Law Clerk Resume—Examples, Job Description & Guide

You have solid law knowledge and can help top lawyers win their cases. Showcase your expertise with this job-winning law clerk resume example.

Dominika Kowalska, CPRW
Dominika Kowalska, CPRW
Certified Professional Resume Writer, Career Expert
Law Clerk Resume—Examples, Job Description & Guide

The time has come—you need to state your case. The HR department will judge and rule on your law clerk resume. That’s why it needs to be impeccable. 

Good thing you have an ace up your sleeve! 

In this article:

  • A law clerk resume sample that gets jobs.
  • How to ace your law clerk job description on a resume.
  • How to write a resume for a law clerk that gets the interview.
  • Expert tips and examples to boost your chances of landing a law clerk job.

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Looking for other positions? Check out our guides:

Law Clerk Resume Sample

Randy Hagood

Law Clerk

874-963-2876

randy.hagood@reslabmail.com

linkedin.com/in/1randy.hagood

Motivated law clerk with 5 years of experience. Eager to support Dylan, Shop & McKenzie in providing legal research and compiling case materials. At Welsh&Shepherrd researched 150+ cases and assisted during the biggest case regarding tax crime in Florida. 

Experience

Law Clerk

Welsh&Shepherd, Fort Lauderdale, FL

June 2017–July 2022

Key Qualifications & Responsibilities

  • Reviewed, studied, and researched laws, court decisions documents, opinions, briefs, and related legal authorities
  • Prepared legal memoranda, statements of issues involved, and proposed orders, including suggestions for lawyers
  • Attended oral arguments and daily court calendars
  • Prepared and summarized case files before hearings and monitored cases under advisement

Key Achievement: 

  • Part of the team that worked on the Tax Return Case—the biggest case regarding tax crime in Florida

Law Clerk

The Milestone Group, Manchester, NH

January 2017–May 2017

Key Qualifications & Responsibilities

  • Assisted litigation attorneys with legal research and writing projects and assignments
  • Researched legal issues with a focus on insurance coverage
  • Drafted legal documents, including memoranda, briefs, etc., focusing on insurance coverage
  • Reported legal research findings to assist Litigation Attorneys and outside counsel in providing coverage advice to claims analysts and in managing pending insurance coverage litigation

Education

B.Sc. in Legal Studies

Abraham Lincoln University, Los Angeles

2012–2016

Skills

  • Online research tools
  • Communication skills
  • Organizational skills
  • Professional judgment skills
  • Detail-oriented
  • Self-starter
  • Customer service
  • General law
  • Tax law
  • Family law

Awards

  • Best Oral Advocate, National Moot Court Competition, 2016

Memberships

Member of the Florida Bar since 2017

Languages

  • Spanish—Fluent
  • German—Intermediate

Law clerks are the backbone of every law firm or court. They prepare legal documents, conduct legal research and analysis, and compile case materials. The purpose of your law clerk resume is to show you have the legal expertise and organizational skills needed for the job. 

Here’s how to write a law clerk resume:

1. Start With the Right Law Clerk Resume Format

A good court argument has an introduction, main points, and a summary. This structure is easy to follow and lets you logically present the arguments. The same rule holds for a law clerk's resume. How to structure your resume correctly?

Law Clerk Resume Format

One more important thing—save your resume as a PDF file. This will make sure it looks the same on every device and make your application ATS-friendly. The only exception is when the job ad specifically asks for a different format (most commonly .docx—a Word document). 

2. Write a Catchy Law Clerk Resume Objective or Summary

You’re used to summarizing pages and pages of text into one digestible message, so this will be the easy part for you! 

To introduce your experience and catch the reader’s attention, you need to include a resume profile section—a short paragraph at the top of your resume giving the recruiter a quick overview of your application. 

If you already have some experience, write a resume summary that condenses your best achievements into an impactful paragraph. Use this formula:

  1. Anadjective (diligent, passionate, detail-oriented)
  2. Job title (Law Clerk)
  3. Years of experience (1+, 2+)
  4. What you have to offer (conduct extensive legal research)
  5. Your most impressive 2–3 achievements (legal expertise helped litigation lawyers win over 95% of their cases)

Check out the law clerk resume up top to see an example of a resume summary written according to this formula. 

If you’re writing an entry-level resume and have no work experience to boast of just yet, write a resume objective statement instead. Use the same formula, but focus on your transferable skills from other experience and achievements from school, internships, placements, shadowing, or volunteering. Make sure to show how motivated and enthusiastic you are, too! 

Expert Hint: One of the qualities many legal employers look for is appreciation of the opportunity to work with a specific firm. Make sure you mention the firm to which you’re applying by name in your profile. This shows you care about working with them specifically, not just with anyone.

3. Add Specific Law Clerk Job Description and Skills Sections

The work experience section, is just for showing employers where you worked before, right? Wrong. 

It’s for convincing the recruiter you’re the perfect candidate for this position and that your experience matches their requirements perfectly. And you’ll achieve that by targeting your resume to the job ad, like this:

How to write a job description for a law clerk:

  1. Read the job ad. 
  2. Highlight the resume keywords—skills, and requirements listed in the ad. 
  3. Think about examples where you showcased those skills. 
  4. List your top professional achievements using bullet points; use numbers and action words where possible.

What else can you do to distinguish your law clerk resume? Include a tailored skills section! Choose 5–10 of your most relevant skills that are mentioned or hinted at in the job ad. Here’s a list to get you started: 

Law Clerk Resume Skills

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4. Turn Boring Education into a Reason to Hire You

The education section is a no-brainer. As a law clerk, you must state your degree on your resume. If you’re still studying, as is likely the case, here’s what to include in your education section, in order: 

  • The details of your in-progress education: the degree, the name of the institution, and your projected graduation date
  • The details of your completed education, like your high school diploma or your previous college degree

If you’ve completed your education for now, limit yourself to the highest completed degree. Also, in the absence of much professional experience, you can beef up your education section to show more of your skills and potential. 

Add bullet points with anything that makes you stand out: extracurricular activities, relevant coursework, projects, academic achievements, and your GPA (but only if it’s 3.7 or higher). 

5. Include Extra Sections on Your Law Clerk Resume

To showcase your human side, add extra sections, for example:

How can you add a bit of extra information and state your case? Write a cover letter to go with their resume. Many recruiters expect to get to know the candidate better before deciding who to invite for an interview. A cover letter will do the trick.

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Key Points

For a law clerk resume that lands the job:

  • Use the right format to highlight your strengths and make your application easy to navigate. 
  • Write a compelling resume summary or objective to get the hiring manager hooked. 
  • List your proudest achievements from previous jobs. 
  • Add a list of the most relevant skills your potential employer is looking for. 
  • Attach a cover letter to your resume to showcase your skills and achievements and make a case for your candidature. 

Do you have any questions about how to write a law clerk resume? Or do you have any insider tips and tricks? Leave a comment below. We’d love to chat!

About ResumeLab’s Editorial Process

At ResumeLab, quality is at the crux of our values, supporting our commitment to delivering top-notch career resources. The editorial team of career experts carefully reviews every article in accordance with editorial guidelines, ensuring the high quality and reliability of our content. We actively conduct original research, shedding light on the job market's intricacies and earning recognition from numerous influential news outlets. Our dedication to delivering expert career advice attracts millions of readers to our blog each year.

Dominika Kowalska, CPRW

Dominika is a job expert with a focus on career development and onboarding processes. At ResumeLab, she co-manages our team of career experts.

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