Attorneys are in demand in just about every sector — from public to private, from real estate to maritime law. While the image most people have of lawyers is probably closer to prime time drama than reality, the job of an attorney is surprisingly diverse. Some lawyers work in the courtroom, prosecuting crimes or defending clients, while others diligently prepare legal briefs, draft contracts, advise clients, and assist in mediation. Most attorneys choose to specialize in a particular area — think criminal law, family law, or corporate law — meaning the exact skills you’ll need will depend heavily on the exact job you’re applying for. No matter what, recruiters will be looking for transferable skills in research, communication, and critical thinking.
In most states, you’ll need a law degree to practice as an attorney, as well as passing the prestigious bar exam. Once you do, you’ll be rewarded with hard work and long hours, but also with multiple career options and attractive compensation, with a median salary of over $120,000. In 2023, look for increased emphasis on fields like cybersecurity, diversity and inclusion, and emerging technologies, as well as brand new fields arising from the pandemic and its effects on the labor market.
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As an attorney, you have the crucial role of representing clients in legal matters and providing them with sound advice based on your knowledge and expertise. In recent years, the legal industry has become increasingly competitive, with law firms and companies looking for attorneys who can deliver results and adapt to the ever-changing legal landscape. A well-crafted resume is essential for showcasing your skills and standing out from the crowd, as employers are keen on finding candidates who demonstrate strong work ethic, attention to detail, and expertise in their respective fields.
A strong attorney resume not only highlights your accomplishments, but it should also showcase your ability to analyze complex legal issues, communicate effectively, and work well under pressure. This is why it is vital to carefully tailor your resume and make sure you put your best foot forward.
In your work experience section, be sure to emphasize your accomplishments and results in previous legal roles. Highlight specific cases you've worked on, including the outcomes, and showcase your expertise in your chosen practice area. This will help demonstrate your abilities and command of the legal field.
Law firms and employers pay close attention to the accuracy and cohesiveness of your resume. Make sure your resume is error-free, well-structured, and tailored to the specific job posting. Include keywords from the job description and focus on your skills and experiences that best align with the requirements and responsibilities of the position.
While every field of law is different, some duties and expectations remain the same for attorneys across the board. Lawyers represent clients and provide legal advice, interpret case law, oversee mediations, prepare legal documents, and occasionally appear in court. Whatever your field, you’ll need skills in research, communication, and building relationships, as well as appropriate legal qualifications.
It’s crucial to tailor your resume to each specific job you apply for. This doesn’t mean you need to completely rewrite your resume every time — adding a resume title and editing your skills list are two easy ways to make sure your resume is targeted at the position you actually want.
Including hard numbers and metrics in your bullet points is the best way to demonstrate the skills an employer is looking for and ensure you’re focusing on your accomplishments, not just your duties. “Handled mediations” is a job description; “handled over 110 mediations with a 95% settlement rate” is an achievement.
As an Associate Attorney, you'll be responsible for supporting senior attorneys in various legal matters and conducting research to ensure a strong case foundation. With the legal industry becoming increasingly competitive, firms are prioritizing candidates with a comprehensive understanding of the industry and the ability to adapt to evolving trends. Your resume plays a crucial role in showcasing your competencies, legal knowledge, and experience in handling diverse legal matters, making it essential to create a resume that sets you apart in this dynamic industry.
To impress potential employers, it's crucial that your resume highlights your legal expertise and showcases your ability to contribute to the firm's success. As hiring managers sift through numerous resumes, yours should be tailored to the Associate Attorney role and emphasize your achievements and proficiency in legal research, analysis, and writing.
As a core competency for Associate Attorneys, emphasize your research capabilities by citing specific examples of research projects you've completed, and detail how your findings contributed to successful case resolutions or informed legal strategy.
In your resume, focus on your ability to effectively communicate complex legal concepts to clients and colleagues, while also highlighting your organizational skills in managing multiple cases simultaneously. Mention any successful cases you've helped manage and notable instances where you simplified legal jargon for clients.
