Legal Clerk Resume Example & Writing Guide
Use this Legal Clerk resume example and guide to improve your career and write a powerful resume that will separate you from the competition.
Lawyers are one of the most highly paid professionals in the world, and they’re in high demand. If you’re interested in pursuing a career in law but aren’t sure where to start, an attorney’s assistant might be the perfect role for you.
If you love research, writing, and problem solving, you might be a great fit for a legal clerk position. Legal clerks are responsible for helping lawyers with their day-to-day tasks by researching cases, managing paperwork, drafting documents, and more.
Legal clerks work directly with attorneys to handle important tasks, which means that you’ll need to be highly organized and detail-oriented in order to excel in this role. Here are some tips plus an example for reference to help you write a fantastic legal clerk resume that hiring managers will love.
How to Write a Legal Clerk Resume
Here’s how to write a legal clerk resume of your own.
Write Compelling Bullet Points
When you’re writing bullet points, it can be tempting to just list your responsibilities. But that’s not enough to make a strong impression. Instead, you should use your bullet points to demonstrate your value by using specific numbers, statistics, and examples.
For example, rather than saying you “reviewed contracts,” you could say that you “reviewed 15+ contracts per week for accuracy, ensuring all terms were properly defined and all necessary signatures were obtained.”
The second bullet point is much stronger because it provides specific details about what you did and how many contracts you reviewed each week.
Identify and Include Relevant Keywords
Chances are, when you apply for a legal clerk role, your resume will be scanned by an applicant tracking system (ATS) for certain keywords. This system looks for certain terms related to the position, like “trial experience” or “evidence” to determine whether your skills and experience are a match for the job. If your resume doesn’t include enough of the right keywords, your application might not even make it to a human recruiter.
To increase your chances of getting an interview, make sure you include relevant keywords throughout your resume. You can add them into the work experience, skills, summary, and education sections. Here are some of the most commonly used legal keywords:
- Legal Advice
- Legal Research
- Legal Writing
- Litigation
- Legal Document Preparation
- Civil Litigation
- Corporate Law
- Commercial Litigation
- Legal Administration
- Labor and Employment Law
- Legal Document Review
- Paralegals
- Contract Law
- Family Law
- Document Drafting
- Document Review
- Dispute Resolution
- Mediation
- Legal Contract Review
- Intellectual Property
- LexisNexis
- Westlaw
- Legal Compliance
- Administrative Assistance
- Teamwork
- Microsoft Access
- Customer Service
- Time Management
- Negotiation
- Communication
Showcase Your Technical Skills
As a legal clerk, you will be expected to be proficient in the use of technology in order to effectively do your job. This includes being able to use programs like Microsoft Office Suite, Adobe Acrobat, and Westlaw. Additionally, you should be comfortable using legal research databases and case management software. Your technical skills section should highlight your experience and expertise in these areas in order to show potential employers that you are the right candidate for the job.