US Law Firm Training Contract Cover Letter

[Name]
[Address Line 1]
[ADDRESS LINE 2 POST CODE]
[city]

[date]

[recruiter’s name]
Kirkland & Ellis International LLP
30 St Mary Axe
London
EC3A 8AF

Re: Application for a Training Contract [year].

Dear [recruiter’s name],

I have completed a qualifying law degree (with honours) at the [University] with a [grade] class grade in [year]. I am applying for a training contract to commence in [year] advertised on Latestlawjobs.com.

I am especially interested in Kirkland & Ellis International LLP because it offers a ‘free market’ system that would encourage me to choose practice areas and matters I want to focus on. This would effectively allow me to be truly outstanding in one field and capitalise on my strengths.

The firm’s meritocratic culture would allow me to learn and progress faster than I would at other firms. This, coupled with a small trainee intake, would provide me with very personal training and help me maintain a focus on my career path. This would see me operating in well structured close-knit specialised teams. Within such teams I would get a chance to develop and maintain professional relationships that could last a lifetime.
What distinguishes Kirkland & Ellis International LLP from other law firms is that it immediately provides its trainees with early responsibility and client contact. This would make me feel like a valued member of the team, giving me the confidence to excel right from the start of my career as a lawyer. Similarly, this would give me a very good insight into high calibre, international transactions and would allow me to make a direct contribution to the success of the firm.

At present, I am assisting [law firm]’s London team on [high-net-worth individual]’s defense to [high-net-worth individual]’s claim estimated at £[value] in a dispute arising from sale of the claimant’s shares in [natural resources company], one of [country’s] largest oil companies. I am working closely with [law firm]’s associates from [city] and London offices in conducting disclosure. I have confidently demonstrated immaculate attention to detail when analysing documents and meeting tight deadlines. I then collaborated with the wider team to bring individual elements together and reach a successful conclusion. I applied strong communication skills and irrepressible optimism when explaining to associates why I thought specific documents to be relevant to the disclosure request pursuant to the court’s order. I was always forthcoming with ideas and exercised intellectual rigour to find practical solutions to complex problems. This made my experience challenging and allowed me to grasp new concepts with ease.

At [Law Firm Name] ([LAW FIRM INITIALS]), I assisted the senior partner on a cross-border case comprising of a shareholder dispute in a joint venture vehicle. As the client could only speak [language], I was the first point of contact. The client requested that I attend the Board of Directors (BoD) Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) of a natural resources joint venture in Amsterdam. I attended in my capacity as an interpreter between [language] clients and English, Dutch and [language] solicitors. At the EGM, I maintained a thick skin and resourcefully tailored my communication for diverse audiences. I applied a sharp analytical mind to explain complex issues in a simple language and made sense of a complicated situation. I maintained a very commercial focus and demonstrated physical and mental stamina coupled with unabating enthusiasm. I was required to think on my feet and see things from a business perspective and always align myself with client’s commercial objectives whilst managing to remain robust and calm under pressure. The cross-border nature of the case produced more interesting work, greater variety and a wider group of experts to learn from which made my work intellectually and commercially rewarding.

Having worked at some of the leading US and city law firms, I have received very broad exposure to international arbitration and litigation and would like to build my career in this area at Kirkland & Ellis International LLP. This, coupled with my fluency in [language], English and [language], would make me a valuable asset when working on cross-border transactions or with international clients.

I would be grateful for the opportunity to attend an interview for which I am available at your convenience.

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

Yours sincerely,

[Name]