5 Attorney Resumes Examples That Got The Job In 2021

Why this resume works

• Your attorney resume needs to make it clear as day what practice areas you have expertise and experience in. The hiring manager at the law firm you're applying to is spending very little time reviewing your resume. Make their job easy by clearly showcasing the areas you've worked in.
  • The easier you can make the job of the person reviewing your resume, the more likely you are to get an interview.
  • This attorney has experience in a wide range of practice areas and they make that clear by saying things like "Represented plaintiffs in wrongful termination lawsuits on the basis of gender discrimination" and "Represented insurance clients in the defense of bodily injury liability and property damage liability lawsuits overseeing the examinations under oath of claimants.".

Why this resume works

• As a senior attorney the resume template you choose is really important in determining whether you'll get an interview or not.
  • You want to choose a template that allows you to add a lot of text for your work experience but still makes your resume easy to read and scan.
• As you get more experience in your career as an attorney the more you should be able to demonstrate ownership in your past roles. A great way to do that is with the use of action words like "managed" and led". Here are some examples of that on this senior attorney resume.
  • "Managed an active caseload of 5+ foreclosure classes which involved proactively filing motions to quickly move cases from summons and complaint to judgement".
  • "Led training for marketing managers regarding the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) to ensure all user tracking was legally compliant".

Why this resume works

• The most difficult step to get to in your attorney career will be obtaining your first full time role. At times it can feel discouraging and demoralizing. Try not to let you get this down. The focus of your resume at this point in your career should be on your law school career and any internships you've been able to get.
  • If you haven't had any internships yet, that's okay! In that case you can add a "Projects" section to your entry level attorney resume and detail some of the writing you're most proud of from your time in law school. 
• If you're part of any legal professional organizations then you can include them as well in a dedicated "Professional organizations" section on your resume.
• Including a career objective can be an effective way to demonstrate to a potential employer your particular interest in their firm and the role you're applying to.
  
  • As a rule of thumb if you're going to go the extra mile and customize your objective for each role you apply to then it's worth doing. If you're going to use the same objective for each role then you're better off leaving it off your resume entirely.

Why this resume works

• When you're an associate attorney with at least one or two full time associate attorney experiences outside of an internship, it's better to minimize the real estate you dedicate to your internship on your resume. A hiring manager is much more interested in the work you've done recently.
• This associate attorney resume does an excellent job of demonstrating expertise primarily in one practice area. Going into this level of depth makes this applicant a standout if they apply to any roles involving the SEC. A generalist approach is more appropriate for applying to a law firm that has many different practice areas.
  • Put yourself in the shoes of a hiring manager at a firm who represents accounting firms in dealings with the SEC. Doesn't this look like the ideal candidate?

Why this resume works

• When you're applying for a more specialized role like a trademark attorney position, showcase the work you've done in that practice area. Even if you don't have experience directly as a trademark attorney, try to make your other experience relevant to trademark and IP.
  
  • For example, have you advised clients on how to navigate prospective new legislation? IP law is always changing so that's the kind of experience that can be made highly relevant to the trademark attorney position you're applying to.
• Making sure your resume has everything it needs to maximize your chances of getting an interview is not straightforward. You can double check your resume is up to par for free with our resume review tool.