Ensure your CV format is structured to best highlight your unique experience and life situation.
Law Student CV Template (Text Format)
PERSONAL STATEMENT
Passionate LLB student dedicated to fighting social injustice and human rights violations. Completed courses in criminal law, public law, company and international law with a current CGPA of 3.98. Possess two years of practical experience as an intern in legal research, client communications, court attendance, and client inquiries. Seek to contribute to the success of the firm in upholding justice through proven research skills and legal knowledge.
WORK EXPERIENCE
Legal Intern | December 2018 – Present
Sinclair & Isaac, Belfast
- Draft and edit 20+ court documents such as briefs, pleadings, memoranda, motions, orders, and testimony at solicitors’ request
- Organise company pro bono trial preparation to improve access to justice for the less privileged and low-earning members of the community
- Assist with case organisation in compliance with the Criminal Procedure Rules and Criminal Practice Direction (CPD) on court orders
- Participated in 12+ client interviews and reviews of relevant evidence to build potential client defences
Legal Intern | May 2017 – November 2018
Harcourt-Fenton Chambers, Belfast
- Handled case preparation, document drafting and review
- Assisted senior counsel with contractual, judicial, and stipulation arbitrations in 15+ disputes
- Prepared legal documents and correspondence, such as briefs, pleadings, contracts, and affidavits
- Observed court proceedings over 2 years and actively participated in case preparations in cases such as breach of contract, bankruptcy, libel, personal injury, and wrongful arrest
Attorney Assistant Intern | May 2015 – March 2017
McLoughlin Law Firm, Belfast
- Provided assistance to attorneys across all functions within the firm including research, case preparation, and drafting legal documents
- Researched significant legal documents to provide legal precedent that led to the dismissal of 13 client charges over 2 years
- Helped the senior counsel through 15 contract checks, validating express and implied terms between parties
- Assisted in document research and drafting as well as court preparation for 15 civil right and criminal trials
EDUCATION
Queens University Belfast (2014-2017)
LLB Law
- Relevant Modules: Criminal Law, Public Law, Constitutional Law, Comparative Legal Systems, Law of England and Wales, Law of the European Union, Company Law
- Dissertation Topic: Comparison Between Scots Law and the French Civil Code
Derry County School (2007-2014)
- A-levels: Maths (A), French (A), English Literature (A)
- GCSEs: 10 A-C including Maths, English, & ICT
AWARDS
- Baroness Hale Award, 2017–2021: Four-year full-tuition scholarship awarded for academic excellence in secondary school
- Most Valuable Teammate (MVT) 2018: Recognised out of a 16-person law debate team for mentoring junior colleagues
KEY SKILLS
- Knowledge of civil law
- Familiarity with court procedures
- Conversational French speaker
- Arbitration
- Excellent interpersonal skills
- Research
- Time management
INTERESTS
- Avid cyclist
- Amateur viola player
- Enjoy socialising with friends
Skills for a law student CV
Before you begin writing, make sure you know how to write a CV in a way that best emphasises your strengths.
Whether you’re currently working towards your law degree and are writing a part-time job CV or you’ve just graduated and are ready to get started on your legal career journey, you’ll need a convincing law student CV that impresses employers.
Gaining experience as a Law Student is essential to kick starting a fulfilling career. Volunteering in Law school and being part of societies are great examples to help development and also begin to develop networking skills. — Paul McGinn, Legal Talent Acquisition Resourcer at Irwin Mitchell
The competition for entry-level roles can be tough, so the more experience you have before embarking on a career in law, the greater your chances of securing one of these coveted positions will be.
The key is to make yourself stand out from the competition through your knowledge and experience gained in university, apprenticeship, internships, volunteering and others areas.
When writing your law student CV, you should showcase a mix of relevant experience (such as coursework or internships), soft skills (abilities tied to your personality that affect how well you work with others and how you approach your work), and hard skills (skills learned and developed through training).
Presenting your qualifications on a UK-ready CV template using a CV creator helps you stand out to employers.
Here are some examples of skills for your CV that will help you land the law job you want:
- Critical thinking
- Research
- Analytical thinking skills
- Expertise in different fields of law
- Communication
- Attention to detail
- Legal software (LexisNexis, TrialPad, Neos)
- Negotiation
- Organisation
- IT skills
- Interpersonal skills
- Time management
- Writing
- Active listening
- Patience
- Stress management
- Client management
You’ll need a law student cover letter to finalise your application. Fortunately, there are online cover letter builders available to use that can create your document in mere minutes.