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Senior attorney resume examples from 2026

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Updated March 26, 2025
6 min read
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How to write a senior attorney resume

Craft a resume summary statement

A well-written resume summary is basically an elevator pitch. You are summing up your skills and experience in a few sentences to wow recruiters, hiring managers, and decision makers into giving you an interview. Here are some tips to putting your best foot first with your resume summary:

Step 1: Start with your current job title, or the one you aspire to. Are you a passionate manager? A skilled analyst? It's a good starting point.

Step 2: Next put your years of experience in senior attorney-related roles.

Step 3: Now is the time to put your biggest accomplishment or something you are professionally proud of.

Step 4: Read over what you have written. It should be 2-4 sentences. Your goal is to summarize your experience, not recite your resume.

These tips will help you demonstrate why you are the perfect fit for the senior attorney position.

Please upload your resume so Zippia’s job hunt AI can draft a summary statement for you.

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List the right project manager skills

Many resumes are filtered out by hiring software before a human eye ever sees them. A robust Skills section can let recruiters (and bots) know you have the skills to do the job. Here is how to make the most of your skills section:

  1. Start with the job listing. Frequently, the keywords looked for by recruiters will be listed. Be careful to include all skills in the job listing you have experience with.
  2. Consider all the software and tools you use on a daily basis. When in doubt, list them!
  3. Make sure you use accurate and up to date terms for all the skills listed.
These five steps should give you a strong elevator pitch and land you some senior attorney interviews.

Here are example skills to include in your “Area of Expertise” on a senior attorney resume:

  • Litigation
  • Law Firm
  • Legal Advice
  • Juris
  • Legal Research
  • Legal Support
  • Legal Services
  • Intellectual Property
  • Legal Issues
  • EEO
  • Internal Clients
  • Excellent Interpersonal
  • Risk Management
  • Regulatory Compliance
  • Securities
  • Human Resources
  • Appeals
  • Due Diligence
  • Employment Law
  • Subpoenas
  • Legal Opinions
  • Non-Disclosure Agreements
  • Social Security
  • HIPAA
  • Trial Preparation
  • Administrative Hearings
  • Financial Institutions
  • Business Development
  • Corporate Governance
  • ERISA

Zippia’s AI can customize your resume for you.

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How to structure your work experience

Your work experience should be structured:

  1. With your most recent roles first, followed by earlier roles in reverse chronological order.
  2. Job title, along with company name and location on the left.
  3. Put the corresponding dates of employment on the left side.
  4. Keep only relevant jobs on your work experience.

How to write senior attorney experience bullet points

Effective job bullet points do more than just describe your job duties. Instead, they should be specific and measurable accomplishments. Here are some strategies to mastering job bullet points:

  • Use strong action verbs like Led, Built, or Optimized.
  • Follow up with numbers when possible to support your results. How much did performance improve? How much revenue did you drive?
  • Wrap it up by explaining the actions you took to achieve the result and how you made an impact.

Here are examples from great senior attorney resumes:

Work history example #1

Law Professor (Part-Time)

Federal Trade Commission

  • Drafted civil investigative demands and subpoenas.
  • Gained proficiency in Microsoft Excel and Word, OneNote, Outlook, and Powerpoint.
  • Obtained a one year Cancer Council Fellowship to enable publication of PhD work.
  • Conducted initial client interviews and maintained correspondence with clients and opposing counsel.
  • Prevailed on first independently written motion for summary judgment.

Work history example #2

Law Clerk

The Weitz Company

  • Managed outside litigation counsel and coordinated litigation preparation for 7 to 10 cases annually.
  • Handled court appearances in Chapter 13 Bankruptcy matters and made appearances for 341(a) meeting of creditor's actions.
  • Advised numerous clients on the formation of LLC's and drafted their business operating contracts.
  • Represented homeowners in foreclosure proceedings and drafted and prepared motions to impede such proceedings.
  • Conducted presentations to BP clients and outside counsel regarding environmental property status.

Work history example #3

Associate Attorney

Schulte Roth & Zabel

  • Provided structuring and SEC regulatory counseling to parties to international capital markets transactions.
  • Counseled employers and conducted training regarding compliance with employment and labor-related state and federal laws.
  • Represented plaintiffs in complex civil and class action litigation cases.
  • Presented to firm's National Tax Group within first month of employment.
  • Conducted a detailed review of criminal subpoenas and client correspondences to identify possible money laundering.

Work history example #4

Guardian Ad Litem

Westwood College

  • Provided academic counseling to new students during Summer registration period.
  • Retained as court expert relating to adult/children's welfare issues (Guardian Ad Litem).
  • Coached first and second semester students in research writing.
  • Incorporated online coursework collaboration for completing course assignments.
  • Developed online education curriculum for WEBCT and Blackboard templates.

Zippia’s AI can customize your resume for you.

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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 senior attorney resumes:

Doctoral Degree in law

Howard University, Washington, DC

2010 - 2013

Doctoral Degree in law

American University, Washington, DC

2009 - 2012

Highlight your senior attorney certifications on your resume

Certifications are a great way to showcase special expertise or niche skills. Some jobs even require certifications to be hired.

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.