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Legal Assistant CV Examples & Guide...

Legal Assistant CV Examples & Guide for 2024

Your legal assistant CV must highlight your understanding of legal terminology and procedures. It's vital to showcase your experience in drafting court documents and correspondences. Ensure to demonstrate your organizational skills and attention to detail. Your ability to support case preparation and manage files efficiently should be evident.

All CV examples in this guide.

Crafting a CV that meticulously showcases the necessary blend of organisational skills, technical knowledge, and the legal expertise that you possess as a legal assistant can be daunting. Our guide is designed to walk you through this challenge, providing clear examples and actionable tips to help you construct a CV that emphasises your strengths and appeals to law firms.

Learn how to create your next legal assistant CV by:

  • Applying the simplest CV design, so that recruiters can easily understand your expertise, skills, and professional background;
  • Ensuring you stand out with your header, summary or objective statement, and a designated skills section;
  • Creating your CV experience section - no matter how much expertise you have;
  • Using real life professional CV examples to enhance the structure and outline of your profile.

If you still have no muse to write your professional CV, find some more industry-leading examples.

It's sort of a Catch 22. You want your legal assistant CV to stand out amongst a pile of candidate profiles, yet you don't want it to be too over the top that it's unreadable. Where is the perfect balance between your CV format simple, while using it to shift the focus to what matters most. That is - your expertise. When creating your legal assistant CV:

  • list your experience in the reverse chronological order - starting with your latest roles;
  • include a header with your professional contact information and - optionally - your photograph;
  • organise vital and relevant CV sections - e.g. your experience, skills, summary/ objective, education - closer to the top;
  • use no more than two pages to illustrate your professional expertise;
  • format your information using plenty of white space and standard (2.54 cm) margins, with colours to accent key information.

Once you've completed your information, export your legal assistant CV in PDF, as this format is more likely to stay intact when read by the Applicant Tracker System or the ATS. A few words of advice about the ATS - or the software used to assess your profile:

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PRO TIP

Use font size and style strategically to create a visual hierarchy, drawing the reader's eye to the most important information first (like your name and most recent job title).

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The top sections on a legal assistant CV

  • Relevant Legal Experience showcases your practical legal work and skills.
  • Legal Education and Certifications highlight your specialised training and legal knowledge.
  • Technical Legal Skills emphasise your proficiency with legal software and research tools.
  • Key Legal Achievements demonstrate your successes and contributions to past roles.
  • Professional Membership and Associations affirm your active engagement with the legal community.
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What recruiters value on your CV:
  • Emphasise your attention to detail by meticulously proofreading your CV for any grammatical errors or inaccuracies, ensuring it is immaculate, as precision is crucial in legal documents.
  • Highlight any experience with legal software and case management systems, and showcase your ability to adapt to new technologies, which are integral for maximising efficiency in a legal environment.
  • Document any specific legal knowledge or experience you have in various areas of law, demonstrating your ability to support legal professionals with relevant and specialised tasks.
  • Feature your communication skills by including examples of drafting legal correspondence, managing client interactions, and liaising between attorneys, showcasing your role as a facilitator of efficient legal service.
  • Illustrate your organisational capabilities by describing how you've managed case files, coordinated schedules, and kept track of deadlines, underpinning your role in ensuring the smooth operation of legal proceedings.

Right at the very top of your legal assistant CV is where you'd find the header section or the space for your contact details, headline, and professional photo. Wondering how to present your the name of the city you live in and the country abbreviation as your address;

  • Integrate a link to your professional portfolio or LinkedIn profile to further showcase your work;
  • Upload your professional photo only if you're applying for jobs outside the UK or US.
  • Finally, we've reached the most difficult aspect of the CV header - it's your headline or the first sentence that is used to grab recruiters' attention. The most effective legal assistant CV headlines:

    • are tailored to the role you're applying for by integrating key job skills and requirements;
    • showcase what your unique value is, most often in the form of your most noteworthy accomplishment;
    • select your relevant qualifications, skills, or current role to pass the Applicant Tracker System (ATS) assessment.
    • Still not sure how to write your CV headline? Our examples below showcase best practices on creating effective headlines:
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    Examples of good CV headlines for legal assistant:

