to give themselves extra credentials or experience they did not earn. Similarly, evading the truth - such as omitting previous jobs or misstating employment dates - is wrong. Any benefit gained from this deception is not worth the risk and may subject the applicant to ethical censures, humiliations, and job loss. Sell what you are. If your skills do not match the prospective job, both you and the employer are better off without each other.

7. When in doubt, be conservative.

   Many published articles, which are aimed at non-legal positions, stress creativity. You do want your letter to stand out from the rest, but not in a negative way. If you do not know the firm's culture, be safe and conservative. In other words, do not be overly informal. Absolutely do sell your skills, but refrain from the hard sell. Lawyers and clients look for collegiality in addition to skills, and you do not want to offend someone who may misperceive your letter as being overly aggressive. The interview process gives more accurate clues as to how relaxed or forward to be with the particular firm. Until then, let your letter be confident but not pushy.

8. End strong.

   Request an interview and make yourself available for contact. Provide telephone numbers, e-mail addresses, and any other information (such as the best times to reach you) that makes contact easy.

   Along those lines, if your current e-mail address is something like follysurferanimal@aol.com, the time has come to get another address for the job process. Also, consider changing your voicemail message if it is inappropriate for prospective clients who will call for an interview.

9. Follow up after the interview.

   Thank-you notes, written on formal stationery, do have a positive effect. They show you enjoyed your interview and are sincerely interested in working with the firm. A telephone call is fine, also, if you have not had a response within the time the interviewers indicated. If they have requested additional information - such as a transcript, writing sample, or reference list - get that out immediately.

10. Don't burn bridges.

    If you receive a job offer or a new case, accept in writing and express thanks for the opportunity and express enthusiasm for the upcoming employment. On the other hand, if you decide to turn down a job offer, continue to act professionally and respectfully towards the firm because in the future, you likely will be working together in some capacity, such as representing parties in the same lawsuit or working on Bar activities. Later, you may even end up wanting to work with that same firm. Therefore, avoid criticisms and thank them for the opportunity they have extended to you.

    At the core of these suggestions is the basic premise that you should approach your writing efforts to get a job in the same manner as you will approach the job itself: by being honest, thorough, and using common sense. If you do so, the rest should take care of itself, and you will not be counted among those J.D.s without a "J.O.B."

    Copyright (c) 2004 by the South Carolina Bar. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced without written permission.