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7 Paralegal Resume Examples & Guide...

7 Paralegal Resume Examples & Guide for 2024

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All resume examples in this guide

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Here’s what you’ll learn in this short Paralegal resume guide

  • What are the most important resume sections recruiters look for when reviewing your application;
  • What content to add in each section of your resume;
  • Paralegal resume example from a job-seeker who got hired, which you can use as a base to build your own resume;
  • Additional tips and tricks on resume layout, formatting, and design;
  • Little known resume red-flags, you have to pay extra attention to.

How to write a paralegal resume

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Top paralegal resume sections that make the best layout

  • Header
  • Professional summary
  • Experience (with numbers and results)
  • Relevant skills
  • Education
  • Certifications

There are three basic resume formats you can choose from:

The most optimal format for your particular case will depend on your years of experience, as well as whether you’re switching industries or not.

  • Reverse chronological resumes are best suited for experienced individuals who are sticking to their industry. The experience section takes a central place, and its bullets contain your responsibilities and achievements, coupled with numbers and results.
  • Functional resumes are used by less experienced jobseekers or career changers. Note that it’s not a format that recruiters prefer, as most are used to the classic chronological alignment. Instead of a list of job titles, functional resumes focus on your skills, and through what experiences you gained them.
  • Hybrid resumes are great for both experienced and entry-level candidates, as well as career changers. They combine the best of both worlds - most often in a double column format, where one side of the content is focused on your experience, whereas the other - on your skills, strengths, and proudest moments.
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Here are more resume tips regarding your layout and style

To take it a step further, check out how your resume can stand out without leaning too much on the creative side.

Recommended reads:

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PRO TIP

Test your draft Paralegal resume by sending it out to peers and mentors in your circles. Ask them to review it as if they are hiring you for a project and implement the feedback afterwards.

Paralegal resume header: tips, red flags, and best practices

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Here’s what to include in your Paralegal 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

Recommended reads:

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PRO TIP

Some companies, states, and countries have policies about identifying information like photos on your 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.

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Checklist: what to include in your Paralegal resume summary:

  • Years of experience;
  • Highlight top 3 skills and proficiencies;
  • One big professional accomplishment you’re most proud of, that you can tie with the aforementioned skills;
  • Use short, direct sentences - but no more than three - to keep the HRs interested.

Recommended reads:

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PRO TIP

When writing a resume summary or objective, avoid first-person narrative.

Best practices for paralegal resume experience section

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Job experience checklist - what to add to your Paralegal resume:

  • Use 4-6 bullet points per job title;
  • Don’t go further than a decade behind when describing your job history, unless you’re applying for an executive position;
  • Combine job responsibilities as well as achievements with numbers in results when you describe your past work;
  • Start each sentence with a power verb and avoid overused buzzwords;
  • Use either C-A-R or S-T-A-R methodology, when describing your experience.

Recommended reads:

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PRO TIP

Check the job description for inspiration. Look for similarities between your employer’s values and your experience.

Paralegal Resume Skills’ Tips & Tricks to Impress Recruiters

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Top skills to add to your paralegal resume

  • bankruptcy
  • personal injury
  • family law
  • excel>excel
  • filing

Resume Skills Section Checklist:

  • Ensure your hard skills section (including technologies) are exactly matching the job description.
  • Don’t simply list your soft skills. Apply the “show, don’t tell” principle - let your job achievements speak for themselves.
  • Find a way to showcase your skills beyond the skills section.
  • Your resume’s skill section is important to ATS systems - so don’t skip it.

Recommended reads:

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PRO TIP

Add a Talent Section to your resume, where you can pick your top 3 soft skills and describe how you used them to complete a project or balance departmental communication.

Listing your education, certifications and courses

Checklist for your resume education

  • Include your highest education degree;
  • List the duration you spent there, as well as the institution;
  • If you’re applying for an entry-level position, include additional details like relevant courses and projects;
  • Feature your certifications if they are necessary for the position - either as a separate section, or, in your resume headline.
  • Add the year your certificate was issued or renewed, if it’s in a subject area that requires regular updates.

Recommended reads:

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PRO TIP

There are dozens of certifications that you can claim as a Paralegal. 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.

Paralegal cover letter tips

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Nowadays, job application forms include questions like “why do you want to work here”, or “explain why you’re the best fit for us”, which makes you wonder: are cover letters really necessary?

