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Write the lawyer's full name followed by "Esq.", with no Mr. or Ms. in front: "Amara Osei, Esq." Put the firm name on the next line, then the street address. "Esq." is a professional courtesy title, not a degree, so it follows the name with a comma, and you drop it in the salutation in favor of "Dear Ms. Osei:".
| Element | Correct | Common mistake |
|---|---|---|
| The title | Amara Osei, Esq. | Mr. Amara Osei, Esq. (never combine) |
| Firm line | Osei & Hart LLP | Skipping the firm on firm letterhead matters less, but include it |
| Salutation | Dear Ms. Osei: | Dear Esq. Osei (Esq. never goes here) |
| Alternative title | Amara Osei, Attorney at Law | Using both Esq. and Attorney at Law |
After the name, preceded by a comma: "Amara Osei, Esq." That's the whole rule. "Esq." is short for Esquire, a courtesy title for licensed attorneys in the US and Canada, and it applies regardless of gender. The one hard prohibition is combining it with Mr., Ms., Mrs., or Dr. in front of the name. "Ms. Amara Osei, Esq." is redundant, like writing "Dr. Jane Smith, PhD." Pick one form of address and commit.
A related point: "Esq." signals that the person is a practicing lawyer, not just someone with a law degree. Using it for a law school graduate who hasn't been called to the bar (or admitted, in US terms) is technically off. In practice, nobody polices this on incoming mail, but if you're the one writing, reserve it for licensed attorneys.
The firm name goes directly under the lawyer's name: "Osei & Hart LLP" on line two. Then the street address, then the city, state or province, and ZIP or postal code. If you're writing to a lawyer's attention at a company where they work in-house, use the company name on line two instead, optionally with their title: "Amara Osei, Esq., General Counsel" works, though many writers put the title on its own line.
If you want to be sure the letter reaches the lawyer rather than a general mailroom pile, add an attention line above the name: "Attention: Amara Osei, Esq." This is standard practice at large firms and corporate legal departments, where dozens of lawyers share one street address.
Drop the "Esq." in the salutation. The inside address at the top of the letter repeats the envelope's full block, "Amara Osei, Esq." included, but the greeting switches to "Dear Ms. Osei:" (or "Dear Mr. Osei:" as applicable). In US business correspondence the salutation takes a colon; in personal letters a comma is fine. If you don't know the lawyer's gender, "Dear Amara Osei:" using the full name is the safe neutral choice.
Keep the tone professional throughout, and close formally: "Sincerely," or "Respectfully," followed by your signature block. If the letter concerns an active matter, include a reference line ("Re:") under the inside address naming the case or file, which helps the lawyer route it correctly.
Yes for judges: they get "The Honorable" (or "Honourable" in Canada) instead of "Esq.", as in "The Honorable Maria Chen". Never address a judge as "Esq." For in-house counsel at a company, "Esq." still works, but many business writers simply use the executive title: "Amara Osei, General Counsel". Government lawyers are usually addressed by office: "Office of the General Counsel, Attention: Amara Osei". When a lawyer also holds an elected or appointed office, the office title wins.
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