Associate attorneys work on a contract basis rather than a partnership. They’re often less experienced and may be supervised by a senior or more experienced employee. As an associate attorney, you’ll be called upon to prepare brief and case reports, build relationships with clients, and provide legal support. Your resume should emphasize transferable skills as well as any technical skills specific to your field.
Adding a title at the top of your resume is the easiest way to customize your resume. If you don’t have a lot of relevant experience — like if you’re at the beginning of your career or are a career changer — this will also ensure that your resume has the necessary keywords to make it past Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS).
If you have a long list of skills, or want to include a mixture of technical skills, techniques, and certifications, it’s a good idea to break it up into different sections. Listing skills this way allows you to include everything you want without sacrificing a hiring manager’s ability to quickly skim your resume.
As an experienced attorney, you've spent years honing your legal acumen and negotiation skills. Now, your professional journey has brought you to a junction where your skills, strengths, and experiences become your greatest assets. The legal landscape is constantly evolving with new statutes, regulations, and technological advancements playing prominent roles. These changes need to be reflected in your resume. You'll want to demonstrate an understanding of these trends, alongside a proven track record in legal practice.
The legal world, unlike many other sectors, prioritizes a traditional, no-frills approach when it comes to resumes. While creativity is appreciated in your litigation strategies, when it comes to your resume, simplicity is king. It must reflect your ability to distill complex information into clear, concise expressions - a skill invaluable to an experienced attorney.
Over your career, you've likely specialized in certain areas of law. Whether it's corporate, family, criminal, or intellectual property law, you should highlight your specialty and illustrate your achievements in that area. This will show potential employers your depth of knowledge and your capacity to handle specific legal cases.
As an experienced attorney, you've presumably led and won several cases. Detail these on your resume, focusing on victories that had a significant impact. Include specifics about the case, your role, and the positive outcome. This paints a picture of your litigation prowess and indicates the value you can bring to a new firm.
As a senior or experienced attorney, you should be able to demonstrate a strong track record of success, including securing positive outcomes for clients and experience overseeing more junior employees. As an experienced lawyer, you’ll take on more of a management role — making leadership skills essential — as well as more responsibility providing expert legal advice, collaborating with other teams, and drafting important legal documents.
If you’re applying for a senior-level position, employers are going to be looking for a history of career growth. Highlight promotions by listing the job titles separately under the same company heading, including separate bullet points if the positions were significantly different. Even without a formal promotion, you can demonstrate growth by emphasizing a progression of responsibilities in your accomplishments.
As you take on more experienced positions, you’ll also be expected to broaden your skill set. As an experienced attorney, you’ll need a wider range of transferable skills, which you can demonstrate through your accomplishments. Developing new programs, managing a team, or supervising junior staff are all great ways of showing leadership and initiative.
As a Litigation Attorney, your role will primarily involve representing clients in lawsuits, advocating on their behalf in court, and negotiating settlements. In recent years, the legal industry has seen a rise in the demand for specialized attorneys, with companies placing an emphasis on finding candidates with specific case experience. The importance of a well-crafted resume for this role cannot be overstated, as employers are keen to identify applicants with the right blend of expertise and skillset.
A strong Litigation Attorney resume not only highlights your legal experience and successes but also showcases how you approach cases and your ability to adapt to different types of litigation. This helps potential employers understand your value as an attorney and how you can contribute to their organization.
In your resume, make sure to highlight your specific litigation experience, including the types of cases you have handled, industries involved, clients represented, and any notable outcomes. This provides employers with a clear understanding of your expertise and demonstrates your success in the courtroom.
Strong legal research and analytical skills are crucial for a Litigation Attorney. Briefly describing some of the research methods you've employed and showcasing examples of cases where your research led to a favorable outcome can be an effective way to demonstrate your proficiency in this area.
