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Lawyer skills for your resume and career

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Quoted Experts

Jeremy Olson Ph.D.,

Jeremy Olson Ph.D.

Below we've compiled a list of the most critical lawyer skills. We ranked the top skills for lawyers based on the percentage of resumes they appeared on. For example, 13.8% of lawyer resumes contained litigation as a skill. Continue reading to find out what skills a lawyer needs to be successful in the workplace.

15 lawyer skills for your resume and career

1. Litigation

Here's how lawyers use litigation:

Listed in first edition of Best's Directories of Recommended Insurance Attorneys and Adjusters Quarterly Communication -Member Council for Litigation Management
Formulated direct and cross-examinations as a mock attorney in addition to learning about litigation and standard courtroom proceedings.

2. Law Firm

Here's how lawyers use law firm:

Handled various administrative responsibilities within a Law Firm or Legal Department.
Validated information on all medical claims from insurance companies and law firms seeking payment from military patients their family members.

3. Legal Issues

Here's how lawyers use legal issues:

Conducted investigative research on legal issues related to international intellectual property and trade as well as IP and international trade matters.
Analyze narrative and statistical data to make recommendations regarding legal issues affecting the Unit Municipality Number 3.

4. Real Estate

Real estate is land that has buildings on it. This kind of property consists of permanent improvements either natural or man-made, which include, houses, fences, bridges, water trees, and minerals. There are 4 types of real estate namely; residential real estate, commercial real estate, industrial real estate, and vacant land.

Here's how lawyers use real estate:

Provided legal advice to corporate clients regarding business, taxation and real estate transactions and oversaw in corporate negotiations.
Represented the Georgia Real Estate Commission in numerous administrative hearings and argued cases before administrative judges.

5. Legal Research

Here's how lawyers use legal research:

Performed legal research and drafted interoffice memorandums regarding Nevada law, including consolidating multiple cases and peer review privilege.
Conducted legal research in corporate governance, intellectual property, private equity, and securities regulation.

6. Civil Law

Here's how lawyers use civil law:

Conducted criminal and civil lawsuit, drew up legal document and advised clients as to legal rights.
Managed all aspects of cases from initial stages through completion in criminal, administrative and civil law.

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7. Legal Advice

Here's how lawyers use legal advice:

Provided legal advice and documentation to support applicable Company departments for a wide variety of subject matters.
Reviewed contracts and provided legal advice to Shanghai-Electric and Shanghai Airport Authority.

Select Skills To Add To Your Resume

Litigation

Law Firm

Legal Issues

Real Estate

Legal Research

Civil Law

8. Intellectual Property

Intellectual properties refer to individuals' intangible or non-physical wealth, which results from their imaginations and intellect.

Here's how lawyers use intellectual property:

Co-managed a portfolio of intellectual property clients, which included multinational enterprises such as Clorox Company and Ron Santa Teresa.
Established Sun's intellectual property strategy and designed and implemented corporate acquisitions and large-scale licensing.

9. Juris

Here's how lawyers use juris:

Investigate all the cases in Micro Juris and at the rights library.
Work with Word, Microsoft Outlook and JURIS computer programs

10. Trial Preparation

Trial preparation is the practice of gathering sufficient raw material for a court case. This preparation is done to make the bases of a case stronger by bringing the facts to light in a way that will give the concerned law bodies a better comprehension of the entire scenario. The method for preparing for a case may differ depending upon its nature.

Here's how lawyers use trial preparation:

Monitored and innovated case investigation and trial preparation processes.
Represented consumers in court and assisted with trial preparation.

11. Legal Support

Here's how lawyers use legal support:

Provided legal support to asset management department and offered related legal opinions.
Provided individual paralegal support to an assigned senior attorney.

12. Employment Law

Employment law іѕ the соllесtіоn of laws аnd rules that rеgulаtе thе rеlаtіоnѕhір bеtwееn employers and еmрlоуееѕ. It gоvеrnѕ whаt еmрlоуеrѕ саn еxресt from еmрlоуееѕ, whаt еmрlоуеrѕ саn ask of еmрlоуееѕ, and employees' rights аt wоrk. Employment law covers a wіdе range оf issues, frоm реnѕіоnѕ аnd retirement рlаnѕ to occupational safety аnd tо discrimination in thе workplace.

