Sample Public Interest Cover Letter
6511 Smith Farm Road
Westfield, NJ 07122
January 12, 2003
Ms. Elizabeth Yang
Center for Law in the Public Interest
10951 West Pico Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90064
Dear Ms. Yang:
I am writing to you to apply for a position as a staff attorney with your organization I am currently
a third-year law student at the Seton Hall University School of Law and a native of Los Angeles. I am
interested in a position with the Center for Law in the Public Interest because of its outstanding
reputation in the areas of employment discrimination and civil rights and because of its involvement
in leading-edge cases.
I have a strong background in public interest law, particularly in employment and civil rights, and I
am committed to using my legal skills on behalf of those who are underserved by the legal system. I
participated in Seton Hall's Juvenile Justice Clinic during my second year of law school. The clinic
provided me with an opportunity to represent a juvenile on a misdemeanor theft charge. Last summer I
worked with the public interest law firm of Dobrovir & Gebhardt, a New Jersey firm specializing in
civil liberties, equal employment, and government corruption cases. My course work at Seton Hall has
included labor law, human rights, equal employment opportunity law, as well as civil rights. I
believe my education and experience have provided me with valuable skills, and I am confident that I
can make a difference as a public interest lawyer.
I have enclosed my resume for your consideration. I will be in Los Angeles in early spring and would
like to meet with you to discuss a possible position with the Center. I can be contacted at the
above address or by phone at (973)555-2325. I look forward to hearing from you soon.
Sincerely,
Linda Simpson Grimes
Enclosure