Lawyer Resume Examples

A lawyer is one of the highest paid professional jobs. But you don’t get to make the big bucks right away. You have to earn your way, pay your dues before you get to be a junior partner. If you are eyeing a career at one of your city’s most prestigious law firms or as a legal adviser for a giant corporation, your resume should be rock solid.

Our Lawyer resume sample will have all the details to make an argument for you to join the firm.

Many people go through law school with dreams of becoming a high-powered attorney. But becoming a lawyer requires a lot of hard work. After law school, you have to pass the Bar. Then you have to compete with other lawyers to make it inside these big law firms. Once inside, competition takes on another level. But becoming a lawyer is more than just the money. You have to understand the responsibility that comes with becoming a master of the law; the ability to defend the defenceless and protect the rights of the innocent.

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Expert Approved Resume Samples

Our samples are written by career experts with over 10 years of experience in resume writing.

Get inspired and explore what’s recommended to write in each section of the resume.

Lawyer Resume Sample

Lawyer Resume Sample

Jordan L. James

Address:             4789 Soledad Way, Las Vegas, NV  
Phone:              (702) 555-8964
Email:                [email protected]
Current job:    Associate Lawyer; Del Rosario, Zaldariagga and Enano Law Firm; Las Vegas, NV


Objective

Highly focused, confident, dedicated and committed Associate Lawyer with strong sense of values, passion for the truth and the thirst for justice seeks to establish a career with a major law firm committed to uphold and utilize the full strength of the law to help those in need find trust and solace in our judicial system.


Skills

  • 5+ years experience an Associate Lawyer
  • Master Degree, Law
  • College Graduate; BS Business Economics
  • Certified; Spanish Level 9
  • Excellent decision maker
  • Excellent communication skills
  • Great skills in research
  • Great analytical skills
  • Highly patient
  • Team oriented
  • Excellent disposition
  • Goal – oriented
  • Highly organized
  • Punctual

Work Experience

Associate Lawyer; 2017 to Present
Associate Lawyer; Del Rosario, Zaldariagga and Enano Law Firm; Las Vegas, NV

Duties and Responsibilities

  • Represents clients of the firm in court;
  • Renders legal advice to clients of the firm;
  • Represents the firm in press briefings and interviews;
  • Interprets laws, rules and proceedings for clients;
  • Prepares legal documents and contracts;
  • Contributes legal analyses to the firm on certain cases;
  • Develops strategies on hearings based on available evidences and documentation;
  • Presents and summarizes cases to jurors and judges;
  • Gathers evidences to support cases or to initiate legal action;
  • Prepares motions, prayers and other responses for clients as demanded by the case.

Corporate Lawyer; 2015 to 2017
Quanti-Solutions Pharmaceuticals, Las Vegas, NV

Duties and Responsibilities

  • Represented the company in court and other legal proceedings;
  • Presided as the company’s Legal Counsel and Corporate Secretary;
  • Authored company guidelines and personnel procedures
  • Oversaw company’s strict adherence to tax laws;
  • Prepared all Board Resolutions and Secretary’s Certificates;
  • Provided legal advice to officers;
  • Presided over adjudication and company hearings;
  • Oversaw company’s strict adherence with laws regarding pharmaceutical industry;
  • Liaison with government agencies and offices.

Associate Lawyer; 2016 to 2016
Nelson, Gapuz and Soliman Law Firm; Las Vegas, NV.

Duties and Responsibilities

  • Represents clients of the firm in court;
  • Renders legal advice to clients of the firm;
  • Represents the firm in press briefings and interviews;
  • Interprets laws, rules and proceedings for clients;
  • Prepares legal documents and contracts;
  • Contributes legal analyses to the firm on certain cases;
  • Develops strategies on hearings based on available evidences and documentation;
  • Negotiates in settlement of legal disputes;
  • Supervise legal assistants;
  • Probate wills and represent and advice executors of estates.

