Resume guide · Updated October 2026
Paralegal Resume Example and Writing Guide
Short answer
A paralegal resume should name your practice area (litigation, corporate, real estate, family), the work you own, such as drafting discovery, preparing exhibits, e-filing and calendaring deadlines, and the caseload you carry. List your paralegal certificate or degree, any NALA or NFPA credential, and the software you use, such as Westlaw, Relativity and Clio.
| Median pay (May 2025) | $62,890 per year ($30.24 per hour) |
|---|---|
| Typical entry-level education | Associate's degree |
| Job outlook, 2025-35 | 0% (Little or no change) |
| Number of jobs | 404,900 |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook: Paralegals and Legal Assistants, checked 27 October 2026.
Paralegal resume example
Below is a full paralegal resume for Megan Albright, a fictional litigation Paralegal in Philadelphia, PA. Keep the section order, then replace each line with your own work and results.
Megan Albright, CP
Litigation Paralegal
Philadelphia, PA · megan.albright@example.com · (555) 015-9037 · linkedin.com/in/meganalbright
Summary
Litigation paralegal with 8 years in commercial and employment litigation, now at a 60-attorney firm. Supports 4 attorneys on 30 to 35 active matters from complaint through trial, drafts discovery for attorney review, manages document productions in Relativity and e-files in federal and state courts. NALA Certified Paralegal.
Experience
Senior Litigation Paralegal, Whitfield & Crane LLP
Sep 2021 to present
Philadelphia, PA
- Support 4 attorneys on 30 to 35 active commercial and employment matters in federal and state court.
- Draft discovery responses, deposition notices, subpoenas and privilege logs for attorney review.
- Managed review and production of 180,000 documents in Relativity for a breach-of-contract case, working with the e-discovery vendor on search terms and Bates numbering.
- Prepared trial binders, exhibit lists and witness kits for 3 trials and ran exhibits in TrialDirector during a 9-day jury trial.
Paralegal, Carver Hughes Law Group
Jun 2018 to Aug 2021
Cherry Hill, NJ
- Calendared court and statutory deadlines for 3 attorneys in Clio with a second-person check; no missed deadlines in 3 years.
- Summarized 60+ deposition transcripts and sets of medical records for personal injury matters.
- E-filed pleadings and motions through PACER/CM-ECF and the state court e-filing system.
Legal Assistant, Ortega Family Law
Jan 2017 to May 2018
Camden, NJ
- Scheduled consultations and court dates for 2 attorneys handling about 70 divorce and custody matters.
- Prepared financial disclosure statements and drafted routine client correspondence for attorney signature.
- Organized client files and tracked retainer balances in the billing system.
Professional development
- Relativity review training, 2024
- Annual continuing legal education in litigation practice and ethics
Education
Paralegal Certificate (ABA-approved program), Schuylkill Valley Community College
2017
B.A. in Political Science, Eastbrook University
2016
Certifications
Certified Paralegal (CP), NALA
Skills
Discovery drafting · Document review and production · Deposition and trial preparation · Legal research and cite-checking · Docketing and calendaring · Relativity · Clio · Westlaw · PACER/CM-ECF · TrialDirector
Paralegal resume summary examples
3 paralegal summaries, one each for entry-level paralegal, corporate paralegal and senior real estate paralegal. Pick the closest and rewrite it with your own title, years and one real result.
Paralegal certificate graduate from an ABA-approved program with a 120-hour internship at a county public defender's office. Drafted discovery requests, summarized police reports and organized exhibits for 15 cases. Trained in Westlaw, Clio and federal e-filing.
Corporate paralegal with 6 years supporting M&A and entity management in an in-house legal department. Maintains 400 subsidiary entities in a compliance database, prepares closing checklists and signature packets, and files formation and annual report documents in 30 states.
Senior real estate paralegal with 12 years in commercial leasing and acquisitions. Coordinates title, survey and zoning review for closings up to $85M, prepares closing statements and manages post-closing recording. NFPA Registered Paralegal (RP).
