Sample cover letter for Internship position at Office of the Assistant Attorney General District of Columbia

Dear Sir or Madam:

I am writing to express my utmost interest in applying for a summer internship with the Office of the Attorney General for the District of Columbia. I am a rising undergraduate junior in The George Washington University Honors Program majoring in political science, and aspiring to a career in law. I am very interested in working in your office for its history of involvement in politically relevant cases, and its unique opportunities to gain a firsthand experience learning about a wide variety of case law.

Last summer, I served as a teaching assistant at a Duke University summer program for a course on the fourth amendment for gifted high school students, and assisted in the research process for a forthcoming textbook on the fourth amendment. This year, I am serving as an editor for The George Washington University Undergraduate Law Review, where I engage in a yearlong extensive editing process for legal articles on issues such as US policy toward Swiss banking, and housing discrimination. Through these experiences, I have practiced parsing through dense case law, and I have gained insights into different philosophical theories of law as well as contemporary political issues related to law.

My background also includes over five years of competitive debate, as both a competitor and as a coach. As a competitor, I was ranked as one of the top ten first year college debaters in the country by the American Parliamentary Debate Association (APDA) in 2015. Through APDA competition, I wrote debate cases on a wide variety of legal and political issues, such as District of Columbia v. Heller, for example. I have also coached debate since the summer of 2014, when I coached the national champion in extemporaneous debate out of approximately 600 competitors. Coaching debate and competing in debate has taught me leadership skills, research skills, and how to effectively work with others in a team environment.

When I read about how past interns would be asked by their supervising attorneys, “You’re my lawyer, what do you think?”, I knew that this was the ideal summer internship for me. I want my critical thinking skills to be challenged in precisely this manner—to think like a lawyer. Moreover, the diversity of hands-on opportunities in a structured setting afforded by this internship would be invaluable to me for providing a tangible conception of future career possibilities.

I have attached my resume, writing sample, and transcripts for your evaluation. It would be my privilege to serve the Office of the Attorney General for the District of Columbia, and I look forward to hearing from you. Thank you for your time and consideration.