This guide offers expert tips to help you craft an attorney resume that highlights your most significant achievements. By focusing on your accomplishments and your impact in previous roles, you’ll create a resume that stands out.
“Strong attorney resumes highlight legal specialization and case outcomes. They make expertise, judgment, and impact immediately clear to hiring managers.” — Kara Dennison, Head of Career Advising
This resume showcases the candidate’s experience handling complex legal matters, including litigation and contract negotiations. The bullet points highlight measurable accomplishments, such as successful case outcomes and client representation. A strong education section further reinforces the candidate’s qualifications. Read more: How to build a resume
This resume highlights the candidate’s transactional experience, including contract drafting and property negotiations. It also emphasizes key legal proficiencies related to zoning laws and regulatory compliance, making it ideal for real estate law positions.
This resume demonstrates the candidate’s expertise in immigration law, asylum cases, and client advocacy. It includes measurable achievements, such as the number of successful visa applications and asylum cases handled, making the candidate’s impact clear.
How to list your education on a resume
This resume effectively showcases the candidate’s employment law expertise, particularly in discrimination cases and labor disputes. The work experience section includes specific achievements, such as settlements won and company compliance improvements.
How to list promotions on a resume
This resume emphasizes the candidate’s experience in courtroom litigation and case strategy. It highlights successful trial outcomes, settlements, and case management, demonstrating the candidate’s ability to advocate effectively for clients.
This resume highlights the candidate’s expertise in legal research, brief writing, and appellate litigation. It provides clear examples of appellate case successes and legal arguments won in higher courts.
How to list promotions on a resume
This resume demonstrates a strong background in criminal prosecution, trial advocacy, and case preparation. It highlights successful prosecutions and emphasizes the candidate’s ability to handle high caseloads.
This resume effectively showcases experience in corporate transactions, contract law, and business compliance. It highlights major deals closed and risk management strategies implemented.
This resume effectively highlights expertise in regulatory compliance, risk management, and corporate governance. It showcases measurable achievements, such as improved compliance rates and reduced legal risk.
This resume highlights the candidate’s expertise in contract law, construction litigation, and risk mitigation. It demonstrates case successes and negotiations that benefited clients.
How to list your education on a resume
This resume highlights the candidate’s legal expertise in environmental law, regulatory compliance, and sustainability policies. It demonstrates impact through successful litigation and policy advisory work.
This resume emphasizes expertise in patent law, trademark disputes, and intellectual property litigation. It highlights key legal victories and contributions to corporate IP strategy.
This resume highlights the candidate’s ability to handle sensitive legal matters, including divorce and child custody cases. It showcases strong negotiation and litigation skills in family law.
This resume effectively highlights the candidate’s expertise in tax law, compliance, and litigation. It showcases measurable results, such as reducing client tax liabilities and resolving IRS disputes.
This resume showcases the candidate’s regulatory expertise, emphasizing SEC compliance, securities litigation, and risk management. It includes quantifiable achievements, such as preventing regulatory penalties and handling multimillion-dollar cases.
This resume emphasizes the candidate’s expertise in health care regulations, compliance, and litigation. It highlights successful cases and advisory work for medical institutions.
How to list your education on a resume
This resume highlights expertise in bankruptcy law, financial restructuring, and debt negotiations. It includes successful case results, showing the candidate’s ability to assist both businesses and individuals.
This resume effectively highlights experience in personal injury litigation, case settlements, and client advocacy. It emphasizes measurable results, such as settlements won and trial success rates.
This resume emphasizes the candidate’s commitment to social justice, litigation skills, and policy advocacy. It highlights significant legal victories in civil rights cases.
This resume effectively highlights experience in intellectual property law, contract negotiations, and legal representation of artists and media companies. It emphasizes successful contract deals and copyright protections.
Use the combination (or hybrid) resume format to position yourself effectively for jobs as an attorney. (All the resume examples on this page follow the combination format.) This format has two main parts:
Following are tips and examples to help you create each main section of your attorney resume.
Your resume summary is likely the first section an employer will read, so make it count. This brief paragraph should capture your most relevant achievements and experiences. A strong summary is concise, specific, and tailored to the job you’re applying for. Use it to set the tone for the rest of your resume.
