Key Legal Resume Insights: Comprehensive Answers to Common Resume Challenges

 

1. How Do I Shift My Resume’s Focus to Litigation From Public Interest?

Answer:

Shifting your resume’s focus from public interest to litigation requires a careful adjustment of how you present your experience. Many attorneys who start their careers in public interest law develop a strong sense of advocacy but may find it challenging to reposition their resumes for a litigation-focused role. The key to success lies in emphasizing litigation-specific skills and experience while minimizing aspects of your work that do not directly relate to litigation.

Begin by reformatting your resume to highlight tasks relevant to litigation, such as drafting motions, conducting depositions, engaging in trial work, or managing litigation strategy. Reduce the emphasis on public interest work, unless that experience involved substantial litigation efforts. For instance, if you litigated public interest cases, those can still be valuable, but the framing should shift towards your litigation achievements rather than the public interest cause.

Expanded Example:

An attorney working at a legal aid organization initially focused on housing rights advocacy, spending most of their time on direct client services and community outreach. However, this attorney also managed several cases involving eviction defense, which required significant litigation skills. By refocusing the resume to highlight these cases—such as motions to dismiss, settlement negotiations, and trial preparation—the attorney was able to present themselves as a litigation-focused candidate, even though the underlying issues were related to public interest work. Their resume transformation enabled them to secure interviews at large firms with strong litigation departments.
 

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Answer:

A lengthy resume can obscure your most important qualifications, especially if it contains extraneous details or lacks focus. To create an effective, concise resume, it’s essential to prioritize your most relevant accomplishments and remove less critical information that doesn’t contribute directly to your candidacy for the specific position.


For attorneys with many years of experience or a broad range of practice areas, it can be tempting to include everything on a resume. However, doing so can overwhelm hiring managers and make it difficult for them to identify the key elements of your background. Instead, focus on accomplishments that demonstrate your ability to handle complex, high-level legal work. If you have more than 10 years of experience, it’s often best to limit older roles to a brief summary or even remove them entirely if they are no longer relevant.

Expanded Example:

An attorney with 15 years of experience had a resume that spanned four pages, covering work in various practice areas, from family law to corporate litigation. By condensing the resume to focus solely on the last 10 years, which included significant corporate litigation wins and leadership in large-scale mergers and acquisitions, the resume was reduced to a manageable two pages. Unnecessary details, such as early-career family law work, were removed, and bullet points were added to emphasize major legal victories and transactional work. This streamlined approach made the attorney’s experience far more impactful, directly aligned with the roles they were seeking.

3. Should I Include Multiple Practice Areas on My Resume?

Answer:

While some attorneys have experience in multiple practice areas, it’s generally more effective to tailor your resume to highlight the practice area most relevant to the job you’re applying for. Firms want to hire specialists, especially in highly competitive legal markets. Presenting yourself as a generalist can make it harder for hiring managers to see how you’ll fit into their firm’s specific needs.

If you do have multiple practice areas, and those areas are related or complementary, you can present them together, but you should still prioritize the one most aligned with the role. For example, if you are applying for a corporate litigation role but also have real estate law experience, you should emphasize your litigation background while noting your real estate work in a secondary capacity.

Expanded Example:

An attorney applying for a position at a firm specializing in securities litigation had a resume that included experience in family law, criminal defense, and corporate litigation. Initially, the broad range of practice areas diluted the impact of their corporate litigation work. By restructuring the resume to focus exclusively on their securities litigation experience, the attorney was able to present themselves as a specialist in that field. Their family law and criminal defense experience were briefly mentioned but did not take up valuable space, allowing the attorney’s corporate litigation expertise to shine.

4. How Should I Present a Gap in My Legal Career?

Answer:

Career gaps are common and can occur for a variety of reasons, such as taking time off to raise a family, pursue additional education, or handle personal matters. It’s important to address gaps head-on by showcasing how you remained engaged with the legal profession or developed relevant skills during that time.

Even if you didn’t work in a traditional legal role during your gap, you can include any activities that demonstrate continued professional development, such as taking legal courses, doing volunteer work, or contributing to legal publications. Employers are more understanding of gaps today than they were in the past, especially when the gap is explained thoughtfully and constructively.

Expanded Example:

One attorney took a three-year break from practicing law to care for a family member. During that time, they completed several CLE courses, volunteered at a legal aid clinic, and wrote articles for legal journals. When updating their resume, they created a new section under the gap period labeled “Professional Development,” where they highlighted the courses they took and their legal writing contributions. This not only filled the gap but also demonstrated that the attorney remained active and engaged in the legal field, which reassured prospective employers.

5. How Do I Make My Resume More Concise for Corporate Law Positions?

Answer:

For corporate law positions, resumes should be highly focused on transactional work, including mergers and acquisitions, contract negotiations, corporate governance, and advisory roles for business clients. Corporate law firms are looking for candidates who can demonstrate a track record of handling sophisticated business transactions, so it’s important to tailor your resume to emphasize these experiences.

To keep the resume concise, focus on your most significant corporate law accomplishments and remove extraneous details that don’t directly contribute to your qualifications for the role.

Expanded Example:

An attorney seeking a corporate law role had a resume that included detailed descriptions of various legal work, including litigation and regulatory compliance. By narrowing the focus to their corporate law experience, particularly highlighting deals they worked on—such as mergers involving multi-million dollar companies and complex contract negotiations—the resume became much more targeted. Unrelated details were condensed or removed entirely, resulting in a polished, corporate-focused resume that effectively showcased the attorney’s expertise.

