Lawyer Resume Example

This comprehensive guide will give you all the tools you need to craft a lawyer resume that positions you strongly against other candidates. The guide will show you practical examples of how to structure your resume to show off your best and most relevant skills and career achievements. It will also show you how to tailor your resume according to the job description and your unique skill set. Read on to access expert insights from Jobseeker that will help you create a winning lawyer resume.

Main elements of a lawyer resume

Most resumes contain similar key sections, with a lawyer resume being no different. If you're an entry-level candidate without much work experience, that section may be less prominent in your resume. You may focus instead on sections that showcase your skill set, such as education, projects, hobbies and hard and soft skills lists.

Your resume layout and structure may differ depending on your experience levels, but make sure your resume includes the following:

Header and Personal Information

In your lawyer resume header, list your name, email address, phone number and address or location. You can also add your LinkedIn, if you have one, to help employers better understand your work history and skills. While in some countries, you might include additional personal information or a photo, these aren't necessary. Make your resume header clear, concise and as brief and compact as possible. Consider different layouts that spread the information horizontally across the page rather than using a different line for each piece of information.

Make sure your email address appears as professional as possible, and doesn't include anything like nicknames, inappropriate language or personal information. If it does, set up a new email account with an address based on your name or initials, and use that for your job applications. Always double-check your contact details are up-to-date before sending your resume.

Resume Summary

Following your resume header, write a resume summary to introduce yourself and showcase some of your key skills and achievements. Alternative names for this section are 'resume objective' and 'personal profile'. While a resume summary focuses on your career experience, a resume objective covers your ambitions and career plans. In addition, your objective should highlight why you're an ideal candidate for lawyer roles by showing key skills and qualities that reflect the job description.

Alternatively, write a paragraph that concentrates on your career objectives and how this role fits with your wider ambitions and progression.

A good resume summary reflects the job description and highlights some of the key skills required for lawyer roles, while leaving the reader with an impression of your unique qualities and strengths. The most effective resume summaries also provide evidence to back up the claims made in them. Take a look at some strong examples of how to approach a lawyer resume summary in the graphic below.

On the other hand, a resume summary can be ineffective if it lacks specific information about how your skills align with the job description, or fails to paint a picture of your unique qualities and talents. The graphic above shows some of the pitfalls to avoid when creating your resume summary.

Skills

Adding a list of your key skills provides a quick reference for the reader of what you can bring to a lawyer role. Skills such as legal research proficiency or strong communication skills are particularly useful for lawyer jobs. Again, refer to the job description and make sure you include skills that the employer has listed as essential or desirable for employment as a lawyer.

Highlighting your hard skills

Hard skills are specific skills related to the job you're applying for. They include particular abilities, technical skills and industry knowledge that relate directly to jobs as a lawyer. Furthermore, your list of hard skills provides a strong indication to the reader of your expertise in lawyer roles, and how well you'll fit into the position. Aim to include four or five key hard skills. If you have space, explain how and where you've used that skill to create successful outcomes in your career. These skills will demonstrate your credentials and show how you meet the job description.

Your resume hard skills list should reflect your unique and specific industry expertise and experience, while also fulfilling the requirements listed in the job description. See the examples below for an idea of what an effective lawyer resume hard skills list looks like.

Soft skills on your lawyer resume

Soft skills are the personal skills and qualities that make you a good fit for the job. They include transferable skills and strengths that help you settle into the role, adapt to new challenges and build effective working relationships. Indeed, transferable skills are growing in importance in the modern world of work, so make sure you include several of these in your resume. You should generally look to include up to five soft or transferable skills that match the job description.

The strongest resume soft skills sections include a mix of skills that match your best personal strengths, and that reflect the skills listed in the job description. See below for some examples of effective soft skills for a lawyer resume.

Education and Qualifications

In this section list any educational qualifications or degrees that are relevant to lawyer roles.

If you're applying for lawyer positions you'll typically need to have a degree. A Bachelor of Laws (LLB) will usually help your chances of success. You could also list any qualifications that demonstrate your litigation case management or contract drafting expertise.

List every relevant qualification, including the name and level of the course, the name of the school, college or university, its location and your graduation date. You could also add one or two bullet points to draw attention to your grades if they were particularly good, as well as any specialist subjects you studied. This will help the hiring manager understand your knowledge and special skills better.

Membership or leadership of any societies, clubs or causes while studying can also make a positive impression on hiring managers. Consider adding these to your education section for more insight into how you used your time as a student.

