Paralegal Resume Example & Writing Guide (2026)
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Key Skills for a Paralegal Resume
These terms commonly appear in Paralegal job descriptions. Use only the skills you actually have, matching the employer's wording where appropriate.
Sample Paralegal Resume Summary
Lead with your specialty, years of experience, and a key accomplishment — 2–3 sentences max.
"Certified Paralegal (CP) with 6+ years in corporate litigation and real estate transactional law. Experienced in complex document review, e-discovery, and trial preparation at AmLaw 100 and boutique litigation firms."
Sample Paralegal Bullet Points
Strong bullets use Action + Impact + Metric. Here are examples:
Managed document review for a $150M commercial litigation matter — reviewed and coded 85,000+ documents in Relativity, preparing 2,400 responsive documents for production
Drafted and reviewed 120+ commercial real estate contracts and closing documents per year, maintaining 99% accuracy rate with zero material errors flagged in final review
Coordinated trial preparation for a 4-week federal jury trial, organizing 3,200 exhibits, preparing witness binders, and managing courtroom logistics for a team of 6 attorneys
Tip: Start with a clear action, explain what changed, and add a truthful number when it helps show the scale or result.
ATS Tips for Paralegal Resumes
Include 'NALA CP' or 'NFPA RP' certification if you have it — these are the recognized paralegal credentials that ATS systems filter for.
List specific legal research platforms: Westlaw, LexisNexis, Bloomberg Law — these are individual ATS searches.
Add practice area keywords: 'corporate litigation', 'real estate transactions', 'intellectual property', 'family law' — paralegals are hired for specific practice area knowledge.
What to Include on a Paralegal Resume
Helpful Resume Writing Guides
Strengthen the content after you choose the right structure for your role.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do paralegals need certification on their resume?
Not legally required in most states, but NALA Certified Paralegal (CP) or NFPA Registered Paralegal (RP) credentials are strong differentiators. At large law firms and corporate legal departments, certification signals professionalism and commitment.
What should a paralegal include on their resume?
Certification, practice areas, specific legal platforms (Westlaw, Relativity, PACER), document volumes handled (demonstrates scale), court systems and jurisdictions, and key matter types (litigation, transactional, regulatory).
How do paralegals show impact on a resume?
Document review volume (# of docs reviewed, matter size), transactions closed (# and $), accuracy metrics, and efficiency improvements. Legal is slow to adopt metrics culture but hiring partners notice when paralegals quantify their work.
What's the career path for a paralegal?
Senior Paralegal → Paralegal Supervisor → Legal Operations Manager, or transition to law school. Corporate in-house paralegal roles typically pay more than law firm roles with better hours. Legal ops and e-discovery are growing specialty areas worth targeting.
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