Litigation attorneys work primarily in a courtroom setting, though litigators also cover alternative dispute resolution like arbitration and mediation. As a trial lawyer, you’ll be investigating cases, providing initial assessments, researching relevant case law, gathering witness statements, and representing your clients through the trial process. Excellent verbal and written communication skills are a must, so make sure you choose accomplishments that help those soft skills stand out.
Starting every bullet point with a strong action verb keeps the focus on what you accomplished, not just what you were assigned to do. Use verbs like “coordinated,” “supervised,” and “represented” to highlight your achievements and clarify exactly what your role was.
When you’re applying for a specialized position like litigation attorney, including a broad range of skills can hurt you more than it helps. Narrow down a handful of the most important skills or keywords employers are looking for — like Lenstar, LPS, and MS Access — and let those stand out.
As a real estate attorney, your resume should showcase your expertise in property law, transactions, and dispute resolution. The real estate industry has seen significant growth in recent years, so companies are keen to find attorneys with the skills to navigate complex legal issues in this field. Your resume is crucial in demonstrating how you can help businesses protect their investments and achieve success in this competitive market.
In this role, your responsibilities often include drafting and reviewing contracts, negotiating deals, conducting due diligence, and advising clients on legal matters relating to property acquisition and disposition. To stand out in this field, your resume should emphasize your strengths and achievements in these areas.
As an experienced real estate attorney, you should emphasize your past experience in real estate transactions, litigation, and other property-related legal matters. Include specific examples of cases or deals you managed, and note the outcomes achieved.
Real estate law requires a firm grasp of local, state, and federal laws and regulations. Demonstrate your knowledge on your resume by mentioning relevant legal statutes, rules, and regulations you've worked with. This shows potential employers that you can provide comprehensive guidance in specific jurisdictions.
Real estate attorneys deal with the purchase and sale or property, from private home ownership to major corporate buyouts. In addition to preparing and reviewing sale documents, you may be tasked with researching appropriate state and local laws, including those that cover zoning, titles, deeds, and taxes, and with representing your client during negotiations and at closing. To succeed, you’ll need to demonstrate a good knowledge of real estate and contract law.
If you’re an attorney in a specific field like real estate law, it’s best to keep the focus of your resume on that field as much as possible. That also means it’s better to leave older or less relevant information off your resume to make room for more recent accomplishments, unless you have a specific older achievement that’s particularly impressive.
Generally, the more information you can fit — concisely — into your bullet points, the better. That means being specific about how the number of cases you’ve handled or clients you’ve represented, the sizes of the firms or teams you’ve worked with, and the timeline of any accelerated promotions.
Corporate attorneys concentrate on corporate law. In this position, you will be representing corporations rather than employees or other individual stakeholders. Some of your responsibilities will include drafting and reviewing contracts, working on mergers, and otherwise ensuring that a corporation follows all laws that govern it. You must be an expert in corporate law and will need to show recruiters that you have years of experience legally representing corporations.
Corporate lawyers are usually skilled in many areas of general law. But for your corporate attorney resume, concentrate on listing the skills that are directly related to corporate law. This applicant has done this effectively.
It is beneficial to give recruiters a clear picture of some of your successes so include key details of cases you won or settlements you negotiated. It’ll help give them a better idea of your experience. If you have represented impressive companies like the 7 Fortune 500 companies that this applicant has represented, make sure to state that clearly.
As the name suggests, your job will be to make sure a company complies with all regulations and laws relevant to them. You will complete legal risk assessments, create legal risk-minimizing strategies, and work with companies to move them into compliance. You will be expected to at least have a bachelor’s degree in law, finance, or a related field. Here is a recruiter-approved resume sample.
Some companies require you to be certified as a compliance attorney so ensure you list your certifications and qualifications clearly.
Show recruiters how much you can do by including figures in your experience section. E.g. it is more impressive to say you ‘audited 18k documents’ than that you audited documents.
Compliance attorneys are lawyers specialized in the rules and requirements of operation within companies, institutes, and organizations. To work in this field, you must attend law school and complete a compliance specialty.
