ATS keywords for a solicitor resume
Many employers keep applications in an Applicant Tracking System (ATS), where recruiters search and sort them by the skills the role needs. Use these terms where they honestly describe your experience, so your resume is easy to find and easy to read:
Key skills to highlight
- ▸Advising clients and drafting documents
- ▸Running matters across your practice area
- ▸Legal research and analysis
- ▸Negotiation and dispute resolution
- ▸Managing files and deadlines
Credentials Australian employers screen for
- ▸Admission to the Supreme Court and a current practising certificate
- ▸LLB or JD plus Practical Legal Training (PLT)
- ▸Areas of law and relevant CPD
- ▸Right to work in Australia
Common mistakes to avoid
- ▸Not stating admission and practising certificate status.
- ▸Listing duties instead of matters run and outcomes achieved.
- ▸Omitting the practice area the role focuses on.
- ▸A generic resume rather than tailoring to the firm and area.
Solicitor CV example: before and after
One experience entry, written twice. The numbers are illustrative, the structure is what matters.
Before
Solicitor, 2020 to present. Act for clients on a range of legal matters. Provide advice, draft documents, conduct legal research and attend court as required. Manage files, meet deadlines and liaise with clients and other parties.
It never states admission or the practising certificate, which is the first thing firms filter on, and it never names a practice area, so the recruitment software cannot match the ad's commercial litigation terms and the partner reading it cannot tell what matters this solicitor has actually run.
After
Solicitor | Admitted to the Supreme Court of New South Wales, 2019 | Law Society of NSW practising certificate no. XXXXXX (current, unrestricted employee)
Mid tier commercial law firm, commercial litigation and dispute resolution group | March 2020 to present | Full time
- ▸Carry an active file load of 35 to 45 commercial law matters, running contractual disputes, debt recovery and shareholder disputes from instructions through to resolution under partner supervision.
- ▸Drafting and advice across pleadings, affidavits, deeds of settlement and written advices, including the due diligence report on a share sale valued at approximately $18M.
- ▸Appear on interlocutory applications and directions hearings in the Local and District Courts, and brief and instruct counsel on matters listed in the Supreme Court.
- ▸Resolved 14 matters at mediation or informal settlement conference over the past two years, with settlement outcomes documented and enforced through binding terms.
- ▸Matter management and client management through the firm's practice management system, with limitation dates, costs disclosure and trust correspondence maintained to the firm's file audit standard, plus 10 CPD units completed each practising year.
Same practice, sharper page. The rewrite puts admission and the practising certificate in the job title line, then replaces the duty list with a file load, named matter types, a deal value and settlement outcomes, so the screener matches on practice area and the partner sees the level of responsibility.
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Frequently asked questions
Should I state my admission and practising certificate?
Yes. Firms screen on admission and a current practising certificate, so state both near the top, with your year of admission.
How do I show legal experience on a resume?
Name your practice areas and describe representative matters, your role, the complexity and the outcome, rather than a generic list of tasks.
How do graduate lawyers write a resume?
Lead with your admission status (or expected admission), PLT, clerkships and any practical experience, plus your areas of interest.
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