Environmental Lawyer Resume Example & Writing Guide
Use this Environmental Lawyer resume example and guide to improve your career and write a powerful resume that will separate you from the competition.
Environmental law is a fast-growing field with plenty of opportunity for those who want to make a difference. Environmental lawyers help protect the planet by researching, drafting, and litigating environmental regulations. They work with scientists, engineers, and other experts to identify and address environmental issues like pollution, endangered species protection, fracking, and climate change.
If you love being outdoors and have a passion for protecting the environment, you might want to consider becoming an environmental lawyer. Here are some tips plus an example resume to help you write your own stellar environmental lawyer resume that hiring managers will love.
How to Write an Environmental Lawyer Resume
Here’s how to write an environmental lawyer resume of your own.
Write Compelling Bullet Points
Bullet points are the most important part of your resume because they’re the first thing recruiters will see. And since they’re so important, it’s crucial that you use them to your advantage by including specific details about your experience and accomplishments.
For example, rather than saying you “assisted in drafting legal documents,” you could say you “assisted in drafting legal documents for $10 million environmental lawsuit, resulting in favorable settlement for client.”
The second bullet point is much more specific and provides more detail about what you did and the outcome of your work.
Identify and Include Relevant Keywords
When you apply for an environmental lawyer role, your resume is likely to go through an applicant tracking system (ATS). This system will scan your resume for certain keywords related to the job opening. If your resume doesn’t have enough of the right terms, your application might not make it past the initial screening process.
One way to make sure your resume includes the right keywords is to read through the job posting and take note of the terms and skills that are mentioned. Then, make sure to include those same terms on your resume. Here are some common environmental law keywords to get you started:
- Environmental Law
- Environmental Litigation
- Environmental Compliance
- Environmental Impact Assessment
- Environmental Policy
- Environmental Studies
- Environmental Regulations
- Environmental Consulting
- Environmental Management Systems
- Environmental Impact Assessments
- Environmental Awareness
- Water Law
- Sustainability
- Corporate Social Responsibility
- Natural Resources
- Environmental Issues
- Water Quality
- EIA
- Mining
- Aquatic Ecology
- Environmental Assessment
- Environmental Impact Statements
- Hazardous Waste
- Remediation
- Superfund
- Legal Writing
- Legal Research
- Civil Litigation
- Negotiation
- Litigation
Showcase Your Technical Skills
As an environmental lawyer, you need to be proficient in a variety of software programs and systems in order to conduct your research and communicate with other members of the legal team. Programs like Westlaw, LexisNexis, and PACER are essential for conducting legal research. Additionally, many environmental lawyers use Microsoft Office Suite programs like Excel and Word to create presentations and drafts of legal documents. familiarity with environmental law software programs is also beneficial.