If you are changing careers or starting off in the legal profession, you may be wondering how best to approach your CV. Here are some of my top tips on how to tailor your CV to law:
1. Add a professional summary or objective statement that highlights your background, experience and aspirations to become a lawyer. Be clear and upfront.
2. Next list your legal education (law degree, conversion course or masters) and any relevant certifications or qualifications or courses you have studied to showcase your change of path and focus in law. You should still list any other degrees or qualifications from your previous career.
3. If you have undertaken any work shadowing or legal work experience then carve this out from the rest of your career.
You can tittle the section “legal experience” or even “relevant experience”.
4. For your previous career, try to give examples of and draw out the following key lawyer skills in your roles, responsibilities and achievements:
✅ any research or writing experience you have, including publications, briefs or memos. Law involves a lot of writing!
✅ analytical and critical thinking skills, as well as your attention to detail.
✅ your ability to work in a team environment, as well as your communication and interpersonal skills.
4. Include any relevant volunteer work or community involvement that demonstrates your commitment to helping others.
5. Highlight your IT skills and knowledge of legal databases such as Practical Law, Westlaw, Lexis that you are likely to have used during your degree.
6. Try to obtain recommendations from people you worked with on LinkedIn which you can then copy and paste into your CV. Perhaps your law tutor, or an ex boss or colleague is happy to comment on your proficiency in the workplace and suitability to a career in law based on your skills.
Here’s what not to do:
❌ do not use lots of technical jargon from a previous career. The reader is unlikely to know what this means and therefore adds nothing for you. This is particularly the case for technical careers like IT, medical, engineering etc which often use industry abbreviations.
❌ try not to be vague or cover up the fact that you are perhaps a mature applicant. Many people come to the law later in life. It is perfectly okay and brings new perspectives and fresh enthusiasm to the field.
❌ use a one size fits all approach to applying. All firms are different, with their own values, clients and goals. Ensure your law CV is aligned to these.
As always, if you need any help or advice for your law CV, do get in touch.