Oct 14, 2019

Written By Becky Kells

Law CV template

Oct 14, 2019

Written By Becky Kells

Tailoring your CV for a legal profession is the first step in landing your training contract, vacation scheme or pupillage. Take inspiration from this template to create the perfect CV, tailored to the job application description.

Personal information

- Name

- Address

- Email address

- Phone number

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Profile

A profile for a law CV is written in the third person and can be as long as three to four sentences. It details your personal qualities, skills and experiences most relevant to the job position and outlines the type of opportunity you are looking for. Make sure to keep your profile concise and engaging to encourage the recruiter to read on. The profile should be specifically tailored to the job in question.

Example:

An ambitious, enthusiastic and committed second year LLB undergraduate who possesses a genuine interest and understanding of ___. Keen to obtain a summer placement within a ___ environment.

Currently seeking a challenging law work placement opportunity within a dynamic ___ firm, which will offer early responsibilities and the opportunity to develop practical legal skills.

Education/key qualifications

Make sure to list your qualifications in reverse order, starting with your most recent qualification. If you are in the middle of obtaining a qualification, this should still feature in this section.

Format

Rather than using sentences to describe your previous experience, opt for a succinct format.

If you choose to include the modules you have studied during your degree, make sure to include the most relevant modules to the job opportunity you are applying to.

Example

Bachelor of Law, Coventry University 2018 - Present

Modules include European and International Law, Human Rights and Family Law

Legal work experience

This section should also be organised in reverse order. By distinguishing legal work experience from any other work experience you may have acquired makes it easy for recruiters to determine your commitment to the profession.

Format

Provide the dates, the name of the employer or organisation, the location and your job title.

Include a brief job description in addition to the skills you developed and your contribution to the work environment. This will enable your prospective employer to quantify your previous experience.

Example

Legal Assistant, Alsters Kelly Solicitors, Leicester August 2019

- Translating legal documents into English from Chinese and Japanese.

- Supporting a team of three solicitors during immigration screening interviews by note taking and using my language skills to relay advice to clients on complex immigration issues.

- improving my practical understanding of International Law and immigration issues, and developing my listening and rapport-building skills.

Further work experience

Use this section to include any work experience that is not explicitly related to law, but nonetheless describes skills that would be of benefit to your application for a legal opportunity.

Example

Customer Service Representative, British Gas, Leicester June - September 2018

Responsibilities:

- Assisting customers by providing up to date and accurate information on products and services.

- Providing customer feedback to my line manager on a monthly and ad hoc basis.

Skills Acquired: The ability to work independently or as part of a team in an organised manner; an understanding of how large businesses work and how to communicate effectively with colleagues and customers; the ability to assimilate new information and adapt to a commercial environment.

Achievements: Designed and implemented a new workflow spreadsheet and reward system that was approved by the management committee and adopted by the branch. This improved productivity by 25% over a six-month period, significantly increasing staff motivation and commitment levels.

Personal achievements

This section should include details of relevant and exceptional achievements

Example

Vice-President, Law Society, Coventry University September 2018- June 2019

My involvement included helping to run the society alongside the president, as well as organising a host of career-related events.

“2018 Debater of the Year” accolade, Coventry University.

Other skills

This section is optional and could include details of language competencies, computer literacy or whether you have a full, clean UK/EU/EEA or international driving licence.

Interests & activities

Include details of activities to demonstrate law-related competencies and also those which show that you are a well-rounded individual who is capable, accomplished, responsible, active and enthusiastic about getting involved in other pursuits.

Example

Volunteering: On a monthly basis I volunteer at one of three local schools in my area to provide “Aim Higher” input into their citizenship classes.

- I have presented seven one-hour sessions to groups of up to 50 young people aged between eight and 14 years old.

- The feedback I have received from students has been very positive, and the teachers involved with the scheme have begun to develop my input into other subject areas.

References

In this section, you can either:

- Give the full names and contact details of two referees (one academic, one work-related);

- Or, simply state “available on request.”

Make sure to inform your chosen referees of your decision to include their names on your CV.

If you're currently on the hunt for a Training Contract or Vacation Scheme, head over to our Law Jobs section.

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