How to Write a Legal Resume

Imagine losing a case or getting your motion thrown out due to a technical error. That feeling is a lot worse when your job application is tossed out because you used the wrong resume format or failed to proofread.

That's because writing a great resume is easier than filing a patent or putting a motion together.

However, preparing a job-winning resume could be as important as winning a lawsuit. Your next job could be the milestone that sets you on your career path.

There are many other reasons why writing a great resume is important.

• 35,000 fresh law graduates join the 1.3 million lawyers already in the job market every year.
• Only 57% of law graduates end up in private practice , which is almost every lawyer’s desire.
• Most HR departments use Applicant Tracking Systems to screen candidates.
• And those who personally review applications only spend about 7 seconds going through a resume.

Those reasons are also why you should take this article seriously. That’s because you’ll find the best tips on writing a great lawyer resume, including lawyer resume examples, in this post.

How Much Do Lawyers Earn?

According to the money.usnews.com , lawyers had a median annual wage of $ 126,930 in 2020.

Types of Resume Formats to Consider

Your resume format guides the recruiter to different sections and information. Using the right format means they’ll find what they’re looking for in those 7 seconds and continue reading your application. On the other hand, they’ll move on if your resume is poorly formatted.

There are three different types of resumes that you can use. They include:

• The Chronological Resume Format
• The Functional Resume Format
• The Combination Resume Format

The chronological resume format places more emphasis on your work experience. It lists your career history in a chronological order. That means you’ll start with your most recent job and end with your earliest. It’s one of the most common resumes to use and arguably the best.

The functional resume focuses on your skills and it’s ideal for fresh graduates or lawyers with significant employment gaps. It’s less common among professionals, but it does have its uses. Using this resume, you’ll be talking more about your skills, with less focus on your experience.

The combination resume is considered a hybrid resume because it combines the best parts of the chronological and functional resume formats. It’s ideal for professionals with lots of skills and work experience to showcase when bidding for high-level positions. It’s also the go-to resume for people switching fields.

Which Format Should You Use?

The best format to use, hands down, is the chronological resume format. Apart from being the right choice for professionals who have plenty of experience and achievements, hiring managers are used to the layout and scan resumes with the format in mind.

So, using the format would be a great idea as you want the hiring manager to see your work experience where they expect it to be.

That said, there are situations that call for using other formats.

For example, managers looking to hire interns or entry level associate attorneys may want to go through their skills rather than their experience. That’s because they expect to fill these positions with fresh graduates.

So, putting your skills at the top of the resume right after your career objective would be the right move in this case.

Also, the combination resume would be the right choice in specific situations. If the job listing requires specific skills and a level of experience, you have to emphasize your experience and skills.

So, look at the wording in the job description to determine which resume format to choose.

Lawyer Resume Example

Steps to Writing a Job-Winning Lawyer Resume: The Best Lawyer Resume Template

Picking the layout of your resume is the first important step, but what follows is just as crucial.

From writing out your resume header and a powerful professional summary, to listing out your skills and qualifications, you have to arrange the rest of the document in a way that gets the recruiter's attention.

But before you start with the header, there are few things you should take note of:

• Pick a great font: Ideally, your font size and type should be clean and legible. The best size falls within 10 to 12, and the font types to use include Arial, Calibri, Verdana, Cambria, Bookman Old Style, and Georgia.
• Use Proper Line Spacing: Double line spacing after subheadings (1.15) or single line spacing are the standard.
• Use Adequate White Space: White spaces make your resume scannable and easy to read. Packing everything closely together can confuse the recruiter.

Now, let's walk you through writing your legal resume the right way.

Start with Your Resume Header

The resume header includes your name, profession, contact information, and professional summary.

Your name should be the boldest part of the resume and your professional title should be right beneath it.

Your first name should come before your last name, and make sure you use the same name you use across all your legal documents and social media profiles.

Right after your name and your title goes your contact information. The contact information contains the following:

• Location
• Phone number
• Email address
• Website/portfolio
• Professional social media profiles

Here are some critical tips that should guide how you write your contact information:

• There's no need to write out your full mailing address unless the recruiter instructs you to do so. The name of your city or state will be enough.
• Your email address should contain your first and last names. Avoid using an email address with numbers or nicknames.
• You can use your personal or business email, but don't use your current work email.
• You can add a second phone number but ensure the first one is always reachable.
• Add your LinkedIn profile. You can also add your Twitter profile if it's professional.