Paralegal resume objective examples
Use an objective instead of a summary for recent graduate and legal secretary to paralegal situations: one or two sentences on what you bring and the paralegal job you want.
Recent paralegal studies graduate seeking an entry-level litigation paralegal position, bringing internship experience drafting discovery, training in Westlaw and Clio, and careful organization.
Legal secretary with 5 years at a mid-size firm, completing a paralegal certificate and seeking a paralegal role in employment litigation where docketing and document management experience carry over.
Paralegal resume bullet points
Bullets grouped by litigation support, document management and e-discovery, corporate and transactional and research, filings and deadlines. The numbers are illustrations; put in your own.
Litigation support
- Drafted interrogatories, requests for production and requests for admission for 20+ matters a year for attorney review.
- Coordinated 45 depositions, including court reporters, videographers, exhibit sets and transcript summaries.
- Built trial notebooks and an exhibit list for a two-week arbitration, tracking 600 exhibits and objections.
Document management and e-discovery
- Ran first-level review and privilege coding on 75,000 documents in Relativity.
- Bates-stamped and served 12 rolling productions on schedule under a court-ordered deadline.
- Built a matter chronology in CaseMap from 300 key documents for the trial team.
Corporate and transactional
- Maintained minute books and annual filings for 250 entities across 18 states.
- Prepared closing checklists and signature packets for 9 acquisitions and assembled closing sets.
- Ordered UCC searches and filed financing statements for a $40M credit facility.
Research, filings and deadlines
- Calendared every court and statutory deadline for 3 attorneys with a two-person check, with no missed deadlines in 4 years.
- E-filed 500+ documents a year in federal and state courts and served parties under the local rules.
- Cite-checked briefs in Westlaw and prepared tables of authorities in Bluebook format.
Skills for a paralegal resume
18 skills employers list in paralegal postings. Include the ones the posting asks for and that your bullets prove.
| Type | Skills |
|---|---|
| Hard skills | Legal research and cite-checking, Drafting pleadings and discovery, Document review and production, E-discovery, Deposition and trial preparation, Docketing and calendaring, Court e-filing, Medical records summaries, Entity management, Closing checklists, Bluebook citation, Privilege logs |
| Soft skills | Organization, Discretion, Written communication, Deadline management, Attention to detail, Teamwork with attorneys |
| Tools and software | Westlaw, Lexis+, Relativity, Everlaw, Clio, iManage, NetDocuments, CaseMap, TrialDirector, PACER/CM-ECF, Adobe Acrobat Pro |
Certifications for a paralegal resume
| Credential | Issued by | When it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Certified Paralegal (CP) | NALA, The Paralegal Association | Eligibility through a paralegal studies program, a bachelor's degree pathway or a paralegal experience pathway. Add "CP" after your name once you pass. |
| Advanced Certified Paralegal (ACP) | NALA, The Paralegal Association | A specialty credential for paralegals who already hold the CP. |
| CORE Registered Paralegal (CRP) | National Federation of Paralegal Associations (NFPA), through the PCCE exam | Aimed at early-career paralegals: 125 multiple-choice questions. |
| Registered Paralegal (RP) | National Federation of Paralegal Associations (NFPA), through the PACE exam | For experienced paralegals: 200 multiple-choice questions. NFPA credential holders complete 8 CLE credits every 2 years. |
How do you show your practice area on a paralegal resume?
Attorneys hire paralegals who already know the rhythm of their practice. Put the practice area in your headline ("Litigation Paralegal," "Corporate Paralegal") and make your first bullets match it. If you have worked in two areas, lead with the one the posting names.
Each practice has tasks only practitioners would list. Use the ones that fit your work:
- Litigation: discovery, privilege logs, depositions, exhibits, trial binders, e-filing
- Corporate: entity management, minute books, closing checklists, UCC filings, state annual reports
- Real estate: title and survey review, closing statements, lease abstracts, recording
- Family: financial disclosures, custody filings, client intake
- Immigration: petition packets, USCIS forms, supporting evidence binders
Do you need a paralegal certificate or certification for your resume?
