Get an attorney job with these CV examples and tips

Create a CV to get hired as an attorney or similar legal profession by following this guide.

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Attorney CV example

Attorney CV and legal profession examples and tips

Attorneys advise and represent clients to protect their legal rights. They can work on complex cases with many billable hours and need to be at the top of their game. To get a job as an attorney, show your potential employer that you have what it takes by following these attorney CV samples for the best CV.

This guide will show you:

CV tips for an attorney job, including CV format
Elements to include on the perfect CV
Frequently asked questions when writing a legal CV

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Jobs that can use an attorney CV

During your job search, you may see other jobs in the legal profession that can use our attorney CV example. These include:

Juris doctor
Paralegal
Personal injury lawyer
Civil litigation clerk
Legal assistant

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The top six elements an attorney CV should have

1. Professional summary or career objective

A professional summary:

Tells the hiring managers who you are
Includes highlights of your legal experience
Leverages your years of experience

Here is an example of a professional summary for an attorney:

Experienced attorney with eight years of successful civil litigation. At XYZ law firm, took 48 cases to trial and honed negotiation and arbitration skills over 1800 billable hours.

A career objective:

Describes your goal as an attorney (or other titles) if the hiring managers select you
Can include the soft skills and hard skills that will help you reach the goal
Is beneficial if you would like to practise areas of the law you don’t have direct experience with

2. Skills

The skills section of your CV should include both hard skills and soft skills. You can include your skills as bullet points to make them stand out more. Some of the skills that recruiters look for when hiring an attorney are:

Knowledge of intellectual property law
Knowledge of personal injury law
Knowledge of real estate law
Arbitration skills
Civil litigation skills
Legal research

3. Work experience

Quantify your work experience whenever possible to make an impact. Be specific. Seeing a number or percentage tells more of a story to the hiring managers than a vague statement. For example:

Do: Took 48 cases to trial and maintained a 97% win rate for clients.

Don’t: Practised law.

4. Education

Education can be a crucial factor in the hiring process for an attorney. Attorneys have to undergo numerous years of law school to receive their credentials. The education section of your CV should include:

The name of your law school
Date of graduation
Relevant coursework and honours

5. Achievements and awards

Achievements and awards will help you to stand out to the hiring managers. Some achievements or awards you could include for an attorney position or other legal job are:

Professional awards given by bar associations
Legal papers you have published
Prominent cases you have been a part of

6. Membership groups or professional affiliations

Affiliations can help your good qualities stand out more. Being a part of professional organisations related to legal work can show your dedication to a cause and your community. Always name legal groups or affiliations first if you are part of more than one.

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FAQ: Attorney CV Example

Q: Do I need to submit a cover letter along with my CV?

Yes. You should submit a cover letter for each position you apply to, even if you are an experienced attorney. A great cover letter gives hiring managers a more personal impression of you and your skill set. Use the CVHelp Cover Letter Builder to create the perfect legal cover letter.

Q: Can I get an attorney job straight out of law school?

Depending on your work experience, you may or may not have the qualifications for certain positions when you graduate from law school. Check the job description for what the hiring managers are looking for. Tailor your resume using the examples above to show the skills and experience you have. This will give you the highest chance of getting the job.

Q: What are the qualities and skills needed to become an attorney?

Some of the traits hiring managers will take into consideration for an attorney position are:

Degree from a reputable law school
Work experience at a law firm
Knowledge of a specific field of law such as criminal law, employment law, or civil litigation
The ability to analyse complex legal documents
The job description will tell you exactly what the hiring manager is looking for. You may be able to take classes to gain more skills or certifications that would be in demand at a law firm.

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