Paralegal Sample
Download and customize our resume template to land more interviews. Review our writing tips to learn everything you need to know for putting together the perfect resume.
A Paralegal is tasked with attorney support and legal writing in an attorney office setting. The resume should showcase your strongest abilities, such as office management, legal writing, documentation, research, and client relations.
Expert Tip
You should never use a creative resume
Many job seekers think that an eye-catching resume template will help them stand out to hiring managers and increase their chances of landing an interview. This is a myth put out by resume builders that value design over content.
The truth is that most hiring managers prefer a traditional resume format.
Creative resume templates, like the one pictured here, can actually hurt your chances of landing an interview. Instead, you should use a basic resume format that quickly communicates your basic information and qualifications–like the one included below.
Paralegal resume (text format)
How confident are you feeling about your resume? If you need more help, you can always refer to the following resume sample for a position.
Name
Title
City, State or Country if international
Phone | Email
LinkedIn URL
PARALEGAL PROFESSIONAL
Dedicated bilingual/multilingual Paralegal highly regarded for XX years of progressive experience providing outstanding attorney support in and out of court. Exemplary educational qualifications include an XX degree from XX. Utilizes exceptional written communication skills to clearly and effectively draft motions, pleadings, and briefs. Experienced in delivering high-quality work product in a variety of subject matter areas, organizing client files and documents, and delivering high-quality assistance to senior attorneys in pursuit of client interests.
CORE COMPETENCIES
Trial Support
Discovery
Case Management
Client Counseling
Problem Solving
Legal Research and Writing
Document Control
Scheduling
Pleadings
Negotiation
Billing
Motions
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Paralegal
Company | City, ST | Year to Present
Responsibilities
Successfully assisted clients in family and employment based immigration petitions, including L1, EB-1, Perm, H-1B petitions.
Drafted correspondence, motions, legal memorandums.
Compiled and drafted demand package for personal injury cases.
Reviewed and negotiated various leasing and contract agreements.
Prepared documentation for real property and bulk sale transactions.
Drafted petitions for sell non-profit assets.
Interviewed clients for immigration and personal injury cases.
Litigation Defense Paralegal
Company | City, ST | Year to Year
Responsibilities
Case management during all phases of the litigation process from the initiation of a case to the discovery period through trial and post-trial.
Organized and reviewed insurance policies across multiple coverage types, layers, and terms.
Extensive fact checking, site checking, and general editing for briefs and other responsive pleadings.
Indexed and summarized supporting documentation and evidence in Concordance as well as Microsoft Office programs, as projects required.
Managed proprietary databases of materials shared between counsel and client in complex insurance matters.
Assisted attorneys and clients in litigating complex insurance matters, such as Isolated and multi-state CERCLA claims as well as other pollution exclusion matters.
EDUCATION
Complete School Name, City, St/Country: List Graduation Years If Within the Last Ten Years
Complete Degree Name (Candidate) – Major (GPA: List if over 3.3)
Relevant Coursework: List coursework taken (even include those you are planning on taking)
Awards/Honors: List any awards, honors or big achievements
Clubs/Activities: List clubs and activities in which you participated
Relevant Projects: List 2-3 projects you have worked on
Everything you need to write your paralegal resume
Now that you’ve seen an example of a job winning Paralegal resume, here are some tips to help you write your own. You should always begin with a summary section. Remember to use basic formatting with clear section headings and a traditional layout. Finally, be sure to include top skills throughout your resume. We’ve included several examples common for Paralegal below.
Let’s start with your resume summary section.
1. Summary
The resume summary replaces the out-of-date resume objective. A summary outlines the most impressive parts of your resume for easy recall by your potential employer, while also serving to fill in personal qualities that may not appear elsewhere on the page. Remember that summaries are short and consist of pithy sentence fragments! You can check out the Paralegal resume example for more information!
Expert Tip
Always start with your most recent positions at the top of your resume. This is called reverse-chronological format, and keeps your most relevant information easy for hiring managers to review.
2. Formatting
Our experts recommend you start your resume with a resume summary, like the one above. Other common sections are Work Experience, Education, and either Skills or Core Competencies. Here are some guides from our blog to help you write these sections:
Some resumes will include other sections, such as Volunteer Experience or Technical Skills. When it comes to what sections you need to include on your resume, you will know best!
Other sections for you to consider including are foreign language skills, awards and honors, certifications, and speaking engagements. These could all be relevant sections for your resume.
3. Appropriate skills
Trial Support
Discovery
Case Management
Client Counseling
Problem Solving
Legal Research and Writing
Document Control
Scheduling
Pleadings
Negotiation
Billing
Motions
4. Experience section
Your Work Experience section should make up the bulk of your resume. This section should include your relevant job titles, companies that employed you, and the dates you were employed.
To demonstrate how to write an effective Work Experience section for your resume, let's dissect two bullet points from the example above. • Successfully assisted clients in family and employment based immigration petitions, including L1, EB-1, Perm, H-1B petitions. This bullet shows specialized skills, which will make you stand out among other applicants. • Case management during all phases of the litigation process from the initiation of a case to the discovery period through trial and post-trial. This bullet shows you can assist with the most basic of skills in an efficient manner.
Let’s wrap it up!
Standout resumes will include a resume summary, a traditional reverse-chronological layout, and the skills and experience relevant to your job target. This resume example shows how to include those elements on a page. It’s up to you to insert your personal compelling qualifications.
Keep your resume format easy to scan by both humans and computers; our resume template is designed by our experts to satisfy both audiences. And be sure to include your own skills, achievements, and experiences. Job-winning resumes are resumes that successfully market you, leading recruiters and hiring managers to want to learn more!
Finally, emphasize your interest with a customized cover letter. When writing, remember that the resume and cover letter should support each other. Check out our cover letter tips and examples for more advice.
Didn’t get the specific answers you were looking for on this page? Hire a professional resume writer to get the advice you need to land your next job.
Related posts:
