Contract attorney resume examples from 2025
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How to write a contract attorney resume
Craft a resume summary statement
A resume summary is your opening statement that highlights your strongest skills and top accomplishments. It is your chance to quickly let recruiters know who you are professionally - and why they should hire you for the contract attorney role.
Step 1: Mention your current job title or the role you're pursuing.
Step 2: Include your years of experience in contract attorney-related roles. Consider adding relevant company and industry experience as relevant to the job listing.
Step 3: Highlight your greatest accomplishments. Here is your chance to make sure your biggest wins aren't buried in your resume.
Step 4: Again, keep it short. Your goal is to summarize your experience and highlight your accomplishments, not write a paragraph.
Hiring managers spend under a minute reviewing resumes on average. This means your summary needs to demonstrate your value quickly and show why you are the perfect fit for the contract attorney position.Please upload your resume so Zippia’s job hunt AI can draft a summary statement for you.
List the right project manager skills
Your Skills section is an easy way to let recruiters know you have the skills to do the job. Just as importantly, it can help your resume not get filtered out by hiring software. Here is how to make the most of your skills section and make sure you have the right keywords:
- You often need to include the exact keywords from the job description in your resume. Look at the job listing and consider which of the listed skills you have experience with, along with related skills.
- Include as many relevant hard skills and soft skills as possible from the listing.
- Use the most up to date and accurate terms. Don't forget to be specific.
Here are example skills to include in your “Area of Expertise” on a contract attorney resume:
- Litigation
- E-Discovery
- Legal Research
- Legal Issues
- Real Estate
- Intellectual Property
- Legal Advice
- Due Diligence
- Privilege Logs
- Juris
- QC
- Product Liability
- Attorney-Client Privilege
- Law Firm
- Class Action Lawsuit
- Cost Accounting Standards
- Patent Infringement
- Civil Litigation
- Subpoenas
- FCPA
- HIPAA
- Concordance
- Electronic Discovery
- Arbitration
- Complex Litigation
- Legal Memoranda
- Trial Preparation
- Legal Analysis
- Commercial Litigation
- Litigation Support
Zippia’s AI can customize your resume for you.
How to structure your work experience
Your work experience should be structured:
- With your most recent roles first, followed by earlier roles in reverse chronological order.
- Job title, along with company name and location on the left.
- Put the corresponding dates of employment on the left side.
- Keep only relevant jobs on your work experience.
How to write contract attorney experience bullet points
Your resume is not a list of responsibilities or a job description. Instead, it is your chance to show your accomplishments and show why you're good at what you do.
- Use the What, How, and Why format. Answering these questions turns a bland job description into an effective showcase of your abilities.
- What were your responsibilities or goals?
- How did you accomplish them?
- Why were your results important? (How did it impact your company? Can you quantify the results in numbers? )
Here are great bullet points from contract attorney resumes:
Work history example #1
General Counsel
Department of Homeland Security
- Assisted the OCC senior management analyst in coordinating executive management functions including planning the first OCC off-site conference.
- Provided litigation guidance, assistance and support to assistant chief counsels throughout the nation.
- Served as first chair in hearings, mediations, arbitrations, depositions, and all litigation matters before administrative judges.
- Briefed +800 service members and civilians on military law, federal regulations, law of war, and government ethics.
- Scheduled all reenlistment counseling and advised the Commander on soldiers eligible for reenlistment and monthly retention goals.
Work history example #2
Contractor-Paralegal
Nationstar Mortgage
- Worked independently and interacted with both internal and outside senior counsel on specific corporate legal issues arising daily.
- Scheduled and prepared time-sensitive documentation in the foreclosure process from notification of default through sale of property.
- Assisted Corporate Secretary/Chief Corporate Governance Officer and two attorneys with drafting agreements, corporate filings, and maintaining department schedules.
- Reviewed pleadings and discovery prepared by outside counsel and verified accuracy and integrity of documents.
- Researched local authorities regarding service of process of subpoenas or exemptions regarding liens and garnishments.
Work history example #3
Junior Associate
CarMax
- Reviewed approved operational procedures, quarterly, to determine if further improvements are necessary.
- Initiated an interactive, all-day seminar and PowerPoint presentation for GM brand teams
- Assisted in the bankruptcy of large American automotive manufacturer.
- Maintained open communication with local Union officials for expedient address and/or resolution of mutual concerns.
- Counseled clients on immigration procedures, laws and upcoming court hearings and interviews.
Work history example #4
Judge
Harris County
- Responded to inquiries from committee members, attorneys, and the public about the D.C. Bar and the Regulation Counsel.
- Ensured voters were at correct precinct voting location.
- Created and maintained a database of scheduled events and inventory of companies communication devices.
- Provided legal support for and assisted Office of Government Counsel in briefings with high-level Department of Defense personnel.
- Mentored and evaluated students in an annual competition of patient counseling abilities.
Zippia’s AI can customize your resume for you.
Add an education section to your resume
The education section should display your highest degree first.
Place your education section appropriately on your resume. If you graduated over 5 years ago, this section should be at the bottom of your resume. If you just graduated and lack relevant work experience, the education section should go to the top.
If you have a bachelor's or master's degree, do not list your high school education. If your graduation year is more than 15-20 years ago, it's better not to include dates in this section.
Here are some examples of good education entries from contract attorney resumes:
Doctoral Degree in law
Southwestern Law School, Los Angeles, CA
2006 - 2009
Doctoral Degree in law
Howard University, Washington, DC
2015 - 2018
Highlight your contract attorney certifications on your resume
If you have any additional certifications, add them to the certification section.
Start simple. Include the full name of the certification. It's also good to mention the organization that issued the certification. Next, specify when you obtained the certification.
If you have any of these certifications, be sure to include them on your contract attorney resume:
- Certified International Trade Law Specialist (CITLS)
- Certified Legal Secretary Specialist: Intellectual Property (CL§)
- Estate Planning Law Specialist
- Project Management Professional (PMP)