In case the job description says you need to provide a cover letter, do include yours. Otherwise, you can always leave it out.

Still, they help you tell your story in a way that, if written right, it’s captivating and engaging.

In any case, you should pay close attention to the following tips when a cover letter is a must:

If you need more inspiration, check out our cover letter examples for different jobs.

Other sections to include in your resume

Depending on the type of company (corporation or start-up; innovative or traditional), job seniority level and your location, you may want to include more sections to your Paralegal resume:

Paralegal Resume: How to Make Yours More Creative & Stand Out

When you send your resume to a potential employer, chances are it's the fiftieth one they've seen that day. That's why you need to make your Paralegal resume stand out for the right reasons. That means showing your personality, not just your professional experience. Employers are far more likely to remember a candidate who seems like a genuine person and not a robot. Do this by including your passions (which is also a great place to demonstrate skills on a resume), share your favorite books, or even what your usual day looks like.

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What makes a great paralegal 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.

Paralegal resume examples

Explore additional paralegal resume samples and guides and see what works for your level of experience or role.

By Experience

Entry-Level Paralegal

When applying for an Entry-Level Paralegal role, it is important to know how to use legal software such as case management and document management tools as many firms value this skill. It's also beneficial to have relevant procedural and administrative abilities like drafting legal documents, researching, and interacting with clients. Aside from law-related abilities, showcasing your legal research skills and the impact they had on case preparations will make your application stand out. Rather than just stating your skills, illustrate how these skills have improved case efficiency or supported case success. Remember to show the connection between your skills, the actions you took, and the results that followed.

Senior Paralegal

Senior Paralegal roles call for mastery in multi-faceted legal practices. Here, highlighting your ability to mentor junior staff, liaise with attorneys, and manage numerous cases simultaneously is key. Feature your mentoring and leadership abilities. Talk about your liaison skills with attorneys, demonstrating how you have helped strengthen attorney-paralegal dynamics. Display your capacity to manage multiple cases, linking them to case success rates. Don't just enumerate skills; demonstrate their impact, i.e. 'facilitated rapid case progression through...', 'improved junior staff performance by...'. Stick to the 'skill - action - results' format.
View Senior Paralegal Resume

By Role

Litigation Paralegal

Litigation Paralegal originated from the changing needs of the legal arena, heavily influenced by industry trends. To increase success in applications, highlight prior experience in legal research, case management, and drafting of legal documents. Emphasize knowledge of various research methods. Showcase your case management skills, including communicating with clients and experts. Highlight legal drafting experience, particularly pleadings and discovery documents. Don't just list these skills. Illustrate how they have impacted case outcomes such as 'increased case success rate by...' or 'improved client satisfaction by...'. Follow a 'skill - action - results' method.
View Litigation Paralegal Resume

Immigration Paralegal

The Immigration Paralegal position involves the unique requirements of immigration law. Demonstrating experience with immigration filings, client interviews, and case management is crucial. Be clear about your experiences with various immigration forms and filings. Your resume should highlight your ability to conduct client interviews effectively in multiple languages if applicable. Don't just list your skills, illustrate how they have positively influenced case outcomes, for example 'streamlined the visa application process by...', 'improved client communication by...'. Remember, 'skill - action - results' is the key here.
View Immigration Paralegal Resume

Personal Injury Paralegal

Applying for Personal Injury Paralegals requires a focus on the specificities of personal injury law. Make sure to feature relevant experience with case intake, medical record retrieval, and negotiation. Your resume should highlight your talent in managing extensive case intake procedures and retrieving vital medical records. Try not to simply list your abilities; rather demonstrate how your negotiation skills have influenced case settlements, for example, 'secured higher settlements by...'. Keep in mind, always follow 'skill - action - results'.
View Personal Injury Paralegal Resume

Legal Assistant Paralegal

If you're applying for a Legal Assistant Paralegal role, remember these key points. Knowledge of legal document preparation software is important as organizing and managing documents is a big part of the job. Showcase your communication skills and client service experience, as dealing with clients effectively is crucial. Highlight your legal knowledge and how it has impacted case outcomes, as a strong law background often sets successful paralegals apart. Instead of just listing your technical skills, show how they improved case management and results. For example, you could say that a certain skill helped you manage a large number of cases or reduce preparation time. Use the 'skill-action-result' approach for clear examples.
paralegal resume example

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