lawyers in the position. In the case of honors programs, take note of how the agency
structures rotations through different components.
If you can, talk to people who work at that agency (and preferably in the position you
are applying to). Don’t ask how to get hired—ask them instead about what skills they
think are most valuable, what type of assignments they have, and what they enjoy most
about their job.
The goal of your research is not to fill your cover letter with facts about the agency, but
to help you pick the most relevant experiences to focus on, and to weave your
understanding of the position into your letter. Doing this not only tells reader that you
have a genuine interest in the job, but also demonstrates that you are thoughtful and
detail-oriented.
Step 2: Develop a Narrative
Before you get started with writing, reflect on why you want this job, and what you
think makes you a strong candidate. In an interview, you will probably be asked some
version of “why do you want to work here?” and “why should we hire you?” Think
about the stories that you would to tell about yourself to answer these questions, and
how you can weave these stories together to build a cohesive narrative.
First, what makes you want to work in this area of the law? If you had substantial
experience in the area prior to law school, you might want to focus on why you chose to
make the move to law. If you are new the field, you might want to discuss an internship
that made you think that this was the right path for you, or a course that sparked your
interest. If you are interested in government broadly, think about what draws you to
public service, and what aspects of government work or culture appeal to you.
Consider how your experiences, during or before law school, prepare you for the
position. You might have already gained experience at the agency or done similar work
elsewhere. You may have excelled in relevant classes, or have taken on leadership
responsibilities in relevant student organizations. You may have focused on building
concrete skills, like oral advocacy, research, or legal writing. These are all experiences to
draw from while discussing your motivations and qualifications.
Most federal government attorney honors programs are designed to rotate new attorneys through
different offices to expose them to different types of legal work.