Paralegal Resume Example

Also called Legal Assistant, Litigation Paralegal, Corporate Paralegal.

Attorneys hire paralegals they can trust with deadlines and details. Show your practice areas, the matters you supported, the software you use and the work you handle without supervision.

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What this example does well

  • Practice areas and caseload are clear from the first lines.
  • The deadline record is the most important proof of reliability in a law office.
  • Software is named, and firms often filter on review and research tools.

Updated

Lauren Fitzgerald

Litigation Paralegal

Summary

Litigation paralegal with six years of experience in commercial and employment cases. Supports four attorneys on about 35 active matters, manages document review for productions of up to 200,000 pages and has never missed a court deadline. NALA Certified Paralegal.

Experience

Litigation Paralegal, Walnut Street Law Group

Mar 2021 – Present · Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

  • Support four attorneys on about 35 active commercial and employment matters.
  • Draft discovery requests, responses, subpoenas and routine motions for attorney review.
  • Manage document review and production in Relativity for productions of up to 200,000 pages.
  • Track every court and filing deadline in the docketing system; none missed in six years.

Legal Assistant, Rittenhouse Legal

Jan 2019 – Feb 2021 · Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

  • E-filed pleadings in federal and state courts.
  • Prepared trial binders and exhibit lists for three trials.
  • Summarized depositions and medical records for attorneys.

Education

Paralegal Certificate (ABA-approved), Community College of Philadelphia

2018 · Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

BA Political Science, Temple University

2014 – 2018 · Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Skills

Litigation support, Discovery, Legal research, E-filing, Relativity, Westlaw, Docketing, Trial preparation

Certifications

  • Certified Paralegal (CP) — NALA, 2020
An example: Lauren Fitzgerald is not a real person, and the details show the kind of thing to write rather than a real career. Shown in the Foolscap template. Words that postings for this job often use are marked in yellow.

How do you write a summary for a paralegal resume?

Two to four lines at the top that say what you do, for how long, and what you are best at. Here is one for each stage of a career.

  • Entry level

    Paralegal certificate graduate from an ABA-approved program with a 120-hour internship at a family law firm, where I drafted routine pleadings, organized client files and e-filed documents. Detail-oriented, discreet and trained in Westlaw.

  • Experienced

    Paralegal with four years of experience in civil litigation. Drafts discovery and routine filings, manages documents and deadlines, and prepares attorneys for depositions and trial.

  • Senior

    Senior paralegal with twelve years of experience in complex litigation. Leads a team of four paralegals, manages e-discovery for large cases and has supported more than 15 trials.

How to write a resume summary, with more examples

What are good bullet points for a paralegal resume?

Each starts with a verb and says what was done. Change the details and numbers to your own; a number you cannot explain in an interview is worse than none.

  1. Drafted discovery requests and responses for attorney review.

  2. Managed document collection, review and production in e-discovery software.

  3. Tracked court deadlines and calendared hearings with no missed dates.

  4. E-filed documents in state and federal courts.

  5. Prepared trial binders, exhibits and witness files.

  6. Summarized deposition transcripts and medical records.

  7. Conducted legal and factual research using Westlaw.

  8. Communicated with clients, opposing counsel and court clerks.

  9. Organized case files so any attorney could find what they needed.

  10. Supported attorneys at trial with exhibits and real-time notes.

Which skills should a paralegal put on a resume?

Pick the ones the job posting asks for and that you can back up with an example from your work.

Hard skills

  • Litigation or transactional support
  • Discovery and e-discovery (Relativity, Everlaw)
  • Legal research (Westlaw, Lexis)
  • Drafting pleadings and correspondence
  • E-filing and court rules
  • Docketing and calendaring
  • Trial preparation
  • Case management software (Clio, iManage)

Soft skills

  • Attention to detail
  • Discretion
  • Organization
  • Clear writing
  • Working under deadlines

Licenses and certifications

  • Certified Paralegal (NALA)
  • Registered Paralegal, RP (NFPA, through the PACE exam)
  • Paralegal certificate from an ABA-approved program

Which keywords belong on a paralegal resume?

The words recruiters and applicant tracking systems search for.

  • discovery
  • Relativity
  • deadlines
  • attorneys
  • matters
  • motions
  • e-filed
  • trial
  • depositions

Use the ones that are true for you, written the way the posting writes them, and put each where it shows something you did. A list of keywords with nothing behind it helps nobody. To keep them readable by software, choose an ATS-friendly template, and read how applicant tracking systems read a resume.

What should a paralegal resume focus on?

Practice areas, the kind of matters you support and the tasks you do on your own. Firms want to know whether you can step into their cases quickly.

Deadlines and accuracy are the core of the job, so give evidence: no missed deadlines, large productions handled correctly, trials supported.

How do you describe cases without breaking confidentiality?

By type and size only: "commercial litigation involving a $20 million contract dispute". Never name clients or share details of the matters.

Public trials may be mentioned by type, but it is safest to leave out names unless the firm has made them public itself.

What do legal employers look for in a resume?

  • Be exact about admissions, practice areas and the kind of matters you handled. Precision is what the reader is testing for.
  • Never name clients or give details that are confidential. Describe the matter by type and size instead.
  • A plain, conservative layout suits this field. One column, a serif typeface and no color is a safe choice.

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Questions about a paralegal resume

Is paralegal certification required?

Usually not, but NALA and NFPA certifications help, especially at larger firms.

Should I include legal assistant work?

Yes. It shows you know how a law office runs.

Which software should I list?

Research, e-discovery, case management and billing tools you use.

How long should a paralegal resume be?

One page.

Make this paralegal resume yours.

Start from the example, swap in your own jobs and numbers, and switch to any template without retyping a word.

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