Lawyer resume example

Putting forward a compelling case for your legal expertise starts with a standout resume – your key to catching the eye of potential employers.

That’s why we’ve crafted this lawyer resume writing guide, complete with tips to articulate your professional narrative.

Check out our lawyer resume example below and get ready to argue your case for the top legal roles.

 

 

Resume templates 

 

Lawyer Resume Example

Resume templates 

Resume templates 

 

This example Lawyer resume gives you a good idea of how your resume should look.

It’s clean, attractive, easy-to-read, and it clearly highlights the essential information to time-strapped recruiters.

Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to create your own impressive Lawyer resume.

 

 

Lawyer resume structure & format

 

Resume structure

The importance of a well-structured resume cannot be overstated for Lawyer positions.

For a resume that stands out to recruiters, structure it with these key sections:

• Contact details: Your full name and contact options.
• Resume summary: A succinct summary showcasing your expertise and skills.
• Core skills: A list of skills essential for Lawyer jobs, presented in bullet points.
• Work experience: Your job history, with the most recent roles first.
• Education: Your formal education and any relevant training.
• Additional info: Optional section for highlighting unique skills or interests that relate to Lawyer.

 

How to format your Lawyer resume

 

Your resume needs to look stylish and professional, whilst being super-easy for time-strapped recruiters to read.

Here’s how to format your resume to achieve both of those goals.

• Resume length: Keep your resume short and sweet, ideally around 1 to 2 pages, as recruiters have loads to get through daily and not much time to read each one.
• Font & colour scheme: Choose a clear and easy-to-read font, steering clear of overly decorative ones that could hinder readability. Stick with a classic black-text-on-white-background for the body of the resume, but don’t shy away from adding a hint of colour elsewhere to make your resume stand out.
• Page layout: Ensure your page is divided into clear sections with bold headings or borders, as this enables readers to quickly pinpoint the information they’re interested in.
• Break text up: Break text up into concise bullet points and short paragraphs to make it easy for busy recruiters to digest the info.
• Photos: Photos are not mandatory in Australia but you can add a small headshot to the top if you like.

 

Quick tip: Achieving a professional look for your resume can be difficult and time-consuming. If you want to create an attractive resume quickly, try our Resume Builder and use one of our eye-catching professional resume templates.

 

Resume templates 

 

Contact Details

 

Seeing who you are and how you can be contacted is essential for potential employers, so it’s critical that your contact details section is both clear and accurate.

Include these four crucial elements at the top of your resume, but ensure they don’t take up excessive space:

• Your name and professional title: Choose a title that aligns with your career objectives, such as IT Support Specialist or Video Editor.
• Email address: Use a professional email address (e.g. aaron.davis.work@gmail.com). Avoid using old or informal emails like big.boy.aaron@gmail.com.
• Phone number: Provide your mobile number for easy accessibility. Make sure to double-check that the number is correct.
• Location: Specify the broader area where you are seeking employment, such as Cairns, Perth etc.

Optionally, you may consider adding the following details:

• Webpage links: Include links to professional sites like LinkedIn or your personal portfolio, ensuring they are current and professionally relevant.
• Photograph: While not typically required, a professional photograph may be advantageous in creative fields. If you decide to use one, ensure it is compact on the page, and professional in appearance.

Refrain from adding personal data such as your date of birth, full address, or gender. These are not necessary for recruitment decisions and simply clutter your resume.

 

Lawyer Resume Summary

 

The resume summary at the top of your document is a crucial, concise introduction that encapsulates your professional qualifications and readiness for the job. It sets the stage for your detailed application.

To instantly capture a recruiter’s attention and lead them into reading further into your resume, use these proven tips:

• Keep it short: Aim for a concise summary of 3 to 5 sentences, ensuring it can be quickly scanned. You can elaborate on details later, in the work experience section.
• Tailor to target jobs: Fill your summary with as many keywords from the job adverts you are targeting as possible. This will ensure recruiters instantly see your suitability.
• Avoid using cliches: Thinking about calling yourself a “hard working team player who thinks outside the box“? Don’t! These phrases are meaningless and don’t provide employers with the facts they want.

 

Lawyer resume summary example

 

What to include in your Lawyer resume summary

• Summary of your experience: What kind of companies have you worked for? What types of jobs have you done? Give employers a clear picture of your experience.
• Relevant skills: Demonstrate your suitability for Lawyer positions by emphasising your most relevant skills for the role.
• Qualifications: Ensure to briefly note any qualifications relevant to Lawyer roles, indicating your suitability for the position.
• Benefits of hiring you: Why should a employer hire you? Will you save them money? Improve their productivity? Or get them more customers?

 

Quick tip: Choose from hundreds of pre-written summaries across all industries, and add one to your resume with one-click in our Resume Builder. All written by recruitment experts and easily tailored to suit your unique skillset and style.

 

Core skills section

 

Enhance the impact of your resume by adding a section for core skills.

List your key skills that are highly valued in Lawyer jobs in bullet points and keep each item concise – no more than four words – to quickly draw the attention of busy hiring managers.

 

Skills for your Lawyer resume

 

Quick tip: Our Resume Builder contains thousands of in-demand skills for every profession that can be added to your resume in seconds – saving you time and greatly improving your chances of landing job interviews and getting hired.

 

 

Work experience section

The work experience part of your resume allows you to display what you can bring to a potential employer.

Record your previous roles in reverse chronological order, giving particular attention to the past 3-5 years.

 

 

Structuring your jobs

To ensure that recruiters can understand what you’ve done within each of your jobs, structure them the following way.

 

 

Outline

Start with a 1 to 2 line outline of the job, including what the employer does, where you sit within the organisation, and the overall goal of the job.

 

Key responsibilities

Outline your primary duties in 5-8 bullet points, focusing on essential skills, tools, and expertise.

Ensure each point is succinct, indicating your interactions within the company and your contributions to its success.

 

Key achievements

Finish each role’s section with 1-3 standout achievements that positively influenced your employer.

Use concrete metrics to illustrate these successes, whether they involve enhancing efficiency, saving costs, or driving project advancements.

 

Example job for Lawyer resume

 

Quick tip: Create impressive job descriptions easily in our Resume Builder by adding pre-written job phrases for every industry and career stage.

 

Resume templates 

 

Education section

 

Near the bottom of your resume, add your education section.

This should simply be a bullet pointed list of your qualifications and academic record, with a focus on those which are most relevant to Lawyer jobs.

If you’re an experienced candidate, keep this section brief. If you have little or no experience, expand on some of your qualifications to show off some of the skills and knowledge you gained from them.

This section can include:

• University degrees
• Industry specific qualifications for Lawyer jobs
• Vocational education and training (VET) diplomas
• Senior Secondary Certificate of Education (SSCE)

 

Additional information (optional)

 

Consider placing an additional info section at the bottom of your resume for extracurricular details that might make you more attractive to employers.

This section can showcase hobbies, awards, publications, or a catalogue of technical skills.

Ensure anything you list here is relevant to your job or notably remarkable.

Refrain from mentioning generic hobbies such as watching TV or hanging out with friends, as they do not enhance your professional profile.

 

 

Although creating a standout Lawyer resume is no small feat, following these steps will help you produce a resume that not only draws responses from recruiters but also results in a significant number of interviews.

Remember to thoroughly proofread your resume and adapt it to each specific job to ensure it remains relevant.

Good luck with your job search!