Your resume may be the key that unlocks a great work opportunity with a new employer. Do you have the right stuff to make yours stand out from your competition? If you are having trouble getting started, you can use a resume sample to show you how formatting, grammar, and content work together for a professional finished product. With a resume example in your field, you can get a better idea of what skills and experience you can include when you write your own resume.
Instead of getting frustrated, you can relax and get to writing when you follow our paralegal resume sample as well as our additional helpful tips to know how your resume should look. You can improve the quality of each section and learn more about what employers consider when reviewing resumes of potential candidates. It may surprise you to learn what information is important for you to include and which features you should emphasize.
Paralegal Resume Sample
Suzanne Surinama
Knoxville, TN 11111 • s.surinama@anybox.com • 555-906-4938
Knoxville, TN 11111 • s.surinama@anybox.com • 555-906-4938
Summary
Hard working paralegal with 20 years of experience working in mid-sized law firm, coordinating the needs of more than five attorneys with document preparation, court filings, scheduling, and legal research. Team player mentality with exceptional multi-tasking abilities who can work independently on strict deadlines. Excellent communication skills and fluent in Spanish and Portuguese.
Skills
- Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite, including PowerPoint, Excel, and Publisher
- Legal research expertise using LexisNexis and other providers
- Knowledge of real estate and family law statutes for the state of Tennessee
- Superior customer service and interpersonal skills
- Oral and written communication as well as active listening
- Current legal notary public status
- Keen organizational abilities and attention to detail
- Committed sense of confidentiality, discretion, and sensitivity
Work Experience
Paralegal, September 2010-present
Hurston and Moore Law Group, Knoxville, TN
Paralegal, January 2004-July 2010
Knoxville Legal Aid Services, Knoxville, TN
Assistant Paralegal, December 1997- November 2003
Law Offices of Batter, Ernest, and Schifft, Knoxville, TN
Hurston and Moore Law Group, Knoxville, TN
- Receive, prioritize, and respond to client correspondence and court communications
- Organize legal calendar and plan for depositions and court hearings for legal team of five attorneys
- Maintain hard copy and electronic document filing for legal briefings and track status of documents in transit
- Meet with clients in office for signings and act as notary public when needed
- Coordinate evidence, documents, and affidavits for trial preparations
Paralegal, January 2004-July 2010
Knoxville Legal Aid Services, Knoxville, TN
- Met with clients to determine legal needs, providing simple document preparation and interpretation with attorney supervision
- Appeared in court as part of free legal defense team for impoverished citizens and legal aliens in Knox County
- Maintained document log as well as court and office calendars
- Researched legal histories and precedents for pending court cases as needed by attorneys
- Updated client database and tracked all case activity for pending docket
- Scheduled community workshop legal aid assistance for new small business owners
- Developed knowledge of statutes and torts for Knox County and State of Tennessee
- Upheld confidentiality standards with compassion and professionalism
Assistant Paralegal, December 1997- November 2003
Law Offices of Batter, Ernest, and Schifft, Knoxville, TN
- Answered calls and met with prospective clients to screen needs and assign to appropriate legal department
- Researched legal needs in office library an addition to University of Tennessee Legal Library
- Preserved document database and prepared evidence to support legal team
- Worked closely with other office paralegals to train for independent case management
Education
Bachelor of Science, Paralegal Studies
South College, Knoxville, TN, 1997
South College, Knoxville, TN, 1997
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Is This a Good Paralegal Resume? Let’s Check
Does the summary statement explain the candidate’s experience as a paralegal?
Our jobseeker uses the summary statement to effectively introduce herself as a qualified applicant to any potential employer. She details her number of years of experience in the field of law, and she also explains the core skills that would be essential, including expertise with legal documents preparation and management and professional work style. An employer can see through her use of strong descriptive words, like “hard working” and “exceptional” the applicant has a commitment to her work ethic and performance.
What about the skills section? Are the skills necessary for this type of career, and would an employer look for an applicant with these abilities?
When you look at this section of our paralegal resume sample, you can see a short list of skills that are highly desirable in the legal field. The jobseeker has specific legal research skills (LexisNexis), document preparation experience, and familiarity of legal statutes in the state where she works. She presents a list of roughly six to eight skills that demonstrate her value in a position with a law firm.
Is the work experience in this paralegal resume sample clear to read and properly formatted?
This section of a resume should begin with the current or most recent position and proceed in reverse chronological order to focus on the most relevant responsibilities. Our jobseeker not only formats this section correctly, she also provides the most detail with her current position to show how her knowledge has progressed from her entry into this career.
How does the education section of the resume look? Is the information relevant? Is anything missing?
If this section of the paralegal resume sample looks a bit brief, that’s a good thing. The jobseeker stuck to important information, such as the degree she earned, what school she attended, and the date she completed her program. An employer would not consider non-essential details, including high school attendance or school transcripts, so this candidate was wise not to list them.
Can an employer get a sense of this jobseeker’s level of expertise as a paralegal?
This paralegal resume sample is chock full of relevant information to paint a clear picture of the candidate’s knowledge, skills, and relevant work experience. The strong summary statement draws in a potential employer’s interest, and the other sections of the resume provide details to back up that initial pitch. Even the verb choices and wording speak to this jobseeker’s competence and attention to detail, which would definitely come in handy for a paralegal.
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The Most Important Paralegal Resume Sample Takeaways
As you can see from our paralegal resume sample, you should take care when formatting your information to ensure you do so correctly and focus on your strengths and experience when crafting your resume. When you consider this document as your primary tool for getting closer to an interview, you can see the importance of making the right impression through your word choice and descriptions. If you are still struggling, you can use our resume builder to make your resume worthy of a second glance.
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