Application for a newly qualified associate position with Paul Weiss

Re: Application for a newly qualified associate position with Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison

Dear [Name]

I would like to submit this covering letter in support of my application for a newly qualified associate position with Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP.

I have chosen to apply to Paul, Weiss because it has a leading corporate practice area. At [law firm], I thoroughly enjoyed my time with the corporate department where I worked very closely alongside a senior lawyer on an IPO for a luxury goods company. I found the nature of transactional work to be extremely interesting because it provided me with a very in-depth exposure to the client’s business and enabled me to apply my creativity, commercial awareness and strategic thinking to devise tailored solutions and add value to the client’s business at the same time. During my employment, I have received quality exposure to many business sectors, mostly through the litigation spectrum. I am very keen to build on this knowledge and experience through transactional work.

The firm’s focus on New York law will afford me the opportunity to work on some of the most prestigious, complex and interesting matters emanating from New York, one of the leading and most important financial centers in the world. Paul, Weiss’s relatively small London team coupled with its strong international reach will provide me with exposure to complex and interesting cross-border work in a supportive and friendly environment, which will make for a personally and professionally rewarding experience. 

During my employment at some of the leading international and US law firms, I have received direct exposure on some of the most high-profile legal matters. This experience helped to develop my entire set of skills which will enable me to operate successfully as a newly qualified solicitor. I was vested with high levels of responsibility and have demonstrated an outstanding ability to manage my workload and prioritise competing deadlines.

I possess very good teamwork skills, which will allow me to work successfully with lawyers and clients from different countries and jurisdictions. I have very good communication and drafting skills. In my previous roles, I helped to draft witness statements, expert reports, a prospectus for an IPO of a luxury goods company and regularly corresponded with clients via email, conference calls and in-person. I had attended a board of directors EGM where I explained complex issues to clients and lawyers in a very simple and understandable language.

During my employment, I have received quality exposure to multiple industries and legal practice areas, including oil and gas, telecoms, banking and financial services, real estate and some others. This has developed my commercial awareness which, in turn, allows me to align all of my work with the requirements of clients and their respective businesses. I have received a lot of direct contact with very high-profile clients and their associates, which has developed my client-facing skills. I always undertake my work with utmost attention to details. My language skills will allow me to add value to international cases and forge effective relationships with overseas lawyers and clients. I possess very good problem-solving skills and enjoy working on complex cases to devise cutting-edge solutions to problems without any precedents.

I am very motivated and enjoy new challenges. In my spare time, I regularly do [sport] and help to coach others. [sport] has helped to hone my discipline and resilience to pressure and new challenges.

I thank you for your consideration and look forward to hearing from you.

Yours sincerely