Legal Consultant Resume Example & Writing Guide
Use this Legal Consultant resume example and guide to improve your career and write a powerful resume that will separate you from the competition.
Lawyers are some of the most highly paid professionals in the world. And with good reason—they possess the kind of specialized expertise that allows them to advise clients on everything from intellectual property rights to international tax law.
As a legal consultant, you can help attorneys stay on top of their game by providing them with research and analysis, writing briefs and other documents, and managing their workloads. Or you can work directly with clients to solve their legal problems by researching cases and preparing them for court.
Legal consultants work in a variety of settings, including law firms, corporations, government agencies, and nonprofits. But no matter where you end up, you’ll need a resume that showcases your skills and experience in a way that will impress hiring managers. Here are some tips and an example to help you write yours.
How to Write a Legal Consultant Resume
Here’s how to write a legal consultant resume of your own.
Write Compelling Bullet Points
Bullet points are the most effective way to showcase your experience and qualifications. But rather than simply listing your responsibilities, you can make your bullet points much more interesting and compelling by using specific numbers and statistics.
For example, rather than saying you “provided legal counsel on a variety of matters,” you could say you “provided legal counsel on more than 100 matters during your first year as a legal consultant, including matters related to employment law, intellectual property, and corporate law.”
The second bullet point paints a much clearer picture of the scope of your work and the level of responsibility you had. And it provides a specific number to demonstrate your level of involvement.
Identify and Include Relevant Keywords
When you apply for a legal consultant role, your resume will likely be scanned by an applicant tracking system (ATS) that looks for certain keywords related to the job. If your resume doesn’t include enough of the right keywords, your application might not make it past the initial screening process.
To increase your chances of getting an interview, use this list of keywords as a guide when you’re writing your resume.
- Legal Advice
- Corporate Law
- Litigation
- Legal Research
- Commercial Litigation
- Intellectual Property
- Corporate Governance
- Legal Writing
- Legal Contract Review
- Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A)
- Labor and Employment Law
- Legal Document Preparation
- Contract Law
- Due Diligence
- Civil Litigation
- Arbitration
- International Law
- Negotiation
- Dispute Resolution
- Legal Compliance
- Competition Law
- Consumer Law
- Legal Issues
- Drafting Agreements
- Legal Consulting
- Restructuring
- International Business
- Trade Law
- Joint Ventures
- Outsourcing
Showcase Your Technical Skills
As a legal consultant, you will need to be proficient in the use of technology in order to effectively do your job. This includes being familiar with legal research databases, case management software, and document management systems. You should also have experience with specific programs, like Microsoft Office Suite and Westlaw. Being able to list your level of expertise in each area will show that you’re a valuable asset to any law firm.