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Defense attorney skills for your resume and career

Updated January 8, 2025
3 min read
Quoted experts
James Tomaszewski,
James Tomaszewski
Below we've compiled a list of the most critical defense attorney skills. We ranked the top skills for defense attorneys based on the percentage of resumes they appeared on. For example, 23.2% of defense attorney resumes contained litigation as a skill. Continue reading to find out what skills a defense attorney needs to be successful in the workplace.

15 defense attorney skills for your resume and career

1. Litigation

Here's how defense attorneys use litigation:
  • Provided legal representation covering all facets of insurance litigation, including extensive fraud and exaggerated claims.
  • Represented buyers at real estate closings and in subsequent litigation as property owners

2. Insurance Defense

Here's how defense attorneys use insurance defense:
  • Specialized in trucking insurance defense.
  • Manage large case-load Employment and Insurance Defense matters ranging from $100K - $50MM in controversy.

3. Law Firm

Here's how defense attorneys use law firm:
  • Manage all business operations of the law firm including bookkeeping and marketing.
  • Partner with other law firms to provide the most beneficial, impactful and favorable results of new and existing clients.

4. Legal Issues

Here's how defense attorneys use legal issues:
  • Participate in client development and marketing, including drafting blog entries and articles regarding legal issues.
  • Researched legal issues draft and argue complex motions to suppress, dismiss, and vacate.

5. Legal Research

Here's how defense attorneys use legal research:
  • Conduct extensive discovery investigations and legal research.
  • Conducted legal research as necessary.

6. Civil Litigation

Civil litigation is a legal process that is followed when a non-criminal legal dispute occurs between two parties. Such a legal process does not involve any criminal charges or penalties. The plaintiffs in such cases only seek compensation for the damages done by the defendants.

Here's how defense attorneys use civil litigation:
  • Conducted and drafted settlement negotiations for civil litigation matters, offered credit counseling, loan modification and short sale assistance.
  • Practice included products liability, premises liability, motor vehicle, construction defect and other general civil litigation.

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7. Federal Courts

Federal courts refer to designated law system units mandated to rule cases that involve the constitution, the federal laws, cases entailing bankruptcy, the general conduct of the ambassadors and public ministers in treaties, and crimes that involve different states.

Here's how defense attorneys use federal courts:
  • Advised, counseled and advocated for clients facing allegations before the municipal, state and federal courts of South Carolina.
  • Filed and handled declaratory judgment actions in both state and federal courts; represented clients in arbitration and mediation proceedings.

8. Arbitration

Here's how defense attorneys use arbitration:
  • Excelled at client relations, court advocacy, arbitration, counseling, and composing demurrers and motions for summary judgment.
  • Secured three arbitration defense verdicts and several summary judgment dismissals of physician and health care provider clients.

9. Oral Arguments

Here's how defense attorneys use oral arguments:
  • Investigated cases, prepared oral arguments and represented defendants on appeal
  • Presented oral argument before ALJ's at San Francisco, Santa Clara, Walnut Creek, Stockton and Santa Rosa Boards.

10. Trial Preparation

Trial preparation is the practice of gathering sufficient raw material for a court case. This preparation is done to make the bases of a case stronger by bringing the facts to light in a way that will give the concerned law bodies a better comprehension of the entire scenario. The method for preparing for a case may differ depending upon its nature.

Here's how defense attorneys use trial preparation:
  • Identify defenses and conduct investigations for plea negotiations and trial preparation.
  • Well versed in all aspects of Tennessee criminal law and procedure, trial preparation, file management, and client management.

11. Motion Practice

Here's how defense attorneys use motion practice:
  • Work included motion practice, pre-trial hearings and trials.
  • Experience includes extensive motion practice including receivership applications, discovery and motions to dispose of lender liability defenses.

12. Legal Representation

Here's how defense attorneys use legal representation:
  • Provide legal representation for the indigent in criminal procedures.
  • Provided legal representation for clients.

13. Mediation

Here's how defense attorneys use mediation:
  • Provided presentation and legal defense of insured persons in personal injury actions through mediation and/or trial.
  • Represented defendants in the mediation and conciliation process.

14. Court Appearances

Here's how defense attorneys use court appearances:
  • Attend court appearances, including Mandatory Settlement Conferences, Status Conferences, Lien Conferences, and trials.
  • Perform reminder calls to clients for a timely court appearance.

15. Court Hearings

Here's how defense attorneys use court hearings:
  • Draft and finalize correspondence, pleadings, prepare file and attorney for court hearings and trial.
  • Monitored and maintained daily log of attorneys' scheduled court hearings and depositions.
top-skills

What skills help Defense Attorneys find jobs?

Tell us what job you are looking for, we’ll show you what skills employers want.

What hard/technical skills are most important for defense attorneys?

James Tomaszewski

Director of the Center for Professional Development, University of Cincinnati

Excellent writing skills.

What skills stand out on defense attorney resumes?

James Tomaszewski

Director of the Center for Professional Development, University of Cincinnati

Demonstrated commitment to a particular practice area, especially experiential learning opportunities such as externships and clinics.

What soft skills should all defense attorneys possess?

James Tomaszewski

Director of the Center for Professional Development, University of Cincinnati

Engagement, Resilience, Responsiveness, Respectfulness, Integrity.

What defense attorney skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?

Hanna Royce

Assistant Dean of Career Services, University of New Hampshire Franklin Pierce School of Law

The key to success is to add new and relevant legal experience to their resume. If graduates are not taking on full-time roles, this could mean completing document review or project work on a contract basis.
Do you want to know more?
Read more about what experts have to say about defense attorney

List of defense attorney skills to add to your resume

Defense attorney skills

The most important skills for a defense attorney resume and required skills for a defense attorney to have include:

  • Litigation
  • Insurance Defense
  • Law Firm
  • Legal Issues
  • Legal Research
  • Civil Litigation
  • Federal Courts
  • Arbitration
  • Oral Arguments
  • Trial Preparation
  • Motion Practice
  • Legal Representation
  • Mediation
  • Court Appearances
  • Court Hearings
  • Appeals
  • Defense Counsel
  • Family Law
  • Legal Briefs
  • Criminal Law
  • Premises Liability
  • Felony Cases
  • Law Enforcement
  • Settlement Conferences
  • Summary Judgment
  • Plaintiff
  • District Court
  • Administrative Hearings
  • Sexual Assault
  • Commercial Litigation
  • Subpoenas
  • Bench Trials
  • Child Support
  • Criminal Proceedings
  • State Courts
  • Cross-Examination
  • Client Interviews
  • DUI
  • Pre-Trial Motions
  • Criminal Defendants
  • In-House
  • Domestic Violence
  • Products Liability
  • Motion Hearings
  • Court Proceedings
  • Interrogatories
  • Civil Cases
  • Non-Jury Trials
  • Indigent Clients
  • Client Intake

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

Updated January 8, 2025

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