Best Legal Resume Examples | Resume Summary  & Template

Legal  professions are highly specialized jobs that require a bachelor or higher degree in law. Since there are various legal systems worldwide, the career paths that are taken by legal professionals are entirely different  depending on the country. 

To illustrate, in civil law countries, legal professionals have distinct and clear career paths, each performing one’s own functions, such as judge and attorney. Meanwhile, in common law countries, there tends to be only one legal profession. For instance, judges are chosen from those who excel in private law practices..

Whether you are applying for a position in a law firm, international NGO, or small-scaled government agency, a legal resume would be one of the first contacts you make with your potential employer.

Therefore, a well-structured legal resume that is concise, accurate, clear, and visually pleasing plays an essential role in attracting the interest of the recruiting team and winning you a job as a legal professional.

To start, you need to first understand the differences between a CV and a resume. Resumes are preferred in the U.S, India, Canada, and Australia, while Curriculum Vitae (CV) is commonly used in other countries. 

Generally, a resume is more concise while a CV may contain a person’s stories in more detail.  A resume is expected to be shorter than two pages or even better, within one page. A CV can usually be longer.

There are three major types of resume formats, including chronological, functional, and combinational resume format. Typically, applicants can choose the type that they see fit. However, experiences in legal resumes are best mentioned in reverse-chronological order. The hiring manager can better observe your career growth and progress in this legal resume format. 

There are many legal resume templates available for you to use on the Internet. You can also create unique and professional legal resumes in online resume builders. All you need to do is click a few buttons! If you’re referring to legal resume examples online, do remember to tailor and customize them.

When using legal resume templates, make sure to tailor each resume for each job position. Remove all irrelevant content before the submission. A tailor-made legal resume shows how much effort you put into the application.

Besides a resume, a cover letter is another great way to let your employers know more about who you are and your potential contribution to the organization. An outstanding and sincere legal cover letter can distinguish you from other candidates.

Check again before submitting your resume and all other materials! You will never want to miss a job opportunity just because you filled in the wrong phone number in your legal resume. Grammar errors can not only distract the hiring manager, but also disqualify you for the job. Being detail-oriented is the basic qualification for most of the legal jobs.  

1. Resume Header

The resume header part includes your personal details. Full name, job title, and contact information are all essential in a legal resume. The hiring manager should be able to reach you with the contact info provided.

2. Resume Title

Resume title, also known as resume headline, sums up your accomplishments listed in the resume. The employers may view the title and decide if they are going to read through the whole resume. Thus, it should be eye-catching and can show your qualifications well.

3. Resume Summary

A resume summary consists of one to two sentences that describe you, your specialty, and the most valuable experiences. Briefly showcase your skills and expertise in the resume summary of your legal resume.

4. Resume Objective

Similar to resume summary, a resume objective has the same sentence structure. The difference is that a resume objective highlights the goal or purpose of your career, which makes it especially important for freshers who still lack practical work experiences and skills.

5. Skills

With a simple format presentation, recruiters can conveniently compare applicants’ abilities and make hiring decisions at a glance. The skills section of a legal resume is one of the most important aspects of nailing a job application as it plays a big role in creating an impactful first impression.

6. Work Experience

A work experience section showcases a candidate’s suitability for the position in the legal resume. It provides fruitful and concrete information regarding if a candidate is qualified for the role, and helps hiring managers to evaluate these candidates.

7. Education

List your education path in reverse-chronological order, including the institution’s name, duration of study, as well as relevant awards and achievements.

8. Additional Information 

You are welcome to include all additional materials that can enrich the content of your legal resume, such as certifications, projects, awards, hobbies, and volunteer experiences. Besides, redundant and irrelevant content should be avoided.

• 1. Customize the resume for the job.
  Always include some distinguishing points to legal resumes for different positions. They would help you stand out from your competitors and ensure the uniqueness of your resume.
• 2. Quantify results on resumes.
  Quantified results are comparable and measurable. They shed light on how well you have contributed to your past works or how you excel in a specific skill.
• 3. Choose an easy-to-read resume layout.
  Legal professionals are more often required to maintain a professional image, so choosing an appropriate resume layout is imperative. Try to find neat and classic legal resume templates online!
• 4. Use resume action words (verbs).
  Fancy words and sentence forms don’t work in resumes. Ornate language is not helpful because it confuses recruiters when they only have little time for screening many legal resumes. In this case, it is wiser to incorporate concise and accurate action words.
• 5. Align your resume with the company culture.
  Before applying for any legal positions, you should take some time to get to know the cultures of different organizations/companies. You may consider aligning your resume with them, highlighting values that the company is fostering in your resume.
  For example, if you are applying to a company that values teamwork, mention how you worked in a team in the past.

You should consider including these points when creating a legal cover letter for your application:

• Contact details
  Your contact information, including your full name, email address, phone number, should be enclosed in this part. In addition, the link to your blog or personal website could be placed here if applicable.
• Introduction
  Greet the hiring managers at the beginning (their general information should be accessible on the Internet), and clearly state your purposes for reaching out. Then, make a brief but impressive introduction of your background to kick-start your legal cover letter!
• Motivation
  In the motivation part, express your intentions and reasons for applying. No matter what kinds of stories they are, you should put a large portion of emphasis on your perspectives and knowledge about the company. Also, the employers might be able to sense your personality. Thus, some great motivations in the legal cover letter can help you and your resume shine.
• Qualification
  The main body of your legal cover letter should consist of your skills, experiences, and accomplishments. By quantifying these materials, readers can easily get an insight into what you have done. They would also like to know more about how you can bring extra value to the company supported by your past achievements.
• Closing
  Last but not least, remember to thank the interviewers for taking the  time to review your application. Also, remind them that your legal resume and other materials are attached and waiting to be reviewed. Finally, sign your full name at the bottom of the letter, and now you’ve got your unique legal cover letter!