Legal Assistant Resume Examples—Job Description & Skills

You’ve stumbled on the perfect legal assistant resume sample. But they won’t hire the best legal assistant for the job.

They’ll hire whoever has the best resume.

Not a resume writing expert? Don’t worry. We are. And we’ll guide you through the steps to knock those partners on their Gucci mohair pants.

In this guide:

• A legal assistant resume sample better than most.
• How to write a legal assistant resume that proves your case.
• Examples of a resume for a legal assistant with no experience.
• How to fine-tune your legal assistant job description to the opening.
• Why you can’t just list legal assistant skills (and what to do instead).

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Do you really need a legal assistant resume or something else? See our guides:

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• Entry-Level Administrative Assistant Resume
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• Law School Resume
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Haven't found what you're looking for? Check all our Resume Examples for Over 200 Jobs.

Legal Assistant Resume Example You Can Copy and Use

Legal Assistants are responsible for aiding lawyers with a variety of tasks. These can include taking notes during meetings, scheduling travels and appointments, and answering phone calls and emails. They also often help with creating legal documentation and conducting legal research.

Here’s how to write a legal assistant resume that works:

1. Start With the Best Legal Assistant Resume Format

Yikes!

The format of your resume is sloppy. Now the partners think you’re lazy. At this moment, they’re picturing you dropping horseradish on a case file.

Let’s file an injunction against that. To write a professional legal assistant resume use these tips:

Legal Assistant Resume Format

• Create a 1-page resume.
• Choose a resume font like 11–14pt Arial or Tahoma.
• Leave white space in between so they don’t give up reading.
• Set 1-inch resume margins.
• Write resume sections for Heading, Summary, Experience, Education, and Skills.
• Add jobs in reverse-chronological resume layout.
• For easy reading on all platforms, send a PDF resume.

Expert Hint: Glassdoor data shows legal assistants make from $42,000 to $79,000 per year. That’s a massive spread. To find your way to the upper end of the range, target your resume for legal assistant jobs like Jack McCoy. I’ll show how next.

2. Make a Legal Assistant Resume Objective or Summary

Warning:

Most hiring managers and partners spend 6 seconds reading each resume. But what if you could make them spend ten times that on yours?

You can.

You just need a powerful career objective statement or career summary statement.

Include:

1. An adjective (efficient, enthusiastic)
2. “Legal assistant ” (or title from the job ad)
3. Years of experience (1+, 8+)
4. How & who you’ll help (provide fast, excellent support at Dobbins & Eisengart)
5. Best resume accomplishments (Wrote 150+ legal documents...)

See these legal assistant resume examples:

Legal Assistant Resume Summary—Example

Efficient legal assistant with 3+ years of experience saving time for partners. Seeking to provide fast, excellent support at Dobbins & Eisengart. Wrote 150+ legal documents at Walsh, Harrison & Montana with no errors. Saved 5+ hours a week with new file system.

Experienced legal assistant, skilled in writing legal documents. An expert at filing and document storage. Excels in saving time for partners and associates. A great communicator and researcher with strong writing skills.

Verdict?

The second of those legal assistant resume samples promises writing and filing. But the first adds 150+ documents and 5+ hours saved per week.

Saying you’re skilled is nice. Giving proof is hirable.

“But I’m just getting started in the legal assistant field!”

You can still have a great resume. See these entry-level resume samples for legal assistant jobs:

Entry-Level Legal Assistant Resume Objective

Enthusiastic entry-level legal assistant skilled in clerical tasks. Seeking to provide efficiency at Dobbins & Eisengart. As front desk clerk at Walsh, Harrison & Montana, scheduled 1,500+ appointments, answered 20+ phone calls per day and proofread 30+ legal documents per week.

Entry-level legal assistant, very skilled in scheduling appointments and answering phone calls. Have not yet worked as a legal assistant, but am good at research and proofreading. Can start soon and will work hard.

Brief recess.

The second of those entry-level legal assistant resume examples with no experience makes empty promises.

Wouldn’t you rather hire the first? You can believe she’ll do the job. But here’s the kicker—

It’s the same applicant. She just used more details in exhibit A.

