Crafting a CV that adequately reflects your multitasking capabilities and attention to detail can be a daunting challenge for a legal secretary. Our guide offers tailored advice and strategies to help you highlight your skills and experience, ensuring your application stands out to potential employers.
- Design and format your professional legal secretary CV;
- Curate your key contact information, skills, and achievements throughout your CV sections;
- Ensure your profile stays competitive by studying other industry-leading legal secretary CVs;
- Create a great CV even if you happen to have less professional experience, or switching fields.
When writing your legal secretary CV, you may need plenty of insights from hiring managers. We have prepared industry-leading advice in the form of our relevant CV guides.
How to ensure your profile stands out with your legal secretary CV format
It's sort of a Catch 22. You want your legal secretary 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 secretary 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 secretary 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.
PRO TIP
Be mindful of white space; too much can make the CV look sparse, too little can make it look cluttered. Strive for a balance that makes the document easy on the eyes.
The top sections on a legal secretary CV
- Professional Summary highlights your legal expertise because it provides a snapshot of your experience and skills.
- Legal Work Experience details your past roles to demonstrate your hands-on legal knowledge and specific tasks performed.
- Education and Qualifications show your formal training which is necessary for understanding legal terminologies and procedures.
- Legal Skills presents a list of relevant abilities, like document management and legal research, crucial for a legal secretary role.
- Professional Memberships reveal your active involvement in the legal community which can enhance credibility and networking.
What recruiters value on your CV:
- Highlight your proficiency in legal jargon and documentation by detailing your experience with drafting, proofreading and managing legal documents such as contracts, briefs, and subpoenas, which demonstrates your capability to support solicitors and barristers effectively.
- Emphasise your organisational skills by giving examples of how you have efficiently managed diaries for legal professionals, coordinated appointments, and organised complex legal files, showing that you can keep the office running smoothly.
- Demonstrate your impeccable communication skills by mentioning any liaison work you have done with clients, courts, and other legal professionals, as a legal secretary’s role often requires acting as a point of contact.
- Showcase your ability to handle sensitive information with discretion and integrity, by pointing to instances where you have maintained confidentiality, which is crucial in the legal field.
- Include any technical competencies such as proficiency in legal software, case management systems, or digital dictation tools, as these are highly relevant to performing modern legal secretarial duties effectively.
Recommended reads:
Our checklist for the must-have information in your legal secretary CV header
Right at the very top of your legal secretary 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 secretary:
- Legal Secretary | Litigation Support Specialist | ILSPA Certified | 10+ Years’ Experience
- Senior Legal PA | Family Law Focus | Effective Case Management | 5 Years’ Expertise
- Junior Legal Secretary | Fast Typing & Transcription | LPC Graduate | Aspiring Paralegal
- Legal Executive Assistant | Corporate Law Compliance | Bilingual: Spanish-English | AAT Level 2
- Legal Administrative Expert | IP Law Enthusiast | CILEx Level 3 | 7 Years in Sector
- Advanced Legal Secretary | Property Conveyancing Pro | Digital Document Workflow | 15-Year Tenure
What's the difference between a legal secretary CV summary and objective
Why should it matter to you?
- Your legal secretary CV summary is a showcasing your career ambitions and your unique value. Use the objective to answer why your potential employers should hire you based on goals and ambitions. The objective is the ideal choice for candidates who happen to have less professional experience, but still meet some of the job requirements.
Before you select which one will be more relevant to your experience, have a look at some industry-leading CV summaries and objectives.
CV summaries for a legal secretary job:
- With over 5 years of dedicated experience in a high-volume legal firm, I have mastered advanced document preparation, comprehensive case research, and diligent file management. Highly commended for preparing accurate legal correspondence and streamlining office operations, resulting in a 30% increase in firm efficiency.
- Experienced legal secretary with a 7-year track record at a bustling London solicitor's office, adept at managing complex scheduling, billing, and sensitive client communications. Acknowledged for revamping our document storage system, which led to a significant reduction in information retrieval times.
- Transitioning from a 10-year tenure in the healthcare management sector to legal administration, I bring a unique perspective and core competencies in client relations, multi-departmental coordination, and meticulous record-keeping practices, aiming to streamline administrative processes within a dynamic legal setting.
