INDUSTRY STATS
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Attorney positions are at a 9% growth rate, which is as fast as average. With that said, there are currently 804,200 jobs in the market right now. The total number of jobs is expected to increase by 71,500 to 875,700 in the period of 2020-30.
What’s more, the median annual wage for the Attorney jobs was $126,930 in May 2020. The lowest 10% earned less than $61,490, and the highest 10% more than $208,000.
Our conclusion? The Attorney job market is wide open for candidates.
Top attorney sections that make the best resume
- Header
- Professional summary
- Experience (with numbers and results)
- Relevant skills
- Education
- Certifications
Writing a strong attorney experience section
Attorney Resume Experience Section: Ultimate Checklist
- Use no more than 4-6 bullet points per position;
- List relevant positions and situations that add value to your application;
- Describe situations, tasks, actions, and results (the S-T-A-R method);
- Remember to include numbers in whatever form you like (e.g. the number of projects you’ve finished);
- Begin each bullet point with an action verb.
Check out the examples below when building your experience section. They will help you stand out!
- Successfully defended design infringement proceedings by a French company against a local shoe designer and manufacturer
- Negotiating and drafting end user license agreements and the supply and distribution of audio books for Australia's largest audio book company
- Advising on risks and benefits for an independent designer participating in Fashion Week
- Advising on the legality of new technology for a software company developing a new product with existing technology and products used for other purposes
- Successfully resolving design infringement proceedings by an international tyre company against a small business owner
- Accurately integrating a new trade mark portfolio into a large olive oil company's existing portfolio after a successfully acquisition of another olive oil company by transferring ownership and recording the transfer across all jurisdictions the brand is registered
- Managing Geelong Football Club Annual General Meeting and preparing documents for changes in constitutional governance
- Offering training seminars to accountant referrers about the importance of intellectual property
- Training staff about process and procedures of intellectual property practice
- Presenting ( with other professionals) "What the FCUK?" Have trade marks gone too far" at the annual Christmas Moot for the Intellectual Property Society of Australia and New Zealand
- Published in the 2009 edition of "Getting the Deal Through" publication for Australian trade mark practice and law sections
- Drafting and filing Deeds of Assignment for international trade marks and patents
- Prosecuting hundreds of trade marks at the Australian Trade Mark Office and the New Zealand trade mark office
- Timely investigated and researched numerous claims alleging violations of the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA)
- Successfully tried cases involving violations of the NLRA
- Supervised other attorneys at the agency
- Providing legal advice to international clients on various cases in Civil Law, Contract Law, Corporate Law, Commercial Law, Energy Law, Labour Law, Personal Data Protection, Migration Law, etc;
- Negotiate and draft legal documents, review and amend third party contacts and other documents;
- Advising of day-to-day legal issued of one of the biggest malls in Sofia;
- Participation in the negotiation and the contract drafting procedure for build of a cinema;
- Advising on implementation of whistleblowing scheme in accordance with the USA FCPA;
- Advising on the employment structure of Bulgarian IT company. Developing employees' evaluation system;
- Appeal and representation before the Commission for Protection of Competition of an energy company;
- Experience in arbitration proceedings and appeals of penalty decrees.
- Providing legal advice to international clients on various cases in Civil Law, Contract Law, Corporate Law, Commercial Law, Energy Law, Labour Law, Personal Data Protection, Migration Law, etc;.
- Negotiate and draft legal documents, review and amend third party contacts and other documents;
- Advising of day-to-day legal issued of one of the biggest malls in Sofia;
- Participation in the negotiation and the contract drafting procedure for build of a cinema;
- Advising on implementation of whistleblowing scheme in accordance with the USA FCPA;
- Advising on the employment structure of Bulgarian IT company. Developing employees' evaluation system;
- Appeal and representation before the Commission for Protection of Competition of an energy company;
- Experience in arbitration proceedings and appeals of penalty decrees.