    1. Legal Assistant | 5+ Years in Contract Law | Certified Paralegal | Compliance & Negotiation Specialist
    2. Senior Legal Secretary | Litigation Support Expert | 10+ Years in Legal Sector | Bilingual: Spanish-English
    3. Junior Legal Assistant | Recently Qualified - LPC | Specialism in Intellectual Property | Client Relationship Management
    4. Legal Administrative Assistant | 7 Years' Experience | Conveyancing and Property Law | Fast Track Diploma Holder
    5. Litigation Legal Assistant | 3 Years Post-Qualification | Case Research & Trial Preparation | AAT Level 2 Certified
    6. Corporate Legal Assistant | Senior Role in Mergers & Acquisitions | LL.B. Qualified | Due Diligence Proficiency

    At the top one third of your CV, you have the chance to make a more personable impression on recruiters by selecting between:

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    CV summaries for a legal assistant job:

  • With over 7 years of dedicated experience within the legal sector, this candidate boasts profound expertise in legal research, document drafting, and case management. They have streamlined communication channels for a bustling legal firm in London, led complex filing system overhauls, and hold an exceptional track record in supporting high-stakes litigation processes.
  • As an adept former paralegal with 10 years in the field, this individual has transitioned into a legal assistant role, bringing forth unparalleled organisational skills and a comprehensive understanding of legal terminology. Their crowning achievement includes orchestrating document management for a landmark case at a prominent Manchester law firm.
  • Coming from a robust background in business administration, this candidate is eager to employ their 5 years of managing corporate offices to the legal world. With a knack for meticulous record-keeping and astute attention to detail, they have led numerous successful projects and are adept in legal scheduling and support.
  • A former HR specialist with 4 years of experience, now keen on applying their honed interpersonal and compliance skills to legal assistance. This enthusiast has managed intricate employee relations and is versed in regulatory documentation, seeking to contribute to legal operations by fostering efficient administrative workflows.
  • Aspiring to leverage comprehensive organisational and customer service skills within a dynamic legal setting. Highly motivated to develop expertise in legal procedures, this candidate is ready to provide exceptional support in research and documentation, aiming to contribute to legal team success while advancing personal knowledge and experience.
  • Aiming to embark on a career in the legal field where strong communication skills, a quick learning ability, and a passion for law can be utilised. Enthusiastic about starting from the ground up to gain hands-on experience with legal documentation, case preparation, and administrative duties in a challenging legal environment.
  • The CV experience is a space not just to merely list your past roles and responsibilities. It is the CV real estate within which you could detail your greatest accomplishments and skills, while matching the job requirements. Here's what to have in your experience section:

    For more help on how to write your CV experience section, check out the next section of our guide:

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    Best practices for your CV's work experience section
    • Managed a busy legal practice's diary, coordinating court dates and client appointments efficiently, while minimising scheduling conflicts throughout the year.
    • Conducted thorough legal research utilising online databases and law libraries; contributed to case preparation with accurate and relevant information.
    • Prepared legal documents such as briefs, pleadings, appeals, agreements, contracts, and legal correspondence with attention to detail and within strict deadlines.
    • Maintained confidentiality in all interactions and communication, upholding the firm's reputation and clients’ trust.
    • Supported casework by organising and filing documents electronically and physically, ensuring swift retrieval and a systematic records management system.
    • Liaised with clients, legal professionals, and court personnel, providing exemplary service and communication to facilitate the legal process.
    • Utilised case management software effectively, keeping track of case progress and maintaining up-to-date client files.
    • Participated in client meetings and deposition preparation, taking detailed notes that were later used to inform legal strategies and case progression.
    • Monitored changes in legislation and case law, providing lawyers with timely updates that were critical to ongoing cases and client advisories.
    Work Experience
    Senior Legal Associate
    Clifford Chance LLP
    01/2017-12/2020
    • Managed a portfolio of 50+ ongoing legal cases, consistently meeting deadlines for document submissions and maintaining detailed litigation records for senior attorneys.
    • Conducted complex legal research and analysis for property law matters, contributing to a 20% increase in successful outcomes for client cases over a three-year period.
    • Drafted and reviewed up to 30 legal documents per week, including affidavits and contracts, ensuring accuracy and compliance with current UK legislation.
    Work Experience
    Legal Assistant Officer
    Allen & Overy
    05/2015-04/2018
    • Implemented a new legal case management software that improved document retrieval times by 35%, streamlining workflow processes for the whole legal team.
    • Liaised with clients to gather case information, preparing briefs for approximately 12 cases per month with a high level of precision that resulted in enhanced client satisfaction scores.
    • Coordinated between various departments to ensure all related parties were informed of case developments, playing a key role in the timely execution of case strategies.
    Work Experience
    Legal Case Coordinator
    Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer
    03/2020-Ongoing
    • Actively involved in the preparation of evidentiary materials for high-stakes commercial litigation cases, directly supporting a team of 5 leading solicitors.
    • Facilitated client intake for over 100 individual cases, helping to grow the client base by 15% within a single fiscal year through outstanding service.
    • Led the digitization project for the firm's case files, digitizing over 10,000 documents, thus greatly enhancing accessibility and reducing paper usage by 25%.
    Work Experience
    Patent Legal Assistant
    Linklaters LLP
    06/2013-02/2016
    • Spearheaded the legal research for a landmark patent infringement case, which contributed to a favourable verdict and secured the client's intellectual property rights.
    • Reviewed and processed an average of 15-20 legal contracts per month, identifying potential areas of risk and suggesting mitigation strategies to senior legal counsel.
    • Organized and maintained the law library, ensuring resources were current and accessible, which reduced research time for attorneys by approximately 10%.
    Work Experience
    Legal Support Specialist
    Slaughter and May
    11/2014-10/2019
    • Expertly compiled and maintained litigation dockets for a team of 10 attorneys, improving the firms' case handling efficiency and contributing to a 98% on-time filing rate.
    • Facilitated cross-departmental communication and legal compliance for M&A transactions, supporting over 20 successful deals within 5 years.
    • Conducted weekly training sessions on legal database management for new staff, significantly enhancing team productivity and reducing onboarding time by 15%.
    Work Experience
    International Legal Assistant
    Hogan Lovells
    09/2009-08/2012
    • Orchestrated the logistics for a series of international arbitration cases, coordinating between parties in different time-zones and ensuring all legal procedures were followed.
    • Assisted in reducing overhead costs by 10% through the implementation of a new documentation workflow, which streamlined the preparation of legal briefs and filings.
    • Played a pivotal role in the research and compilation of evidence for a multi-million-pound fraud case, leading to the successful recovery of assets.
    Work Experience
    Litigation Legal Assistant
    Norton Rose Fulbright
    04/2012-03/2015
    • Performed in-depth legal research that was integral to developing case strategies for high profile defamation cases, directly impacting case outcomes favourably.
    • Managed legal documentation and records for over 200 clients, implementing a categorization system which improved file retrieval times by 40%.
    • Collaborated with senior solicitors to create case presentations for trials, enhancing the persuasiveness of arguments and contributing to a 30% higher rate of successful case settlements.
    Work Experience
    Civil Litigation Legal Officer
    CMS Cameron McKenna Nabarro Olswang LLP
    07/2011-06/2014
    • Conducted due diligence for upwards of 25 property transactions per year, ensuring all compliance checks were met, which resulted in a decrease in post-sale legal issues by 5%.
    • Played a critical role in client relations, managing communications for 50+ clients involved in civil litigation, leading to increased client retention rates.
    • Assisted with the creation and roll-out of a witness preparation program that enhanced the effectiveness of testimonies, contributing to more robust case positions.

