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9 Attorney Resume Examples That Got the Job in 2024

Best for senior and mid-level candidates

There’s plenty of room in our elegant resume template to add your professional experience while impressing recruiters with a sleek design.

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Like this template? Customize this resume and make it your own with the help of our Al-powered suggestions, accent colors, and modern fonts.

Attorney Resume

• Attorney Resumes by Experience
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Attorney Resume FAQs

As a successful attorney in 2024, you are a stellar researcher, writer, investigator, and client confidante.

But when it comes time to  write your resume , how are you supposed to fit everything you do into one page? You also have to consider formatting, metrics, and whether to add any optional sections.

We’re here to help you handle your resume and  attorney cover letter  so you can do what you do best: practice law.

Our nine attorney resumes have helped lawyers of different specialties land jobs at top-tier law firms , so they’re perfect for beginning your resume-writing journey. We also have tips and tricks for each resume type to help you rise above the competition and get the attorney job you’ve always dreamed about in 2024.

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Why this resume works

• To make your resume aesthetically pleasing (and easy to read) for hiring managers, use a  resume template  with two font types, separate each section with big headers, and include a splash of color.
• Hiring managers need to see your qualifications quickly, so if you have extra certifications or licenses, include them in a separate section to make them more pronounced.

Entry-Level Attorney Resume

• You can list projects, internships, and any other work experience you have, even if it’s not related to law.
• Feel free to add relevant courses from your law school to highlight your skills even further!
• As a rule of thumb, you must customize your objective for each job to which you apply.
• If you’re going to use the same objective for each application, leave it off entirely and focus on work experience or projects.

Associate Attorney Resume

• This allows you to include at least four bullet points per entry, which is just enough to learn about your accomplishments without overwhelming the reader.
• Always  check your resume  for typos, grammar errors, and other mistakes before you submit it.

Senior Attorney Resume

• Good skills to include on your senior attorney resume are “contract review,” “ethics,” and any specific areas of law you have experience researching.
• Whatever you choose, double-check the job description to ensure you’re providing the correct information. 

Trademark Attorney Resume

• If you’ve never worked as a trademark attorney before, highlight your transferable skills. For example, have you advised clients on how to navigate prospective new legislation? Trademark law is always changing, so  knowing how to research recent litigation is a highly useful skill .
• Use similar keywords and responsibilities to reassure your future employer that you’re fit for the job.

Litigation Attorney Resume

• Don’t downplay your paralegal experience on your litigation attorney resume. It adds a degree of proficiency to your practice.

Real Estate Attorney Resume

• Devote valuable resume space to both your Bar admissions and certifications to demonstrate excellence in your field.

Contract Attorney Resume

• Tailor your  resume skills  section and work experience by including keywords mentioned in the job ad. Include just enough to show your expertise without copying everything word-for-word. Most of all, be honest about the skills you possess.
• Make sure that you list the specific types of contracts you have negotiated and managed, too!
• No matter what content you include, always  check your resume  for errors, including typos, grammatical faux pas, punctuation mistakes, and inconsistencies. Don’t let a few minor issues cost you the job!

Civil Litigation Attorney Resume

• All jokes aside, you can also include metrics related to things other than money. How many cases did you handle? How many clients did you meet? How many contracts or drafts did you review?  Odds are, most of your responsibilities involve numbers !
• Use bullet points and action verbs to cut filler, and avoid using adjectives or adverbs that take up space. 
• Symbols can also help: a $ instead of “dollars” and + instead of “more than” is both simple and effective!

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As an attorney, employers expect you’ll have passed the bar, and depending on the specific type of legal work you’re interested in, you may need more specialized certifications, such as the Certified International Trade Law Specialist or Board Certification in Criminal Law. While hiring personnel will likely request photocopies of your licenses and certifications, you should still list these on your attorney resume since it’s a quick assurance that you’re qualified for the specific role.  

List your highest education first. Start with law school and work your way down to your undergraduate degree (exclude high school). In the education section of your resume, you should list the name of the school along with the location, degree, and when you completed the degree. If you’re recently out of school, consider adding short bullet points that point to academic accomplishments, especially as it relates to legal work. 

No doubt, you’re used to pages of legalese and it’s no sweat for you to make sense of it; however, for your attorney resume, keep it to one page. This is your opportunity to quickly advertise your best law qualifications and accomplishments. Going into detail is best reserved for writing a great cover letter .