Legal CV—Examples and 25+ Writing Tips

Looking for a legal job is awful. You hunt and apply, and hear the silence of an empty courtroom.

Plus, you feel like your law CV is vanishing without being read.

That feeling is probably true.

Hiring managers skim CVs. They don’t read them carefully.

Your wonderful legal skills are probably being disregarded.

Break precedent with a great law firm CV.

With the right law firm accomplishments, you’ll shine like Cravath, Swaine & Moore.

In this guide:

• A legal CV sample better than most.
• How to write a legal CV that gets you hired.
• How to customise your legal job description for CVs.
• Why you can’t just list legal skills (and what to do instead).

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Need a certain kind of law CV? See our guides:

• Paralegal CV Sample & Guide
• Attorney CV Sample & Guide

Thinking about law school? You know you can do it. See our guide: Law School CV Sample & Guide

Haven't found what you're looking for? Check all our CV Examples for Any Job.

Now__

Legal CV Template You Can Copy and Use

Here’s how to write a legal CV that changes lives:

1. Use a Trusted Legal CV Format

How can you look your best?

You don’t want to write a legal CV that makes the wrong impression.

You can believe your CV format is a big part of your case.

Use the reverse-chronological layout to acquit yourself in style.

Then follow these tips:

Legal CV Format

• Choose 1-inch CV margins on all sides of your CV.
• Pick a common CV font like 10–12pt Arial or Garamond.
• What should a CV look like? Create CV sections for Heading, Summary, Experience, Education, and Skills.
• Use white space for readability.
• Keep your CV length short at one page unless you’ve got 7+ years of legal experience. Only then a two-page CV is fine.
• Create a PDF CV. They don’t turn delinquent once you send them.

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 CV up to higher pay.

2. Write a Legal CV Summary or Objective

Nightmare time.

You write the best law CV 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 CV with a stunning CV profile in the form of a (CV summary or summary of qualifications).

See these legal CV examples:

Legal Secretary CV Summary Examples

Legal Assistant

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.

Attorney/Lawyer 

Driven litigation attorney with 2+ years of experience. Seeking to use proven skills in negotiation and trial preparation to help clients at Jolicoeur and Peabody. At HSL, billed for 1500 billable hours per year while maintaining 97% client satisfaction rate. Brought 32 cases to trial, settling 95% of cases out of court.

Paralegal

Certified paralegal with 4+ years of experience and a background in personal injury law. Seeking to save time at Beckstead & Passalaqua with expert legal research, legal document writing, and trial preparation. Assisted Chewonki Health’s Legal Affairs team in implementing a new filing system. Fluent in Spanish.

The gist?

Those CV profiles all include:

1. An adjective (driven, certified)
2. The legal job title from the online ad
3. Years of experience (2+, 4+)
4. How and who you’ll help (save time at Beckstead & Passalaqua)
5. Best legal moments (97% client satisfaction rate...)

Now—

What if you’re still drying the ink on your legal degree?

Shake off the fear.

See these entry-level legal CV samples:

Entry-Level Legal Assistant CV Objective

Entry-Level Paralegal 

Engaged paralegal and recent graduate with University of Eastern Idaho Paralegal Certificate and concentration in bankruptcy law. Seeking to used my skills in legal research and foreclosure trial assistance as a junior paralegal for the ACLU.

Entry-Level Attorney

Passionate attorney seeking to increase billable hours at Litman & Chouinard. Judged 5 Moot Court Competitions. Perform one pro bono trial preparation per month for small claims court. Have reviewed 12 contracts for local artists.

See what they did?

Both those entry-level CV examples show their best law achievements to date.

3. Write a Specific Legal Job Description and Skills Section

You know what’s hard?

You sit down to write a legal CV...

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 CV keywords and CV skills buried in the job ad.

Then, target your CV with them.

See these legal CV samples:

Legal Job Descriptions for a CV [Sample]

Legal Assistant

The job wants someone skilled in answering calls, billing, filing, and legal writing.

Experience

Legal Assistant

Michaud & Love, Manchester

2016–2019

• Answered 60+ client calls each week for attorneys. Saved time for partners by answering client questions and solving minor issues.
• Created attorney billing statements. Achieved a 10% increase in billable hours, enabling a 15% revenue boost.
• Filed physical and digital records and documents. Created new physical filing system that saved 6+ office hours per week.
• Wrote 200+ legal documents, 99.9% error-free.

That binds you to the job.

Attorney

This job wants a lawyer skilled in managing case files and mediations.

Experience

Attorney

Whitman, Price, & Hadad, Manchester

2016–2019

• Managed 32 case files from planning through trial and/or appeal.
• Scored 96% or higher in client exit surveys.
• Performed 90+ mediations with a 94% settlement rate.
• Sustained billable hours of 1500+ per year.

Nice.

Do it like those legal CV examples and you’ll seem like Atticus Finch.

