Crafting a CV that meticulously showcases the necessary blend of organisational skills, technical knowledge, and the legal expertise that you possess as a legal assistant can be daunting. Our guide is designed to walk you through this challenge, providing clear examples and actionable tips to help you construct a CV that emphasises your strengths and appeals to law firms.
Learn how to create your next legal assistant CV by:
- Applying the simplest CV design, so that recruiters can easily understand your expertise, skills, and professional background;
- Ensuring you stand out with your header, summary or objective statement, and a designated skills section;
- Creating your CV experience section - no matter how much expertise you have;
- Using real life professional CV examples to enhance the structure and outline of your profile.
If you still have no muse to write your professional CV, find some more industry-leading examples.
How to ensure your profile stands out with your legal assistant CV format
It's sort of a Catch 22. You want your legal assistant CV to stand out amongst a pile of candidate profiles, yet you don't want it to be too over the top that it's unreadable. Where is the perfect balance between your CV format simple, while using it to shift the focus to what matters most. That is - your expertise. When creating your legal assistant CV:- list your experience in the reverse chronological order - starting with your latest roles;
- include a header with your professional contact information and - optionally - your photograph;
- organise vital and relevant CV sections - e.g. your experience, skills, summary/ objective, education - closer to the top;
- use no more than two pages to illustrate your professional expertise;
- format your information using plenty of white space and standard (2.54 cm) margins, with colours to accent key information.
Once you've completed your information, export your legal assistant CV in PDF, as this format is more likely to stay intact when read by the Applicant Tracker System or the ATS. A few words of advice about the ATS - or the software used to assess your profile:
- Generic fonts, e.g. Arial and Times New Roman, are ATS-compliant, yet many candidates stick with these safe choices. Ensure your CV stands out by using a more modern, and simple, fonts like Lato, Exo 2, Volkhov;
- All serif and sans-serif fonts are ATS-friendly. Avoid the likes of fancy decorative or script typography, as this may render your information to be illegible;
- Both single- and double-column formatted CVs could be assessed by the ATS;
- Integrating simple infographics, icons, and charts across your CV won't hurt your chances during the ATS assessment.
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Use font size and style strategically to create a visual hierarchy, drawing the reader's eye to the most important information first (like your name and most recent job title).
The top sections on a legal assistant CV
- Relevant Legal Experience showcases your practical legal work and skills.
- Legal Education and Certifications highlight your specialised training and legal knowledge.
- Technical Legal Skills emphasise your proficiency with legal software and research tools.
- Key Legal Achievements demonstrate your successes and contributions to past roles.
- Professional Membership and Associations affirm your active engagement with the legal community.
What recruiters value on your CV:
- Emphasise your attention to detail by meticulously proofreading your CV for any grammatical errors or inaccuracies, ensuring it is immaculate, as precision is crucial in legal documents.
- Highlight any experience with legal software and case management systems, and showcase your ability to adapt to new technologies, which are integral for maximising efficiency in a legal environment.
- Document any specific legal knowledge or experience you have in various areas of law, demonstrating your ability to support legal professionals with relevant and specialised tasks.
- Feature your communication skills by including examples of drafting legal correspondence, managing client interactions, and liaising between attorneys, showcasing your role as a facilitator of efficient legal service.
- Illustrate your organisational capabilities by describing how you've managed case files, coordinated schedules, and kept track of deadlines, underpinning your role in ensuring the smooth operation of legal proceedings.
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Our checklist for the must-have information in your legal assistant CV header
Right at the very top of your legal assistant CV is where you'd find the header section or the space for your contact details, headline, and professional photo. Wondering how to present your the name of the city you live in and the country abbreviation as your address;
- are tailored to the role you're applying for by integrating key job skills and requirements;
- showcase what your unique value is, most often in the form of your most noteworthy accomplishment;
- select your relevant qualifications, skills, or current role to pass the Applicant Tracker System (ATS) assessment. Still not sure how to write your CV headline? Our examples below showcase best practices on creating effective headlines:
Examples of good CV headlines for legal assistant:
- Legal Assistant | 5+ Years in Contract Law | Certified Paralegal | Compliance & Negotiation Specialist
- Senior Legal Secretary | Litigation Support Expert | 10+ Years in Legal Sector | Bilingual: Spanish-English
- Junior Legal Assistant | Recently Qualified - LPC | Specialism in Intellectual Property | Client Relationship Management
- Legal Administrative Assistant | 7 Years' Experience | Conveyancing and Property Law | Fast Track Diploma Holder
- Litigation Legal Assistant | 3 Years Post-Qualification | Case Research & Trial Preparation | AAT Level 2 Certified
- Corporate Legal Assistant | Senior Role in Mergers & Acquisitions | LL.B. Qualified | Due Diligence Proficiency
Choosing your opening statement: a legal assistant CV summary or objective
At the top one third of your CV, you have the chance to make a more personable impression on recruiters by selecting between:
- Summary - or those three to five sentences that you use to show your greatest achievements. Use the CV summary if you happen to have plenty of relevant experience and wish to highlight your greatest successes;
- Objective - provides you with up to five sentences to state your professional aims and mission in the company you're applying for
CV summaries for a legal assistant job:
More detailed look into your work history: best advice on writing your legal assistant CV experience section
The CV experience is a space not just to merely list your past roles and responsibilities. It is the CV real estate within which you could detail your greatest accomplishments and skills, while matching the job requirements. Here's what to have in your experience section:
- Prove you have what the job wants with your unique skill set and past successes;
- Start each bullet with a strong, action verb, and continue with the outcome of your responsibility;
- Use any awards, nominations, and recognitions you've received as solid proof of your skill set and expertise;
- align your experience with the role responsibilities and duties.
