Home Paralegal Resume template
Paralegal resume template
A clean starting structure with example content grounded in what paralegals actually do day to day, not generic filler. Download and replace the bracketed placeholders with your own details.
Which resume format should you use?
Reverse chronological
You have a steady work history. This is the format almost every recruiter and ATS expects by default.
Functional
You're changing fields or have gaps in your employment. Leads with skills rather than a job-by-job timeline.
Combination
You're early career or have worked consistently but for only a few employers. Blends a skills summary with a shorter chronological history.
This template uses the reverse chronological format: the one most paralegals should default to, since most Australian recruiters and ATS software expect it.
Professional summary
Detail-focused paralegal experienced in supporting solicitors across litigation and transactional matters, from drafting pleadings to managing case files under tight court deadlines. Comfortable working across legal databases and practice management software to keep matters organised and on schedule. Known for accuracy under pressure and clear communication with clients, counsel and court registries.
Key skills
- Legal research
- Drafting and contracts
- Regulatory compliance
- LexisNexis
- Westlaw
- Practice management software (LEAP, Clio)
- Adobe Acrobat
- Microsoft Word
- Attention to detail
- Stakeholder management
Experience: example bullet points
- Drafted letters, contracts, pleadings and agreements for review by supervising solicitors, reducing turnaround time on routine correspondence
- Conducted legal research across case law, legislation and secondary sources using LexisNexis and Westlaw to support matter strategy and advice
- Organised and maintained case files, evidence registers and court documents across an active caseload, ensuring nothing was missed ahead of filing deadlines
- Managed client and court communications, including liaising with registries, opposing solicitors and other legal professionals on procedural matters
- Assisted with trial preparation, including briefing counsel, compiling court books and attending proceedings to support the legal team
- Tracked matter deadlines and limitation periods within the firm's practice management system, flagging risks to supervising solicitors ahead of time
Education
Typical pathway is a Diploma of Paralegal Services through TAFE or a registered training organisation, or a Bachelor of Laws/Justice without seeking admission; some paralegals enter via a Certificate IV in Legal Services combined with on-the-job training.
Keywords an ATS is likely to scan for
Applicant tracking systems match your resume against terms in the job ad before a person ever sees it. Only include the ones that actually apply to your experience, but if a term below matches something you've done, use the same wording the job ad uses.
- Paralegal
- Pleadings
- Affidavits
- Statutory declarations
- Briefs to counsel
- Discovery
- Subpoenas
- LEAP
- Clio
- LexisNexis
- Westlaw
- AustLII
- Federal Court
- Supreme Court
- Local Court
- Law Society
- Legal Practitioners Act
- Practice management software
- Litigation support
- Conveyancing searches
Getting past ATS screening
- Match the specific skills, certifications and terms used in the job ad, not just your own wording for the same thing.
- Keep formatting simple: no tables, text boxes, columns, headers/footers or graphics. Parsers frequently drop content placed in these.
- Submit as .docx or PDF unless the job ad specifies otherwise.
- Use standard section headings (Experience, Education, Skills) rather than creative alternatives.
- List your core skills and technical competencies in their own section so a keyword scan can find them instantly.
This is a starting point, not a guarantee of interviews. Tailor every bullet point to your own real experience and the specific job ad.