Application for an Associate position with Akin Gump’s Houston office

Re: Application for an Associate position with the Houston office

Dear [Recruiter's Name]

I am seeking an entry-level associate position with Akin Gump’s Houston office.

Whilst I am very flexible in terms of the practice areas, I am especially interested in the Energy and Global Transactions practice area. A lot of my legal experience has been in the energy sector and I would like to build on this knowledge and experience. The firm’s Houston office will provide me with cutting-edge and quality work because it is considered to be one of the most important energy hubs in the world. 

I find the firm’s international presence and offices in major financial centres to be of a particular appeal as it will allow me to work in diverse international teams and present me with complex and interesting work that does not have precedent solutions. I feel that my language skills and knowledge of different cultures will allow me to forge successful relationships with the firm’s international teams, clients and other stakeholders. 

The firm’s friendly and entrepreneurial culture will empower me to apply my initiative and creativity to add value to my work as well as provide a perfect forum that will enable me to develop into a successful lawyer. 

The firm’s expertise and focus on the energy industry is of great interest to me as this will allow me to consolidate and expand upon my knowledge of these sectors gained during my work on several high-profile energy cases. What sets Akin Gump apart from other law firms is the fact that it specialises in the energy sector from within different practice areas. With my prior experience having been mostly within litigation and arbitration, Akin Gump’s multi-disciplinary expertise in the energy and related sectors will allow me to gain experience in the energy sector with a multi-practice perspective.

I find the firm’s extensive work and solid presence in the emerging markets, namely Russia and CIS, to be very exciting as such work will give me exposure to challenging yet rewarding markets and jurisdictions. Having previously closely worked on many high-profile Russian oil and gas cases, Akin Gump will provide me with an excellent environment that will not only allow me to extend my interest of the energy sector but also contribute my experience to my work.

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 lawyer. 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 and communication skills, which will allow me to work successfully with lawyers and clients from different countries and jurisdictions. During my employment, I have received quality exposure to multiple industries and legal practice areas. 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.