For more help on how to write your CV experience section, check out the next section of our guide:
Best practices for your CV's work experience section
- Managed a busy legal practice's diary, coordinating court dates and client appointments efficiently, while minimising scheduling conflicts throughout the year.
- Conducted thorough legal research utilising online databases and law libraries; contributed to case preparation with accurate and relevant information.
- Prepared legal documents such as briefs, pleadings, appeals, agreements, contracts, and legal correspondence with attention to detail and within strict deadlines.
- Maintained confidentiality in all interactions and communication, upholding the firm's reputation and clients’ trust.
- Supported casework by organising and filing documents electronically and physically, ensuring swift retrieval and a systematic records management system.
- Liaised with clients, legal professionals, and court personnel, providing exemplary service and communication to facilitate the legal process.
- Utilised case management software effectively, keeping track of case progress and maintaining up-to-date client files.
- Participated in client meetings and deposition preparation, taking detailed notes that were later used to inform legal strategies and case progression.
- Monitored changes in legislation and case law, providing lawyers with timely updates that were critical to ongoing cases and client advisories.
Work Experience
Senior Legal Associate
Clifford Chance LLP
01/2017-12/2020
- Managed a portfolio of 50+ ongoing legal cases, consistently meeting deadlines for document submissions and maintaining detailed litigation records for senior attorneys.
- Conducted complex legal research and analysis for property law matters, contributing to a 20% increase in successful outcomes for client cases over a three-year period.
- Drafted and reviewed up to 30 legal documents per week, including affidavits and contracts, ensuring accuracy and compliance with current UK legislation.
Work Experience
Legal Assistant Officer
Allen & Overy
05/2015-04/2018
- Implemented a new legal case management software that improved document retrieval times by 35%, streamlining workflow processes for the whole legal team.
- Liaised with clients to gather case information, preparing briefs for approximately 12 cases per month with a high level of precision that resulted in enhanced client satisfaction scores.
- Coordinated between various departments to ensure all related parties were informed of case developments, playing a key role in the timely execution of case strategies.
Work Experience
Legal Case Coordinator
Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer
03/2020-Ongoing
- Actively involved in the preparation of evidentiary materials for high-stakes commercial litigation cases, directly supporting a team of 5 leading solicitors.
- Facilitated client intake for over 100 individual cases, helping to grow the client base by 15% within a single fiscal year through outstanding service.
- Led the digitization project for the firm's case files, digitizing over 10,000 documents, thus greatly enhancing accessibility and reducing paper usage by 25%.
Work Experience
Patent Legal Assistant
Linklaters LLP
06/2013-02/2016
- Spearheaded the legal research for a landmark patent infringement case, which contributed to a favourable verdict and secured the client's intellectual property rights.
- Reviewed and processed an average of 15-20 legal contracts per month, identifying potential areas of risk and suggesting mitigation strategies to senior legal counsel.
- Organized and maintained the law library, ensuring resources were current and accessible, which reduced research time for attorneys by approximately 10%.
Work Experience
Legal Support Specialist
Slaughter and May
11/2014-10/2019
- Expertly compiled and maintained litigation dockets for a team of 10 attorneys, improving the firms' case handling efficiency and contributing to a 98% on-time filing rate.
- Facilitated cross-departmental communication and legal compliance for M&A transactions, supporting over 20 successful deals within 5 years.
- Conducted weekly training sessions on legal database management for new staff, significantly enhancing team productivity and reducing onboarding time by 15%.
Work Experience
International Legal Assistant
Hogan Lovells
09/2009-08/2012
- Orchestrated the logistics for a series of international arbitration cases, coordinating between parties in different time-zones and ensuring all legal procedures were followed.
- Assisted in reducing overhead costs by 10% through the implementation of a new documentation workflow, which streamlined the preparation of legal briefs and filings.
- Played a pivotal role in the research and compilation of evidence for a multi-million-pound fraud case, leading to the successful recovery of assets.
