3 Best Attorney Resume Examples and Templates for 2025
20 Best Lawyer Resume Examples and Templates for 2025
By Carolyn Couch
, Certified Master Coach and Academy Certified Resume Writer
Carolyn Couch
Read More
Certified Master Coach and Academy Certified Resume Writer
Last Updated:
July 12, 2025
Upholding the law, protecting rights, and facilitating justice are at the heart of what it means to be a lawyer. Your resume should reflect your dedication to these principles and emphasize your relevant legal skills and experience. In this guide, we’ll provide strategies and examples to help you write a lawyer resume highlighting your legal expertise and career achievements.
Key takeaways:
- Emphasize specializations: Quickly highlight your law specialties, such as corporate governance, legal research, patent filing, or trial preparation.
- Detail quantifiable achievements: Use specific numbers and outcomes to illustrate your impact in previous attorney roles, such as providing sound legal advice for more than 60 product transactions annually.
- Use keywords for ATS: Include relevant lawyer skills and keywords from the job posting in your resume to ensure it passes through Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) and reaches hiring managers.
Most Popular Lawyer Resumes
Corporate Lawyer Resume Example
Why This Resume Is a Great Example
Taylor quantifies deal volume (“$1.2 billion in M&A”), dispute reductions (30%), and compliance track record, showing direct impact on business outcomes. The clear reverse-chronological format puts high-value corporate work front and center.
Key Tips
Lead with deal metrics and compliance successes to showcase strategic value. For formatting executive-level resumes, see Best Resume Formats.
Associate Lawyer Resume Example
Why This Resume Is a Great Example
Alex’s resume quantifies motion success rates (70%), discovery volume (10,000+ docs), and cost savings ($2 million), demonstrating litigation prowess. The bullets combine analytical and mentoring achievements.
Key Tips
Highlight win rates and cost savings to underscore litigation value. For more on listing work achievements, see Work Experience on a Resume.
Employment Lawyer Resume Example
Why This Resume Is a Great Example
Jordan quantifies policy coverage (5,000 employees), charge reductions (40%), and training impact (25% survey lift), showing both preventive and defense strengths. The structured bullets underscore compliance and litigation skills.
Key Tips
Combine compliance metrics and defense outcomes for a well-rounded employment profile. For tips on tailoring HR/legal resumes, see How to Tailor a Resume to a Job Description.
Immigration Lawyer Resume Example
Why This Resume Is a Great Example
Morgan’s resume highlights volume (300+ petitions), high approval (98%), and educational outreach (500+ attendees), showcasing both technical success and community impact. The bullets balance casework and program development.
Key Tips
Quantify petition success rates and outreach to underscore expertise and advocacy. For guidance on bilingual or community legal resumes, see Transferable Skills Resume.
Litigation Lawyer Resume Example
Why This Resume Is a Great Example
Casey’s resume quantifies trial volume and success rates (80%), motion outcomes (60%), and cost savings (25%), highlighting courtroom and case-management prowess. The bullets reflect leadership and tactical skill.
Key Tips
Emphasize verdict and motion-win rates to showcase litigation impact. For structuring courtroom resumes, see Resume Action Words.
Real Estate Lawyer Resume Example
Why This Resume Is a Great Example
Jamie quantifies lease volume (150+), closing totals ($200 million+), and risk savings ($2 million), demonstrating both transactional depth and diligence. The bullets balance negotiation with due diligence achievements.
Key Tips
Highlight transaction volume and risk-mitigation outcomes for maximum impact. For more on listing quantitative achievements, see Resume Keywords.
Banking Lawyer Resume Example
Why This Resume Is a Great Example
Cameron’s resume quantifies transaction totals ($3 billion loans), regulatory improvements (30% fewer waivers), and exam results (zero findings), showcasing deep banking expertise. The structure highlights both transactional and compliance work.
Key Tips
Lead with deal sizes and compliance metrics for a specialized banking profile. For advice on finance-law resumes, see Best Resume Formats.
Business Lawyer Resume Example
Why This Resume Is a Great Example
Drew’s resume quantifies contract volume (200+ agreements), funding totals ($150 million), and dispute reductions (25%), showing transactional breadth and strategic counsel. The bullets showcase both deal-making and governance.
Key Tips
Emphasize financing and contract metrics to illustrate business impact. For tips on funding rounds, see Job Title Examples for Your Resume.
