How to address cover letters

[ruskiegirl]

How are you addressing yours?  What is considered proper form?

To Whom It May Concern:?

Mr. or Ms. So and So?

So and So, Esq? (if they are a partner)

I feel so frustrated by this whole process, because, as a fresh-out-of-college 1L, I have never looked for anything more than a part-time job.  And even my most serious employment was tutoring athletes -- hardly a law firm application process.

Any suggestion?

[jeffjoe]

This is a guess, but I'm guessing that it would be better to identify an individual at the firm as a contact for jobs. 
From what I've read the firms will want to know that you didn't just pick them from a list and have a special interest in them.

[ruskiegirl]

This is a guess, but I'm guessing that it would be better to identify an individual at the firm as a contact for jobs. 
From what I've read the firms will want to know that you didn't just pick them from a list and have a special interest in them.

Right, but what I am asking is how you address them once you know their name?  If the contact is a non-JD named Jane Doe? Or if he's a hiring partner with a JD, named John Doe?

[jeffjoe]

Ahhhh.  Since you know the name, to whom it may concern is out.

[lipper]

Below the date, when you put the address of the person u are writing to, it goes like this:

John Doe, Esq.
Title
Agency/Firm name
address
city/state/zip

In the salutation line, it goes like this:

Dear John Doe:

If you do not know if the hiring person is a lawyer (some public agencies are like this), then include their name but no Esq., (obviously).

One side note, never never never never use "To Whom It May Concern". Your cover letter, resume, etc. will be thrown out. Do whatever you can to find out the name of the person doing the hiring. Call them, check NALP directory, anything, but never use that phrase.

[Coregram]

On the envelope and in the heading, I would use Mr./Ms. John/Jane Doe, not John/Jane Doe.

I wouldn't use Dear John Doe either.  Either use Dear Mr. Doe if you don't know him, or Dear John if you do know them well on a personal basis (or are dumping him .)

Also, not all lawyers use Esq., so I would only use it if you knew they use it.  You could try calling their office and asking the receptionist the proper job title and if they are an atty. and use esq.