Paralegal Resume Example
Paralegal resumes are filtered by practice area (litigation, corporate, family, IP) and specific legal-software keywords before being judged on caseload volume and research/drafting quality.
ATS keywords for paralegal resumes
Applicant tracking systems search for these terms first; work the ones that genuinely apply to you into your summary, skills, and experience bullets.
Example achievement bullets
Real paralegal resumes lead with scope and a measurable result, not a list of duties. Use these as a pattern, not a template to copy verbatim.
- Managed a caseload of 30+ active litigation files, coordinating discovery and deposition scheduling with zero missed deadlines.
- Conducted legal research supporting 12 motions filed over one year, cited directly in 4 successful summary judgment rulings.
- Coordinated e-discovery for a multi-party commercial litigation matter involving 50,000+ documents.
- Drafted and reviewed contracts and corporate filings for a portfolio of 20 small-business clients.
Common paralegal resume mistakes
- Not specifying practice area (litigation, corporate, family, IP), since law-firm ATS filters and hiring attorneys screen on this first.
- Omitting caseload volume or document scale, which signals the complexity level actually handled.
- Missing specific legal software names (Westlaw, LexisNexis, Relativity), a common ATS keyword filter for this role.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a paralegal certificate to be competitive?
It strengthens candidacy and is required by some firms, but relevant experience and practice-area-specific skills often matter more. List certification prominently if held, and lead with practice area and caseload evidence either way.
How specific should I be about practice area?
Very specific: name it directly in your summary and throughout (e.g., "commercial litigation paralegal" vs. generic "paralegal"), since firms typically hire for a specific practice group and screen accordingly.