Criminal Lawyer Resume Example
Why This Resume Is a Great Example
Riley quantifies verdict outcomes (75% favorable) and plea success (90%), illustrating courtroom effectiveness and negotiation skill. Leadership and team-management metrics (30% efficiency gain) underscore the breadth of responsibility.
Key Tips
Highlight trial and plea metrics like “75% acquittal rate” to demonstrate defense proficiency. For guidance on criminal-law resumes, see Resume Personal Statement Examples.
Entertainment Lawyer Resume Example
Why This Resume Is a Great Example
Pat’s resume quantifies deal count (100+ agreements), revenue value ($50 million+), and project volume (45 clearances), showing both transactional skill and IP expertise. The bullets convey breadth across talent, licensing, and IP management.
Key Tips
Lead with deal sizes and percentage gains to highlight negotiation prowess. For more on entertainment-law formats, see How to Make a Resume.
Family Law Lawyer Resume Example
Why This Resume Is a Great Example
Taylor quantifies caseload (60+ cases) and settlement rates (85%), demonstrating both volume and effectiveness in family-law practice. The bullets showcase a balance of drafting, mediation, and courtroom skills.
Key Tips
Highlight settlement percentages and cost savings to illustrate your negotiation prowess. For guidance on crafting empathetic profiles, check out How to Write a Resume Summary.
Patent Lawyer Resume Example
Why This Resume Is a Great Example
Alex’s resume quantifies application volume (120+), allowance rate (75%), and pendency reduction (20%), emphasizing both drafting skill and process efficiency. The bullets also reflect training and litigation support.
Key Tips
Emphasize allowance rates and process improvements to show patent prowess. For details on technical resumes, see Hard Skills for a Resume.
Tax Lawyer Resume Example
Why This Resume Is a Great Example
Jordan quantifies deal values ($500M+), penalty abatements ($3M+), and audit success rates (80%), showcasing both transactional and controversy expertise. The LL.M. underscores specialized credentials.
Key Tips
Lead with dollar savings and audit wins to highlight tax impact. For more on writing specialized summaries, see How to Write a Resume Summary.
Environmental Lawyer Resume Example
Why This Resume Is a Great Example
Morgan’s resume quantifies permitting success (95%), penalty savings ($4M), and compliance-gap closures (200+), demonstrating regulatory mastery. Training outcomes underscore operational impact.
Key Tips
Highlight first-round approval and cost savings metrics to showcase environmental expertise. For tips on government and regulatory roles, see What to Put on a Resume.
Healthcare Lawyer Resume Example
Why This Resume Is a Great Example
Casey quantifies agreement volume (100+), remediation rates (100%), and violation reductions (50%), demonstrating both preventive and defensive healthcare expertise. Claim recoveries add financial impact.
Key Tips
Emphasize compliance audit and recovery metrics to illustrate healthcare value. For more on policy and protocol, see Resume Personal Statement Examples.
Intellectual Property Lawyer Resume Example
Why This Resume Is a Great Example
Jamie’s resume quantifies application volume (200+), registration rate (90%), and royalty revenue ($5M), emphasizing both procurement and monetization of IP. Litigation success further underpins enforcement capability.
Key Tips
Lead with portfolio size and registration rates to highlight IP impact. For guidance on IP-focused resumes, see Technical Skills in an IT Resume.
Appellate Lawyer Resume Example
Why This Resume Is a Great Example
Cameron quantifies brief volume (60+), reversal rates (65%), and oral-argument success (70%), demonstrating appellate effectiveness. Mentoring metrics show leadership in specialized practice.
Key Tips
Highlight brief counts and win rates to showcase appellate strength. For tips on legal writing achievements, see Resume Action Words.
Civil Rights Lawyer Resume Example
Why This Resume Is a Great Example
Drew quantifies settlement totals ($10M), complaint outcomes (60%), and outreach volume (1,200+), demonstrating impact litigation success and community engagement. Class-action leadership underscores strategic scale.
Key Tips
Emphasize class-action and community metrics to show broad impact. For more on advocacy resumes, see CV vs. Resume: What Is the Difference?.
Personal Injury Lawyer Resume Example
Why This Resume Is a Great Example
Riley’s resume quantifies recoveries ($50M+), trial success (65%), and settlement efficiency (40% time savings), demonstrating both courtroom skill and negotiation results. The structure highlights high-value outcomes.
Key Tips
Lead with compensation totals and success rates to showcase personal injury impact. For more on structuring high-stakes resumes, see Best Resume Formats.