They are different things. A certificate is an education program, often ABA-approved, that you list under Education. A certification is a credential you earn by passing an exam, such as NALA's Certified Paralegal or NFPA's Registered Paralegal, and it goes in a Certifications section or after your name.
The BLS notes that certification is not required, but some employers prefer or require candidates to have completed a paralegal certification program. If you hold a credential, put it in your summary as well, because firms often screen for it.
How do you write a paralegal resume with no experience?
List your paralegal program and the courses that match the job, such as civil litigation, legal research and writing or contracts. Give your internship bullets the same detail as a job: the office, the number of cases and the documents you drafted or organized.
Office experience at a law firm, court or government agency counts, even as a receptionist or file clerk, because it shows you know confidentiality and deadlines. Name the legal software you trained on in school.
What paralegal resume format and template should you use?
Use a clean, single-column, reverse-chronological resume in a standard font. Attorneys read it as a writing sample, so consistent formatting, correct capitalization of court names and zero typos matter as much as content.
One page is right for most paralegals with under 10 years of experience. Senior paralegals can use two pages with a short Representative Matters section, describing cases by type and size. Never name clients or include non-public details.
ATS keywords for a paralegal resume
Terms that show up in paralegal job postings. Mirror the exact wording of the posting you apply to, but only for work you have done.
- Paralegal
- litigation paralegal
- legal research
- discovery
- e-discovery
- document production
- trial preparation
- pleadings
- docketing
- calendaring
- e-filing
- Westlaw
- Relativity
- Clio
- case management
- Bluebook
- NALA
- Certified Paralegal
Mistakes to avoid on a paralegal resume
- Naming clients or matter details. Describe cases by type and size. Confidentiality is part of the job, and a breach on the resume ends the process.
- "Assisted attorneys" as a bullet. Every paralegal does. Name the documents you drafted, the productions you ran and the volume.
- Mixing up certificate and certification. A certificate is education; a certification is an exam credential. Put each in the right section.
- Language that sounds like practicing law. Paralegals do not represent clients or give legal advice. Write "drafted for attorney review" or "prepared for attorney signature."
- Typos and inconsistent formatting. Attorneys treat the resume as a writing sample.
Frequently asked questions
What should a paralegal resume include?
Your practice area, experience with the documents you draft and the caseload you support, your paralegal certificate or degree, any NALA or NFPA certification and the legal software you use, such as Westlaw, Relativity and Clio.
How do I write a paralegal resume with no experience?
Lead with your paralegal program and relevant courses, then internship bullets naming the office, number of cases and documents you prepared. Add any law office or court work and the legal software you trained on.
Should I list my paralegal certificate on my resume?
Yes. Put the certificate under Education with the school and year, and note if the program is ABA-approved. Put exam-based credentials like the CP or RP in a Certifications section.
What skills should a paralegal put on a resume?
Legal research, drafting pleadings and discovery, document review and production, e-discovery, trial preparation, docketing and e-filing, plus software such as Westlaw, Relativity, Clio and iManage. Add organization and discretion, shown through bullets.
How much do paralegals make?
The BLS reports a median pay of $62,890 per year ($30.24 per hour) for paralegals and legal assistants in May 2025. Pay varies by city, practice area and firm size.
Should a paralegal resume be one page or two?
One page for most paralegals with under 10 years of experience. Senior paralegals can use two pages if the second holds representative matters described without client names.
Related guides
Sources, checked 27 October 2026
We opened every page below on that date. Pay, rules and requirements change, so check the source before you rely on a detail.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Outlook Handbook: Paralegals and Legal Assistants (median pay, education, outlook, number of jobs, certification)
- NALA, The Paralegal Association: CP Eligibility Requirements (Certified Paralegal eligibility pathways)
- National Federation of Paralegal Associations: PACE and PCCE Information (RP and CRP credentials, exam length, CLE requirement)