Attorneys handle legal matters, represent clients in court, and offer advice on various legal topics. If you want to build a perfect resume for an attorney, you should be way more organized. You should also emphasize your experience with case management, legal research, and client consultations. But how do you organize all of these? In this article will provide you with a complete guide to writing an Attorney Resume.
How to format an Attorney resume
The reverse-chronological resume structure works wonders for Attorneys. Because it first touts your most recent and relevant legal responsibilities. This format allows companies to trace your career advancement and the impact you’ve had at each level with ease.
Here are the resume templates according to how recruiters expect them:
- Contact information
- Summary
- Experience
- Education
- Certifications
- Skills
- Languages (optional)
Resume designs
- Be particular with margins; keep margins consistent at about 1 inch. Besides, an Attorny resume template may allow for a clean, formal design.
- Stick to simple fonts, such as Rubik or Lato, size 10 to 12 points, and use pastel colors to highlight key talents.
- If you have less than 10 years of experience, keep your resume to one page. If you are a senior professional, two pages can be used if needed.
Contact information
- Make sure your name is spelled the same on all application documents. Have the job title from the job you are seeking on your resume.
- Create a headliner which showcases your major talent and experiences. Provide a professional e-mail and link to a LinkedIn Profile.
- No photo is attached, in following US CV guidelines for eliminating potential biases.
File format
- Name your resume simply, like ” John JohansonAttornyResume.pdf, so that recruiters can find it.
- Save your resume in PDF format, unless otherwise mentioned in the job description.
- Avoid the use of unusual symbols, special letters, or visual components. They can easily malfunction the Applicant Tracking Systems and may affect your application process.
How to Write Your Attorney Resume Summary
The summary portion of your resume is critical for establishing a good first impression. You should provide a brief outline of your legal experience and talents. Here are the crucial components to include in an effective attorney summary:
- Start with your professional title, including years of legal experience.
- Demonstrate specialized legal competencies in contract negotiation, litigation, and regulatory compliance.
- Include quantifiable achievements that prove your impact; for example, major cases won or advantageous settlements negotiated.
- Mention experience in relevant legal subjects or businesses, such as intellectual property or corporate law.
- Write 3-5 succinct sentences about your achievements that are written in the third-person perspective.
How to include Experience for Attorney Resume
Tailoring your CV to the job offer is critical in bringing to the fore your most relevant qualifications as an attorney. This strategy makes you more noticeable and increases your chances of drawing the attention of the hiring manager. By highlighting the precise talents and experiences they need, you demonstrate why you are a perfect fit for the position. Provide details about your most recent job experience as an associate attorney or other legal practitioner. Please include your official job title, the name of the company or agency, and the period you spent there.
Next, focus on job responsibilities and concrete achievements that can show a hiring manager what kind of value you can add. You can present two to four bullet points about each work experience. If you have just graduated from law school, you may use internships to extend your professional experience as a licensed attorney.
How do I write an Attorney resume with no experience
- If you are a recent graduate or will soon graduate, contact your law school’s career services office. It’s a great first move for your career. Most students start law school with no background in the law, and that’s okay.
- However, your first legal resume shouldn’t be a blank slate; before reaching out to potential law firms or positions, here are some things to consider:
- Choose a functional resume structure that emphasizes your skills and academic accomplishments. State relevant course work and scholarly projects, such as contract or criminal law studies. Mention use of legal research tools such as Westlaw and LexisNexis. Include any transferable skills gained through quality internships or part-time jobs. Highlight any practical experience with drafting legal documents, such as briefs and motions.
- Include volunteer or extracurricular activities; examples may include participation in a student legal organization, competition team.
Read More :- Resume Summary for Resume with No Experience
Resume objective for entry-level Attorney
An objective statement is an indispensable component of an entry-level Attorney resume, as this section emphasizes your interest in working in the legal field, along with your career objectives, since you have limited work experience. To craft an attractive statement of objective, ensure that you:
- Describe your professional objectives or the particular role that you are targeting.
- Use keywords from the job advertisement and tailor them to the job and employer to demonstrate you can meet their needs.
- Emphasize any important abilities or credentials that reassure hiring supervisors of your suitability.