- After excelling for 8 years in a corporate communication role, I am eager to apply my exceptional organizational skills, proficiency in MS Office Suite, and commitment to confidentiality to the legal arena, where I can contribute to upholding the rigorous standards of the legal profession.
- Seeking to launch a career as a legal secretary, I am eager to develop my skills in legal document drafting, court filing procedures, and client scheduling by immersing myself in a hands-on learning environment. My objective is to utilise my fast-paced learning abilities and meticulous attention to detail to support legal operations.
- As a newcomer to the legal support field, my goal is to integrate my background in customer service and administrative tasks into providing exceptional assistance in case management, calendar handling, and legal documentation for a firm dedicated to justice and client success.
More detailed look into your work history: best advice on writing your legal secretary 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
- Drafted and proofread legal documents, including contracts, conveyances, and court pleadings, ensuring accuracy and compliance with legal procedures and grammatical precision.
- Managed the diary and schedules of multiple solicitors, adeptly coordinating court dates, client meetings, and critical deadlines to maintain an efficient flow of legal operations.
- Implemented a digital filing system for legal documents that improved office efficiency by 30%, demonstrating strong organisational skills and initiative in modernising office processes.
- Conducted legal research utilising databases such as Westlaw and LexisNexis, presenting solicitors with relevant case laws and statutes to support ongoing cases.
- Prepared and submitted legal correspondence, including letters before action and statutory notices, while maintaining confidentiality and exercising discretion with sensitive information.
- Monitored changes in legal regulations and briefed the legal team, ensuring that the practice remained in compliance with current laws and professional standards.
- Accurately recorded billable hours and prepared invoices for clients, showcasing meticulous attention to detail and a thorough understanding of law firm billing practices.
- Liaised effectively between solicitors, clients, and court personnel, maintaining professional relationships and facilitating smooth communication channels.
- Participated in client interviews and meetings, taking detailed notes that were later used to develop case strategies and legal arguments.
- Effectively managed legal documentation for over 50 cases concurrently, ensuring precise formatting and timely submission to the relevant legal authorities.
- Improved the office document management system, adopting a digital archiving solution that sped up retrieval times by 35% for increased efficiency.
- Coordinated with solicitors and barristers to prepare for over 100 trials, resulting in a 95% on-time readiness rate for all court proceedings.
- Spearheaded the implementation of new case management software, enhancing the firm’s capability to track progress by 40% for high-priority cases.
- Supervised junior secretaries, providing training and mentorship that led to a reduction in administrative errors by 25% across the department.
- Developed strong relationships with clients, delivering consistent updates and maintaining communication channels, contributing to a 30% increase in client satisfaction scores.
- Handled complex legal correspondence with a keen eye for detail, drafting and proofreading over 250 legal documents per annum to maintain the highest standards of accuracy.
- Assisted in preparing for high-profile cases involving multiple international parties, ensuring compliance with various legal jurisdictions and promoting successful litigation strategies.
- Liaised with experts and witnesses to coordinate depositions and testimony, scheduling over 150 meetings and aiding in the firm’s preparation for multifaceted legal arguments.
- Facilitated the transition of client case files to a secure cloud-based platform, reinforcing data protection measures and supporting remote accessibility during increased work-from-home periods.
- Played a vital role in the firm's response to GDPR compliance requirements, auditing and amending over 800 client contracts to adhere to stringent data protection laws.
- Collaborated with the legal team to optimise case workflows, indirectly contributing to a 10% yearly increase in the number of cases taken on by the firm.
- Revamped the billing process for legal services, creating a more transparent system that reduced invoice disputes with clients by 20%.
- Initiated a professional development program for administrative staff, leading to improved proficiency in legal terminology and procedures that increased departmental efficiency by 15%.
- Played a critical role in a landmark case preparation, organising over 2000 pages of evidence, which culminated in a significant win for the firm.
- Introduced a digital dictation system for more efficient document creation, reducing transcription turnaround time by 50% for urgent legal documents.
- Managed the accurate and timely filing of court documents across 3 jurisdictions, enhancing the firm's reputation for meticulous case preparation.
- Coordinated a rotating system for legal team support, which maximised departmental flexibility and distributed workloads evenly, improving team morale and productivity.