- Managed patent portfolios of small and large companies involving foreign and domestic patent preparation and prosecution in mechanical arts, biologics and electro-chemical arts
- Counseled clients on IPR, participated in defending IPR and drafted IPR petitions and responses
- Drafted patentabilty and patent infringement search requests and prepared opinions letters
- Identified licensable technology and evaluated license field of patent portfolios
- Identified potential products and service utilizing patent technology
- Prepared and managed third party preparation of claim charts
- Managed and conducted due diligence on patent portfolios, including file history analysis, invalidity analysis, and chain of title
- Drafted internal analysis reports identifying licensable field, scope of claims, strength and weakness of patent portfolio
- Managed outside counsel with development and prosecution of in-house patents
- Prosecuted and maintained in-house trademark properties
- Prepared and prosecuted foreign and domestic patent applications in the mechanical, electro-mechanical, pharmaceutical formulation, medical device, food science, and chemical arts
- Managed the patent portfolios of large corporations as well as individual inventors and directly interfaced with outside counsel and inventors
- Performed patentabilty, registrability and patent and trademark infringement searches and prepared opinions letters
- Prepared and prosecuted trademark applications in U.S. and foreign jurisdictions
- Filed and defended trademark opposition and cancellation proceedings
- Prepared and responded to cease and desist letters and negotiated infringement matters
- Drafted complaints, answers to complaints, motions, and memoranda in patent and trademark infringement matters
- Drafted interrogatories and requests for production and responded to discovery requests
- Formulated litigation strategies and advised clients concerning litigation and alternative dispute resolution
- Negotiated and drafted various complex agreements for investment and technology company clients.
- Represented seller of the last undeveloped downtown San Francisco lot for the creation of a tech and manufacturing hub.
- Represented major technology company in its acquisition and development of its South Bay corporate campus.
- Negotiated and drafted various finance, development, purchase, commercial real estate leasing, and licensing agreements.
- Pitched and secured client relationship with major Chinese investment company.
- Represented Chinese developer Kylli, Inc. for the purchase of downtown San Francisco property for $350 million, the largest commercial office transaction in San Francisco since 2012.
- Managed transaction flow and closing for the San Francisco 49ers’ $850 million refinancing of its 68,000-seat NFL stadium.
- Practiced transactional commercial real estate finance, leasing, securities, corporate, and M&A law.
- Represented purchaser in a $975 million acquisition of the Smart and Final grocery chain. Drafted agreements, performed due diligence, prepared disclosure schedules, reviewed title and insurance, and coordinated real estate closing.
- Received Public Counsel’s 2013 Community Development Project Award for pro bono legal work.
- Worked closely with private judical officers on dept related enforcment cases.
- Helped the company in instituting enforcement procedures.
- Reorganizing the avalable information about the cases and adding more to it.
- Supervised associate attorney and three legal assistants on hearings, filings, and correspondence with clients and opposing counsel
- Developed further growth for the firm by gaining two new insurance carrier clients through referrals
- Lead trial attorney in over 150 matters, from inception of case file to settlement or trial conclusion
- Negotiated settlements in cases-in-chief worth over $500,000
- Launched firm’s Minority Business Enterprise practice, resulting in $27,000 in new business in first 3 months.
- Drafted key policy recommendations on small business, entrepreneurship and economic inclusion as assistant chair for economic development task force for Mayor Duggan of Detroit.
- Successfully closed six transactions ranging from $7M to $230M.
- Initiated meetings with agency directors to increase buy-in.
- Formed the Financial Institution and Law Enforcement Team to increase coordination between financial institutions and federal agencies. Moneylaundering.com called FILET “a brilliant idea.”
- Led FIT from $200K in revenue in previous 2 years to record $12M in one year, a 5900% increase.
- Led review of commercial loans and drafted legal memoranda of findings regarding director liability during FDIC investigation.
- Conducted due diligence review and prepared due diligence report for U.S. client’s purchase of automotive business for $600M.
- Successfully closed 23+ transactions ranging from $35M to $600M.
- Lead Counsel representing a global provider of water, hygiene, and energy technologies and services (after its US$8.3 billion acquisition of the world's leading water treatment and process improvement company) in its global restructuring efforts. Responsibilities included drafting corporate authorizations, liaising extensively with Client's US Counsel, and obtaining requisite governmental approvals for share transfers as part of Client's overall global cost-savings and restructuring efforts.
