Whether you are a Lawyer or a Paralegal, your profession carries an enormous degree of responsibility, together with the prerequisite to deal with complex situations. As you’re no doubt aware, writing CVs for the legal profession requires a solid command of the English language, coupled with knowledge of what is expected in legal recruitment within a highly-competitive and challenging sector.

As with any other CV, you should spend time creating a document that sets a positive, progressive tone and is explicitly informative and relevant to your area of expertise. In addition, you’ll want to ensure you effectively demonstrate the areas you specialise in, together with evidence of client interaction, commercial awareness and knowledge of new legislative policies (where applicable).

Objective decision making and strong communication skills are essential for the legal profession. In your CV it is imperative that you are able to write and speak clearly, confidently and without ambiguity. In addition, you should show experience of building strong client and colleague relationships – demonstrating your proven interpersonal skills.

Your questions:

As a recent Law graduate, should I follow your guide on writing a graduate CV or would the rules be different for a law job?

Good question! With a graduate CV, the aim is to showcase your enthusiasm and availability, together with details of your qualifications. When writing a CV for a career in law, rather than concentrating so much on the future, more focus should be placed on actual experience and the skills / knowledge you already have.

I am considering changing careers, and participating in further education to seek a career as a Solicitor, is there anything I should be aware of?

The initial stage of becoming a Solicitor will involve the completion of an undergraduate law degree, followed by a 1-year vocational course. Be aware that many law firms will place emphasis upon proven academic achievements, coupled with relevant work experience and extracurricular activities.

In an application form, I have been asked why I want to be a Solicitor. Can you help?

This is a question that we can’t answer for you as it needs to be personal. However, be sure to showcase your strengths relating to the position you’re applying for. Also, why not speak to fellow professionals to see what attracted them to the role – maybe your reasons are mutual?

What can I expect to do if I chose a career in the legal profession?

Legal Assistant / Paralegal: you’ll probably be responsible for a personal caseload of prosecution and enforcement projects, together with the preparation of cases for litigation. You may also be responsible for advising on evidence, drafting charges, attending Court to undertake advocacy, offering support to senior staff in all aspects of their caseload and general client care.

Solicitor: as a Solicitor, you’ll be required to offer expert legal advice to your clients and act on their behalf in a variety of legal matters – dependant on your chosen area of expertise.

More information

• Law Society