Certifications and Training

Under certifications and licenses, add any further qualifications that show you're a good fit for the job. You could list accreditations for certain professional roles or licenses for certain activities that help to make you a strong candidate. Therefore, make sure you list the dates of your certifications and licenses so employers can see they're up-to-date and valid.

Read on to see some relevant example certifications for a lawyer resume:

Work Experience

Next, list your relevant employment history and any key achievements that show you're suitable for a lawyer position. List each relevant role in reverse-chronological order starting with your current or most recent role. Add your job title, the organization name, its location and the dates you worked there.

Under each job entry, add several bullet points highlighting your responsibilities and achievements. Consult the job description for a list of the key requirements for the role and make sure your work experience section showcases how you meet these requirements.

A good resume work experience section includes your most relevant previous jobs and highlights your key achievements in each role. To make the best possible impression on hiring managers, make sure each entry in your work experience section references skills and experience listed in the job description, and shows how you added value to each role with quantifiable evidence and outcomes. Take a look at the examples below for some guidance on what works best for your work experience section.

Above, you can see a weaker example of a resume work experience section to best avoid. A bad resume work experience section might fail to address skills and achievements that relate directly to the job description. Falling back on clichés, vague descriptions and basic responsibilities, rather than showing the impact you made, is likely to disengage the reader.

Optional Sections

There are several additional sections you could add to a lawyer resume, to improve your chances of success. Choose optional sections from the list below, if they help to showcase your relevant skills and experience.

Hobbies and Interests

Adding your hobbies and interests is a legitimate way of showing off your skills and personal qualities. Your hobbies and interests are useful for a lawyer resume if you want to show a different side to your personality, or to stand out among other candidates. They can also be valuable if you're a junior candidate without much relevant work experience. Only include hobbies and interests that showcase your personality and personal qualities, and add something different to your application.

Volunteering

Listing volunteer work is another useful way to prove your relevant experience for lawyer roles. Add any voluntary roles, including your position, the name of the organization, the dates of your voluntary work and a brief explanation of your responsibilities and achievements.

References

It's not typical to include references in a lawyer resume, but some employers might ask for them. Don't add references unless requested by the employer. Only include referees that you've had prior approval from, and notify them to expect contact from the employer.

Best action words for your lawyer resume

Start each bullet point in your work experience section with a strong verb to show actions you took. Add strong verbs from the list below to create a greater impact with your work experience section rather than using common phrases like 'responsible for' and 'created'.

If you want to create a resume that stands out from the crowd, use Jobseeker's expert-designed resume templates. You can also find cover letter templates that work to get you noticed by employers.

Sample resume for lawyer positions

Using each of the sections above, we've created this example lawyer resume, to help guide you when creating your own:

Guide to making your resume ATS-friendly

Applicant tracking systems (ATS) help recruiters and employers to manage their hiring process. They can handle some of the more time-consuming and resource-intensive jobs, such as initial screening of resumes. Employers often receive hundreds of applications per vacancy, and ATS software can quickly and accurately scan and rank resumes based on their likely suitability for any role. When drafting your lawyer resume, there are a few guidelines to follow to give you the best chance of passing the ATS screening stage and progressing with your application.

Create an ATS-optimized resume by following these quick tips:

• Use a traditional resume format, such as reverse-chronological or functional. These will give your resume a structure that's easier for ATS systems to scan.
• Add keywords throughout your resume that help ATS software match your application to the job description. A higher match means your application is more likely to proceed to be reviewed by human eyes.
• Use clear headings that break your resume up into readable, scannable sections that match the standard content employers expect from a resume.
• Utilize a clean, clear resume design that helps make your content more readable. Use simple fonts and subtle color accents and design elements that don't detract from the written content.
• Keep your resume as concise as possible, to make it easier to read, and for ATS software to scan.

Key takeaways for your lawyer resume

Writing a strong, impactful resume is about using your experience to demonstrate your relevant skills and achievements. You can do this through your work history or other resume sections. Choose a resume structure that makes the most of your relevant experience, whether through work or other activities, and be sure to tailor your resume to match the job description.

HR-approved resume templates and other tools by Jobseeker are the easiest way to create a winning job application. Sign up and follow the simple instructions to complete a resume that stands out from the crowd. Jobseeker's expert-designed cover letter generator can help your applications make a strong first impression on hiring managers. Find detailed cover letter examples to complement your resume and get your application noticed.

Sources:

(1) Writing a Resume, California Department of Human Resources: https://www.calhr.ca.gov/employees/Pages/resume-tips.aspx

(2) Resume Tips, Duke University: https://careerhub.students.duke.edu/resources/resume-tips/