Your Professional Summary

Your professional summary acts as your official introduction. It summarizes your entire resume and professional career just as its name suggests.

It should tell the recruiter everything about your professional life in a few, short sentences.

Make sure you point out your best qualities and experiences relevant to the job you're applying for. That way, the recruiter will find what they're looking for at the top of the resume, then proceed to read further.

The professional resume summary is ideal for lawyers with years of experience and rich work histories. It showcases your previous achievements at a glance, rounding up with a statement that shows your desire to work for the firm.

If you're fresh out of school, however, you should use a resume objective instead. It focuses on your enthusiasm and motivation to perform at the highest level.

Even if you're a fresh graduate applying for a junior or entry level role, merely writing about your courses and dedication to work won't be quite enough. You can stand out by adding small experiences you've gathered over the years.

First Example: Lawyer with Experience

Second Example: Lawyer with Less Experience

Note: It would be a good idea to write your professional summary after you complete your resume. This way, you can pick out important bits from the resume to add to the summary.

The Experience Section

When it comes to any legal profession, experience matters a lot. In many job openings, it makes the difference.

The hiring manager wants to know where you've worked, what role you've handled, and if they're relevant to the open position they want to fill.

So, your top priority when preparing your experience section is to use the job description as a guide.

Sure, you've gained lots of experiences in the past. But how many of them are similar to the job you want to land?

Since you're using a one-page long document, you have to streamline your experience section to those past roles.

But it doesn't end at showing the recruiter you have relevant experience. They also want to know you have relevant capacity.

After all, merely saying you worked at a particular company doesn't show you excelled at the role.

So, you have to list your achievements in every role you've handled. Use numbers and metrics to back up your claim to make them look legitimate.

Each role should contain:

• The name of the company
• Your job title
• Number of years at the company

Since you're using a chronological format, start from your latest role to the earliest. Under each role, list your responsibilities and achievements with 5 to 6 bullet points, reducing the number of bullets as you descend.

Here's an example.

How to Write the Experience Section for a Fresh Graduate

That said, you may still lose out on the best employment opportunity if you don't arrange your experience section right as a law school graduate.

So, before heading out for that dream job, consider filling up your resume with experiences such as judicial clerkship, pro bono work, volunteering at courts, and presiding over moot court competitions in high schools.

Your experience section can look like this:

Add Your Bar Admissions

Of course the recruiter will want to know that you're licensed to practice law where they operate, especially if you’ll be providing legal representation.

So, you have to list your bar admission on the resume. You can add it before or right after your experience section. However, whatever you do, ensure the recruiter can easily find your license status.

You can add it this way:

Avoid using the “Bar association” label to indicate your license. That’s because the bar associations in some states are private organizations, and membership to those bodies doesn't mean membership to the state bar.

How to Write Your Law Education Section

While your experience section remains the most critical part of your legal resume, you still have to provide your educational qualifications.

The education section is your opportunity to show off your ivy league school degree, which gives you a significant edge.

But it doesn't mean you have to skip the section if you attended a Tier 4 school or community college.

Your degree can still make an impact on your resume regardless of your alma mater. But it depends on how you write your education section.

So what should you do? Here are tips you should follow:

• Include the name of your college and its location.
• Write out your years in school.
• Indicate your degree.
• Add your bachelor's degree if you have a Juris Doctor.
• List your publications, relevant coursework, and achievements as a student.

Preparing Your Skills Section

Listing your skills in your resume has gone beyond telling the recruiters you have the skills listed on their job description.

Instead, you can take things a bit further by stating how you used your skills in your previous positions. This way, the recruiter will not only believe that you possess those skills, but also know how you use them.

For example, if a job posting lists leadership, time management, and reviewing pleadings as part of the required skills, your skills section could look like this:

Even if you're a junior lawyer with less experience, you can list how you used your skills when you conducted pro bono work or in your capacity as a judicial clerk.

Adding Extra Sections to the Resume

You can further level up your resume and flaunt your professional sophistication by adding extra sections. These sections will show the recruiter how deep you’ve gone into the legal profession and catch their attention.

Extra sections may include:

• Publications on law journals
• Volunteer work
• Awards and Honors
• Conferences
• Professional organizations

Main Takeaways

That’s how to write a resume that helps you lock down interviews. Remember to always streamline your resume to each job description and company. Use achievements to show the recruiter you’re right for the job. And use white space, the right font, and the right format to make your resume scannable.

You can also attach a cover letter to your application to further introduce yourself to the recruiter and create the right first impression.