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Legal resumes span a variety of jobs. How can you create a legal resume that helps you get one of these positions?
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When it’s time to get a job in the legal field, you need the right resume to get the position you want. Writing a resume that recruiters are actually interested in can seem like a daunting task, but a legal resume can do more than just show a hiring manager that you have law school credentials. Here’s what you need to know about creating a legal resume.
The legal profession covers many different positions. Here are a few of the jobs that would benefit from a legal resume:
There are many niches to practice as an attorney or law expert including arbitration, legal research and class action lawsuits. If you want a job in the legal field, here are some tips to create a legal resume.
Build my resumeWhat are hiring managers looking for in legal resumes? Although each legal role will have different job requirements, resumes will still include the following resume sections:
Your resume objective or resume summary is a short 2-3 sentence paragraph at the top of your resume that summarizes your best skills, key achievements and legal experience. The resume summary will either encourage the hiring manager to continue reading or move on to the next application, so you really need to shine here.
There are many skills that you need to use as a legal professional. The skills that you’ll use should be tailored to the specific job you’re interested in. It’s important that you list both soft skills and hard skills as they’re both crucial to success in the legal field. Check our example resumes to see what skills your lawyer resume might want to include.
Professional experience is a big part of getting a new job in the legal field, so filling out your experience section is crucial. If you’re just finishing your law studies, you can also use academic experience, internships and other volunteer work. Remember to list this information in reverse chronological order, with the most recent jobs you’ve held at the top where a hiring manager can easily see them.
Legal professionals need certain types of education to be allowed to practice, so your education section is also important. Include your Juris Doctor (JD), which is the most common doctoral degree, along with any specialized studies or other academic qualifications.
This is the section of your legal resume where you can proudly highlight that you’ve passed the bar admission. You can also include industry memberships and awards.
You can find hundreds of legal resume examples at ResumeHelp. These resume samples can be a foundation to base your own resume on. Also, consider using the ResumeHelp resume builder and its step-by-step guidance to create a high-quality professional legal resume.
Build my resumeHere are some additional tips for creating your legal resume:
Have questions? We’re here to help.
Yes, it’s always a good idea to submit a legal cover letter with your resume. A cover letter allows you to talk about what’s important to you, discuss your best experiences and request a job interview. You can use the ResumeHelp cover letter builder to easily create a cover letter.
If this is your first time getting a job in the legal field, your job application and resume can highlight your academic, volunteer and internship experience. These are all relevant experiences, even if they’re not job experience.
Personalizing your legal resume is a great way to create a law resume that matches every individual job description that you are applying to. Be on the lookout for resume keywords listed in each job description, such as specific skills and requirements the job prioritizes. These keywords are what each hiring manager is looking for on each candidate’s resume to confirm job qualifications.
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