Sample Legal Assistant Resume
Can your resume properly defend your skills and experience? To be considered for top legal assistant jobs, resume expert Kim Isaacs says you’ll need to compile a comprehensive legal assistant resume.
Where should you begin? After your contact information, include a legal assistant resume objective or career summary. This short paragraph summarizes what makes you a top-notch legal assistant—including your personal qualities, knowledge, and expertise. Under your career summary, list the most important legal assistant skills. Resume skills sections should mirror the skills requested in the job ad.
You’ll also need to add a professional experience section to your legal assistant resume. Bullet points are a clear, easy-to-read way to display your daily tasks and accomplishments for your prior roles.
For more advice, view this sample resume for a legal assistant that Isaacs created below.
Legal Assistant Resume
Mary Gaines
Sometown, MI 55555 | (555) 555-5555 | mg@somedomain.com | LinkedIn URL
- Client-focused, computer-savvy legal assistant with a history of exemplary-rated performance within a leading Sometown general practice law firm.
- Highly professional assistant with a comprehensive command of legal, office, administrative and clerical support functions combined with a knowledge of legal documents, court filings and legal procedures.
- Dedicated, reliable and able to handle a high volume of assignments. Known for positive attitude and flexibility—always willing to change work tasks and assist attorneys and paralegals throughout the firm.
Legal Assisting Skills
- Law Office Support
- Legal Research
- Client Relations
- Legal Terminology
- Records Management
- State and Federal E-Filing Procedures
- Word Processing and Data Entry
- Spreadsheet and Database Management
- Calendaring and Scheduling
- Accounts Payable and Receivable
Experience
XYZ LAW FIRM (General practice law firm with 25 attorneys) | Sometown, MI
Legal Assistant, 9/2013 to Present
Support attorneys and paralegals by performing administrative, clerical and accounting functions. Handle client relations; administer payroll; manage A/P and A/R; maintain firm’s calendar; and produce documents involving litigation, contract agreements, by-laws, briefs, memorandums of law and affidavits.
Key player in providing excellent client service and ensuring smooth internal operations. Contributions:
- Introduced color-coded system that made docket calendar more effective and user friendly.
- Resolved 6-month billing backlog, bringing all accounts receivable (A/R) up to date.
- Managed a range of confidential records, processes and documents throughout legal proceedings such as litigation, settlement negotiations, depositions, divorce and criminal matters.
- Coordinated logistics and document preparation for court proceedings and meetings. Effectively managed high-volume workload of word processing assignments and court filings.
- Improved the organization and security of both paper and computerized files. Implemented new systems and safeguards to protect confidential client information and firm records.
- Ensured prompt responses to phone/email inquiries and displayed professionalism in all client interactions.
Education
SOMENAME COMMUNITY COLLEGE | Sometown, MI
Associate of Science, General Business (GPA: 3.75)
Computer Skills
Advanced user of MS Word, Excel, Outlook and SharePoint
Familiar with legal research programs (Westlaw, LexisNexis and eLaw)
Want to save some time? Download the legal assistant resume template in Word. You can also adapt this template to your situation. For instance, if you need to write an immigration legal assistant resume, you might also want to include language skills and volunteerism.
Jobs for legal assistants are projected to grow by 12% for the next 10 years, which is faster than average, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
Legal assistants make about $45,193 a year. If you want to see how much you’ll make in your location, you can use Monster’s Salary Tools.
Once your legal assistant resume is ready to go, search for legal assistant jobs on Monster. You might want to check out the job listings for these cities where legal assistants are in demand:
Need a Professional Legal Assistant Resume?
As a legal assistant, you're used to preparing documents, but that likely doesn't include resumes. Could you use some help? You can get your legal assistant resume reviewed by the experts at Monster. We’ll compile a report analyzing your resume’s appearance and content and send you suggestions for how to make yours even better. Then you can consider it case closed!