But hold on—

What if you’re writing a law firm CV with no experience?

Work that same magic with skills that slot into the job.

See these law CV examples with no experience:

Entry-Level Legal CV Job Description [Sample]

Legal Assistant

Say the job needs scheduling, proofreading, and answering phones.

Office Clerk

Michaud & Love, Manchester

2014–2016

• Scheduled 1,700+ appointments and meetings with clients.
• Proofread 25+ legal documents a week with 98% accuracy.
• Answered 15+ phone calls each day.
• Performed 30 trademark searches.

Flawless.

Law School Application

Say you were a marketing specialist. Well, you know law school students need skills in research, presentation, and collaboration.

Marketing Specialist

OptiTronz

2015–2019

• Performed market research, identified customer needs, and analysed competitor performance.
• Researched facts online and during phone and face-to-face interviews for external and internal communications.
• Delivered presentations at 30+ industry events.
• Collaborated with internal stakeholders to communicate business unit position and branding.

See, this example uses power words instead of simply listing job duties. That’s Jones-Day-worthy.

Now you know—your legal CV skills must come from the job ad.

Need a few skills to get you started? Take a look:

Legal Skills for CVs

Paralegal

• Legal document writing
• Legal research
• Writing briefs
• Investigation
• Client counselling
• Office administration
• Proofreading
• Writing reports
• Settlement knowledge
• Litigation assistance

Legal Assistant

• Legal writing
• Docketing
• Research
• Filing
• Billing
• Scheduling
• Proofreading
• Correspondence writing
• Transcription
• Legal terminology

Attorney

• Legal procedure
• Trial
• Writing briefs
• Negotiation
• Product law
• Bankruptcy
• Healthcare law
• Client advocacy
• Corporate law
• Client management

Law School Applicant and Transferable Skills (Soft Skills)

• Interpersonal skills
• Collaboration
• Communication
• Leadership
• Computer skills
• Time management
• Organisation
• Attention to detail
• Problem solving
• Active listening
• Negotiation

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 CV in our CV builder now.

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Nail it all with a splash of colour, choose a clean font, highlight your skills in just a few clicks. You’re the perfect candidate and we’ll prove it. Use the ResumeLab builder now.

4. Enhance Your Education Section

Your education section is no joke in a legal CV.

But did you know—

It needs to sell a few more of your skills.

These legal CV samples show how:

Legal CV Example—Education

Paralegal

Education

Paralegal Studies, Post Baccalaureate Certificate

The University of Manchester

2011–2013

• Excelled in writing legal documents.
• Recognised by professors for research skills.

BA, Liberal Arts

The University of Manchester

2008–2011

• Pursued a passion for writing.
• Awarded Daisy N. Roark Scholarship for research excellence. 

Attorney

Juris Doctor

University College London, 2010–2013

• Inductee, Moot Court Scholars Board.
• Excelled in litigation and trial preparation coursework.
• Wrote weekly column on bankruptcy law.
• Presented 7 legal arguments during Moot Court. Member of team that dominated state finals.

5. Increase the Value of Your Legal CV

You’ve come so far.

Don’t blow it by giving up before you’re done.

Your legal CV can wow them like Marshall Eriksen. If—

You pack it with incontestable proof.

Include certifications, publications, and other bonus items.

Here’s a full list:

• Associations
• Certifications (Bar association membership, CP, etc.)
• Volunteering and pro bono work
• Publications
• Freelance projects
• Languages
• Conferences
• Additional activities
• Hobbies
• Sports & fitness
• References

See these legal CV examples:

Law Secretary CV—Extra Sections

Legal Assistant

Additional Activities

• Member, NALP.
• Deliver 2x per month for Meals on Wheels.
• Daily cycling for fitness and self-care.

Certifications

• 2019 — Paralegal — NALP
• 2018 — Notary

Attorney

Journals 

• Journal Note: Examining Neidermeyer CA. L. REV. June 2017 

Conferences

• ABA Conference
• Legalweek — Gave talk about litigation 2017

Additional Activities

• Volunteer to deliver meals monthly at local food kitchen.
• Avid swimmer, hiker, mountain biker.

Why do those legal CV samples work? They show added competencies you can’t get from work experience.

Expert Hint: Writing a cover letter for your CV 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 CV and cover letter combo. Use our cover letter builder and make your application documents pop out.

CREATE YOUR COVER LETTER NOW

Want to try a different look? There’s 18 more. A single click will give your document a total makeover. Pick a cover letter template here.

Key Points

Here’s how to write a legal CV:

• Start with our legal CV template. Add high moments from your legal career.
• List legal skills like research or trial prep. Use numbers to prove you’re Watchell-Lipton-level.
• Write a legal CV profile. Craft it into a snapshot of your legal skills, experience, and certifications.
• Add “extra” sections to show you know a tort from a cream pie.

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

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