Legal Resume Examples to Inspire You

Legal Resume Sample

When it’s time to get a job in the legal field, you need the right resume to get the position you want. Writing a resume that recruiters are actually interested in can seem like a daunting task, but a legal resume can do more than just show a hiring manager that you have law school credentials. Here’s what you need to know about creating a legal resume.

Jobs for Legal Resumes

The legal profession covers many different positions. Here are a few of the jobs that would benefit from a legal resume:

• Law firm worker
• Attorney
• Legal assistant
• Paralegal
• Family law practitioner
• Immigrant law practitioner
• Legal expert for filing civil legal documents
• Disability law practitioner

There are many niches to practice as an attorney or law expert including arbitration, legal research and class action lawsuits. If you want a job in the legal field, here are some tips to create a legal resume.

Important Elements of Legal Resumes

What are hiring managers looking for in legal resumes? Although each legal role will have different job requirements, resumes will still include the following resume sections:

Resume summary or objective

Your resume objective or resume summary is a short 2-3 sentence paragraph at the top of your resume that summarizes your best skills, key achievements and legal experience. The resume summary will either encourage the hiring manager to continue reading or move on to the next application, so you really need to shine here.

Skills

There are many skills that you need to use as a legal professional. The skills that you’ll use should be tailored to the specific job you’re interested in. It’s important that you list both soft skills and hard skills as they’re both crucial to success in the legal field. Check our example resumes to see what skills your lawyer resume might want to include.

Work history

Professional experience is a big part of getting a new job in the legal field, so filling out your experience section is crucial. If you’re just finishing your law studies, you can also use academic experience, internships and other volunteer work. Remember to list this information in reverse chronological order, with the most recent jobs you’ve held at the top where a hiring manager can easily see them.

Education

Legal professionals need certain types of education to be allowed to practice, so your education section is also important. Include your Juris Doctor (JD), which is the most common doctoral degree, along with any specialized studies or other academic qualifications.

Certifications and awards

This is the section of your legal resume where you can proudly highlight that you’ve passed the bar admission. You can also include industry memberships and awards.

Legal Resume Examples You Can Use

You can find hundreds of legal resume examples at ResumeHelp. These resume samples can be a foundation to base your own resume on. Also, consider using the ResumeHelp resume builder and its step-by-step guidance to create a high-quality professional legal resume.

Tips for Creating Your Legal Resume

Here are some additional tips for creating your legal resume:

• Don’t list your high school information in your education section. If you completed law school, it’s assumed that you completed high school.
• You don’t need to add your GPA to your law school education experience unless requested. However, if you graduated with honors, including a cum laude honor, do include this on your resume.
• Check the law firm website that you’re applying to before you choose your resume template. It’s always good to match the style of your template with the firm’s culture, whether it’s straightforward and formal, or slightly more creative.