Legal Assistant Resume Examples

Land your desired job with help from our Legal Assistant resume examples! We’ve got high-quality samples, plus tips for organizing and writing each resume section.

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LiveCareer Staff Writer
by LiveCareer Staff Writer
Last Updated: September 13, 2023 
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Legal Assistant 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 Legal Assistant 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.

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Good example:

“ I am a motivated and experienced Legal Assistant with 8+ years of experience providing administrative support to attorneys and legal departments. I am highly skilled in legal research, document drafting, and client management, and have a proven track record of streamlining processes to increase efficiency and productivity. I am adept at utilizing technology to improve workflows and create a positive work environment.”

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.
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Bad example:

“ Experienced Legal Assistant with knowledge of the legal system. Able to provide support to attorneys and handle administrative tasks. Passionate about helping clients navigate the legal process.”

Why this example fails:

  • Doesn’t include any numbers that quantify legal assistant’s performance
  • Uses vague descriptions and skills.
  • Doesn’t include years of teaching experience.

The fastest way to write your
professional summary

The last thing you want is to miss out on a job because you didn’t apply in time. That’s why you should check out our Resume Builder.

It’s automated and offers pre-written content to help you write an excellent professional summary. You can complete your entire resume in 15 minutes!

  • 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!

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Legal Assistant 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 Legal Assistant 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.

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Good example:

Rolling Meadows Middle School I Rolling Meadows, IL I 8/2018-current

  • Assisted in the preparation of legal documents, such as contracts, pleadings, and motions
  • Researched legal precedent and wrote memoranda of law for review by attorneys
  • Prepared and organized exhibits, affidavits, and other documents for use in legal proceedings
  • Coordinated with court personnel to ensure timely filing of documents and other deadlines.

Why this example passes:

  • Numbers and statistics add detail and quantify the results this legal assistant 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.”
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Bad example:

Emily Dickinson Elementary I Redmond, WA I 4/2022-present

  • Answered phones and emails
  • Prepared legal documents
  • Assisted attorneys with research
  • Filed paperwork in the office

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.

Legal Assistant resume skills examples

Here are 18 sample skills for legal assistant:

  • Quality Control
  • Client Relations
  • Project Management
  • Administrative Support
  • Database Management
  • Logistics Management
  • Travel Coordination
  • Office Management
  • Document Control
  • Case Management
  • Legal Compliance
  • Conflict Mediation
  • Risk Management
  • Customer Relationship Management
  • Document Preparation
  • Data Management
  • Relationship Building
  • Payroll Processing

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

Every Legal Assistant resume should have at least five sections: contact information, professional summary, work experience, skills and education. It can also be helpful to add extra sections if they show you’re a fit for the job.

Here are some examples of optional legal assistant resume sections that you could add to provide greater detail:

  • References
  • Additional skills
  • Languages
  • Soft skills
  • Professional skills
  • Certifications
  • Timeline
  • Overview

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

You can use one of three established layouts to organize your resume sections, also called resume formats. The three resume formats are chronological, functional and combination.

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 legal assistant.

How to choose a resume format

0-3
Years of experience

Functional formats

  • Focus on skills.
  • Best for first-time legal assistant 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 legal assistant.
  • 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 legal assistant 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 legal assistant resume template. Templates are preformatted layouts created by design professionals to ensure your resume looks amazing!

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