Antitrust Lawyer Resume Example
Why This Resume Is a Great Example
Pat quantifies transaction values ($4B), penalty mitigation ($50M), and clearance rates (75%), showcasing both transactional and enforcement expertise. The training metric underscores preventative compliance work.
Key Tips
Emphasize deal values and compliance outcomes to highlight antitrust specialization. For more on detailing regulatory roles, see What to Put on a Resume.
Lawyer Text-Only Resume Examples and Templates
How To Write a Lawyer Resume Example
Using a resume template can help you write an effective lawyer resume. Your attorney resume should include these sections:
- Contact information
- Profile
- Key skills
- Professional experience
- Education and certifications
1. Share your contact information
Provide your full name, phone number, email address, location, and a link to your online professional profile. Ensure your contact information is current so potential employers can contact you for an interview.
Example
John Bergsen
(123) 456-7890
[email protected]
Miami, FL 12345
LinkedIn | Portfolio
2. Create a compelling profile summarizing your lawyer qualifications
The profile of your lawyer resume is like an opening argument in court. It should present an engaging case to hiring managers by summarizing your legal career. Include your job title, level of experience, industry knowledge, and any specializations that could set you apart. Within a few sentences, show that you match key aspects of the job’s requirements.
Senior-Level Profile Example
Civil litigation attorney representing clients in complex personal injury cases with a track record for expedited court hearings and securing substantial settlements. A dynamic, persuasive public speaker with proven skills in resolving issues in the courtroom and during closed-door negotiations. Consistently delivers creative solutions and successfully works in collaborative environments.
Entry-Level Profile Example
Motivated attorney with well-rounded academic and internship experience, including a solid record in business and record law. Excellent researcher contributing support to lead attorneys and collaborations across legal and litigation teams. Builder of strong client rapport.
3. Write a success-driven professional experience section
To create an effective professional experience section, clearly outline your career trajectory as a lawyer. Start with your most recent position first and work backward, discussing the legal work or cases you were involved in and any key details that align with the job you’re applying for. When you can, use numbers to measure and give value to your duties and accomplishments.
Senior-Level Professional Experience Example
Litigation Attorney, Harney & Sons LLC, Nashville, TN
May 2010 – present
- Meet with up to 30 clients per month to determine whether cases are a trial fit for Harney & Sons
- Represent and advise clients on civil litigation matters with a focus on personal injury and complex insurance claims cases, securing sizeable settlements for clients 95% of the time
- Leads negotiations for settlements prior to trial and holds settlement conferences in state and federal court
Entry-Level Professional Experience Example
Senior Law Clerk, Hollinger & Assoc. LLC, Miami, FL
June 2021 – present
- Assist attorneys with trial preparation and legal research to support litigation
- Draft legal memoranda for contract and corporate governance cases
- Support patent filing efforts, supplying required documentation for staff attorneys to expedite the process, decreasing patent filing turnaround by 15%
- File pleadings at federal, state, and local level
Resume writer’s tip: quantify your experience
Use numbers and metrics to show the results you achieved in previous attorney roles. Provide context to your work history and give recruiters a better understanding of your scope and impact. You can demonstrate your value and potential as a lawyer by detailing your success in securing significant settlements for clients, noting the number of cases executed, and citing compliance results.
Do
- “Executed over 200 securities issuance documents, ensuring 100% compliance with relevant securities laws.”
Don’t
- “I was responsible for executing securities issuance documents and making sure they complied with the law.”
What if you don’t have experience?
Creating a professional lawyer resume can be challenging if you lack real-world experience. However, you still have valuable skills and knowledge from your education and training and accomplishments achieved during internships.
Provide details on your degrees, honors, courses, and any notable projects. If you participated in law review or moot court, include that as well. Discussing internships, externships, or clinics will help to show your experience in real-world settings.
In addition to your experiences and education, emphasize transferable skills necessary for the job. You’ve likely gained many valuable technical and interpersonal skills through part-time jobs or volunteer work. Some of those that are valuable in a legal setting include writing, research, public speaking, negotiation, critical thinking, and client service.
4. Include relevant education and certifications
In addition to your education, feature any relevant certifications achieved throughout your law career. Although most employers will be more interested in your professional experience, obtaining other credentials can set your resume apart from other candidates and increase the chance of winning an interview.
For example, if you are a Certified Financial Analyst (CFA), this demonstrates your knowledge of financial law and corporate governance, which will appeal to firms seeking this expertise. Always include the year you passed the bar exam and earned a license to practice law.
