How to Write a Resume for Legal Jobs [10 Examples]

Prachi Sachdeva -

There are more than 1.5 million lawyers in India, and the number is increasing as fields like employment law, environmental law, and cybercrime are emerging. However, only a small percentage of registered lawyers continue the profession. the number of lawyers who turn law into a successful and financially rewarding career is even less.

The reason?

More lawyers than the demand. Some demand has increased post the pandemic but the number of scarcely paid or unemployed lawyers is still very high.

If you have skills and are better than your peers, half the battle is won. To show this to the recruiter you need a professional legal resume. A professional legal resume will show your unique abilities and also bring your specialisation to the forefront.    


In this blog:

Let’s start with an example:

Result-oriented Intellectual Property (IP) lawyer with extensive experience in trademark law and the management of a large trademark portfolio. Represents client interests, working carefully to examine case merits, limit risk, and promote good outcomes in difficult legal situations. Proven track record of obtaining lawsuit dismissals, no-fault judgments, favourable settlements, and favourable verdicts.


This resume summary is for an IP Lawyer and is pretty much the perfect one for a legal professional.


How?

  • Starts with the lawyer’s specialisation i.e. Intellectual property
  • The first line then explains the main areas of work -  management of the trademark portfolio
  • The next two lines show what the lawyer is good at

This sums up what the lawyer has learnt from various professional experiences.

Law resumes are as niched down as the profession itself. Recruiters for legal departments are often specialised ones and understand legal terminology. Thus the resume needs to be very specific and to the point.
Here’s how you can create a work experience section of a legal resume

  • Use reverse chronological order
  • Include your designation, dates of employment, and employer name
  • Use bullet points and short sentences
  • Start each bullet point with an action verb
  • Optimise the experience section for keywords by taking cues from the job listing

Example:
Corporate Lawyer
Personnel Junction, Chandigarh | 2019 - Present

  • Analyze, draft, negotiate, finalize, and oversee the approval process for all commercial agreements.
  • Mitigate contractual risk in brokerage agreements, consulting contracts, and other legal instruments, while increasing efficiency and consistency in contracting.
  • Advice and counsel on legal implications of proposed transactions.
  • Oversee commercial litigation matters or tax filings, in coordination with outside counsel.
  • Research, analyze, and keep current on legal issues and laws, legislation, regulations, and court decisions affecting the industry.


Law requires specialised training and knowledge. However, some skills are common among disciplines within law. These include:

  • Research
  • Documents Preparation
  • Case Management
  • Client Advisory
  • Negotiations

Any legal professional can use these skills along with their specialised skill set.

Tips to create a skills section

  • Use up to 12 skills in your resume. This includes specific skills, generic skills, and soft skills
  • Prioritise skills that are specific to your profession
  • Use keywords from the job listing as skills in your resume

Skills Required for Legal/Law jobs

  • Employment Law
  • Client Advocacy & Trial Preparation
  • Legal Research & Documentation
  • Litigation Strategy & Management
  • Settlement Agreements
  • Arbitration Processes
  • Complex Negotiations
  • Legal Advisory
  • Criminal Law
  • Personal Injury & Mass Tort Litigation
  • Mediation / Arbitration Processes
  • Client Advocacy & Trial  Preparation
  • Complex Negotiations
  • Litigation Strategy & Management
  • Settlement Agreements
  • Legal Research &  Documentation
  • Client Management
  • Criminal Case Mangement
  • Writing Discovery Responses
  • Legal Documents Mangement
  • Species ACT
  • Environmental Matters
  • Administrative Law
  • Enforcement Actions
  • Environmental Litigation
  • Project Management
  • Research and Data Analysis
  • Environmental Stewardship
Photo by Thomas Ashlock / Unsplash
  • Public Speaking and Presentations
  • Organizations and Coordination
  • Environmental Policy Analysis
  • Analytical and Research Skills
  • Organizational Skills
  • Persuasive Communication
  • Coherent Client Service
  • Extensive Legal Research
  • Corporate Law
  • Complex Negotiations
  • Policies/ Procedures
  • Settlement Agreements
  • Client Advocacy
  • Trial Preparation
  • Child Law
  • E-filing / Records Management
  • Motions, Contracts &  Agreements
  • Case Management
  • Child Support Cases
  • Child Support Orders
  • State Agencies
  • Child Support Enforcement
  • Cyber Law
  • Litigation Strategy & Management
  • Mediation / Arbitration Processes
  • Client Advocacy & Trial  Preparation
  • Drafting and  Summarizing
  • Research and Analysis
  • Data Protection
  • Privacy Protection & Encryption
  • Trademark and Patent Law
  • Copyright Law
  • Intellectual Property Law
  • Trademark and Prosecution
  • Client Advocacy  & Trial Preparation
  • Patent Application Auditing
  • Due Diligence
  • Civil Litigation
  • Intellectual Property Protection

Every recruiter knows that you have specialised education in law. What makes the difference here is your alma mater. Here’s what to include:

  • Name of the institution
  • Name of the course
  • Year of completion

This basic data forms your education. You can set yourself apart by having some additional sections.