Education

Juris Doctor
William S. Boyd School of Law
Las Vegas, NV
1999 to 2016

Bachelor Degree, Business Economics
University of Las Vegas-Nevada
Las Vegas, NV
1995 to 1999, 3.9 GPA

El Dorado High School
High School Diploma
Las Vegas, NV
1991 to 1995, GPA 3.9


Courses

  • Certified, Spanish Level 9

Personal information

  • Married, 2 children
  • DOB 03/07/78
  • Hobbies include Cross Fit, music and reading

Good Lawyer Resume Objectives

Lawyer Resume Objective

Financial rewards aside the job of a lawyer is very difficult. You put in long hours reading up on cases, listening to and procuring testimonies, gathering evidences and preparing motions among others. Your job is to uphold the law and use it as reference for all decisions and strategies for clients.

In your Lawyer resume objective, it is very important that you state what your purpose is. You have to highlight the context of being a proponent of the law and your responsibility of defending those who are under your protection. Your Lawyer resume objective must answer this question:

“Why Am I the Best Lawyer for Your Firm/ Organization”

Firms know becoming counsel or an associate opens you up to a financially a rewarding career but they are looking for those who know what needs to be done in order to represent their clients.  They are very judicious on selecting its lawyers. It’s not just your pedigree that makes you attractive. It’s also the “stuff” that you are made of.

Firms make a lot of money when they win cases. They build their reputation and credibility. But they lose big when the case does not go their way.

What to Write in a Lawyer Resume Skills Section

Although many people enter law school, not everyone becomes a lawyer. It takes more than intellect to become a good lawyer. Every student of law reads the same books but there are qualities that distinguish great lawyers from good lawyers.

Here are the qualities that you should have in your Lawyer resume skills section:

  • Professional license; you cannot be a lawyer unless you pass the Bar. You can work in other capacities related to the law but you cannot be called a “lawyer”.
  • Educational Attainment; obviously, you should pass Law School as a prerequisite for Law School and obtain the title Juris Doctor. Firms will also look at your college degree and see its relevance to the practice of law.
  • Certifications; if you other trainings that are relevant to the practice of law you should include it. Certifications in courses such as languages (Spanish, Italian, French, German, Japanese and Russian) are in demand.
  • Great analytical mind; lawyers are not just proficient with the law. They know how to utilize the law for the defense of their client. They know which cases to reference in their strategies. Analysis is also important when giving legal advice to clients.
  • Meticulous, very detailed in approach; the best lawyers are those who can comb through tons of documents and find advantages for the benefit of the defense. They can organize all their material, documents, evidences and witnesses in a way that lends more credence to their position.
  • Quick, sharp mind; good lawyers are able to find loopholes and deficiencies in the presentation of the other party.
  • Great focus; hearings can last hours and you have to go through so many presentations and evidences.
  • Great listening ability; you have to be able to sort out the content of the other side as they make their presentation and pick out inconsistencies to exploit.
  • Patient and dedicated; research is a mainstay in your scope of responsibilities as a lawyer. You are not confined to law books, the Constitution and reference documents. You have to meet personalities and interview key personnel who are relevant to your case.
  • Flexible in schedule; hearings and meetings can be long, drawn out sessions. You do not have a typical 9-to-5 day as a lawyer. Even Sundays are not days of rest.
  • Ability to manage stress; there is always pressure to win cases and ably represent clients. You have to cross-examine people and break down their statements.
  • Great ability to organize; you may also be involved in other legal matters such as transferring assets, trusts and wills and other property related issues.
  • Great interrogative skills; cross-examining witnesses is a big part of winning a case. You should know how to build up the position of your client while tearing down the other party.

It takes more than intellect to become a good lawyer. You must be tough, resilient and deeply committed in representing the client.

What to Write and Not to Write in the Lawyer Resume Experience Section

Firms will always be interested in whom you have worked for. They know which law firms handle the biggest cases and are retained by the most important clients. They will always look out for “the best of the best”.

In your Lawyer resume experience section, go into great detail on your scope of responsibilities in the firms you previously or currently worked for. If allowed you should include case names, figures, personalities, dates and the result of the prominent cases you handled.

You should also include the variety of cases and tasks that were assigned to you. Firms prefer lawyers who are experienced in different branches such as tax, labor or criminal.

You should also include your experience working pro bono, for the government or if you have or currently are teaching in Law School.

There is no need to include work experience that has no relevance to the practice of law.

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