Work Experience
Litigation Legal Assistant
Norton Rose Fulbright
04/2012-03/2015
- Performed in-depth legal research that was integral to developing case strategies for high profile defamation cases, directly impacting case outcomes favourably.
- Managed legal documentation and records for over 200 clients, implementing a categorization system which improved file retrieval times by 40%.
- Collaborated with senior solicitors to create case presentations for trials, enhancing the persuasiveness of arguments and contributing to a 30% higher rate of successful case settlements.
Work Experience
Civil Litigation Legal Officer
CMS Cameron McKenna Nabarro Olswang LLP
07/2011-06/2014
- Conducted due diligence for upwards of 25 property transactions per year, ensuring all compliance checks were met, which resulted in a decrease in post-sale legal issues by 5%.
- Played a critical role in client relations, managing communications for 50+ clients involved in civil litigation, leading to increased client retention rates.
- Assisted with the creation and roll-out of a witness preparation program that enhanced the effectiveness of testimonies, contributing to more robust case positions.
How to ensure your legal assistant CV stands out when you have no experience
This part of our step-by-step guide will help you substitute your experience section by helping you spotlight your skill set. First off, your ability to land your first job will depend on the time you take to assess precisely how you match the job requirements. Whether that's via your relevant education and courses, skill set, or any potential extracurricular activities. Next:
- Systematise your CV so that it spotlights your most relevant experience (whether that's your education or volunteer work) towards the top;
- Focus recruiters' attention to your transferrable skill set and in particular how your personality would be the perfect fit for the role;
- Consider how your current background has helped you build your technological understanding - whether you've created projects in your free time or as part of your uni degree;
- Ensure you've expanded on your teamwork capabilities with any relevant internships, part-time roles, or projects you've participated in the past.
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If you have experience in diverse fields, highlight how this has broadened your perspective and skill set, making you a more versatile candidate.
The CV skills' divide: between hard and soft skills
Of course, you may have read the job requirements plenty of times now, but it's key to note that there is a difference between technical and personal skills. Both are equally relevant to your job application. When writing about your skill set, ensure you've copy-pasted the precise skill from the job requirement. This would not only help you ensure you have the correct spelling, but also pass any Applicant Tracker System (ATS) assessments.
- Hard skills show your technological capabilities. Or whether you'll be a good technical fit to the organisation. Ensure you've spotlighted your hard skills in various sections of your CV (e.g. skills section, projects, experience) by including the technology and what you've attained;
- Soft skills pinpoint your personality and people or communication skills, hinting at if you'll easily accomodate into the team or organisation. Quantify your soft skills in your CV achievements, strengths, summary/objective, and experience sections. Always support your soft skills with how they've helped you grow as a professional.
Top skills for your legal assistant CV:
HARD SKILLS
Legal Research
Legal Writing
Document Drafting
Litigation Support
Case Management
Regulatory Compliance
Contract Review
Court Filings
Time Management Software Proficiency
E-Discovery Tools Proficiency
SOFT SKILLS
Communication
Attention to Detail
Organisational Skills
Discretion
Teamwork
Problem-Solving
Adaptability
Time Management
Client Relations
Stress Management
PRO TIP
Use mini case studies or success stories in your CV to demonstrate how your skills have positively impacted previous roles or projects.
Further professional qualifications for your legal assistant CV: education and certificates
As you're nearing the end of your legal assistant CV, you may wonder what else will be relevant to the role. Recruiters are keen on understanding your academic background, as it teaches you an array of hard and soft skills. Create a dedicated education section that lists your:
- applicable higher education diplomas or ones that are at a postgraduate level;
- diploma, followed up with your higher education institution and start-graduation dates;
- extracurricular activities and honours, only if you deem that recruiters will find them impressive.
Follow a similar logic when presenting your certificates. Always select ones that will support your niche expertise and hint at what it's like to work with you. Balance both technical certification with soft skills courses to answer job requirements and company values. Wondering what the most sought out certificates are for the industry? Look no further:
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Use mini case studies or success stories in your CV to demonstrate how your skills have positively impacted previous roles or projects.
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Key takeaways
What matters most in your legal assistant CV-writing process is for you to create a personalised application. One that matches the role and also showcases your unique qualities and talents.
- Use the format to supplement the actual content, to stand out, and to ensure your CV experience is easy to comprehend and follows a logic;
- Invest time in building a succinct CV top one third. One that includes a header (with your contact details and headline), a summary or an objective statement (select the one that best fits your experience), and - potentially - a dedicated skills section or achievements (to fit both hard skills and soft skills requirements);
- Prioritise your most relevant (and senior) experience closer to the top of your CV. Always ensure you're following the "power verb, skill, and achievement" format for your bullets;
- Integrate both your technical and communication background across different sections of your CV to meet the job requirements;
- List your relevant education and certificates to fill in gaps in your CV history and prove to recrutiers you have relevant technical know-how.