3. Target Your Legal Assistant Job Description and Skills Section to the Job

What legal assistant skills do you need in a resume? See this list of skills to put on a resume:

Legal Assistant Resume Skills

Hard Skills	Soft Skills
Legal Research	Interpersonal Skills
Writing	Collaboration
Billing	Communication
Scheduling	Time Management
Docketing	Efficiency
Transcription	Problem Solving
Pleadings	Perception
Family Law	Attention to Detail
Contracts	Accountability
Filing	Analytical Skills

Don’t pin them all on a resume for legal assistant jobs. That’s shifty.

Instead, write the job description and tailor your resume with resume keywords from the online job posting.

These legal assistant resume samples show how:

Say the job ad wants skills in answering calls, maintaining office records, billing, and proofreading.

Legal Assistant Job Description for a Resume [Sample]

Experience

Legal Assistant

Walsh, Harrison & Montana, Minneapolis, MN

2016–2019

• Answered 50+ calls per week on attorney direct lines. Answered customer inquiries and solved minor problems, saving attorney time.
• Maintained office records. Implemented new storage system that saved 5+ clerical hours per week for the firm.
• Prepared billing statements for attorneys, ensuring 7% more billable hours than predecessor. Facilitated a 10% revenue increase.

• Wrote and proofread 150+ legal documents with zero errors.

• Solved minor customer problems and complaints, escalating larger issues to partners and associates.
• Managed client documents and account information.
• Performed daily legal research for partners.
• Assisted with trademark searches and title searches.

I rest my case.

The first of those legal assistant resume examples has evidence of billing, proofreading, and other desired skills. It’s also got 5+, 10%, and 150+ for scale.

But—

What if your legal assistant experience is preliminary? A resume with no experience can use law office achievements from other jobs.

See these junior legal assistant resume examples with no experience:

This job wants answering phones, scheduling, and research.

Entry-Level Legal Assistant Resume Job Description [Sample]

• Greeted walk-in clients as they entered the premises.
• Proofread documents per week with high accuracy levels.
• Commended by supervisor for communication skills.
• Facilitated regular client meetings and appointments.

Always add numbers when you can to measure your success.

The second of those entry-level legal assistant resume samples misses out on numbers and resume keywords.

Expert Hint: NALA research shows most legal assistants and paralegals work in litigation or family law practices. If you’ve got experience in those areas, show it on your resume for legal assistant jobs. That’s especially powerful if you’re applying to a litigation or family law firm!

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.

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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.

4. Write a Skills-Packed Education Section

Can your resume education section get you hired?

Yes! But not the way you think.

You don’t need a Harvard Law School degree to be a great legal assistant.

You just need to show you built law skills in school.

Follow this legal assistant resume sample:

Legal Assistant Resume Example—Education

5. Add “Special” Sections to Your Legal Assistant Resume

Question:

Who will the partners hire? A legal assistant who punched a clock? Or someone passionate?

If you show legal achievements outside work, they’ll know you love your career.

You can add:

• Certifications (CP, PC, etc.)
• Volunteering
• Freelancing
• Professional associations (NALA, NALS)
• Employee awards
• Publications
• Foreign languages
• Additional activities
• Conferences
• Athletics

See these legal assistant resume examples:

Legal Assistant Resume—Other Sections

Certifications

2019 — Certified Paralegal, NALA

2018 — Certified Notary

Additional Activities

• Active member, NALA.
• Mentor 4 other paralegal assistants in best practices.
• Walk shelter dogs 2x per month at Hubbard County Animal Shelter.

The facts?

Only the first of those legal assistant resume samples makes you more hirable. 

Expert Hint: Learn how to write a cover letter for a job as a legal assistant. Focus on the firm’s needs so they know you understand them. Then show you’ve handled similar legal assistant duties before.

Double your impact with a matching resume and cover letter combo. Use our cover letter generator and make your application documents pop out.

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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:

• Legal Assistant Cover Letter
• Legal Cover Letter
• Paralegal Cover Letter

Key Points

Here’s how to write a legal assistant resume:

• Start with a professional legal assistant resume template. Fill it with your best legal assistant high points.
• Include legal assistant skills like research and writing. Use numbers to show the impact of your skills.
• Write a legal assistant resume objective that gives your best attributes in brief.
• Show you can handle any task with a well-crafted legal assistant job description for resume.
• Add “special” resume sections like a NALS membership or CP certification as proof you live and breathe your legal work.

Got questions on how to write good resumes for legal assistant jobs? Not sure how to put legal assistant on a resume? Leave a comment. We’ll be happy to reply! 

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