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Solo practitioner skills for your resume and career

Updated January 8, 2025
3 min read
Quoted experts
Leslie Garfield Tenzer,
Leslie Garfield Tenzer
Below we've compiled a list of the most critical solo practitioner skills. We ranked the top skills for solo practitioners based on the percentage of resumes they appeared on. For example, 18.1% of solo practitioner resumes contained litigation as a skill. Continue reading to find out what skills a solo practitioner needs to be successful in the workplace.

15 solo practitioner skills for your resume and career

1. Litigation

Here's how solo practitioners use litigation:
  • Handled all aspects of litigation including hearings on temporary orders, restraining order proceedings, pretrial discovery including depositions and trial.
  • General litigation law firm serving Northeast Oklahoma counties emphasizing criminal defense but including family, estate planning and personal injury cases.

2. Real Estate Transactions

Here's how solo practitioners use real estate transactions:
  • Closed on approximately 3,000 commercial and residential real estate transactions and litigated related issues.
  • Featured speaker to real estate professionals on issues surrounding residential real estate transactions.

3. Probate

Here's how solo practitioners use probate:
  • Probate: Prepare and file Petitions for Summary Administration and associated documentation.
  • Retained as counsel for executor/executrix in probate matter.

4. Legal Research

Here's how solo practitioners use legal research:
  • Provided freelance legal research and document preparation services to solo practitioners.
  • Perform law library legal research in above-mentioned practice areas.

5. Bench Trials

Here's how solo practitioners use bench trials:
  • Conducted jury and bench trials in criminal, civil and family courts.
  • Conducted bond hearings, motions to suppress, and bench trials.

6. Criminal Defense

Here's how solo practitioners use criminal defense:
  • Specialized in criminal defense and appellate advocacy.
  • Handle all aspects of criminal defense including bail hearings, investigations, pretrial motions, suppression hearings, and jury trials.

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7. Law Firm

Here's how solo practitioners use law firm:
  • Assist Ahmed Law Firm on advising a Health Technology company on minority-majority shareholder and investment issues.
  • Managed and coordinated all administrative aspects of law firm office operation and marketing.

8. Criminal Law

Here's how solo practitioners use criminal law:
  • Traffic and minor criminal law representation.
  • Created and executed a business plan for a solo practice providing family law, criminal law, and other legal services.

9. Child Support

Here's how solo practitioners use child support:
  • Draft matrimonial pleadings and negotiate terms and conditions of the divorce decree including but not limited to spousal and child support.
  • Researched, drafted memos and represented clients in family law cases: divorce, custody, spousal and child support.

10. Business Transactions

Here's how solo practitioners use business transactions:
  • Advised Clients on wills and business transactions.
  • Negotiated numerous telecommunications business transactions in the US and abroad for sales of communication networks, software licensing and business alliances.

11. Legal Issues

Here's how solo practitioners use legal issues:
  • Handle a variety of legal issues to include intellectual property, negotiations, contract disputes, non-disclosure agreements and document drafting.
  • Full responsibility for all business development and servicing of clients with a variety of business and personal legal issues.

12. Domestic Relations

Here's how solo practitioners use domestic relations:
  • Represented clients in matters of corporate formation, contracts and domestic relations.
  • Assist individuals during all phases of their domestic relations matter from initial consultation through pre-trial preparation.

13. Social Security

Social security is a federal government program that offers benefits to those registered under it when they are retired or can't work because of some sort of disabilities.

Here's how solo practitioners use social security:
  • Created and executed a business plan for a solo practice providing Social Security disability and Supplemental Security Income legal services.
  • Developed a practice of representing clients in social security disability appeals.

14. Intellectual Property

Intellectual properties refer to individuals' intangible or non-physical wealth, which results from their imaginations and intellect.

Here's how solo practitioners use intellectual property:
  • Negotiate intellectual property rights and draft trademark licensing agreements on behalf of public figures.
  • Drafted and negotiated numerous intellectual property licenses and agreements.

15. 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 solo practitioners use federal courts:
  • Represent civil cases in medical malpractice and the Civil Rights fields in the State, Administrative and Federal Courts.
  • Experienced trial attorney, in both state and federal courts, in both jury and non-jury trials.
top-skills

What skills help Solo Practitioners find jobs?

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

What skills stand out on solo practitioner resumes?

Leslie Garfield Tenzer

Professor of Law, Luk-Cummings Family Faculty Scholar, Pace University

Research and writing. I would encourage every student eligible to participate in their school's law review or law journals. Participation communicates to employers that you are committed to taking on extra work and demonstrates that you have developed your legal research and writing skills beyond the core curriculum.

What soft skills should all solo practitioners possess?

Leslie Garfield Tenzer

Professor of Law, Luk-Cummings Family Faculty Scholar, Pace University

Eye contact, clarity of expression, willingness to work hard, ability to accept criticism, and strong networking skills.

What hard/technical skills are most important for solo practitioners?

Leslie Garfield Tenzer

Professor of Law, Luk-Cummings Family Faculty Scholar, Pace University

Legal research, editing skills, and most importantly, an ability to analyze the law.

What solo practitioner 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.

What type of skills will young solo practitioners need?

Michele DeStefanoMichele DeStefano LinkedIn profile

Professor of Law, University of Miami and Affiliated Faculty, Harvard Law School Executive Education

The top four skills that students need when they enter the workforce in the coming years are 1) creativity 2) business acumen 3) change inspiration (the ability to inspire and lead change efforts which include a whole host of skills like communication, marketing, persuasion, open-mindedness, etc.); and 4) digital transformation skills (understanding what is digital transformation and how to help enable it).
Do you want to know more?
Read more about what experts have to say about solo practitioner

List of solo practitioner skills to add to your resume

Solo practitioner skills

The most important skills for a solo practitioner resume and required skills for a solo practitioner to have include:

  • Litigation
  • Real Estate Transactions
  • Probate
  • Legal Research
  • Bench Trials
  • Criminal Defense
  • Law Firm
  • Criminal Law
  • Child Support
  • Business Transactions
  • Legal Issues
  • Domestic Relations
  • Social Security
  • Intellectual Property
  • Federal Courts
  • Employment Law
  • Legal Services
  • Private Practice
  • Legal Practice
  • Commercial Litigation
  • Criminal Cases
  • Court Appearances
  • Arbitration
  • Settlement Agreements
  • Jury Trials
  • Solo Practice
  • District Court
  • Interrogatories
  • Administrative Law
  • Contract Disputes
  • Child Custody
  • Legal Advice
  • Contract Law
  • DUI
  • Domestic Violence
  • Client Intake
  • Civil Cases
  • Immigration Law
  • Family Court
  • Business Formation
  • Real Estate Closings
  • Employment Contracts
  • Labor Law
  • Business Law
  • Administrative Hearings
  • Legal Memoranda
  • Litem
  • Motion Practice
  • Pro Bono
  • Trial Preparation

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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