Legal assistant CV example

Adding contact details to your legal assistant CV

The first important box to tick is to add your contact details. There’s nothing worse for a potential employer than to be engaged by your CV, but have no way to contact you. Because of this, it is vital that you add a clear set of contact details near the top of your document.

What’s the best way to do this? In short, you’ll need to make sure they are near the top of your document. You should aim to write them in a bolder or larger font. Remember that even though this step might seem obvious, it is something that some candidates forget – so it’s a good way to get you ahead of the competition!

When writing your contact details, always include:

• Full name – you can leave your middle name.
• Your location – so the employer knows where you are based.
• Phone number – if you can, choose a mobile number as this is more accessible to an employer. 
• Email address – always choose a work appropriate email address. 

Example of contact section for legal assistant CV

Legal assistant CV personal statement

When a recruiter reads your CV, your personal statement (also known as a personal summary) is the first section they’ll see. In just 2-3 lines, this paragraph needs to grab their attention and encourage them to read the rest of your legal assistant application.

You can think of this section as you introduce yourself to them. Imagine you’re at a job interview – first impressions matter! You’ll need to make a good first impression that makes them realise you are a serious candidate for the position of legal assistant. 

Your personal statement should include your current job situation, key attributes, and immediate career goals. If you have a legal degree or vocational course, make sure to write this here as well as in your education section (which comes at the end of your CV). Doing so will impress your recruiter from the off and convince them you’re a strong applicant for the role.

Begin with an opening sentence that introduces you to the reader. Give a short explanation of who you are as a candidate and your career focus. You can leave out any future career ambitions as these can be left for your cover letter. Keep the writing snappy and engaging – you want to hook your reader!

Your second sentence should give an example of something you have achieved. Since a legal assistant is often a junior position, you may want to use an academic achievement. For example, “achieved 1st class honours in my university degree”. Anything with a stat, figure or number will lend authority to your application.

Your third and/or fourth sentences are all about highlighting any skills or specialisms you possess. If you have previous experience working in a law firm, you should give an example of a skill you learned while on the job.

Here are some additional tips to ensure your personal statement is effective:

• Write in the third person, as this sounds more professional.
• Always check over your personal statement to ensure it is free from errors. 
• Use engaging language to capture the reader, for example, action verbs and positive adjectives.

Example of personal statement for a legal assistant CV

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Adding experience section to your legal assistant CV

The better your work experience section appears, the more chance you have of getting an interview. This is because, often, employers value this above all else. You’ll need to dedicate the most amount of space to this section and ensure that you show all of the important experience you have. This will let your employer know that you have the skills and knowledge for the position.

So, what’s the best way to show that you have the experience required? For a reverse-chronological CV, you should begin with your most recent or current role. Then, work backwards, defining each of the relevant positions you have held over the years. Make sure to outline all of the responsibilities you had in those positions – the more impressive the better! But be careful not to repeat any of them. Instead, be conservative with your words and make sure each builds upon what has come before. 

There are a few tips to keep in mind when crafting the language of this section. Always make sure that you respond to the job advertisement. Try to understand what they are looking for and respond with key words. You’ll also want to keep the tone consistently upbeat and professional. Use positive adjectives and action verbs to engage the reader. Positive adjectives are ways of describing yourself, while action verbs are anything that you can replace “responsible for” with – for example “liaised” or “assisted”.

Example of work experience for a legal assistant CV

Skills worth having on your legal assistant CV

The next important section for your CV’s content is a skills section. Why is it that lists of skills are so common on CVs? That’s because many employers will scan through your document to see if you have the necessary skills to be effective in the position. In short, skills are a quick way to tell them that you already have the required experience to do the job. 

Because of this, you will need to add up to 12 skills on your CV, split between hard and soft skills. So, what is the difference between these? Hard skills are anything you have learned through education, or through practical work experience. Soft skills are more like positive character traits that help to show the best of you as a candidate.

You’ll want to add a balance because an employer will be searching for a well-rounded candidate. As a legal assistant, you will need to have terrific office skills, but you will also need to be easy to work with and a good member of the wider legal team. This is why it’s best to strike a balance between both hard and soft skills.

Legal assistants need impeccable organisation and an eye for detail. Discover the other must-have skills for your legal assistant CV below.

Legal assistant CV education

The final section of your CV will be dedicated to your education background. As a legal assistant, the more you have to talk about in terms of academic achievement, the better. The idea is to show that you have the academic prowess to back up your listed skills and work experience. 

When writing the education section of your CV, you should include all relevant qualifications. This includes university courses and higher education, down to older qualifications you may possess such as A Levels, or GCSEs. it may also include any supplementary qualifications you have like professional certificates or affiliations to important regulatory bodies.

Always be concise with your education section. There isn’t any need to use too many words. Make sure that each qualification you add serves a purpose. For example, we would advise you to omit any unfinished courses or particularly bad grades. These won’t strengthen your application and may end up working against you.

Instead, focus first on any law-related qualifications. Say you have a bachelor’s degree in law. This would be the best thing to highlight near the top of your section, as it is often the first sign that you are suited for a legal career. 

When adding a comprehensive education section to your CV, remember to include the following:

• Name of the educational institution
• Start and end dates of your academic course
• Official title of your field of study
• Qualification level you attained
• Qualification outcome or result

Example of education for legal assistant CV