Keep Your Attorney Resume Simple
If you're an attorney in South Florida considering new options, we'd love to speak with you.
What Is Your Resume Supposed to Do?
Get your foot in the door and land the interview.
To do that, show how your background matches what the firm is looking for. Start with the job description, then research the firm and the specific practice group. Highlight the relevant experience you actually have, and make the connection clear.
Your resume should be straightforward, easy to read and easy to scan. Skip the pictures, graphics, colors and elaborate layouts. Let your qualifications do the work.
Here’s the structure I recommend, from top to bottom:
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Contact Information
Full name, phone number, email, city and state, and LinkedIn profile.
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Bar Admissions
List the jurisdictions where you’re admitted to practice.
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Education
Include your schools, degrees, graduation dates, honors and GPA.
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Experience
For each position, list the firm, employment dates, your title and your practice area focus. Follow with concise bullet points showing the work you’ve actually done.
Be specific. Do you draft and argue motions? Take and defend depositions? Handle fraud, defamation or partnership disputes? Say so.
If the job posting asks for experience you have, include it explicitly. Don’t assume the person reviewing your resume will connect the dots or infer a skill from another bullet point. Make your relevant experience easy to find.
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Languages
List any additional languages and your proficiency level.
See It in Action
Here’s a sample job description and a resume written for it. Both are fictional and for illustration only. The highlighted phrases show where the resume answers exactly what the firm asked for.
Highlighted = a match between the job description and the resume. Hover over or tap any highlight to see its match on the other side.
The Job DescriptionLitigation Attorney | Senior Associate or Junior Partner
An established law firm is looking for a Florida-admitted attorney with 5–15 years of civil litigation experience, including substantial work in business and commercial disputes.
The attorney will manage an active caseload, develop litigation strategy, conduct depositions and appear at hearings. The role also involves direct client communication and increasing responsibility for overseeing matters. Title will depend on the attorney’s experience and qualifications.
Relevant practice areas:
- Business and commercial disputes
- Construction litigation
- General civil litigation
Qualifications:
- Admission to The Florida Bar
- Experience managing cases from initial assessment through resolution
- Experience taking and defending depositions
- Experience drafting and arguing motions
- Ability to develop case strategy and manage client relationships
First Last
Miami, FL | 305-000-0000 | [email protected] | LinkedIn
Education & Credentials
Experience
- Manage business, commercial, construction and general civil litigation matters from initial case assessment through discovery, hearings, mediation and trial preparation.
- Represent businesses and individuals in breach of contract, fraud, defamation and partnership disputes, as well as construction defect and payment claims.
- Develop litigation strategy, assess claims and defenses, and advise clients on potential exposure, settlement options and next steps.
- Take and defend depositions of parties, fact witnesses, corporate representatives and experts.
- Draft and argue motions to dismiss, motions to compel and motions for summary judgment in Florida state courts.
- Serve as a primary client contact, providing case updates, explaining strategic decisions and coordinating discovery and litigation budgets.
- Supervise junior associates on research, discovery and motion practice, and coordinate with partners on significant case decisions.
- Conducted legal research on commercial and civil litigation issues, including breach of contract, fraud and partnership disputes.
- Prepared memoranda analyzing case law, applicable statutes and potential claims and defenses.
- Assisted attorneys in drafting pleadings, motions and discovery requests and responses.
- Reviewed case documents and organized exhibits for depositions, hearings and trial preparation.
Languages: SPANISH – Fluent reader, writer, and speaker
Notice what the resume doesn’t do. It doesn’t make the reader guess. Every requirement in the posting has a clear, specific answer on the page, in roughly the same words the firm used.
A Few Final Tips
- Use bullets instead of paragraphs. Keep each one clear and focused.
- Choose specifics over vague descriptions. “Commercial litigation” is a starting point. The types of matters you handle and your responsibilities tell the fuller story.
- Grammar, grammar, grammar. With the tools available today, there’s no excuse for skipping a thorough proofread. Spelling and grammatical mistakes could cost you the interview. Use the tools, then review every word yourself.
Make it easy for someone to understand your qualifications. That’s the point of the resume.
Have Your Supporting Materials Ready
Depending on the firm and position, you will also be asked for:
- Law school transcript
- Cover letter explaining your interest and relevant qualifications
- Writing sample for a litigation position
- Deal sheet for a corporate or M&A position, describing transactions and your role
- Lateral Partner Questionnaire (LPQ) for a partner position
Prepare these in advance, and protect confidential client information in any writing sample or deal sheet.
Attorney Resume Template
Want to use the format from the example above? Download the Word template. The structure is already in place, so you only need to replace with your own details.
Download Resume Template Microsoft Word (.docx)