Resume template for Lawyer
A lawyer's CV is highly conventional: bar admission, education with grades where appropriate, practice areas, and a precise list of professional stations. Hiring partners and HR scan for jurisdiction, specialty, language proficiencies, and any notable mandates or publications. Keep the document formal, structured, and fact-driven. List publications and speaking engagements in their own section. Tone is conservative — creative formatting is not the format expected.
A classic, formal layout is the expected format for legal CVs — partners and HR scan for bar status, education, and practice areas in a familiar order.
Profile example
„Admitted attorney with 6 years of experience in commercial litigation at mid-sized law firms. Practice areas: contract disputes, post-M&A litigation, IT contract disputes. Bar admission in good standing, English C1 (legal English).“
Example bullets for work experience
- •Lead counsel on 14 commercial litigation matters since 2022, including 4 multi-jurisdictional disputes
- •Co-counsel on 2 post-M&A disputes (combined disputed value ~30M EUR), both settled favorably pre-trial
- •Authored 6 client-facing legal updates on contract law developments published on the firm's website
- •Mentored 3 junior associates and 1 trainee through case preparation and oral hearings
- •Active in the firm's IT contracts working group — co-drafted standard clauses now used firm-wide
Tips specific to Lawyer
- 1.Bar admission and any specialty designations at the very top
- 2.Education with degree class and university — grades matter in legal hiring more than in most fields
- 3.Define practice areas precisely (commercial litigation, M&A, IP) — generic 'corporate law' is too broad
- 4.List publications and speaking engagements in a dedicated section
- 5.Language levels with legal-domain qualifier (e.g., 'English C1, including legal English')
Frequently asked questions
Should I list grades on my CV?
Yes, especially for early-career lawyers. Grades are a primary screen in legal hiring at major firms.
How long can a lawyer's CV be?
2 to 3 pages depending on seniority and publications. Senior CVs commonly run longer with publication lists.
Should I list every matter I have worked on?
No — confidentiality usually rules this out. Summarize at the level of practice area, deal type, and disputed value range.