Paralegal resume example
Paralegal resumes are screened on practice area, matter volume and the systems you have worked in. Litigation, corporate and immigration paralegals do very different work, so a resume that does not name the practice area gets sorted into the wrong pile before anyone reads the detail.
The full example
Fictional example shown in the Classic template. Every design on this site is free to use.
Summary example
Litigation paralegal with 6 years in commercial disputes, currently supporting 3 fee earners across a caseload of 60 active matters. Manage disclosure exercises of up to 40,000 documents and prepared trial bundles for 14 hearings without a single late filing.
Notice the shape: years of experience, then one specific result with a number in it, then what you are known for. Three sentences is enough.
Bullet points that work
Adapt these to work you have genuinely done — the numbers must be yours.
- Supported 3 fee earners across a rolling caseload of 60 active commercial disputes.
- Managed disclosure exercises of up to 40,000 documents using Relativity.
- Prepared trial bundles for 14 hearings with no late filings across three years.
- Drafted first versions of witness statements and chronologies for review by counsel.
- Cut bundle preparation time by 40% by standardising the indexing process across the team.
- Trained 4 junior paralegals on e-disclosure workflow and court filing procedure.
Tips specific to this role
- 1
Name the practice area in your first line. It is the first sort a hiring firm makes.
- 2
Give caseload and document volume. They are how firms judge whether you can handle their matters.
- 3
Name the case management and disclosure platforms exactly — they are searched for literally.
Mistakes to avoid on a paralegal resume
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No practice area. Litigation, corporate, immigration, family and conveyancing paralegal work share a title and little else.
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Omitting caseload size. The number of matters you support at once is the measure of the role.
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Leaving out the case management and e-discovery systems, which firms screen for by name.
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Not distinguishing what you drafted from what you filed. Drafting pleadings and bundling documents are different levels of responsibility.
How the summary changes with experience
The same role, written two ways. Take whichever is closer to where you are now.
Entry level
Paralegal with two years in personal injury litigation, supporting a caseload of around 60 matters. Drafts letters of claim and witness statements, prepares court bundles, and manages the file review schedule in Proclaim.
Senior
Senior paralegal with 11 years in commercial litigation, CILEX Level 6. Runs document review for multi-party disputes with disclosure sets exceeding 200,000 documents in Relativity, supervises three paralegals, and prepares first drafts of pleadings for partner review.
Certifications worth listing
Put these in their own section with the awarding body and, where one applies, the expiry date.
- CILEX Level 3 or Level 6 qualification
- NALA Certified Paralegal (CP)
- Relativity Certified Administrator for e-discovery work
Questions
What should a paralegal put on a resume?
Lead with a summary that names your years of experience and your single strongest result. Then work experience with one measurable achievement per bullet, followed by skills using the exact terms from the job advert. For this role, employers screen most often for: paralegal, litigation support, legal research, document review, case management.
How specific should I be about practice area?
Completely. Litigation, conveyancing, corporate, immigration and family paralegal work share a title and little else, and practice area is the primary screen. Name it in the first line and structure the resume around matters within it.
What shows I need less supervision?
Documents you draft without review, procedures you handle end to end, matter volume and value, and your case management system. Supervising solicitors are estimating how much of their own time you will consume, so answer that directly.