Avoid vague statements that could apply to any candidate. Instead, focus on concrete accomplishments. Emphasize your unique value proposition as an attorney, showcasing how your expertise aligns with the firm’s goals.
(Note: Most job seekers find it easier to write this section last.)
Corporate attorney with eight years of experience in contract negotiation, regulatory compliance, and corporate governance. Managed multimillion-dollar mergers and acquisitions, ensuring compliance with state and federal regulations. Recognized for strong litigation skills and a strategic approach to risk management.
Attorney with experience in various legal matters. Skilled in handling contracts, negotiations, and legal research. Looking for a position where I can use my legal knowledge to help clients.
Include a skills list under your summary to show the different ways you can contribute as an attorney. With this section, you can give your document the right keywords to perform well on ATS screenings.
| Common key skills for attorney resumes | |
|---|---|
| Case analysis and legal strategy | Civil and criminal litigation |
| Client advocacy | Compliance and regulatory law |
| Contract drafting and negotiation | Corporate governance |
| Courtroom litigation | Deposition and trial preparation |
| Employment and labor law | Evidence collection and analysis |
| Intellectual property law | Legal research and writing |
| Mediation and arbitration | Mergers and acquisitions |
| Risk assessment and mitigation | SEC and regulatory compliance |
| Settlement negotiations | Tax law and financial regulations |
| Trial advocacy | |
For each recent job you’ve held, brainstorm your duties and achievements on a separate document or blank sheet of paper. Spell out your positive impact on past clients or law firms, and quantify in terms of any data you can disclose.
Then, review each detail through the lens of your target attorney job. Choose the most relevant duties or highlights to present as bullet points in your experience section. This approach helps give your resume the right focus so hiring managers can picture your positive impact on their organization.
Corporate Attorney | XYZ Law Firm | New York, NY | June 2017 – present
Corporate Attorney | XYZ Law Firm | New York, NY | June 2017 – present
Provide a clear and concise overview of your formal education, as well as any certifications or specialized training relevant to the role. Highlighting this information helps show you’re committed to the field and have the knowledge required to excel in the position.
When listing your education, include the degree you earned, the school you attended, and optionally the year you graduated. If you’ve completed any certifications, list them along with the issuing organization and optionally the completion date. Below is an example of how to effectively present education and certifications on your resume:
Juris Doctor (J.D.)
Harvard Law School | Cambridge, MA
Bachelor of Arts in Political Science
University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) | Los Angeles, CA
Licensed to practice law in New York and California
Certified Mediator | American Arbitration Association
The resume templates above can all help you highlight your attorney skills and qualifications in a clear and organized manner. When choosing from these or other approved templates, trust your instinct. Often the design you’re naturally most drawn to will best reflect your work style and personality.
Resume.org offers free, HR-approved resume templates to help you create a professional resume in minutes.
Build Your ResumeCommon action verbs for attorney resumes include:
| Advised | Analyzed |
| Clarified | Compiled |
| Consulted | Created |
| Cross-examined | Developed |
| Enhanced | Established |
| Evaluated | Filed |
| Improved | Increased |
| Interpreted | Interviewed |
| Introduced | Negotiated |
| Optimized | Prepared |
| Presented | Prevented |
| Raised | Reduced |
| Represented | Researched |
| Won | Wrote |
A great way to tailor your attorney resume is by revisiting the skills section. First, delete any terms from your skills list that don’t appear in the job post text. Then, take another look at the job requirements. Do they cover any skills you possess but haven't added to your list already? Including those terms gives a more complete picture of the value you can add to the organization.
With resume design, less is more. The less visual information you add, the more attention you’ll call to your relevant skills and achievements. Keep your design simple and conservative. Avoid visual flourishes like elaborate borders, colorful logos, or unusual bullet symbols, which distract the hiring manager.
Career Coach
Irina Pichura, founder of Resumeology, is a renowned career coach with over 10 years of recruiting experience at Fortune 500 companies like Goldman Sachs and ADP, as well as startups such as Investopedia. With a degree in Psychology from Fordham University in New York City, Irina offers a unique perspective on what it takes to stand out in a competitive job market.
Resume.org offers free, HR approved resume templates to help you create a professional resume in minutes. Choose from several template options and even pre-populate a resume from your profile.