- Orchestrated the due diligence process for a £25 million acquisition, coordinating with finance and legal teams to ensure meticulous documentation and compliance with financial regulations.
- Pioneered a client feedback initiative that identified key areas for service improvement, directly leading to policy changes and an improved client retention rate of 50%.
- Provided critical support during arbitration hearings by maintaining meticulous records and drafting post-hearing briefs, contributing to the firm’s enhanced reputation for thorough representation.
- Managed the end-to-end process of trial preparation, culminating in successful outcomes for 80% of the cases handled over a 3-year period.
- Negotiated with vendors for legal research tools and resources, securing a 20% reduction in annual costs while maintaining essential services for the legal team.
- Provided bilingual support for international clients, facilitating clear communication and understanding that resulted in securing three major overseas contracts.
How to ensure your legal secretary 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.
Recommended reads:
PRO TIP
Include examples of how you adapted to new tools, environments, or work cultures, showing your flexibility.
Hard skills and soft skills to showcase your unique skill set on your legal secretary CV
Did you know that your CV will mostly likely be assessed by recruiters based on skill alignment? And that means that the way you feature your key skills across different CV sections will play a crucial role in landing you that first interview. We recommend you add your:
- technical capabilities or hard skills in your CV experience, certificates, projects, etc. Use your past accomplishments to prove your technical capabilities. List up to a dozen different software or hardware in your dedicated skills section to match the job keywords;
- personal and communication skills or soft skills in your CV strengths, achievements, summary/ objective, etc. Soft skills are a bit more difficult to prove. How do you define your aptitude in active listening? So, instead of just listing the skill name, include a tangible metric to show your success.
On a final note, when you're in a hurry to create your profile, you may misspell a particular technology or soft skill. That's why we suggest you copy and paste the particular skill name (or keyword), directly from the job advert. This would also help you to pass any initial Applicant Tracker System (ATS) tests.
Top skills for your legal secretary CV:
Legal Documentation Preparation
Typing Speed and Accuracy
Legal Research
Legal Correspondence Drafting
Knowledge of Legal Terminology
Case Management Software Proficiency
Filing and Organisational Skills
Calendar Management
Transcription Skills
IT Literacy
Confidentiality
Attention to Detail
Communication Skills
Time Management
Discretion
Client Service Orientation
Adaptability
Teamwork
Problem-Solving Abilities
Stress Management
PRO TIP
Focus on describing skills in the context of the outcomes they’ve helped you achieve, linking them directly to tangible results or successes in your career.
CV education and certificates: your academic background as proof of your skill set
A common misconception about your legal secretary CV education is that you only need it, if you have less professional experience. That is completely false. The CV education section serves to back up your technical (and sometimes personal) capabilities, fill in gaps in your work history, and show you have the initial industry background and know-how. When creating your education section:
- List your degrees in the reverse chronological order, starting with the most recent (and relevant) ones first;
- Include your degree and university names, start and graduation dates. It's optional to also denote you received a "First-Class Honours" for diplomas that are more relevant to the role;
- Curate your relevant university coursework, projects, or thesis work if you happen to have less professional expertise and need to integrate more job keywords and skills.
Your professional qualifications don't need to stop at your academic background. It's advisable to also select up to three of your most noteworthy (and relevant) industry certificates and feature them in a dedicated section. Once more, include the certificate name, the institution that issued it out, and the date you obtained it on. You could feature both hard skills and soft skills certificates, as in the examples below:
PRO TIP
Use mini case studies or success stories in your CV to demonstrate how your skills have positively impacted previous roles or projects.
Recommended reads:
Key takeaways
Impressing recruiters with your experience, skill set, and values starts with your professional legal secretary CV. Write concisely and always aim to answer job requirements with what you've achieved; furthermore:
- Select a simple design that complements your experience and ensures your profile is presentable;
- Include an opening statement that either spotlights your key achievements (summary) or showcases your career ambitions (objective);
- Curate your experience bullets, so that each one commences with a strong, action verb and is followed up by your skill and accomplishment;
- List your hard and soft skills all across different sections of your CV to ensure your application meets the requirements;
- Dedicate space to your relevant higher education diplomas and your certificates to show recruiters you have the necessary industry background.