- Lead Counsel representing a leading Swiss international bank in acquiring the Uruguayan subsidiary of a major global financial institution. Responsibilities included reviewing and advising on Global Purchase Agreement and other documentation; drafting corporate authorizations; seeking and obtaining requisite governmental approvals; liaising extensively with Client's UK, Swiss, US, and Uruguayan Counsel; closing documentation; and advising on related aspects of the acquisition under Bahamian law (such as employment, security matters, etc); closing documentation.
- Lead Associate representing a leading oil and gas company in the US$20 million disposal of its wholesale and retail operations in The Bahamas and Turks & Caicos Islands. As a result of this transaction, a French-owned entity is now selling petroleum and petroleum-based products in The Bahamas for the first time. Responsibilities included drafting sale and purchase documentation, conducting due diligence, liaising extensively with Client's US Counsel, and purchaser's US and French Counsel regarding Bahamian law matters; closing documentation.
- Lead Associate acting for one of the largest companies in the world in issuing the shares of its subsidiary, valued at US$62 million, making it the largest public offering in The Bahamas and the first public offering in The Bahamas in approximately 12 years. Responsibilities included reviewing and revising the offering memorandum; legal opinion; advising issuer of securities; obtaining requisite governmental approvals.
- Provide legal compliance and representation in litigation to plan sponsors of Taft-Hartley and government employee benefit trust funds.
- Conduct research, draft memorandums, and assist in the collections, withdrawal liability, and subrogation actions on behalf of the funds.
- Benefits issues include: plan design and administration, compliance advising, beneficiary benefit determinations, and withdrawal liability and contribution collection actions in United States District Courts.
- Represented private corporations in employment, regulatory, and antitrust procedures.
- Negotiated settlements based upon sound and resourceful pre-trial strategies, and winning dismissals in State and Federal Courts.
- Handled 150 concurrent labor litigations against the largest telecommunications provider in Venezuela.
PRO TIP
Make sure to relate your experience to your job description, but never lie. That’s not tolerated and will show up in the face-to-face interview later on.
Action verbs for your attorney resume
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Writing a strong skills section for your attorney resume
Checklist for your Attorney skills section:
- Include all relevant skills from the job description to pass ATS;
- Focus on skills that show your expertise;
- List your technical skills in a clear and concise manner;
- Leave room for transferable skills related to teamwork, communication, negotiation, and conflict management.
Top skills for your attorney resume
MO
KS
Confluence
slack
Employment Law
Legal Writing
Legal Research
Appeals
Desire to help others
Confidence
Persistence
Discipline
Loyalty
Personal integrity
Humility and sensitivity
Empathetic listening
PRO TIP
When describing your experience, don’t go too far from its terminology. Recruiters use ATS systems to filter resumes based on them having certain keywords, so make sure you use at least a few keywords mentioned in the job description.
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Attorney resume header: tips, red flags, and best practices
CHECKLIST For Your Attorney Resume Header
- Your name and surname in a legible and larger resume font
- The job title you’re applying for or your current job title as a subheading to your name
- Link to your portfolio or online profile, such as LinkedIn
- Address (City and State for the US; just your city for rest of the world)
- Email address
- Headshot (required or welcomed in the EU; not required and sometimes frowned upon in the US)
Stick to popular email providers such as Gmail or Outlook. And use these professional formats to create your username:
- first.last@gmail.com
- last.first@gmail.com
- firstlast@gmail.com
- f.last@gmail.com
- first.l@gmail.com
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PRO TIP
Some companies, states, and countries have policies about identifying information like photos on your Attorney resume. Be sure to check all the relevant rules before submitting yours. If you’re in doubt, you can always try contacting the company’s HR department to ask for their policy.
The ideal summary for your attorney resume
Mastering the summary section: checklist
- Mention the total years of experience you have in the field;
- Focus on 2 to 3 of your top achievements;
- Highlight the things that make you the best fit for the position;
- Go for short, easy-to-read sentences to keep the recruiter’s attention.
Resume summary formula:
PRO TIP
You’re not going to get hired simply because of a good summary or objective. However, your recruiter can bump you up in front of similarly experienced candidates who didn’t demonstrate such passion and drive.
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Things to Include in Your Attorney Resume Education Section
Attorney resume education section checklist:
- Mention your highest education degree;
- Add the duration of your course and the institution you attended;
- List the awards you’ve received during your studies;
- Feature your certifications if they are relevant to the position;
- Entry-level positions: Share more about projects and classes.
