Resume guide · Job Zone 5
Lawyersresume guide.
Represent clients in criminal and civil litigation and other legal proceedings, draw up legal documents, or manage or advise clients on legal transactions. A strong Lawyers resume shows speaking, active listening and critical thinking, and names the tools you have worked with, such as Microsoft Access, Adobe Acrobat and Microsoft Project.
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- 1Give your cases a dollar result."Negotiate settlements of civil disputes" from the guide becomes how early cases closed and what the client saved.
- 2Show you use AI carefully.Most firms now use AI for research and drafting, and courts sanction lawyers for fake citations. A checking process in Thomson Reuters Westlaw, a hot tool in this guide, shows both skill and judgment.
- 3Prove your judgment with a track record."Analyze the probable outcomes of cases, using knowledge of legal precedents" is a core task here. Showing how often your predictions held makes it real.
- 4Count your wins, not just your motions.Persuasion and Critical Thinking are top skills for this job. A win rate on summary judgment shows them better than saying you argued motions.
- 5List every bar and court you are admitted to.Every lawyer role requires a license, so the states and federal courts you can appear in are what a hiring partner checks for.
- 6Your law degree is the one that matters.Every lawyer needs a law degree, so put the J.D. first with any honors and keep college to one line below it.
Sample resume. The candidate is fictional; the layout and templates are real.
01Also called
O*NETAttorneyAttorney at LawAttorney GeneralCounselCounty AttorneyDistrict AttorneyGeneral CounselLawyerProsecuting AttorneyProsecutor
02Skills employers expect
O*NETImportance is how much the skill matters to the job; level is how much of it the job demands. Both are worth naming on the resume, in this order.
| Skill | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Speaking | Very high | Advanced |
| Active Listening | Very high | Advanced |
| Critical Thinking | Very high | Advanced |
| Reading Comprehension | Very high | Advanced |
| Writing | Very high | Advanced |
| Complex Problem Solving | Very high | Advanced |
| Judgment and Decision Making | Very high | Advanced |
| Negotiation | Very high | Advanced |
| Persuasion | Very high | Advanced |
| Active Learning | High | Advanced |
03Knowledge areas
O*NET- Law and Government
- English Language
- Customer and Personal Service
- Administrative
- Computers and Electronics
- Communications and Media
- Administration and Management
- Education and Training
- Personnel and Human Resources
- Mathematics
04Common responsibilities
O*NETOrdered by importance. Each one is a bullet waiting for a result and a number.
- Interpret laws, rulings and regulations for individuals and businesses.
- Analyze the probable outcomes of cases, using knowledge of legal precedents.
- Gather evidence to formulate defense or to initiate legal actions by such means as interviewing clients and witnesses to ascertain the facts of a case.
- Represent clients in court or before government agencies.
- Evaluate findings and develop strategies and arguments in preparation for presentation of cases.
- Advise clients concerning business transactions, claim liability, advisability of prosecuting or defending lawsuits, or legal rights and obligations.
- Examine legal data to determine advisability of defending or prosecuting lawsuit.
- Prepare, draft, and review legal documents, such as wills, deeds, patent applications, mortgages, leases, and contracts.
- Study Constitution, statutes, decisions, regulations, and ordinances of quasi-judicial bodies to determine ramifications for cases.
- Negotiate settlements of civil disputes.
05Software and tools
O*NET126 tools across 20 categories. The six largest categories are below; Hot marks a hot technology, In demand a tool employers ask for most often.