Usually, lawyers in this field gain experience through law firms with specific cases related to business compliance. Companies hire these specialists because of their advanced knowledge of legal issues, government regulations, and requirements.
The entire curriculum must focus on compliance since lawyers have a very extensive competitive field covering hundreds of areas. If you want to impress your potential employers, focus your CV on compliance and legal regulations within the business. You can include the related experience to offer a more realistic concept of your talent.
Finally, attach the evidence to validate your knowledge in the field of compliance. Law schools offer training in this area, which can help you improve your chances of finding a higher-paying job.
In this role, you will help your client with any transaction or deal they wish to process. Your client may be an individual or may be a company, whether public or private. Tasks you may be assigned include drafting contracts, drafting other legal documents, giving your clients advice on transactions, etc. You need to have a strong background in the relevant areas of law and a history in transactional law.
Show recruiters that you have specialized knowledge and skills in transactional law by including relevant certifications like this applicant has done. It will also show recruiters that you are passionate about transactional law.
Grab recruiters’ attention from the very beginning of your resume. Because they may not have time to scrutinize the hundreds of resumes they get, it’s advantageous to include impressive achievements and metrics in the introduction section as this applicant has done.
Family law attorneys handle most legal processes that involve family matters. You may be involved with processes like divorce, child custody cases, and adoptions. You may also be tasked with drawing up legal documents like wills and prenuptial agreements. You will deal with very emotional processes and people so you must have excellent interpersonal skills, a lot of empathy, and a strong legal background. Here is a strong resume sample.
Family lawyers are skilled in many areas of general law. But for your family attorney resume, concentrate on listing the skills that are directly related to family law like alimony, child support, or divorce.
Patent attorneys help clients apply for patents and handle any legal issues that may come up due to a patent. You need to be an expert in patent law and intellectual property law. You will need to show this expertise in your experience or your qualifications. Your resume should also show that you have a successful track record of defending clients and winning patent claims and cases. Take a look at this recruiter-approved resume sample.
List the areas of law that you are an expert in that relate to patent law. This applicant has included trademark law and international law among their areas of expertise.
Grab recruiters’ attention from the very beginning of your resume. Because they may not have time to scrutinize the hundreds of resumes they get, it’s advantageous to include impressive achievements, like an impressive case win, in the introduction section as this applicant has done.
You need to be well-qualified to win an entry-level attorney position. All firms will need you to have gotten a law degree and some will require you to have already passed the bar to qualify. Make sure you do your research to make sure you qualify for the firms you want to apply to.
In terms of what you can expect in the position, you will mostly be assisting more senior attorneys by doing a lot of research and administrative tasks. You can expect to work very long hours and have a heavy workload as you learn and prove yourself to your bosses. Take a look at this recruiter-approved resume sample.
Firms are looking for new attorneys who can handle the heavy workload of the position. Prove your capabilities by including metrics or how many legal documents, interviews, and contracts you produced in a limited time.
Legal certifications are particularly useful if you have not passed the bar yet. They can put you above your otherwise equally qualified competitors. It also shows initiative and passion for the profession on your part.
Immigration attorneys handle cases that involve immigration. The kinds of cases you may encounter include immigration cases, refugee cases, or even citizenship cases. These cases may not necessarily involve you going to court but may involve you assisting in filing legal documents and giving legal advice. You need to be an expert on immigration law in the country you wish to practice in, and you need to be properly certified as a lawyer and have passed the bar exam. Here is a successful immigration attorney resume.
Immigration law is a broad subject and involves many different kinds of cases. Use your technical skills section to list the areas of immigration law that you are especially skilled and knowledgeable in. This applicant is skilled in dealing with deportation cases, citizenship cases, and asylum cases, among others.
It is beneficial to your application for potential clients and employers to see that you have immigration-specific education and certification. It builds confidence in your expertise and abilities in this area of law.