Education
Template:
[Degree Name]
[School Name], [City, State Abbreviation] | [Graduation Year]
Example:
Juris Doctor (J.D.), Law, August 2017 – May 2020
University of Florida, Gainesville, FL
Bachelor of Arts (B.A.), Political Science, August 2013 – May 2017
University of Florida, Gainesville, FL
Certifications
Template:
[Certification Name], [Awarding Organization], [Completion Year]
Examples:
License to Practice Law in Boston, MA, American Bar Association, 2016
Certified Financial Analyst (CFA), CFA Institute, 2015
5. List pertinent key skills
Most organizations rely on some form of ATS to identify qualified candidates for job openings. To get your resume through the initial screening process and into the hiring manager’s hands, incorporate keywords from the job description directly into your profile, professional experience, and skills section. Below are key terms and skills that you may encounter while applying for lawyer positions:
| Key Skills and Proficiencies | |
|---|---|
| Case preparation and strategy | Civil law |
| Client counseling and management | Complex solution-finding |
| Conflict resolution | Contract drafting and negotiation |
| Corporate governance | Domestic law |
| Ethical conduct | Knowledge of laws |
| Legal research and analysis | Mergers and acquisitions |
| Negotiation and persuasion | Patent filing |
| Securities regulations | Trial and courtroom experience |
Resume writer’s tip: Use common action verbs
Take a strategic approach with the words you use on your lawyer resume. In the professional experience section of your resume, incorporate action verbs to communicate your job duties and accomplishments. Instead of listing responsibilities, start each section with an engaging verb that shows how you executed critical tasks for practicing law. Avoid using first-person language such as, “I was responsible for…” Following are some action verbs you can use to liven up your attorney resume.
| Action Verbs | |
|---|---|
| Advised | Analyzed |
| Appealed | Argued |
| Assisted | Conducted |
| Cross-examined | Defended |
| Drafted | Filed |
| Interviewed | Investigated |
| Mediated | Negotiated |
| Prepared | Presented |
| Provided | Represented |
| Researched | Reviewed |
| Trained | |
How To Pick the Best Lawyer Resume Template
When selecting your lawyer resume template, prioritize structure and readability over visual appeal. Avoid loud graphics and overbearing colors, and instead, focus on a clean design that showcases your content in an organized way. Hiring managers will always be more interested in your achievements and qualifications than the style of your template.
Frequently Asked Questions: Lawyer Resume Examples and Advice
How do you align your resume with a lawyer job description?
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, jobs for lawyers are projected to grow by 8% from 2022 to 2032, faster than average for most occupations. This growth is primarily driven by an increasing demand for legal services across all sectors. However, clients are more likely to negotiate rates, which could impact high-end legal work.
Although these projections are optimistic, you must align your resume with the job description to secure interviews for the most lucrative opportunities. Law can be a competitive field, and tailoring your document to individual job postings will significantly increase your chances of landing your next job opportunity.
For example, suppose a firm is looking for an attorney who specializes in civil cases, specifically personal injury claims. In this case, highlight your knowledge of civil law and success in securing sizable claims for personal injury clients.
What is the best lawyer resume format?
Reverse chronological format is ideal for most resumes, including those for attorneys. This approach ensures that your most recent and relevant experience is featured at the top of your document. Even at the entry level, avoid functional resume formats. If you lack hands-on experience, your resume will still be more effective if you highlight academic projects and involvement, such as moot court, rather than only listing technical skills.
What are the most important sections to include in my Lawyer CV?
A well-rounded Lawyer CV should include the following sections: a profile summary that highlights your experience and strengths, a skills section that aligns with the job description, a professional experience section that outlines key roles and responsibilities, and education and certifications. Adding a section for key achievements or quantifiable results can also give your CV a competitive edge.
What skills should I put on my lawyer resume?
Your lawyer resume should demonstrate your strong communication skills, organizational skills, analytical skills, and problem-solving capabilities, along with areas of expertise such as corporate governance, tort law, domestic law, or securities litigation.
How do I make my lawyer resume stand out?
Make your attorney resume stand out by highlighting courtroom achievements, demonstrating the value you bring to law firms by incorporating numbers and data, and incorporating keywords that align with the job description. Begin with a compelling profile summary, detail your accomplishments in the professional experience section, list relevant skills, and include your education and certifications.
Check Out Related Examples
Certified Master Coach and Academy Certified Resume Writer
Carolyn Couch is a Certified Master Coach, Academy Certified Resume Writer, and Certified Etiquette Consultant. Over the past 20 years, she has helped thousands of professionals start, reinvent, and advance their careers with confidence.
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