Skip to main content
esumarc

Resume Examples

Lawyer resume examples.

Represent clients in criminal and civil litigation and other legal proceedings, draw up legal documents, or manage or advise clients on legal transactions. May specialize in a single area or may practice broadly in many areas of law.

Build My CVImport Existing CV

Poise template · 1 of 204

What a lawyer resume needs

The example beside this is built from the duties and skills most often reported for lawyers. Every line below is editable in the builder, and the bracketed placeholders are there for you to fill in with your own numbers.

Also advertised as

Lawyer • Counsel • Attorney General • Attorney • Attorney at Law • County Attorney

Build my resumeCheck my resume

2 complete lawyer resume examples

Each one is written in full for one person and one job search, and drawn in the template it ships with. The notes beside each say what the resume does well.

Gabriel Ferrer's Employment Lawyer resume in the Myrtle template

Example 1 of 2 · Myrtle template

Gabriel Ferrer, Employment Lawyer

Gabriel Ferrer is an employment lawyer in Chicago six years into practice, from a judicial clerkship and a small employment firm to associate at a litigation firm, and is applying for a senior associate role. A firm hiring a senior associate reads for the size of the caseload and for trial experience, so this resume gives the docket, the trials first-chaired and the matters resolved before trial.

Why this resume works

  • The profile names the three kinds of dispute he handles, wage, discrimination and restrictive covenants, before it gives a single number.
  • The current role sizes the docket at around 30 matters and names two federal bench trials he first-chaired, the evidence a senior associate post asks for.
  • The summary judgment in a wage and hour class action is given with its class size, 210 workers, so the scale of the win is on the page.
  • The junior role ends on the handbook audit checklist he rewrote, which shows the practice-building a partner looks for beyond billable work.
  • The judicial clerkship is kept as its own short entry, since chambers experience is read as a credential in litigation hiring.
Build mine in MyrtleAbout this template
Theodora Ashcombe's Attorney resume in the Quill template

Example 2 of 2 · Quill template

Theodora Ashcombe, Attorney

Theodora Ashcombe is an attorney nine years into business and real estate law, now in-house counsel to a development firm after two firms in private practice, and applying for a general counsel role. Legal hiring reads for the matters handled and for judgement, so this resume describes each role in prose, the way a matter is described, names the areas of law by their proper terms and keeps one result with a figure on it.

Why this resume works

  • The in-house role is written as prose, from drafting and enforcement through land use and outside counsel, which is how a legal recruiter reads a practice rather than a list of duties.
  • The areas of law are named as a lawyer names them, foreclosures, landlord and tenant, zoning, due diligence, so the resume is matched on the terms an advert uses.
  • The associate years keep one outcome with a figure, a $25,000 supervised receivership won in a corporate dissolution.
  • The Juris Doctor carries the clinic and the moot court placing as honours, which is the evidence a law resume gives in place of grades.
  • A Bar Admissions section the writer added sits in the narrow column with two states and their years, the first thing a legal hiring panel checks.
Build mine in QuillAbout this template

Summary examples

The opening paragraph does the most work on a resume. Pick the one that matches where you are, then make the specifics yours.

Early career

0–2 years, or changing field

Leads with training and transferable strengths.

  1. Option 147 words

    A lawyer with law school training and internship experience in legal research and document drafting. This professional supports case preparation by interpreting statutes and decisions, drafting contracts, wills, and pleadings, and conducting witness interviews. Familiarity with Microsoft Office and Adobe Acrobat helps prepare organized filings and exhibits.

  2. Option 249 words

    A lawyer beginning practice with courtroom internship experience and coursework in evidence and civil procedure. This professional conducts witness interviews, assists with discovery and trial preparation, and drafts pleadings and motions to support trial teams while applying Microsoft Office and Adobe Acrobat to assemble exhibits and organized case files.

  3. Option 345 words

    A lawyer starting in transactional law with academic training in contract drafting and entity formation. This professional prepares leases, mortgages, and basic corporate documents, performs statutory research to advise clients on obligations and drafts clear agreements that reduce drafting errors and support smooth commercial closings.

Mid career

3–8 years in the role

Leads with years of experience and proven skills.

