Example Clerkship Cover Letter

​JOHN SMITH
Volume 2, Issue 3 (Originally Published 6 August 2012)

​Dear Chantelle,
 
I wish to apply for a clerkship at your commercial firm, which you will be pleased to know is one of my top 17 preferences. I hope to receive offers from many of your competitors, but I will accept an offer from your mid-to-bottom-tier firm with moderate pleasure should everything else fall through.
 
Upon perusing my resume, you might assume based on my previous work with UNICEF, Victorian Legal Aid, various community legal centres, my local church and the RSPCA that I am interested in doing good in the world and helping others. Please rest assured this is patently untrue.
 
I have had a strong interest in commercial law ever since I inherited 100 Telstra shares from my grandma in 1995. I have subsequently followed their business strategy closely, culminating most recently in my purchasing of a phone from them.
 
My particular passion for equity capital markets developed in excess of 48 hours ago. I think that bringing the equitable notions of fairness and ‘clean hands’ to capital markets is a great step forward, especially in light of the GFC. I am also well versed in this area of law, having been taught that Equity developed in the Court of Chancery in ten subjects in my JD thus far.
 
My extensive relevant experience in the delicatessen at Coles for three years has taught me to shut off from mind-numbing grunt work, and made me accustomed to frequent menial demands from customers, certainly putting me in good stead for the analogous situation of being assigned tasks by the partners at your esteemed firm.
 
I look forward to hearing from you.
 
Kind regards,
 
John Smith