Top Certifications for Your Attorney Resume
QuickBooks For Attorneys In A Lawfirm
Anything That Any Lawyer Needs For Record Keeping With QuickBooks
How Manipulation Works In Legal Practice (Lawyers/Attorneys)
You'll learn about all possible types of manipulation, and how to defend yourself, in the legal practice as a lawyer
How Do I Fight a DUI charge? Attorneys and Lawyers in Canada
Learn how to defend a new client charged with drunk driving, impaired driving, excess alcohol, over 80, refusal offence.
QuickBooks Online For Attorneys
Quickest And Easiest Way To Master All QuickBooks Online Essential Attorney Necessary Features That Lawyers Would Need
Defense of a DUI Breathalyzer Charge by an Ontario Attorney
Why a Defence Lawyer Needs Disclosure & How They Prepare for Cross-Examination respecting the Intoxilyzer® 8000C
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PRO TIP
There are dozens of certifications that you can claim as a Attorney. But, some are more effective than others. That’s why you mustn’t include every certificate other applicants might have. Try instead to earn and list a few of the difficult ones.
Formatting your attorney resume
What’s worse than a .docx resume? A resume with a poorly chosen format.
In general, there are three basic resume formats we advise you to stick with:
- Reverse-chronological resume format;
- Functional skills-based resume format;
- Combination (or Hybrid) resume format.
Choosing between them is easy when you’re aware of your applicant profile – it depends on your years of experience, the position you’re applying for, and whether you’re looking for an industry change or not.
The reverse-chronological resume format is just that – all your relevant jobs in reverse-chronological order. It’s great for applicants with lots of experience, no career gaps, and little desire for creativity.
When working with less experienced applicants, we suggest the functional skills-based resume format. It’s great for recent graduates or people with large career gaps. Functional skills-based resumes focus on your personality, the skills you have, your interests, and your education. Ultimately, the idea is to show you’re the perfect fit without putting too much emphasis on your work experience (or lack thereof).
If you’re in the middle or are generally looking to make your resume feel more modern and personal, go for the combination or hybrid resume format. It offers the best of both worlds by combining sections focused on experience and work-related skills and at the same time keeping space for projects, awards, certifications, or even creative sections like ‘my typical day’ and ‘my words to live by’.
Attorney Resume Formatting Checklist
- Choose the resume format based on your level of experience and the company you’re applying for
- Go for a traditional 10-12p font
- Stick to 1-inch page margins to ensure high readability
- Match the length of your resume to your experience, but don’t go for more than two pages!
To take it a step further, check out how your resume can stand out without leaning too much on the creative side.
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PRO TIP
Sometimes you’ll want to go after a job which requires more experience than you have. Instead of using a typical Attorney resume layout, you can use a creative layout. Getting noticed is the most important challenge and a creative resume layout might help you get invited for an interview as most of other accountants have boring resume designs.
Additional sections for your attorney resume
In some cases, especially when it comes to entry-level positions, adding more sections beyond the usual ‘experience’, ‘skills’, and ‘education’ works well in your favor. Such additional sections will help you paint a fuller picture of who you are in the recruiter’s head.
Here’s a list of fun yet informative additional sections for your resume:
Making your attorney resume creative
We know too well that recruiters go through tons of resumes every day. The worse part is, they often need to hire people for different positions and teams. So how do you make yourself stand out in such cases?
By adding a dash of creativity to your Attorney resume. It can be in the form of a colorful layout, a section describing your typical day, or even a picture of your favorite book – you decide!
Just make sure that the levels of creativity match the industry, company, and position you’re applying for.
What makes a great attorney resume: key takeaways
- Choose a resume layout that sends the right message across and fits your current career situation;
- Create a resume header that shows your desired job title, and easy to find contact numbers;
- Be specific about your experience, accomplishments and future goals in your summary;
- Feature detailed metrics and specific examples that show the impact you made in your previous roles when describing your experience;
- List soft skills backed by examples;
- Add all of your technical skills and certifications that you have and match the job description;
- Show off a dash of personality in your resume that will demonstrate your culture fit and the right mix of hard and soft skills.
