How to Start a Cover Letter: 6 Best Introductions Examples
How to start a cover letter? Just follow our guide and write a cover letter introduction that will sweep your future boss off their feet.
Olga Ber
Career Expert
Legal jobs pay big and let you use your powers for the public good. But how can you get that one dreamy job? Prepare a winning law resume on a professional, polished template.
Looking for a legal job is awful. You hunt and apply, and hear the silence of an empty courtroom. Plus, you feel like your legal resume is vanishing without being read.
Hiring managers skim resumes. They don’t read them carefully. Your wonderful legal skills are probably being disregarded. Break precedent with a great law firm resume. With the right law firm accomplishments, you’ll shine like Cravath, Swaine & Moore.
In this guide:
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Need a certain kind of law resume? See our guides:
Thinking about law school? You know you can do it. See our guide: Law School Resume Sample & Guide
Haven't found what you're looking for? Check all our Resume Examples for Any Job.
Jim Wentz
Legal Assistant
Personal Info
Phone: 702-510-1765
E-mail: jimzwentz@gmail.com
linkedin.com/in/jimzwentz
twitter.com/jimzwentz
Summary
Expert legal assistant with 3 years of experience finding efficiencies in law offices. Seeking to deliver time savings at Chelton & Zanahoria. Wrote 200+ legal documents at Michaud & Love with 99.9% accuracy. Saved 6+ hours a week with filing skills.
Certifications
Experience
Legal Assistant
Michaud & Love, Las Vegas, NV
2016–2019
Key Achievement:
Office Clerk
Michaud & Love, Las Vegas, NV
2014–2016
Education
Paralegal Studies, Post Baccalaureate Certificate
College of Southern Nevada
2012–2014
BA, Liberal Arts
University of Nevada, Reno
2008–2012
Additional Activities
Hard Skills: legal document writing, billing, research, docketing, scheduling
Soft Skills: interpersonal skills, written communication, efficiency, time management
Here’s how to write a legal resume that changes lives:
How can you look your best? You don’t want to write a legal resume that makes the wrong impression. You can believe your resume format is a big part of your case. But what format is best for a legal resume?
Use the reverse-chronological layout to acquit yourself in style. Then, follow these tips:
Expert Hint: Legal assistants average $57,000 a year. Paralegals earn $74,000. You can get an associate’s degree in paralegal studies for as little as $3,000 in 15 months. The smart money? Work as a legal assistant or legal secretary while you get your paralegal degree online. Then move your law resume up to higher pay.
Nightmare time. You write the best law resume in the pile. But the partner doesn’t read it because she’s got 200 more. Don’t let her do that. Get her attention like a subpoena and start your resume with a stunning resume profile in the form of a (resume summary or summary of qualifications).
See these legal resume examples:
Legal Assistant
Attorney/Lawyer
Paralegal
Those resume profiles all include:
What if you’re still drying the ink on your legal degree? See these entry-level legal resume samples:
Entry-Level Paralegal
Entry-Level Attorney
See what they did? Both those entry-level resume examples show their best law achievements to date.
You know what’s hard? You sit down to write a legal resume... It’s a piece of paper. It’s supposed to prove they should hire you. That’s enough to make you jump bail. But here’s the good news. Hand-pick moments from your past that fit this legal job, and you’ll look like Elle Woods.
That starts with finding resume keywords and resume skills buried in the job ad. Then, target your resume with them. See these legal resume samples:
Legal Assistant
The job wants someone skilled in answering calls, billing, filing, and legal writing.
That binds you to the job.
Attorney
This job wants a lawyer skilled in managing case files and mediations.
Do it like those legal resume examples and you’ll seem like Atticus Finch.
But hold on. What if you’re writing a law firm resume with no experience? Work that same magic with skills that slot into the job. See these law resume examples with no experience:
Legal Assistant
Say the job needs scheduling, proofreading, and answering phones.
Now let's say you were a marketing specialist and are writinga law school application. Well, you know law school students need skills in research, presentation, and collaboration.
See, this example uses power words instead of simply listing job duties. That’s Jones-Day-worthy.
Now you know—your legal resume skills must come from the job ad. Need a few skills to get you started? Take a look:
Paralegal
Legal Assistant
Attorney
Law School Applicant and Transferable Skills (Soft Skills)
The ResumeLab builder is more than looks. Get specific content to boost your chances of getting the job. Add job descriptions, bullet points, and skills. Easy. Improve your resume in our resume builder now.
Nail it all with a splash of color, choose a clean font, and highlight your skills in just a few clicks. You're the perfect candidate, and we'll prove it. Use our resume builder now.
Your education section is no joke in a legal resume. But did you know? It needs to sell a few more of your skills. These legal resume samples show how:
You’ve come so far. Don’t blow it by giving up before you’re done.
Your legal resume can wow them like Marshall Eriksen. But only if you pack it with incontestable proof.
Include certifications, publications, and other bonus items. Here’s a full list:
See these legal resume examples:
Legal Assistant
Attorney
Why do those legal resume samples work? They show added competencies you can’t get from work experience.
Expert Hint: Writing a cover letter for your resume for legal jobs will boost your odds. The chance they’ll read it is 50/50, but if you don’t write one and they want it, you’re sunk.
Double your impact with a matching resume and cover letter combo. Use our cover letter generator and make your application documents pop out.
Want to try a different look? There's 21 more. A single click will give your document a total makeover. Pick a cover letter template here.
Haven't written your cover letter yet? See these related guides:
Here’s how to write a legal resume:
Got questions on how to write good resumes for legal jobs? Not sure how to put legal experience on a resume? Leave a comment. We’ll be happy to reply!
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How to start a cover letter? Just follow our guide and write a cover letter introduction that will sweep your future boss off their feet.
Olga Ber
Career Expert
You’re a high school student who wants to land your first full-time job or internship. Show the managers how valuable you are with this great resume for high school students.
Mariusz Wawrzyniak
Career Expert
“Next,” said the recruiter putting another application into the trash. Then he grabs yours, you pass instantly. That's the power of the perfect headline for a resume!
Mariusz Wawrzyniak
Career Expert