Data base user interface and query software51
- Microsoft AccessHotIn demand
- Orion Law Management Systems OrionIn demand
- LexisNexis CaseMap
- Advanced Technologies Class Act
- Argosy Legal Systems Power Closer
- Bridgeway eCounsel
- Corporate Focus Solium Shareworks
- Economic Analysis Group EAG CaseTrack
- Justice Systems FullCourt Enterprise
- Lucid IQ CMP
- Saga Practice Manager
- Thomson Reuters Elite ProLaw
- WebEx WebOffice
- Abacus Data Systems AbacusLaw
- ADC Legal Systems Perfect Practice
- ADERANT Expert Matter Center
- AdvantageLaw WinVantage
- Chesapeake Interlink Needles
- Client Profiles Case Management
- Cobblestone Systems Contract Insight
- Computer Sciences Corporation Legal Solutions Suite
- Corporatek EnAct Platinum
- Creative Data Solutions DuProcess
- CrimeCog Technologies E*Justice
- Crocodile Consulting Traffic Control
- CyberDyne Industries CaseWizard
- De Novo Systems De Novo CaseMgr
- Diarymaster
- DPS Software General Litigation
- Eclipse Legal Systems Proclaim
- eLawSoftware
- Gavel & Gown Software Amicus Attorney
- HiPerSoft Practice Information Powertool
- Juris
- Lawex TrialWorks
- LawLogix Edge
- LegalEdge Law Firm Suite
- LexisNexis Lexis Front Office
- LT Online Corporation LAWTRAC
- Nolo Quicken Legal Business Pro
- PerfectLaw All-in-One Suite
- Selectica Contract Performance Management
- Solution Specialties TRACKER
- SUSTAIN Justice Edition
- Synaptec LawBase Case Management
- Synergy International Systems Synergy CaseTrack
- Tabs3 PracticeMaster
- TopDogLegal
- Upside Software UpsideContract
- Woll2Woll InfoPower Studio
- WorthMORE Software CaseWORTH
+ 46 more
Document management software23
- Adobe AcrobatHotIn demand
- Microsoft SharePoint Server
- AbacusNext HotDocs
- Iron Mountain Accutrac records management software
- CT Summation iBlaze
- NetDocuments
- Nuance PaperPort Professional
- World Software Corporation Worldox
- Anacomp CaseLogistix
- Best Case Solutions Best Case Bankruptcy
- Captaris Alchemy
- Catalyst Repository Systems CatalystCR
- CT hCue
- DATAssimilate Systems DATAssimilator
- FTI Ringtail Legal
- IBM Federated Records Management
- Immigrant Software Immigrant Professional
- Interwoven RecordsManager
- OpenText eDOCS DM
- ProDoc
- Technovation Software ImmigrationPro
- Thomson West Cowles Estate Practice System
- WealthCounsel WealthDocs
+ 18 more
Accounting software9
- Tax softwareIn demand
- Fund accounting software
- ESI Software ESILAW
- Genlex CaseAce
- LexisNexis Lexis Back Office
- LexisNexis PCLaw
- Software Technology Tabs3
- TimePro Legal Software TimePro
- TimeSolv Legal
+ 4 more
Project management software7
- Microsoft ProjectHotIn demand
- Canyon Solutions Jcats
- Customer Expressions i-Sight
- Legal Files software
- Practice Technology Prevail
- Constellation Justice Systems CourtView
- Virtual Case Management
+ 2 more
Information retrieval or search software5
- Thomson Reuters WestlawIn demand
- LexisNexis
- Fastcase legal software
- LexisNexis Shepard's Citations Service
- Wolters Kluwer Loislaw
Presentation software5
- Microsoft PowerPointHotIn demand
- IDEA TrialPro
- inData TrialDirector
- Verdict Systems Sanction
- Visionary Legal Technologies Visionary Professional
Electronic mail software4
- Microsoft OutlookHotIn demand
- MicroFocus GroupWise
- Catalyst Repository Systems CatalystDR
- Catalyst Repository Systems CatalystXE
Calendar and scheduling software3
- Compugov DocketView
- Levare Center Court
- CompuLaw Vision
Enterprise resource planning ERP software3
- SAP softwareHotIn demand
- Microsoft Dynamics
- ERP software
Analytical or scientific software2
- Convex FactLogic
- Direct Hit Systems THREADS
Billing and invoicing software2
- BQE Software BillQuick
- SMEsource BillingOrchard
Office suite software2
- Microsoft Office softwareHotIn demand
- Corel WordPerfect Office Suite
Time accounting software2
- Equative TimeLedger
- Sage Timeslips
Word processing software2
- Microsoft WordHotIn demand
- ProCAT Denoto
Content workflow software1
- I-many Contract Management
Data mining software1
- Google AnalyticsHotIn demand
Desktop publishing software1
Internet browser software1
- Web browser softwareIn demand
Spreadsheet software1
- Microsoft ExcelHotIn demand
Video conferencing software1
- LogMeIn GoToMeeting
06Education and preparation
O*NETTypical education
Doctoral Degree
77% of surveyed workers. Others report First Professional Degree - awarded for completion of a program that: requires at least 2 years of college work before entrance into the program, includes a total of at least 6 academic years of work (23%) and Less than a High School Diploma (0%).
Preparation level
Job Zone 5 · Extensive preparation
Usually a graduate degree and extensive related experience.
07Putting it on your resume
ResumeXRays guidanceBEE · How to show it
Lead with what you built. For a Job Zone 5 role, hiring managers and parsers both look for outcomes before credentials. Put two or three results at the top of each job entry, with the scale or effect stated plainly.
Name the tools exactly. This occupation is heavy on named software. A skills section that says "Microsoft Access, Adobe Acrobat, Microsoft Project, Microsoft PowerPoint" matches more job descriptions than a general phrase. Use the spelling employers use.
Show active listening and critical thinking, not just speaking. Active listening and critical thinking rank close to speaking for this occupation. One bullet per role that shows a decision, a tradeoff or a result covers them.
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