- Demonstrate how your skills can help the company and make it successful.
How to list your certifications and education on your resume
Pre-law requires a bachelor’s level of education to begin with. Next, the person needs to take the law entrance LSAT. Upon admission, one pursues three years of coursework leading to a JD that involves coverage of varied subjects concerning the study of law, including an internship or clerking.
Upon graduation, you need to take and pass the bar test in your desired state of practice. Finally, you get accepted into the state bar organization and maintain continuing education in order to keep your license. Focus on relevant education: How much educational background you show on an Attorney’s resume depends on several factors. These factors include your career stage, the sort of law firm you are applying to, and the relevance of certain aspects of your education.
Do not enumerate all courses you have ever taken. Include in your legal background only the significant parts, like legal designations and awards such as certificates, honors or memberships. If you feel that including your academic background will help your application, provide more detail in your law firm cover letter. To help you craft the perfect law firm cover letter, check out our tips on writing a killer legal cover letter.
How to quantify your experience on a resume
It is essential to include quantifiable results on your resume since they give employers verifiable proof of your accomplishments and demonstrate your effect. Presenting precise measurements, such as percentages, financial savings, or time saved, increases the persuasiveness of your resume and quantifies your achievements, especially in legal circumstances.
For example:
- Provide a numerical value regarding the total amount of cases won or settled.
- Give at least two examples of how your legal practices have increased customer retention or satisfaction rates, such as a 25% increase in client retention due to the successful settlement of disputes.
- Show the number of contracts reviewed and the total value of the contracts; for instance, reviewing 300 contracts valued at over $100 million.
- Highlight how clients have benefited in financial terms from effective negotiations or litigation strategies.
- Add the percentage reduction in case handling time or administrative costs resulting from process improvements you implemented.
How to list your hard and soft skills on your resume
Including hard and soft abilities in your attorney’s CV is crucial. It shows that you possess the people skills necessary to collaborate with clients and coworkers and the legal knowledge necessary for the position.Here is a thorough synopsis:
- Hard skills: These are the legal competencies you acquired from your training and work history.
- Soft skills: These pertain to your interpersonal interactions.
Here are some key skills you might want to list on your resume:
Best hard skills for your Attorney resume
- Legal research
- Settlement negotiation
- Contract drafting
- Case analysis
- Civil litigation
- E-discovery software
- Document management software
- Litigation support software
- Westlaw proficiency
- Microsoft Office suite
- Spreadsheet skills for budgeting
- Timekeeping software skills
Your soft skills are vital. Instead of listing them in a separate section, integrate them into other parts of your resume where they can be quantified and described.
Best soft skills for your Attorney resume
- Active Listening
- Negotiation skills
- Critical thinking.
- Decision making
- Interpersonal skills
- Confidentiality
- Diplomacy
- Professionalism
- Customer service
- Persuasion
- Proactivity
- Conflict resolution
- Time Management
- Communication
- Multitasking
- Empathy
- Stress Management
Additional Tips for writing an Attorney resume
Use action words to strengthen employment history.
Balance presenting as many details as possible with the relevance of those same details to the position for which you are applying. Use your words judiciously. Legal firm names, employment years, and job titles should be included. Use bullet points to help keep things organized, but only if your content will fit on one page. You may also like to list relevant experience first-even if it is not the most recent.
Don’t just list where you’ve worked and what you did; use action words to convey more meaning. Vague words such as “participated,” “worked,” and “managed” take up valuable page space and are lost opportunities. Instead, tell a story with appropriate action words such as “advocated,” “negotiated,” and “counseled.” Following are some action words that may find a home in your work experience:
- Words related to creation include formalized, conceptualized, and staged.
- Teamwork or leadership words include mentored, collaborated, and directed.
- Achievement words include spearheaded, accelerated, and expedited.