As the name suggests, contract attorneys specialize in all legal issues to do with contracts. You may be tasked with drafting contracts, scrutinizing contracts, dealing with contract disputes, and representing your client in court on any contract-related cases. You need to be an expert on contract law and recruiters will expect to see a long history in that area of law. Here is a recruiter-approved resume sample.
Contract law is broad, and many attorneys specialize in certain areas of contract law. If you do, make it clear in your resume. This applicant clearly specializes in patent law as almost all their experience listed is patent law-related.
Show recruiters that you are a hardworking and successful attorney by showing a steady upward career trajectory. It shows recruiters your dedication to your profession and your impressive success. This applicant began in a law intern position and has grown to a contract attorney position.
As a hiring manager who has recruited attorneys at top law firms like Kirkland & Ellis, Skadden, and Cravath, I've seen countless resumes. The most effective ones showcase the candidate's legal expertise, highlight their achievements, and demonstrate their ability to think critically. In this article, we'll share some key tips to help you create a compelling attorney resume that will catch the attention of hiring managers and increase your chances of landing an interview.
Employers look for attorneys with specific legal expertise relevant to their practice areas. Highlight your specialization and the depth of your knowledge in your resume:
Avoid being too general or vague about your legal expertise:
A resume summary for attorneys is optional but can be a strategic way to provide additional context about your legal experience and career goals. It's particularly useful if you're a career changer or have a diverse legal background that may not be immediately apparent from your work history alone. In contrast, an objective statement is outdated and should be avoided.
When crafting your attorney resume summary, focus on highlighting your most relevant skills, accomplishments, and areas of expertise. Avoid repeating information that's already covered in other sections of your resume. Instead, use this space to provide a high-level overview of your qualifications and the value you can bring to a law firm or organization.
Your work experience section is the heart of your attorney resume. It's where you'll showcase your relevant legal experience, key accomplishments, and the skills that make you the best candidate for the job. Here are some tips to help you write a strong work experience section that will impress hiring managers and land you an interview.
When applying for attorney positions, your education section is a critical component of your resume. It demonstrates your academic qualifications and helps employers determine if you meet the necessary educational requirements for the role. Here are some key tips to keep in mind when crafting your education section:
Attorneys need to be proactive, which means your resume bullet points shouldn’t read like a list of job duties. Frame your accomplishments in a positive light by starting with strong action verbs. These let a hiring manager know what you’ve actually done and provide an insight into your strengths as an attorney. For example, using words like “researched” or “drafted” emphasizes your written communication and critical thinking skills, while “prosecuted” and “negotiated” indicate the ability to put together a strong verbal argument.
In your bullet points, always lead with the action verb, followed up by your specific role or accomplishment and the impact it had. Try to choose verbs that fit the job you’re applying for, not just the ones you’ve left — even if you’ve never held a leadership role, if you’re applying for a senior position, you should try to start at least one or two bullet points with “led,” “trained,” or “supervised.”
For a full list of effective resume action verbs, visit Resume Action Verbs.
Many skills required by attorneys — including communication, building interpersonal relationships, and the ability to work under pressure — are ones that don’t belong on the skills list at the bottom of your resume. These should go in your bullet points instead, with accomplishments and hard metrics to back them up. Instead of saying you have excellent written communication, highlight the number of briefs you’ve prepared or an article you’ve written in a law review.
To find the skills and keywords you’ll need to get past Applicant Tracking systems (ATS) and impress recruiters, check out our comprehensive list of skills and keywords compiled from an analysis of over a million job descriptions, or use our free Targeted Resume tool to get personalized feedback on how you can instantly improve your resume.
You can include the above skills in a dedicated Skills section on your resume, or weave them in your experience. Here's how you might create your dedicated skills section:
This word cloud highlights the important keywords that appear on Attorney job descriptions and resumes. The bigger the word, the more frequently it appears on job postings, and the more 'important' it is.
Thank you for the checklist! I realized I was making so many mistakes on my resume that I've now fixed. I'm much more confident in my resume now.