Here's how lawyers use employment law:

Engaged in administrative and employment law representing local governments and professional associations throughout the state of Florida.
Judge - Robert F. Wagner Labor and Employment Law Moot Court at NY Law School.

13. Due Diligence

Due diligence refers to the process of auditing, investigating, or reviewing done to confirm the authenticity of relevant facts. In addition to this, it also refers to the evaluation of a party's financial records to determine whether one should enter into a transaction with the said party or not.

Here's how lawyers use due diligence:

Conducted due diligence documentation review.
Gathered the information required to complete due diligence reports and issue legal opinions and lawyer's letters for the clients.

14. Financial Institutions

Financial Institutions come in all sizes, forms, and are meant for all sorts of purposes. Some only keep money, some only trade it, some focus on extending loans, some work with only other financial corporations or regular business and companies, and some are built to be useful and multi-purpose. A central bank, for example, is a banking institution meant to keep an eye on other banks and ensure that no laws or rules are broken or bent.

Here's how lawyers use financial institutions:

Negotiated loans on behalf of financial institutions with individuals and companies with outstanding balance.
Structured financing deals with global financial institutions.

15. Administrative Law

Here's how lawyers use administrative law:

Practiced Administrative law regarding licensing and regulation of alcohol industry.
Represent Social Security Disability Claimants before the Appeals Council in appeals of unfavorable and partially favorable decisions from Administrative Law Judges.

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Julie Anderson Lawyer Contact Information Washington, DC (730) 555-7394 janderson@example.com Skills • Regulatory Matters • Legal Documents • Governance • Trial Preparation • Probable Outcomes • Bankruptcy • Counsel • Criminal Cases • Conference Calls • Discovery Responses Employment History Lawyer 2011 - Present Law.com Washington, DC • General Practice - Bankruptcy, Criminal, Family, Foreclosure, Immigration, Personal Injury, Real Estate, Traffic. • Prepared child support Excel spreadsheets, drafted discovery, and worked one-on-one with clients until the end of their case. • Manage all phases of private practice and works at a high level. • Present evidence to defend clients or defendants in bankruptcy or other litigation. • Conducted and managed private law practice with emphasis on criminal and civil litigation. Legal Assistant 2006 - 2011 LAW OFFICES OF WINN SIMS New York, NY • Managed the marketing team for the law firm. • Review through defendant's discovery responses. • Performed secretarial and administrative tasks for resident partner and three associates, including travel, event planning, and purchasing. Attorney's Assistant 2000 - 2003 Phelan Hallinan & Schmieg Philadelphia, PA • Prepared hearing folders for attending counsel. • Furthered clients in acknowledging discovery responses and verifying Complaints. • Selected to serve as administrative professional assisting and managing all administrative tasks for two partners. • Conserved attorney time by collecting, analyzing, verifying, and routing legal documents. • Drafted and filed legal documents in foreclosure litigation cases and forcible entry and detainer litigation cases. Education Doctoral Degree Law 2003 - 2006 Georgetown University Washington, DC Bachelor's Degree English 1997 - 2000 George Mason University Fairfax, VA


Betty Lawrence Lawyer Contact Info Los Angeles, CA (890) 555-2128 blawrence@example.com Skills Court ProceedingsFamily Law IssuesCounselGovernanceLegal InternOral ArgumentsProperty LawCivil LitigationLitigation SupportLegal Documents Employment History Lawyer 2020 - Present LAW OFFICES OF WINN SIMS Los Angeles, CA • Research and drafting of legal documents, memorandum, and legal opinions. • Worked with experts on trial preparations. • Worked as Defense Attorney, specialized in civil litigation matters. Lawyer 2012 - 2020 The Legal Aid Society Santa Ana, CA • Drafted, negotiated and provided counsel to executive level clients on key national and regional operational and revenue-generating agreements. • Conducted investigative research on legal issues related to international intellectual property and trade as well as IP and international trade matters. • Managed a portfolio of outside counsel relationships for effective management of legal risks for Cargill's global animal nutrition business. Judicial Internship 2011 - 2012 Law offices of Carl D. Barnes Los Angeles, CA • Assisted associate attorney with negligence personal injury cases by drafting arbitration and mediation briefs, discovery responses, motions and letters. • Analyze police reports and medical records. • Drafted responses to discovery demands and bills of particulars in complex wrongful death litigations. • Reviewed agreements to modify child support and presented agreements to Commissioner Morton for approval. • Attended trials, hearings, oral argument and settlement conference. • Work with In-House and Outside Counsel to establish project parameters. Education Doctoral Degree Law 2008 - 2011 Southwestern Law School Los Angeles, CA Bachelor's Degree Political Science 2005 - 2008 University of California - Davis Davis, CA


