Lawyer CV Example & Writing Guide

Professional profile example for lawyers: Your opening statement

Lawyers must be excellent with words, and your professional profile (also known as a summary) is your best chance to show off that skill. Here is where you can wow recruiters with your professional personality and impressive achievements in just two to four sentences. Firms wanna know what strengths you can bring to the table: so let them know! 

Here’s a customisable professional profile example: 

Keywords are the key

Algorithms rule the hiring process, and you’ll need to know how to use those formulas to your advantage. Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) scan and rank your CV based on these algorithms. What can you do to increase your chances? In general, you should mine job descriptions for keywords and phrases to chuck in your CV. 

Lawyer CV skills section sample: How to excel

In addition to being great communicators, lawyers need a variety of interpersonal skills. You will be working with clients who may be under the hammer for any number of reasons. Not only do you have to stay calm, but you also must be able to interpret what they need and explain complicated aspects of the law clearly. You also need expertise in the area you’re applying for. Recruiters can do a quick scan of this section to see if your skills match their requirements. Make sure they do. Here are some skills to consider:

• Problem-solving
• Critical reading
• Persuasive and clear writing
• Flexibility in communication tone and style

Lawyer employment history sample: Build your case

You need to be precise in telling the story of your career. The bullet point list of your past roles should be listed in reverse chronological order (most recent jobs first), and each job should have a sub-list of your accomplishments, achievements and milestones (based on your duties and cases). Make sure to use choice action verbs and powerful nouns and adjectives, and avoid overly complex grammatical structures that bloat your descriptions. Be detailed without being too superfluous. 

Education section sample: Share your educational strengths

In this section, you should include details relevant to your qualifications, including the name and location of the institutions that awarded your qualifications, the degree or qualification programme name, and any other relevant details. Additionally, be sure to list any certificates, accolades, memberships or other honours in this section as well.