Lawyer resume example
Lawyer resumes are credentialed and deal-anchored at the same time. Bar admissions, state-by-state, go directly under your name; practice area comes next; then experience calibrated by deal or matter size. Big Law associates are screened on firm prestige + practice group + billable hours; in-house counsel on company scale + matter types + cross-functional impact. Generic 'detail-oriented attorney' phrasing fails for both audiences — the language that lands is the specific matter, jurisdiction, and outcome.
How to write a strong lawyer resume
- 1Bar admissions right after your name: 'Morgan Chen, Esq. | Admitted: California (2019), New York (2022)'. Include admission dates and registration numbers.
- 2State practice area clearly. 'Commercial Litigation Associate' beats 'Associate Attorney'. Big Law readers screen on practice group first.
- 3Quantify deals and matters: dollar size, counterparty count, regulatory regime. 'Lead associate on $180M Series C, 14-party capital stack, SEC Rule 506(b)' calibrates seniority instantly.
- 4Include billable-hour figures if you're from a billing firm (2,100+ hours signals competitive throughput). In-house resumes swap this for matter count and cross-functional scope.
- 5Clerkships and moot court wins still matter 5+ years out. Publications (law review articles, CLE presentations) separate associates who want to make partner from those who don't.
Sample experience bullets for lawyers
Copy these as a starting point and adapt with your own numbers. Every bullet is written to read well in an ATS and on a recruiter skim.
- ▸Senior Associate, Commercial Litigation, Latham & Watkins LLP (Chicago); carried 2,180 billable hours in 2024 across 8 active matters including a $240M breach-of-contract dispute through summary judgment.
- ▸Lead associate on 6 M&A transactions ranging $12-180M in 2024: drafted and negotiated APAs, handled reverse-diligence for 2 cross-border deals, coordinated signatory logistics across 30+ parties.
- ▸Drafted 14 complaints and 40+ subpoenas in a multi-district commercial dispute; managed firm-wide evidentiary tracker; briefed 3 motions to compel with 2 favorable orders.
- ▸California Bar (2019, #329847); New York Bar (2022, #5581203); JD Stanford Law School (2019, Order of the Coif, Notes Editor Stanford Law Review).
Recommended templates for lawyers
These templates pair well with the lawyer role — they're ATS-friendly, appropriate in tone, and highlight the sections that matter for this kind of job.
Need a matching cover letter?
We've written a companion lawyer cover letter example with role-specific tips, a sample letter, and matched templates in the same visual language as the resume templates above.
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