How to write a legal CV: tips recruiters want you to know

When it comes to securing your next legal role, your CV is your most important marketing tool. It is often the first impression a legal recruiter or hiring manager will have of you, so ensuring it reflects your experience and skills effectively is crucial. 

At Sellick Partnership, our experienced legal recruitment Consultants review hundreds of CVs every month, and we know exactly what makes a CV really stand out. Here are our top tips to help you create a legal CV that will get noticed for all the right reasons. 

Understand what legal recruiters look for 

Legal recruiters and hiring managers are searching for candidates who not only meet the technical requirements but also demonstrate the key skills needed to succeed in a legal environment. 

Make sure your CV highlights the following: 

• Relevant legal experience: Include specific areas of law you have worked in, such as commercial, property, family, or corporate law.

• Technical skills: Showcase your proficiency with legal research databases, case management software, or any specific legal tools.

• Commercial awareness: Show an understanding of how legal work fits within the wider business context.

• Communication skills: Highlight experience where you have negotiated, advised, or liaised with clients.

• Attention to detail: Ensure your CV is free from errors; accuracy is critical in law.

Legal CV formatting tips 

Presentation and structure can make a big difference. Recruiters typically spend just a few seconds scanning a CV before deciding whether to read on.

Here are some key formatting tips:

• Keep it concise: Ideally, two pages.

• Use a clean, professional layout with clear headings and bullet points.

• Make sure your contact information is up-to-date, and correct. 

• Choose a simple, readable font such as Arial or Calibri.

• List your experience in reverse chronological order.

• Tailor your CV for each role you apply to, using keywords from the job description.

• Update your LinkedIn profile: take a look at our tips to showcase your LinkedIn profile. 

Avoid including:

• Photographs or headshots.

• Excessive personal information (e.g., age, marital status).

Common mistakes to avoid on your legal CV 

Many strong candidates are let down by avoidable errors. Here are some common mistakes:

• Being too generic: Tailor your CV to the specific legal role.

• Typos and grammatical errors: Proofread carefully.

• Poor structure: Avoid large blocks of text; make your CV easy to skim-read.

• Listing duties instead of achievements: Focus on what you achieved in each role, not just your responsibilities.

We have added more detail below around the specific areas you may have on your CV: 

Personal statement 

Your personal statement is your CV's opening statement, summarise your legal career, aspirations, and highlight your key skills and accomplishments. Keep it concise, around two to three lines. Tailor this section for each application, aligning it with the specific job description.

Accurately define your legal work experience

Often Recruitment Consultants will refine the information you have provided into a branded CV format before they send it to the employer, so they can tailor it for the particular role. Be sure to include as much appropriate information as possible. Feel free to use bullet points, tailor your experience to the role and always include up-to-date and relevant information.

You should also ensure your legal qualifications are listed in full, and that temporary and locum roles are highlighted as such so that the recruiter can clearly differentiate them. 

Present the information in reverse chronological order, including:

• Firm name, job title, and employment dates.
• Provide one or two lines briefly outlining the firm or your team, for example: 'Joe Blogs LLP is a national Teir 1 Legal 500 full service firm. I work within the busy ranked Private Client Team where I cater towards higher net worth clientele.'
• Summarise your primary responsibilities and duties, including all the different types of files in your caseload, values of the matters and expand as much as possible. It’s important to expand because if it’s not on your CV, the hiring manager will assume you haven’t had the experience. For example, a conveyancer would include: sales and purchases, freehold and leasehold, registered and unregistered titles, new builds, plot sales, help to buy, right to buy, shared ownership, transfer of equity, remortgages, title checks, searches, reporting, enquiries, exchanges and completions.
• Showcase your achievements, it might be billable hours, actual vs targets, business development, growing the team, or any improvements you’ve implemented.
• Include a couple of lines of example matters, this could be your highest valued matters or most complex matters you’ve dealt with. It will give the hiring manager a good understanding of your caseload, what you can do, and plays on your strengths. 

Example: 

Solicitor | XYZ Law Firm | March 2020 – Present

• Advising clients on commercial property transactions, including lease negotiations and acquisitions.

• Successfully negotiated lease terms resulting in a 15% cost saving for a key client.

• Drafted and reviewed a variety of legal documents including contracts and agreements.

• Managed a caseload of 60+ matters simultaneously, consistently meeting deadlines.

Qualifications

For each qualification, you should include graduation dates, institution names, degrees/qualifications, and grades. Mention your admission date and the regulatory body. If you have any additional memberships or accreditations like higher rights, STEP, or children's panel, include them with the date, including any lapsed memberships.

Final top tips: 

• Text alignment: whilst already common in the legal industry, ensure your text is justified (use 'Control + J'). Justified text creates clean, polished edges for a more professional look.
• Font and formatting: Stick to a professional, easy-to-read font, and maintain consistent formatting. Bulleted lists and bold headings improve readability.
• Reverse chronological order: Listing your work experience and qualifications in reverse chronological order, it’s much easier to read for the hiring manager. 
• Proofreading: Attention to detail is vital; your CV should be free of grammar and spelling errors, especially since drafting might be a part of your job. Review it multiple times, even stepping away and returning later for a fresh look.
• Seek feedback: Have a friend or colleague review your CV from a different perspective, and they might spot anything amiss. 
• Honesty: Always be truthful, integrity matters in the long run, and it will always be found out. 
• Tailor your CV: Customise your CV for each application by aligning it with the job description. Ensure that everything in the job description is represented on your CV if it's relevant.
• LinkedIn profile: Keep your LinkedIn profile current and matching your CV, hiring managers will look at your profile.
• Action verbs: Start bullet points with strong action verbs ('negotiated', 'drafted', 'represented').
• It’s your CV: Describe your role and projects you managed, with what you accomplished. Minimise the use of phrases like 'I assisted with', or 'I helped with'.

Still need a hand getting your legal CV up to scratch? Here's a link to a Word document that our Legal team has put together, download it now! 

We've also put together a generic CV template Word document, download this here. 

Our legal candidates love our resources section packed with all the advice you need to land your ideal legal role. Why not head over to our candidate resources section and check out our guide to writing the perfect CV or chat to one of our Consultants who can give you legal CV advice. Alternatively, you can check out our latest legal jobs.

Or if you are happy and feel like your CV is ready to secure your next legal job, then get it touch!