Hi everyone1

I need to write formal letters to various experts to secure a chance to interview them for my thesis.
I need to make the letter as formal as possible because these people i want to interview are all either judges or government officials or queen's counsels... just the thought of seeing them in person freaks me out!
I tried to get sample letters online but couldn't find anything relevant! (the search hits were all job interview letters samples gosh!)
Does anyone know how to write a formal (polite, professional) letter asking for an interview? or if not, anyone know where i can get a sample or information on how to write one???

Grateful for ANY help!!!!!!!!!!!!!! plzzzzzzzzzz

How about drafting a letter and then asking your supervisors to comment?

Very general tips
*University headed notepaper is a must
*Clearly state your purpose early on in the letter, people will not continue to read through a lengthy explanation to see if it is something that interests them. Grab their interest and state the relevance to them as soon as possible.
*Be as concise as possible (see above)
*Refer to your supervisors i.e establish some credibility
*State your contact details (or your supervisors) as a source of further information

Good luck

I used to be a journalist and regularly covered court cases so got to see and speak to lawyers quite often. Generally they were very approachable and although you might think they are very clever intimidating people, I never met one who had a PhD. Judges also aren't as aloof as sometimes portrayed. I agree you need to write a professional letter but don't be intimidated by these sort of people - you will probably be better qualified and as expert in your field as they are in theirs (well maybe after a few more years experience).
Good luck.

I had to write similar letters and although I am shy and quite nervous about meeting these people I tried to write a letter that was polite but also quite enthusiastic, trying to highlight the importance of my research. The response was very good I have to say. Offering to meet people in person is also very beneficial, however far you have to travel. I hope this helps, C