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As
a
legal
resume
writer
and
coach,
I
read
dozens
of
legal
resumes
a
week
from
senior
law
firm
partners
and
executive-level
corporate
counsels
(general
counsels
and
chief
legal
officers).
Most
often,
their
resumes
are
outdated
and
a
continuation
of
that
good
old
template
they
created
back
in
law
school
more
than
15
years
ago.
While
a
resume
is
the
initial
threshold
to
land
an
interview,
it’s
no
longer
a
laundry
list
of
your
tasks,
job
functions,
and
responsibilities.
Today,
a
resume
is
a
strategic
marketing
document
that
must
quickly
(and
succinctly)
communicate
your
value
to
an
employer
with
factual
examples
and
results.
Struggling
to
update
your
legal
resume
and
bring
it
into
the
modern
age?
Here
are
some
quick
ways
to
help
you
refresh,
optimize,
and
modernize
your
legal
resume
and
get
the
attention
of
legal
recruiters
or
hiring
executives.
Upgrade
The
Font
On
Your
Legal
Resume
If
you’re
still
using
that
same
legal
resume
template
from
the
1990s
and
early
2000
era,
it’s
likely
the
one
written
in
Times
New
Roman
font
with
the
headers
in
a
column
format.
Just
as
you
wouldn’t
wear
sweatpants
to
a
live,
in-person
interview,
Times
New
Roman
is
considered
the
sweatpants
of
fonts
because
it’s
old
and
lackluster.
Today’s
digital
reader
is
quickly
skimming
your
resume
for
content
that
pops
out.
Times
New
Roman
font
is
hard
to
digest
and
read
on
a
computer
screen
since
the
curvature
in
the
letters
constricts
the
readability.
Upgrade
your
resume
font
to
a
sans
serif
font
such
as
Calibri
or
Helvetica.
Remember,
your
resume
must
be
easy
on
the
eyes.
Make
Your
Headers
Clear
In
Your
Legal
Resume
Readers
of
your
resume
should
be
able
to
easily
distinguish
where
your
headers
(professional
experience,
education,
etc.)
end
and
where
they
begin.
Centering
them
is
best
with
a
border
line
underneath
or
a
color
fill
around
them.
Color
is
perfectly
acceptable
for
your
headers
in
today’s
modern
legal
resume.
However,
stick
to
a
dark
blue
or
dark
gray
(you
can
see
samples
of
legal
resumes
on
my
website
for
better
reference
and
visual
explanation).
As
someone
who
writes
legal
resumes
every
week,
I
opt
for
a
classic
design
format
that
is
modernized
but
still
retains
the
elements
of
a
minimalist
style
for
maximum
readership
and
ease
on
the
reader’s
eyes.
And,
as
I’ve
explained
in
presentations
to
the
Association
of
Corporate
Counsel,
American
Bar
Association,
and
countless
legal
organizations,
legal
resumes
avoid
the
use
of
graphs,
charts,
and
Etsy-style
templates.
The
legal
resume
is
still
a
formal
document.
It
is
not
a
fun
or
snazzy
brochure
for
a
PR
event,
no
matter
if
you
think
it
looks
fun,
vibrant,
or
unique.
Organize
Your
Legal
Resume
Strategically
And
Make
It
Easy
To
Read
The
formula
for
writing
a
legal
resume
has
also
changed.
It
now
includes
a
branding
statement
and
headline
letting
a
reader
know
your
career
level
(e.g.,
general
counsel
or
labor
and
employment
counsel)
and
three
or
four
main
areas
of
expertise
followed
by
a
professional
summary
which
frames
your
career
highlights
and
includes
a
mixture
of
hard
and
soft
skills
that
align
with
a
job
posting.
Your
professional
experience
section
requires
a
build-out
of
your
growth
and
promotions
within
the
law
firm
or
company’s
legal
department
(note:
make
sure
you
provide
an
overview
of
the
size/stature
of
the
company
or
firm),
a
short
paragraph
of
your
job
functions
and
leadership
responsibilities,
and
bullet
points
of
relevant
accomplishments
that
connect
to
your
legal
leadership
as
well
as
areas
of
expertise
(e.g.,
governance,
transactions,
compliance,
litigation).