Julie Anderson Lawyer Washington, DC janderson@example.com (730) 555-7394 Experience Lawyer 2011 - Present Law.comWashington, DC • General Practice - Bankruptcy, Criminal, Family, Foreclosure, Immigration, Personal Injury, Real Estate, Traffic. • Prepared child support Excel spreadsheets, drafted discovery, and worked one-on-one with clients until the end of their case. • Manage all phases of private practice and works at a high level. • Present evidence to defend clients or defendants in bankruptcy or other litigation. • Conducted and managed private law practice with emphasis on criminal and civil litigation. Legal Assistant 2006 - 2011 LAW OFFICES OF WINN SIMSNew York, NY • Managed the marketing team for the law firm. • Review through defendant's discovery responses. • Performed secretarial and administrative tasks for resident partner and three associates, including travel, event planning, and purchasing. Attorney's Assistant 2000 - 2003 Phelan Hallinan & SchmiegPhiladelphia, PA • Prepared hearing folders for attending counsel. • Furthered clients in acknowledging discovery responses and verifying Complaints. • Selected to serve as administrative professional assisting and managing all administrative tasks for two partners. • Conserved attorney time by collecting, analyzing, verifying, and routing legal documents. • Drafted and filed legal documents in foreclosure litigation cases and forcible entry and detainer litigation cases. Skills Regulatory Matters Legal Documents Governance Trial Preparation Probable Outcomes Bankruptcy Counsel Criminal Cases Conference Calls Discovery Responses Education Doctoral Degree Law 2003 - 2006 Georgetown UniversityWashington, DC Bachelor's Degree English 1997 - 2000 George Mason UniversityFairfax, VA


Barbara Lopez Lawyer Employment History Lawyer 2020 - Present LAW OFFICES OF WINN SIMSPhiladelphia, PA • Filed Business Reorganization and Individual Bankruptcy cases for clients. • Litigated several Criminal cases including Cheating, Criminal Conspiracy. • Prepared and filed Chapter 7 bankruptcy petitions. • consulted and represented clients in civil and criminal cases) • Draft legal documents, such as Wills, Power of Attorney, Property Sale Agreements, etc. Lawyer 2010 - 2020 Private PracticeNew York, NY • Work in conjunction with Oklahoma Department Human Services in assisting divorces couple with child support issues. • have a number of active criminal cases under the CJA Panel program pending final adjudication (Sentencing). Legal Clerk 1996 - 2006 VerizonNew Brunswick, NJ • Produced legal documents, graphs, slides, tables, charts and spreadsheets. • Multi-tasked and utilized a variety of computer systems to process service orders, communicate with customers and access credit information. • Ensured strict adherence to company policies and procedures while upholding union guidelines. • Review files for completeness and missing documentation; copy, scan, and fax legal documents. Education Doctoral Degree Law 2007 - 2010 Temple UniversityPhiladelphia, PA Master's Degree Political Science 2006 - 2007 American UniversityWashington, DC Bachelor's Degree Political Science 1993 - 1996 Rutgers, The State University of New JerseyNew Brunswick, NJ Contact Information Philadelphia, PA (900) 555-2224 blopez@example.com Skills Law Firm Trial Preparation Legal Documents Contract Law Regulatory Agencies Bankruptcy Telephone Calls Data Entry Calendar Management Discovery Responses