  1. Option 146 words

    A lawyer with [X] years of experience in civil litigation and transactional matters focusing on case strategy and negotiation. Expertise includes interpreting regulations, evaluating liability, drafting contracts and settlement agreements, and preparing evidence for trial. This professional secures favorable resolutions through careful analysis and persuasive advocacy.

  2. Option 250 words

    With [X] years of experience as a lawyer concentrating on appellate and trial practice, this professional prepares briefs, argues motions, and presents cases to judges and juries. Skills include precedent analysis, jury selection, witness preparation, and document drafting using Microsoft Office to develop persuasive legal arguments and sound litigation strategy.

  3. Option 342 words

    A lawyer with [X] years of experience in criminal defense who conducts case analysis, gathers evidence, and develops courtroom strategies. This professional performs witness interviews, prepares motions and trial exhibits, and represents clients at hearings to protect rights and influence judicial outcomes.

Senior

8+ years, or leading a team

Leads with scope, leadership, and results.

  1. Option 143 words

    An experienced lawyer who leads legal teams, supervises legal assistants, and establishes litigation standards across complex cases. Responsibilities include directing discovery, setting courtroom strategy, negotiating high value contracts, and mentoring junior attorneys while managing client relationships to reduce risk and protect client interests.

  2. Option 247 words

    This lawyer combines strategic litigation leadership with practice management and appellate oversight to guide firm priorities and client strategy. Duties include overseeing appeals, advising on regulatory compliance and estate matters, acting as trustee or executor when needed, and coaching attorneys to improve case outcomes and operational efficiency.

  3. Option 342 words

    A lawyer with [X] years of leadership experience directing practice groups, assigning matters, and supervising legal assistants. This professional establishes workflow standards, oversees discovery and trial scheduling using project tools, and mentors junior attorneys to maintain consistent case quality across the group.

Work-history bullets

Recruiters scan for duties they recognise, then stop on the ones that stand out. A good resume carries both.

Duties employers expect

The responsibilities most often reported for lawyers.

  • Interpreted statutes and regulations to advise individuals and business clients.
  • Drafted and reviewed contracts, leases, wills, and other legal documents.
  • Represented clients in court proceedings and before government agencies.
  • Gathered evidence and interviewed witnesses to build case strategy.
  • Negotiated settlements and contractual agreements on behalf of clients.
  • Researched case law and legal precedents to evaluate probable outcomes.
  • Supervised legal assistants and paralegals on active case files.
  • Examined legal data and case records to assess the merits of prosecuting or defending a claim.

Lines that set you apart

Less common, and more likely to earn a second read.

  • Won a favorable settlement worth $[X] for a client in a civil dispute.
  • Argued motions and questioned witnesses during a [X] day jury trial.
  • Filed appellate briefs that overturned an unfavorable lower court ruling.
  • Built a referral network that grew the practice's client base by [X]%.
  • Advised a business client through a complex merger and contract renegotiation.
  • Selected jurors and presented opening arguments in a contested civil trial.
  • Probated a $[X] estate and advised the executor through asset distribution and creditor claims.
  • Served as trustee for a $[X] client estate, managing distributions according to the governing agreement.

Skills to list

Applicant tracking systems match on wording, so use the terms the job ads use. Only claim what you can back up in an interview.

Role-specific skills

The technical and practical skills tied to this job.

  • Microsoft Office software
  • Adobe Acrobat
  • Google Analytics
  • Microsoft Access
  • Microsoft Excel
  • Microsoft Outlook
  • Microsoft PowerPoint
  • Microsoft Project
  • Microsoft Word
  • SAP software
  • Abacus Data Systems AbacusLaw
  • AbacusNext HotDocs

Transferable skills

Strengths that carry across roles and industries.

  • Speaking
  • Active Listening
  • Critical Thinking
  • Reading Comprehension
  • Writing
  • Complex Problem Solving
  • Judgment and Decision Making
  • Negotiation
  • Persuasion
  • Active Learning
  • Social Perceptiveness
  • Time Management

Templates for this resume

The guide's example above opens in one layout and pages through the rest. These are the same templates with the detail on what each one does with your sections.

Written and reviewed by the Resumarc teamHow we write our guidance

Contains information from the O*NET Database v30.3 by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. Content has been modified from the original.