6. What Should I Do If My Resume Is Split Between Legal and Non-Legal Experience?

Answer:

If your resume includes both legal and non-legal experience, it’s important to prioritize your legal experience while briefly mentioning non-legal roles if they provided transferable skills. Non-legal experience can be valuable, especially if it involved skills like leadership, project management, or client relations that are relevant to the legal field.

However, legal employers are primarily interested in your legal work, so this should always take center stage on your resume. If your non-legal experience was in a senior leadership role or in a sector closely related to the law, it can add value, but be sure to tie it back to the legal skills you’ve developed.

Expanded Example:

An attorney who transitioned from a business development role in the tech industry into law initially had both their legal and non-legal experience equally emphasized on their resume. After restructuring, the legal roles were brought to the forefront, with a brief mention of the business development role at the end. However, they highlighted transferable skills from that role, such as negotiation and contract drafting, which directly applied to their legal career, making the resume more cohesive and targeted.
 

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• Why Focus Matters: Tailoring Your Legal Resume to Stand Out

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Answer:

For niche practices such as blockchain law, it’s critical to ensure that your resume showcases your expertise in that specific field. Law firms looking for attorneys with niche skills want to see evidence that you are not only knowledgeable but actively involved in that area. This can include mentioning relevant certifications, industry-specific conferences attended, articles or white papers written, and specific cases or projects you’ve worked on in the niche area.

Tailor your resume to highlight your work in the niche field, even if it’s a relatively new area of expertise. Demonstrating thought leadership or involvement in cutting-edge legal issues can make you stand out as a top candidate.

Expanded Example:

An attorney applying for a blockchain law role had extensive experience in general corporate law but only a small section dedicated to blockchain work. By revising the resume to highlight their contributions to blockchain regulatory projects and legal publications on blockchain technology, the attorney was able to position themselves as a blockchain specialist. They also included relevant certifications and speaking engagements at blockchain industry events, which enhanced their credibility as an expert in the field.

Conclusion

An effective legal resume should reflect not only your experience but also your ability to present yourself as a candidate uniquely suited for the job. Whether you’re shifting focus, condensing information, or emphasizing niche expertise, a well-crafted resume can make all the difference. By addressing common resume challenges and implementing strategies such as targeted focus, concise formatting, and highlighting transferable skills, attorneys can significantly increase their chances of securing positions at top law firms.

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About Harrison Barnes

Harrison Barnes is a prominent figure in the legal placement industry, known for his expertise in attorney placements and his extensive knowledge of the legal profession.

With over 25 years of experience, he has established himself as a leading voice in the field and has helped thousands of lawyers and law students find their ideal career paths.

Barnes is a former federal law clerk and associate at Quinn Emanuel and a graduate of the University of Chicago College and the University of Virginia Law School. He was a Rhodes Scholar Finalist at the University of Chicago and a member of the University of Virginia Law Review. Early in his legal career, he enrolled in Stanford Business School but dropped out because he missed legal recruiting too much.

Barnes' approach to the legal industry is rooted in his commitment to helping lawyers achieve their full potential. He believes that the key to success in the legal profession is to be proactive, persistent, and disciplined in one's approach to work and life. He encourages lawyers to take ownership of their careers and to focus on developing their skills and expertise in a way that aligns with their passions and interests.

One of how Barnes provides support to lawyers is through his writing. On his blog, HarrisonBarnes.com, and BCGSearch.com, he regularly shares his insights and advice on a range of topics related to the legal profession. Through his writing, he aims to empower lawyers to control their careers and make informed decisions about their professional development.

One of Barnes's fundamental philosophies in his writing is the importance of networking. He believes that networking is a critical component of career success and that it is essential for lawyers to establish relationships with others in their field. He encourages lawyers to attend events, join organizations, and connect with others in the legal community to build their professional networks.

Another central theme in Barnes' writing is the importance of personal and professional development. He believes that lawyers should continuously strive to improve themselves and develop their skills to succeed in their careers. He encourages lawyers to pursue ongoing education and training actively, read widely, and seek new opportunities for growth and development.

In addition to his work in the legal industry, Barnes is also a fitness and lifestyle enthusiast. He sees fitness and wellness as integral to his personal and professional development and encourages others to adopt a similar mindset. He starts his day at 4:00 am and dedicates several daily hours to running, weightlifting, and pursuing spiritual disciplines.

Finally, Barnes is a strong advocate for community service and giving back. He volunteers for the University of Chicago, where he is the former area chair of Los Angeles for the University of Chicago Admissions Office. He also serves as the President of the Young Presidents Organization's Century City Los Angeles Chapter, where he works to support and connect young business leaders.

In conclusion, Harrison Barnes is a visionary legal industry leader committed to helping lawyers achieve their full potential. Through his work at BCG Attorney Search, writing, and community involvement, he empowers lawyers to take control of their careers, develop their skills continuously, and lead fulfilling and successful lives. His philosophy of being proactive, persistent, and disciplined, combined with his focus on personal and professional development, makes him a valuable resource for anyone looking to succeed in the legal profession.

About BCG Attorney Search

BCG Attorney Search matches attorneys and law firms with unparalleled expertise and drive, while achieving results. Known globally for its success in locating and placing attorneys in law firms of all sizes, BCG Attorney Search has placed thousands of attorneys in law firms in thousands of different law firms around the country. Unlike other legal placement firms, BCG Attorney Search brings massive resources of over 150 employees to its placement efforts locating positions and opportunities its competitors simply cannot. Every legal recruiter at BCG Attorney Search is a former successful attorney who attended a top law school, worked in top law firms and brought massive drive and commitment to their work. BCG Attorney Search legal recruiters take your legal career seriously and understand attorneys. For more information, please visit www.BCGSearch.com.