Best Lawyer Resume Example

Though job growth for lawyers is on par with that of the national average, there is strong competition within the field, which means that it’s imperative you put forward a persuasive resume when applying for jobs. It goes without saying that your document should spell out requisite degrees, like your J.D. degree, but you also need to go above and beyond and drive home your accomplishments in each of your past roles. Go as far as quantifying these where possible, potentially explaining in what percentage of cases you obtained a positive settlement or how you saved the company money by putting in place contracts that protected against potential suits. See our lawyer resume example for other ideas.

Lawyer Advice

The resume examples below will help you create an effective law resume. From experienced courtroom advocates to recent law school graduates, we’ve got resume samples for every type of lawyer. Use these examples as a guide when crafting your own legal resume.

Resume Tips for Lawyer

When seeking jobs as a lawyer, if you have an understanding of the proper steps, you can achieve higher success in your search. Take a look at this short guide to get started.

1. Prepare yourself for a long job hunt. It is becoming typical for the time it takes to be hired to be longer than ever. You may be able to find work immediately, but you should still have a plan for providing for yourself.

2. Do not become discouraged. Searching for work naturally involves rejection. If it seems like you will never find the right job and you become discouraged, you are only hurting your chances. Employers want to hire someone that has a good attitude.

3. Know the field you are trying to break in to. There are many unique qualifications, expectations, and hiring practices that you should be familiar with to maximize your chances of being hired.

4. Have a backup plan. You should accept that there is a chance you will not be able to find the exact kind of work you want. In this situation, know what other jobs are available that will help move you forward in your career.

5. Use online resources and your network. There are numerous tools and connections on the Internet that can seriously benefit your job search. Be sure to supplement your hunt with these resources.

Lawyer Job Seeking Tips

The resume is one of the most important parts of seeking jobs as a lawyer. Regardless of what your chosen field is, there are certain elements of your resume that should always be the same. Use these tips and suggestions to help start writing.

1. Be unique. There are going to be numerous resumes competing with your own. If you cannot find a way to stick out in the reader’s mind, you have nearly no chance of being hired.

2. Be specific. Every piece of information in your resume should be there for a reason. Do not include generalizations in hopes of meeting employers’ expectations. Analyze what you think those expectations are and work to meet them.

3. Be active. Include plenty of strong action verbs to emphasize the things you have done while working in the past. Employers are looking for hard workers that are active and dedicated to their jobs.

4. Be analytical. Always look over your resume and look for ways to improve it. You should also keep an eye out for typographical errors, wasted or blank spaces, and large, intimidating blocks of text.

5. Be knowledgeable. Readers need to be confident that you are an expert in your field. You should know everything you can about your desired position and communicate this knowledge when writing your resume.