Personal Injury Attorney Resume Example & Writing Guide
Use this Personal Injury Attorney resume example and guide to improve your career and write a powerful resume that will separate you from the competition.
Personal injury attorneys represent clients who have been physically or emotionally injured as a result of someone else’s negligence or intentional misconduct. They help clients recover financial compensation for their medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering.
If you’re looking for a job in this field or want to switch firms, you’ll need a resume that showcases your experience and skills in this complex area of law. Follow these tips and resume example to write a fantastic personal injury attorney resume that hiring managers will love.
How to Write a Personal Injury Attorney Resume
Here’s how to write a personal injury attorney 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 use bullet points to tell a story about your work.
For example, rather than saying you “represented clients in personal injury cases,” you could say you “represented clients in personal injury cases involving car accidents, dog bites, and slip-and-falls, helping them obtain compensation for their injuries and resulting medical bills.”
The second bullet point is much more interesting and provides more detail about what you did and the type of cases you worked on.
Identify and Include Relevant Keywords
When you submit your resume to an applicant tracking system (ATS), it’s likely that the software will scan it for certain keywords. If your resume doesn’t include enough of the right terms, the ATS might disqualify you from the pool of applicants.
The best way to make sure your resume contains all the right keywords is to read through job postings and take note of the terms that are used most frequently. Then, you can strategically place those same words throughout your resume.
Here are some common personal injury keywords:
- Personal Injury Law
- Litigation
- Civil Litigation
- Trials
- Legal Writing
- Legal Research
- Trial Practice
- Appeals
- Commercial Litigation
- Trial Practice
- Mediation
- Legal Advice
- Criminal Law
- Westlaw
- Legal Consulting
- Intellectual Property
- Corporate Law
- Criminal Defense
- Consumer Law
- LexisNexis
- Insurance Law
- Negotiation
- Wrongful Death Law
- Personal Injury Litigation
- Product Liability
- Plaintiff Personal Injury
- Commercial Litigation Litigation
- Attorneys
- Claims Management
- Property Damage
Showcase Your Technical Skills
As a personal injury attorney, you will need to be proficient in the use of technology in order to effectively represent your clients. This includes being familiar with legal research databases, case management software, and e-discovery platforms. Additionally, you should 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.