Paralegal Resume Template

Free paralegal resume template for Word and Google Docs. Practice area and legal software lead, and each bullet asks for matters, attorneys and deadlines.

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What is in the file

[Your Name]

[Paralegal, Litigation Paralegal or Senior Paralegal] · [Practice area, e.g. commercial litigation, corporate, real estate, immigration] · [Certification if held]

[City, State] · [email@example.com] · [(555) 555-0100] · [LinkedIn or portfolio URL]

Summary

[Paralegal with N years in (practice area) at (firm size or legal department), supporting (N attorneys) on (N active matters). Own (discovery, filings, closings, entity management, case tracking) end to end in (software). One example of the result (e.g. trial exhibits ready N days early).]

Skills

  • Practice areas: [Commercial litigation, employment, corporate, real estate, immigration, family, personal injury: only those you have worked in]
  • Paralegal work: [Drafting pleadings and discovery, privilege logs, e-filing, docketing, deposition prep, trial binders, closing checklists, entity filings]
  • Software: [Relativity, Everlaw or Logikcull; Clio, NetDocuments or iManage; CompuLaw or Aderant docketing; Westlaw or Lexis; PACER and state e-filing]

Experience

[Paralegal or Senior Paralegal], [Firm or company legal department], [Practice group]

[City, State] · [Mon YYYY] – [Present]

  • [Support (N attorneys) on (N active matters) in (practice area), owning (calendar, filings, discovery, closings)]
  • [Managed discovery of (N documents or GB) in (platform): (coding, privilege review, productions) for (case type)]
  • [Prepared (trial, hearing, deposition, closing) materials for (N matters), including (exhibits, binders, witness files), ready (on time, early)]
  • [Built or improved (a tracker, template, docketing process) that (cut time, prevented missed deadlines, others adopted)]

[Previous title, e.g. Legal Assistant or Junior Paralegal], [Employer]

[City, State] · [Mon YYYY] – [Mon YYYY]

  • [Drafted (correspondence, pleadings, forms) for (N matters a month) for attorney review]
  • [Filed (N documents) in (state or federal courts, agencies) and kept the docket for (N attorneys)]
  • [Handled (client intake, records requests, billing entries) with (result)]

Certifications

[Paralegal certificate (ABA-approved if so)], [School], [YYYY]

[NALA Certified Paralegal (CP), NFPA RP or state certification], [YYYY]

[Platform certification, e.g. Relativity, if held], [YYYY]

Education

[Associate or bachelor's degree in (paralegal studies or field)], [School], [YYYY]

A supervising attorney or legal recruiter looks at a paralegal resume for fit before anything else: does this person know our practice area, and can they work in our systems on day one. This template answers both in the skills block directly under the summary, with a line for the practice area, one for the tasks you own, and one for the discovery, docketing and case management software you use.

Experience follows, with every slot asking for volume and responsibility: attorneys supported, active matters, document counts in discovery, filings handled, closings run. A Certifications block sits after experience, because many firms screen for a certificate from an ABA-approved program or an outside credential, and listing it apart makes it easy to confirm.

Replace each bracket with your own detail and remove the lines you cannot support. Precision is the job, so treat the finished page like a filing: check every date and every name. The paralegal resume example shows the completed layout for a litigation paralegal.

Updated .

How to fill in each section

  1. Summary: practice, attorneys, matters

    Start with your practice area and setting, then the numbers that show workload: attorneys you support and active matters at once. Name the tasks you own from start to finish, since that tells a supervising attorney how much you can carry. Finish with one example of reliability, such as a filing season or trial you prepared without missing a deadline. Write in the practice area's own terms; corporate and litigation teams use different words.

  2. Skills: area, tasks, platforms

    Legal postings often name a review platform, a document management system and a docketing tool, so list each by name as the posting spells it. Put practice areas you have actually worked in, not ones you studied. The task line shows what you can draft or run without help; include court e-filing and the courts you file in. If you read or speak a second language used with clients, add it here.

  3. Experience: volume, ownership, deadlines

    Count what an attorney counts: matters, attorneys, documents reviewed or produced, filings, closings, depositions prepared. Then state what you owned rather than what you assisted with. Litigation paralegals should give one bullet to discovery and one to trial or hearing preparation. Corporate and real estate paralegals should give one bullet to closings and one to entity or title work. Describe matters by type and size, never by client name.

  4. Certifications: certificate, credential, year

    List your paralegal certificate and note if the program is ABA-approved, because many firms filter on it. A national credential such as the NALA CP or NFPA RP shows you passed an outside exam, and some states have their own certification. Platform certifications help in large litigation teams. Give a year for each, and note renewal if the credential requires continuing education.

  5. Education: degree, and law school if attended

    Give the degree and year. If you attended law school, list it honestly, and make your summary clear that you want a paralegal role so an employer does not assume you will leave. If your degree is in an unrelated field, keep it brief; the certificate above carries the legal training. Add relevant coursework only when you are new to legal work.

Next steps

See it filled in

The paralegal resume example uses this structure with a realistic candidate, with versions for entry, mid and senior level.

Read the paralegal resume example

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Questions about the paralegal resume template

Should the certifications block move higher on a paralegal resume?

Move it under the summary if the posting requires a certificate or a particular credential, or if you are new to the field and it is your strongest qualification. Experienced paralegals usually leave it after experience, where it confirms rather than leads.

How do I adapt this template for corporate or real estate work?

Replace the discovery and trial bullets with closings, entity formation and maintenance, minute books, title review or lease abstracts, with counts for each. Use the transactional software in your skills line, such as entity management or closing platforms.

Can a legal secretary or administrative assistant use this template?

Yes, if you already draft, file or manage documents for attorneys. Keep the title you actually held; the bullets are where the substantive legal work becomes visible. Add a paralegal certificate program in progress under certifications with its expected date.

When should a paralegal use the attorney template?

Only after you are admitted to the bar. Until then, a paralegal resume with a law school line under education is correct. Once admitted, the attorney resume template puts admissions where a hiring partner expects them.

Is it free?

Yes. The Word files and the Google Docs copy are free to download, edit and use for any application. There is no signup and no email.

Will it read correctly in an applicant tracking system?

The layout is one column with standard headings and real text: no tables, text boxes, icons, columns or images, which are the parts parsers most often misread. Keep it that way as you edit.

Word or Google Docs?

Use whichever you edit in. The Word file opens in Microsoft Word, Pages and LibreOffice. The Google Docs link asks you to make a copy in your own Drive; the original stays blank for the next person. Send the posting the format it asks for, usually .docx or PDF.

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