Apart from the basic sections, you can add more data to your resume.
This helps in two cases:

  • When you have a resume with no experience
  • When your credentials are not strong but you were active within the filed

Below is the list of sections you can include:

  • Awards and Achievements: Awards you’ve received for your academic performance or otherwise
  • Research & Publishings: Most legal professionals study to dive deep into their specialised field. If you are one of them and have any research contributions, do include them
  • Conferences and Workshops: These include any conferences and workshops to stay updated

Resume of Employment Lawyer

An employment lawyer specializes in all legal and contractual issues of the workplace. Employment lawyers counsel and represent employers in case of workplace issues like compensation, abuse, and exploitation. Employers seek the assistance of an Employment Lawyer to ensure compliance with the establishment and termination of employment relationships. Employment lawyers work at law firms, government agencies, in-house legal departments, and employment agencies.

Resume of Employment Lawyer built on Resumod

Check full resume of employment Lawyer here


Resume of Criminal Lawyer

Criminal lawyers represent clients facing criminal charges in court and defend them. They perform extensive research and investigation and consult legislation and state rules to determine the clients' case resolution choices.

Resume of Criminal Lawyer built on Resumod

Check full resume of Criminal Lawyer here


Resume of Environmental Lawyer

Environmental lawyers assist clients with legal matters such as clean technology, water, climate change,  sustainability, renewable energy etc. Environmental lawyers can advise clients on environmental issues, campaign for changes in environmental policy and law, and write research papers on the subject.

Resume of Environmental Lawyer built on Resumod

Check full resume of Environmental Lawyer here


Resume of Corporate Lawyer

Corporate lawyers verify that a company's transactions adhere to all applicable rules and regulations. They might work for a law firm or for a company's legal department. Preparing documentation, evaluating relationships, and negotiating deals are all part of their role.

Resume of Corporate Lawyer built on Resumod

Check full resume of Corporate Lawyer here


Resume of Child Law Specialist

Child lawyers safeguard a minor's rights by ensuring that a parent is not denied custody or visitation privileges. They handle cases involving divorce, suits affecting the parent-child relationship, and other family law-related matters.

Resume of Child Law Specialist built on Resumod


Check the full resume of a Child Law Specialist here


Resume of Cyber Crime Lawyer

Cyber Crime lawyers represent people, property, and the government in instances involving cybercrime. They prepare, investigate, and advocate for a client implicated in a cybercrime case.  Individuals and large organizations hire them to create and manage digital assets and related policies.

Resume of Cyber Crime Lawyer built on Resumod


Check full resume of  Cyber Crime Lawyer here


Resume of Litigation Lawyer

Litigators specialise in the resolution of disputes between individuals and corporations. They draft various civil law motions and appellate briefs among other documents.  They represent claimants and defendants before, during, and after court sessions.

Resume of Litigation Lawyer built on Resumod


Check full resume of  Litigation Lawyer here


Resume of Human Rights Lawyer

Human Rights Lawyers advocate on behalf of victims of abuse, persecution, and human rights violations. They create legal documents, conduct research, negotiate settlements, and litigate human rights issues in court. They work for NGOs, legal firms, and intergovernmental organizations as well as governments at the local, state, national, and international levels.


Check full resume of Human Rights Lawyer here


Resume of IP Lawyer

Intellectual Property (IP) lawyers preserve clients' intellectual property and provide related advisory. They analyse technical materials, and draft documentation to help clients obtain patents and trademarks. Further, they protect corporations and individuals against over-assertion of intellectual property rights.

Resume of IP Lawyer built on Resumod

Check the full resume of IP Lawyer here

A legal writer is responsible for the department's copywriting, content editing, and proofreading. They are in charge of ensuring that written papers adhere to the company's standards. Legal writers draft contracts, agreements, memoranda, and other legal documents. To gain experience in the legal field, they may write for law firms, law firm websites, or as a freelancer.

Resume of legal writer built on Resumod

Check the full resume of Legal Writer  here

The Chief Legal Officers are leaders of the corporate legal department. They advise the board of directors, chairman of the board, chief executive officer, and other senior management on legal matters. They are hired by both private and public sector firms.

Resume of chief legal officer built on Resumod

Check the full resume of Chief Legal Officer  here