Sean Chavez Lawyer New York, NY (290) 555-0208 schavez@example.com Skills Federal Courts Indigent Clients Privacy Discovery Responses Law Enforcement Ensure Compliance Criminal Cases Counsel Insurance Companies Practice Areas Employment History Lawyer 2020 - Present Private PracticeNew York, NY • General Practice: bankruptcy, personal injury, real property, transaction & contracts, litigation. • General civil litigation; foreclosure litigation; criminal defense. • Managed litigation case development, legal research, discovery, trial preparation, first-chair litigation, and settlement negotiation and documentation. • Appointed counsel - Oro Valley Magistrate Court and Marana Magistrate Court Negotiate plea agreements. Staff Attorney 2019 - 2020 US Small Business AdministrationWashington, DC • Provided general counsel to loan department staff. • Worked with outside counsel to determined solutions to clear clouds on title Accomplishments:. • Represent the company and policyholders in civil litigation involving personal injury or property damage. • Represented individual and corporate clients in a variety of civil matters involving government procurement contracts and intellectual property. • Negotiated settlements on behalf of clients against landlords and opposing counsel. Law Internship 2018 - 2019 The Legal Aid SocietyNew York, NY • Conducted legal research and drafted legal memos pertaining to bankruptcy matters, residential and business mortgage foreclosures. • Served as bond, underwriter, and bank counsel. • Provided administrative support to attorneys prosecuting criminal cases such as petty larcenies and driving while intoxicated. • Managed and prepared responses to discovery demands. Education Doctoral Degree Law 2015 - 2018 DePaul UniversityChicago, IL Master's Degree Business 2014 - 2015 University of IowaIowa City, IA Bachelor's Degree Marketing 2011 - 2014 University of IowaIowa City, IA

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What skills help Lawyers find jobs?

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What skills stand out on Lawyer resumes?

Jeremy Olson Ph.D.

Assistant Professor of Criminal Justice, Penn State University Wilkes-Barre

Three skills that can help make people stand out when applying for criminal justice lawyer jobs are communication, analysis, and argument formation. Lawyers have to listen to and speak with a wide variety of people, and they have to read a lot of different types of information. They have to do that in a way that the attorney can understand what they're being told or reading well enough to determine what is and is not important to their case at any given time. They then have to synthesize that information into the totality of their case as they form a very clear argument for why something did or did not happen. They then communicate that argument to other parties like opposing counsel or the jury.

What soft skills should all Lawyers possess?

Jeremy Olson Ph.D.

Assistant Professor of Criminal Justice, Penn State University Wilkes-Barre

We've asked this question to nearly every professional guest, internship supervisor, and employer we've interacted with within the time we've been teaching. The answers are always the same, regardless of their field. The top three answers are interpersonal communication, critical thinking, and problem-solving. Rounding out the list of the six most important soft skills are time management, leadership, and the ability to adapt. Since we have heard the need for these skills so often, we have incorporated ways of acquiring them throughout the criminal justice curriculum here at Penn State Wilkes-Barre.

What hard/technical skills are most important for Lawyers?

Jeremy Olson Ph.D.

Assistant Professor of Criminal Justice, Penn State University Wilkes-Barre

The hard skills for our field are clear and accurate writing & speaking, the ability to search and find relevant information using multiple databases, the use of technology, and speaking a second language which can include sign language. Also, acting skills help in this field. Whether it happens in open court or in a closed interview room, there are times when you have to pretend to love things you detest and to detest things you love. It helps to be convincing when you need to do either.

What Lawyer skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?

Hanna Royce

Assistant Dean of Career Services, University of New Hampshire Franklin Pierce School of Law

The key to success is to add new and relevant legal experience to their resume. If graduates are not taking on full-time roles, this could mean completing document review or project work on a contract basis.

What type of skills will young Lawyers need?

Michele DeStefano

Professor of Law, University of Miami and Affiliated Faculty, Harvard Law School Executive Education

The top four skills that students need when they enter the workforce in the coming years are 1) creativity 2) business acumen 3) change inspiration (the ability to inspire and lead change efforts which include a whole host of skills like communication, marketing, persuasion, open-mindedness, etc.); and 4) digital transformation skills (understanding what is digital transformation and how to help enable it).

Do you want to know more?

List of lawyer skills to add to your resume

The most important skills for a lawyer resume and required skills for a lawyer to have include:

Litigation
Law Firm
Legal Issues
Real Estate
Legal Research
Civil Law
Legal Advice
Intellectual Property
Juris
Trial Preparation
Legal Support
Employment Law
Due Diligence
Financial Institutions
Administrative Law
Legal Services

Social Security
Civil Litigation
Corporate Law
Family Law
Contract Law
Private Practice
Labor Law
Criminal Law
Criminal Cases
Notary
Corporate Governance
Legal Assistance
Advise Clients
Legal Rights
Probate
Civil Cases

District Court
Business Transactions
Arbitration
Legal Opinions
Federal Courts
Government Agencies
Legal Proceedings
Legal Analysis
Commercial Litigation
EU
Probable Outcomes
Contract Negotiations
Criminal Defense
Pro Bono
Administrative Procedures
Estate Planning

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

Updated January 8, 2025

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