Job announcement

Sample resume entries

Sample cover letter

Writing Assignment #1: Cover Letter and Resume

Rough draft due: Tuesday, January 6
Final draft due, Thursday, January 8

There are two parts to this assignment (for which you will get one grade).

Below is an announcement for a job that a legal studies major might be interested in. Your assignment is to write a letter applying for the job, attaching a copy of your resume. Although the job is fictitious, your resume must be real and it must be yours. If there is some other job or internship to which you are planning to apply, you may use that instead of this job. If you write a letter for something other than this job, you must attach a copy of the announcement with a description of the job.

There is no one particular form for a resume. The point of a resume is to present your pertinent information in a neat, orderly way. Generally it should include:

  • Name and contact information (address, email, telephone)
  • Objective (sometimes people put a initial line stating their goal
  • Education (degree, date, institutions, majors, honors and awards)
  • Work experience (for each job, give job title, name and location of employer, dates of employment, and your duties)
  • Interests and activities

Word processing programs have templates for resumes. They often work well to set up the information. If you need more assistance, the Campus Career Network and the DuBois Library have a lot of resources. For on-line help, the Campus Career Network website is http://www.umass.edu/careers/ (click on “Career Resources”). The Career Network has links to a free on-line resume writing services. Also, writing guides, such as the one by Diana Hacker, will have a suggested format.

See sample resume entries.

The purpose of the cover letter is to get noticed. The same resources are available for this document, e.g. word processing program templates, Campus Career Network, Library, and writing guides. In the cover letter, try to distinguish yourself from among the dozens (hundreds?) of qualified applicants and convince the firm to interview you for the job. Your goal is to get your foot in the door. Don’t just repeat everything that is in your resume; instead, highlight the relevant information or job experience. You need to explain how you have the qualifications the employer is seeking. The letter should be about the employer’s needs, and how you fulfill them.

See sample cover letter.

Do the best you can. Bring your rough draft to class on Tuesday, September 14, and we will answer any questions you have about format or content.

Job Announcement

LAW FIRM SEEKING TRIAL ASSISTANT

College graduate to assist busy trial lawyers in fast-paced criminal defense practice.

Duties include:

Locating and interviewing witnesses

  • Filing and serving pleadings and other court documents
  • Locating public records
  • Preparing and serving subpoenas
  • Finding relevant case law
  • Reviewing and organizing discovery material (e.g. fingerprint, ballistic, and handwriting lab reports; photo spreads; witness statements; incident reports; surveillance reports)
  • Organizing trial evidence and exhibits
  • Docketing appeals

Requirements include:

College degree in relevant field

  • Basic legal research skills
  • Computer expertise in word processing and data management
  • Familiarity with (or willingness to learn) New York state and federal court systems and criminal trial process
  • Ability to work well with diverse populations of people

Position begins June 1, 2007. Competitive salary with full benefits; review after six months. Send letter of application and resume to Holmes & Labrador, Attorneys-at-Law, 120 Duane Street, Suite 400, New York, NY 10007.

[Note: If you are a junior, treat this as a summer job, not a permanent job after graduation.]