    This part of our step-by-step guide will help you substitute your experience section by helping you spotlight your skill set. First off, your ability to land your first job will depend on the time you take to assess precisely how you match the job requirements. Whether that's via your relevant education and courses, skill set, or any potential extracurricular activities. Next:

    • Systematise your CV so that it spotlights your most relevant experience (whether that's your education or volunteer work) towards the top;
    • Focus recruiters' attention to your transferrable skill set and in particular how your personality would be the perfect fit for the role;
    • Consider how your current background has helped you build your technological understanding - whether you've created projects in your free time or as part of your uni degree;
    • Ensure you've expanded on your teamwork capabilities with any relevant internships, part-time roles, or projects you've participated in the past.
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    PRO TIP

    If you have experience in diverse fields, highlight how this has broadened your perspective and skill set, making you a more versatile candidate.

    The CV skills' divide: between hard and soft skills

    Of course, you may have read the job requirements plenty of times now, but it's key to note that there is a difference between technical and personal skills. Both are equally relevant to your job application. When writing about your skill set, ensure you've copy-pasted the precise skill from the job requirement. This would not only help you ensure you have the correct spelling, but also pass any Applicant Tracker System (ATS) assessments.

    • Hard skills show your technological capabilities. Or whether you'll be a good technical fit to the organisation. Ensure you've spotlighted your hard skills in various sections of your CV (e.g. skills section, projects, experience) by including the technology and what you've attained;
    • Soft skills pinpoint your personality and people or communication skills, hinting at if you'll easily accomodate into the team or organisation. Quantify your soft skills in your CV achievements, strengths, summary/objective, and experience sections. Always support your soft skills with how they've helped you grow as a professional.
    Top skills for your legal assistant CV:
    HARD SKILLS

    Legal Research

    Legal Writing

    Document Drafting

    Litigation Support

    Case Management

    Regulatory Compliance

    Contract Review

    Court Filings

    Time Management Software Proficiency

    E-Discovery Tools Proficiency

    SOFT SKILLS

    Communication

    Attention to Detail

    Organisational Skills

    Discretion

    Teamwork

    Problem-Solving

    Adaptability

    Time Management

    Client Relations

    Stress Management

    pro tip icon
    PRO TIP

    Use mini case studies or success stories in your CV to demonstrate how your skills have positively impacted previous roles or projects.

    As you're nearing the end of your legal assistant CV, you may wonder what else will be relevant to the role. Recruiters are keen on understanding your academic background, as it teaches you an array of hard and soft skills. Create a dedicated education section that lists your:

    • applicable higher education diplomas or ones that are at a postgraduate level;
    • diploma, followed up with your higher education institution and start-graduation dates;
    • extracurricular activities and honours, only if you deem that recruiters will find them impressive.

    Follow a similar logic when presenting your certificates. Always select ones that will support your niche expertise and hint at what it's like to work with you. Balance both technical certification with soft skills courses to answer job requirements and company values. Wondering what the most sought out certificates are for the industry? Look no further:

    pro tip icon
    PRO TIP

    Use mini case studies or success stories in your CV to demonstrate how your skills have positively impacted previous roles or projects.

    Key takeaways

    What matters most in your legal assistant CV-writing process is for you to create a personalised application. One that matches the role and also showcases your unique qualities and talents.

    • Use the format to supplement the actual content, to stand out, and to ensure your CV experience is easy to comprehend and follows a logic;
    • Invest time in building a succinct CV top one third. One that includes a header (with your contact details and headline), a summary or an objective statement (select the one that best fits your experience), and - potentially - a dedicated skills section or achievements (to fit both hard skills and soft skills requirements);
    • Prioritise your most relevant (and senior) experience closer to the top of your CV. Always ensure you're following the "power verb, skill, and achievement" format for your bullets;
    • Integrate both your technical and communication background across different sections of your CV to meet the job requirements;
    • List your relevant education and certificates to fill in gaps in your CV history and prove to recrutiers you have relevant technical know-how.
    legal assistant resume example

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    Volen Vulkov
    Volen Vulkov is a resume expert and the co-founder of Enhancv. He applies his deep knowledge and experience to write about a career change, development, and how to stand out in the job application process.