This
means
giving
examples
of
relevant
transactions
and
representative
matters.
You
may
wish
to
opt
for
a
deal
sheet
which
provides
a
more
exhaustive
list
of
your
representative
engagements
and
biggest
transactions.
Of
course,
the
further
back
you
go,
the
more
remote
things
become.
If
you’re
15-plus
years
out
(or
more)
and
currently
a
managing
attorney,
law
firm
partner,
or
executive-level
counsel,
your
law
clerk
positions
and
early
associate
roles
(where
you’re
an
individual
contributor)
become
minimized
in
the
resume,
especially
if
you’re
seeking
another
executive-level
legal
role.
Keep
your
past
work
in
past
tense,
avoid
pronouns,
and
limit
extraneous
words.
Your
bullet
points
should
be
short,
terse,
and
succinct.
Large
blocks
of
text
make
it
difficult
to
read
and
comprehend.
Approach
your
bullet
points
with
the
CAR
formula:
challenge,
action,
and
result.
You
want
to
build
context
around
your
work
and
task
as
well
as
the
outcome.
Your
education
section
should
include
your
degrees,
honors,
and
then
the
school’s
name
and
location.
Consider
including
relevant
activities
and
honors,
recognizing
that
the
further
you
get
into
your
legal
career,
these
items
will
be
more
minimized
and
only
the
biggest
ones
will
be
showcased
(e.g.,
merit
scholarships,
law
review,
moot
court,
and
prestigious
legal
internships).
Include
all
relevant
professional
development,
certifications,
and
bar
admissions.
You
will
have
a
separate
section
for
leadership
and
affiliations
as
well
as
recent
(within
the
past
five
to
seven
years)
speaking
engagements
and
publications.
Realize
that
in
a
two-page
resume,
you
will
never
be
able
to
include
every
single
thing
you’ve
done.
The
key
is
to
create
a
snapshot
for
the
reader
(the
C-suite,
board,
or
hiring
executive
team)
as
to
your
best-selling
assets,
skills,
and
accomplishments.
Fact-Check
Your
Legal
Resume
Against
Targeted
Job
Postings
If
you’re
not
reviewing
job
postings
on
a
regular
basis,
head
into
the
LinkedIn
job
search
portal
or
goinhouse.com
and
select
four
or
five
targeted
roles
(making
sure
they
are
at
your
appropriate
career
level).
If
you’ve
been
following
my
ATL
column
for
a
while,
you
know
I
advocate
strongly
for
reading
through
multiple
job
postings
before
you
write
your
legal
resume.
It’s
also
something
you
should
do
when
you’re
done
writing
your
legal
resume.
I
can’t
emphasize
this
point
enough.
You
want
to
understand
the
skill
sets
and
specific
experience
sought
out
in
the
legal
positions
(you’ll
often
notice
patterns
of
repetition
within
the
keywords)
and
then
match
those
skill
sets
to
examples
within
your
professional
experience
and
career
trajectory
of
your
legal
resume.
Have
a
question
about
your
legal
resume
or
additional
questions
surrounding
how
to
modernize
your
legal
resume
for
a
digital-age
job
search?
Connect
with
me
on
LinkedIn
and
feel
free
to
ask.
Wendi
Weiner
is
an attorney,
career
expert,
and
founder
of The
Writing
Guru,
an
award-winning
executive
resume
writing
services
company.
Wendi creates
powerful
career
and
personal
brands
for
attorneys,
executives,
and
C-suite/Board
leaders
for
their
job
search
and
digital
footprint. She
also
writes
for
major
publications
about
alternative
careers
for
lawyers, personal
branding,
LinkedIn
storytelling,
career
strategy,
and
the
job
search
process. You
can
reach
her
by
email
at wendi@writingguru.net,
connect
with
her
on LinkedIn,
and
follow
her
on
Twitter @thewritingguru.