The Essential Guide to Writing a Resume for Law Firms

Summary

Law firm resumes are a vital part of the job application process for aspiring attorneys. In order to stand out from the competition, one must craft a professional and comprehensive resume that includes essential information and highlights unique strengths.


A law firm resume should feature key components including contact information, professional experience, education and training, and additional qualifications. For contact information, provide your name, address, phone number, and email address. Professional experience is perhaps the most important component of a law firm resume. Include any internships or work experience that are relevant to your law career, such as positions held in clinics, firms, or other legal settings. When describing your position, provide details such as job duties, accomplishments, and even tasks you took on outside of your assigned duties. Education and training involve listing the legal degrees and certifications you have earned as well as any recognition or awards you may have achieved. Lastly, include any organizations and languages you are familiar with, as well as any additional qualifications and awards.

When composing a law firm resume, it is important to keep the formatting clean and organized. Use short and clear statements, and do not include too much detail. Be sure to use words and phrases that are frequently used in law, such as “litigation”, “discovery”, and “motion practice”. Additionally, use active language and invest in a quality resume template to make your resume stand out.

Before submitting your law firm resume, take the time to proofread and ensure there are no errors. Seek out another individual to review your resume and provide feedback. Lastly, when applying for law firm positions, tailor your resume to the job you are applying for. Utilize keywords related to the position and emphasize any experiences or qualifications you have that relate to the position.

Crafting a quality law firm resume is essential for those aspiring to obtain a position in the legal field. Incorporate the key components of experience, education, and additional qualifications and highlight your unique strengths. Utilize relevant keywords, proofread for errors, and tailor the resume to the position being applied for. Taking the time to craft a professional resume can help you stand out from the competition and give you the best chance to get noticed and land the job.
 

Law Firm Resume Writing Tips

Law firm resume writing tips are crucial to help lawyers and lawyers-to-be secure a job at a law firm. Law firms usually require resumes to be tailored to their needs and focus on the types of legal work they do. Therefore, it is important to tailor a resume specifically to a law firm.
 

How to Structure a Law Firm Resume

It is best to structure your law firm resume to highlight your legal experience, education and skills. Include any legal internships or related employment you have had, such as working for a paralegal. You should also include any relevant volunteer or community service experience you have had. It is also important to demonstrate your knowledge of the law and any other pertinent procedural or substantive skills you have acquired.
 

Keywords for the Law Firm Resume

When writing a law firm resume, use specific keywords and phrases related to the practice of law. This is especially true for those applying for a job at a large law firm. Some examples of keywords to include are lawyer, attorney, paralegal, litigation, appellate, contract, corporate law, criminal law, civil law, and more. Be sure to also mention any special skills or qualifications that you possess, such as being bilingual, having a computer-related degree, or other relevant experience.
 

Highlighting Relevant Experience

Include any relevant experience you have had in a law firm, such as volunteering at a legal clinics, working as a research assistant, or participating in a law school clinic. Make sure to highlight how this experience helped you develop your legal skills and how it can help you in your future endeavors. Additionally, include any legal awards or recognitions you have received that can demonstrate your legal acumen.
 

Formatting Tips for Law Firm Resumes

Formatting your law firm resume is just as important as the information you include. Legal employers tend to prefer resumes that are neat and organized and can be read quickly. Make sure to include a standard font and use a uniform layout for all sections of your resume. Be sure to also include sections which clearly summarize your education, work experience, and any relevant awards or recognitions.

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C: calculated canvassed capitalized centralized challenged chaired changed circulated clarified classified co-authored collaborated collected combined commissioned committed communicated compared compiled completed composed computed conceived conceptualized consolidated constructed consulted contributed controlled convinced coordinated corrected counseled created critiqued cultivated

D: decided decentralized decreased defined delegated delivered demonstrated depreciated described designated designed determined developed devised directed disclosed dissembled distinguished distributed diversified divested documented drafted

E: edited effected eliminated employed enabled enforced enhanced enlarged enriched established evaluated executed expanded expedited exposed extended extracted extrapolated

F: facilitated fashioned focused formalized formed formulated found founded fulfilled functioned

G: gained gathered gauged generated governed granted guided

H: handled headed hired hosted

I: identified illustrated implemented improved improvised indoctrinated increased incurred influenced informed initiated innovated inquired inspired instituted instructed interpreted interviewed introduced invented invested investigated involved issued

L: lectured liquidated litigated lobbied localized located

M: maintained managed marketed maximized mediated merged minimized modeled moderated modernized modified monitored motivated moved

N: narrated negotiated nurtured

O: observed offset opened operated orchestrated ordered organized originated overhauled oversaw

P: participated patterned penalized perceived performed permitted persuaded pinpointed pioneered planned prepared presented preserved presided prevented probed processed procured produced profiled programmed promoted prompted proposed proved provided publicized published pursued

R: raised ranked recommended reconciled recorded recovered recruited rectified redesigned reduced referred refined regained regulated rehabilitated reinforced reinstated remedied renegotiated reorganized replaced repaired reported represented requested researched resolved responded restored restructured resulted retained retrieved revamped revealed reversed reviewed revised revitalized

S: salvaged screened secured segmented selected settled simplified sold solved spearheaded specified speculated spoke spread stabilized staged standardized steered stimulated strategized streamlined strengthened stressed structured studied submitted substantiated superseded supervised supplied supported surpassed surveyed systematized

T: tailored targeted taught terminated trained transacted transferred translated traveled treated tripled

U: uncovered undertook unified united updated upgraded used utilized

V: validated valued verified

W: widened witnessed won worked wrote

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See 6 Things Attorneys and Law Students Need to Remove from Their Resumes ASAP If They Want to Get Jobs with the Most Prestigious Law Firms for more information.