Lawyer Resume Examples
Exceed your job competition by looking at Lawyer resume examples! Our examples are completely customizable and can show you what information to include in your resume.
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Lawyer resume summary examples
To make your resume pass the seven seconds recruiters spend eyeing a resume, write an impactful resume opener.
The resume summary consists of a two to three-sentence paragraph introducing yourself to potential employers by featuring your top skills and professional abilities.
Think of it like a business pitch. Your knowledge and experiences are the product you have to sell to the investor, in this case, the employer.
If you have plenty of work experience in your desired field, choose the professional summary approach.
If this is your first time applying for a Lawyer position, use the objective statement, which allows you to share your skills as they relate to your career goals.
You can compare these two approaches in the examples below to determine which is better for your situation.
Good example:
“ Experienced lawyer with 10+ years of experience in litigation, arbitration, and contract negotiation. Adept at providing strategic advice and representing clients in court. Successfully resolved hundreds of cases, saving clients millions of dollars in legal fees.”
Why this example passes:
- Feature candidate’s success statistic to grab attention. Numbers add detail about how big the results you deliver are, e.g., test scores, passing rate and more.
- Shows career length, 11 years.
- Mentions employer-desired skills: student motivation and interactive lessons.
Bad example:
“ Recent law school graduate seeking a challenging position as a lawyer. Possess strong communication and analytical skills. Experienced in legal research and case preparation.”
Why this example fails:
- Doesn’t include any numbers that quantify lawyer’s performance
- Uses vague descriptions and skills.
- Doesn’t include years of teaching experience.
The fastest way to write your professional summary
If you want an edge writing to help write your professional summary, check out our Resume Builder. It features pre-written content for Lawyer roles that you can select from, personalize and use!
- 1
Enter the details about the job title you held. The builder comes preloaded with auto-suggested phrasing written by resume experts.
- 2
Then, just pick from these suggested phrases that best frame your experience and customize them to your liking!
- 3
All you have to do is choose the summary phrases that best frame your experience. It’s like having a professional do it for you!
Our Builder is the quickest and easiest tool for writing a stellar Lawyer resume. However, you can also dive deeper with our professional resume-writing services. Take advantage of all the tools LiveCareer offers and start landing interviews!
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Lawyer resume work experience examples
One of the most fundamental sections of your resume is the work experience. Including skills and accomplishments in your work experience section relevant to your Lawyer role is critical to writing a good resume. Compare these work experience examples to understand what information to include to make a job-winning resume.
Good example:
Johnson Consulting I Rolling Meadows, IL I 8/2018-current
- Represented clients in a variety of legal matters, including contract disputes, civil litigation, and family law cases
- Drafted and reviewed legal documents, such as pleadings, motions, and contracts
- Negotiated settlements and represented clients in court
- Advised clients on legal rights and options in accordance with applicable laws and regulations.
Why this example passes:
- Numbers and statistics add detail and quantify the results this lawyer delivers: 4% improvement and a class size of 20-25.
- Good use of strong words and active language.
- References specialized value cahier provides with “individualized lesson plans.”
Bad example:
Malone Group I Redmond, WA I 4/2022-present
- Drafted legal documents for clients
- Represented clients in court
- Attended meetings with clients
- Researched legal issues for clients
Why this example fails:
- Lacks numbers or statistics.
- Describes general tasks, not teaching achievements or career highlights.
- Uses active verbs, but doesn’t focus on results.
Lawyer resume skills examples
Here are 9 sample skills for lawyer:
- Mediation
- Intellectual Property Law
- Patent law
- Corporate transactions
- Family law
- Residential mortgage lending regulations
- Arbitration and litigation
- Case interpretation
- Trademark infringement
You should sprinkle skills and abilities throughout your resume. Include them in your professional summary, work experience blurbs and a dedicated skills section.
Examples of additional resume sections
Your Lawyer resume must include your contact information, professional summary, work experience, skills and education. You can further customize your resume with extra sections to showcase other qualifications.
Here are some examples of optional lawyer resume sections that you could add to provide greater detail:
- Languages
- References
- Additional skills
- Certifications
- Interests
- Accomplishments
- Software
- Professional skills
Including additional sections that help you convince employers you’re the best fit for the position. However, be selective about what qualifications you include, and eliminate any that don’t respond to the job’s specific requirements.
Examples of resume formats
The way you organize your Lawyer resume is called a resume format. There are three main resume formats: chronological, functional and combination. Here are examples of each:
The main difference among them is whether or not they give more visual weight to your work history or to your skills section. The format you should select for your resume is based on your years of work experience as a lawyer.
How to choose a resume format
0-3
Years of experience
Functional formats
- Focus on skills.
- Best for first-time lawyer who lack work experience.
- Good for people re-entering workforce.
- May omit dates in the work history section.
Organization:
- Skills listed above work experience.
3-10
Years of experience
Combination formats
- Balance skills and work history.
- Ideal for mid-career lawyer.
- Suitable for career changers and people seeking promotion.
Organization:
- Skills next to or above work experience.
10+
Years of experience
Chronological formats
- Put the most focus on work history.
- Best for lawyer with a long, steady career.
- Most popular format.
- Preferred by recruiters.
Organization:
- Work experience listed above skills.
Once you know the best format for you, it’s easy to pick a lawyer resume template. Templates are preformatted layouts created by design professionals to ensure your resume looks amazing!
Don’t forget your lawyer cover letter
A cover letter works hand-in-hand with your resume to make a stronger case for why you deserve the job.
Good communication skills are necessary for anyone applying to an Lawyer role. That’s why you’ve got to ensure your cover letter is strong!
Your cover letter should explain how you heard about the role and why it appeals to you. It should do more than repeat the details of your resume; it should bring them to life with a story.
If you want help in that challenge, check out our Cover Letter Builder! It’s a fully automated tool that will walk you through the writing process step-by-step and even suggest text you can use!
Otherwise, use our cover letter examples if you’re still brainstorming what to write. They can inspire you!
For design help, check out our cover letter templates library. We’ve got 15+ preformatted cover letter designs you can use for your document!
To create a great document from scratch, we also feature a complete guide on How to Write a Cover Letter.
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