- Problem-solving words include overhauled, developed, and rebuilt
Consider these additional action words to create impact and deeper meaning:
- accomplished
- administered
- advised
- arranged
- assessed
- authored
- constructed
- coordinated
- corresponded
- counseled
- designed
- developed
- evaluated
- facilitated
- implemented
- improved
- investigated
- planned
- presented
- produced
- publicized
- recorded
- researched
- revised
- served
- trained
- updated
- verified
Know More :- 200+ Action Verbs to include in Resume Job Wise
Show your tech understanding
Today’s legal organizations want a workforce that can hit the ground running; that means being productive immediately, and with the least possible ramp-up time-particularly when using and learning technology. Law firms are increasingly leveraging legal technology to make their operations more efficient, enable seamless remote work, and drive a better client experience.
Technology skills can help you stand out in the eyes of possible employers. It will ensure them that they will not have to invest time in teaching you to use new software and systems. Remember if you get an interview you may be asked to explain or show your knowledge of the programs you have put on your resume.
Have an ideal legal practice area
Whatever your experience, take the defining characteristics of the legal practice area to which you are writing-or hoping to transition-and weave those into your Attorney resume. Nobody likes a generic lawyer résumé. Make sure your resume highlights the work experience, keywords, and skills most relevant to the legal practice area to which you are writing.
Make keywords work for you.
You’ll encounter many keywords during your job hunt; understanding what to do with them could be the key to your success. But how do you know what keywords to include? The answer, while you don’t want to copy and paste terms from the job description simply, you can use them for guidance.
Keywords and key phrases thoughtfully woven into your attorney resume are indicative of the nuances you will bring to the legal position you seek. It’s a surefire way to impress legal hiring managers. This keyword integration is crucial if you’re applying for any position in a larger company. You want to make sure you aren’t screened out because of an algorithm.
Did you know that 75% of recruiters and hiring managers use a recruitment or application tracking system (ATS) to screen resumes based on keywords? In addition, legal recruiting managers and other employers often review resumes briefly when they have many candidates for a position. Using keywords and key phrases can help ensure that your resume is noticed and does not get lost in the digital shuffle.
Click Here :- How to Include Resume Keywords in Your Resume
Attorney Resume Example
John Johanson
32 My Street, Kingston, New York+1 212 555 1212| johnjoh@gmail.com
Detail-oriented and results-driven attorney with 9 years of experience in corporate law, criminal defense, intellectual property, etc. Adept at providing legal counsel, drafting and negotiating contracts, and representing clients in complex litigation. Recognized for strong client advocacy. Committed to delivering comprehensive legal solutions while maintaining the highest ethical standards.
Juris Doctor (JD)
University of California
Awarded the Top Oralist in Moot Court Competitions
BAR ADMISSION
California, 2009
Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom
January 2021 – Present
Senior Litigation Attorney
- Orchestrated a legal strategy for a high-stakes antitrust litigation, leading to a groundbreaking triumph and more than $300 million in client savings
- Led interdisciplinary teams in four international offices, implementing AI-driven research tools to increase case efficiency by 50%.
- Negotiated intricate settlements in more than 50 cases, resulting in a 20% average reduction in the financial risk of clients.
- Authored more than fifteen significant amicus filings that have been referenced in federal court rulings, demonstrating cutting-edge legal knowledge.
- Improved the firm’s litigation portfolio by using focused business development and reputation management techniques to acquire five or more new Fortune 500 clients.
Jones Day
May 2017 – December 2020
Litigation Associate
- Represented a wide range of clients in federal and state courts, winning 80% of cases with careful evidence analysis and strong arguments.
- Created and put into use a better document management system that increased team productivity and reduced case preparation time by 35%.
- used Westlaw and LexisNexis to conduct in-depth legal research that supported case theories and put clients in an advantageous position.
Coached.com
January 2013 – April 2017
Law Clerk
- Drafted more than 200 legal documents, such as motions, memoranda, and briefs, which helped to expedite the trial preparation process.
- Helped senior attorneys create strong litigation strategies by reviewing and synthesizing case law.
- Legal Research & Writing
- Contract Drafting & Negotiation
- Litigation & Dispute Resolution
- Regulatory Compliance
- Client Advocacy & Communication
- Case Management & Strategy Development
Conclusion
This guide provides crucial strategies for creating an excellent Attorney resume that will catch the attention of hiring managers. By highlighting your talents, experiences, and distinctive strengths, you’ll position yourself for success in your legal profession.
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