Paralegal Resume Example That Passes ATS Screening
Getting your first paralegal job means proving you can handle the organizational intensity and attention to detail that legal work demands, even if your experience so far is mostly academic. This skills-first layout puts your legal research abilities, software proficiency, and substantive knowledge areas up top where attorneys making hiring decisions will see them immediately.
ATS Keywords for Paralegal Resumes
ATS systems scanning Paralegal applications look for these terms. The resume above weaves them in naturally rather than listing them outright.
Section-by-Section Writing Tips
Professional Summary
If you have an ABA-approved certificate, say so immediately. Mention specific practice areas you've been exposed to and name the research platforms you know. Attorneys scan for these qualifiers before reading anything else. Keep it under four sentences.
Experience Section
Even internships and volunteer legal clinics count as real experience. Use specific numbers wherever possible: number of cases, volume of documents, count of client intakes. Attorneys are precise people, and precision in your resume signals you think the way they do.
Skills Section
Separate legal research tools from litigation support skills from general software. If you have any exposure to e-discovery platforms like Relativity or Concordance, list them even if your experience is limited. These platforms are expensive to train on, and any familiarity gives you an edge.
Education Section
If your paralegal certificate is from an ABA-approved program, that distinction matters and should be explicit. List it alongside your degree if they were concurrent, or as a separate entry if completed independently. Include relevant coursework only if you lack substantive work experience to fill the gap.
Full Resume Sample
Terrence Okafor
Paralegal
Professional Summary
ABA-approved paralegal program graduate with internship experience in civil litigation and corporate compliance. Trained in legal research using Westlaw and LexisNexis, document management, and case file organization. Strong foundation in contract review, discovery processes, and court filing procedures gained through hands-on clinical coursework and a 400-hour supervised internship.
Experience
Paralegal Intern - Litigation Department
Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz · Nashville, TN · Jan 2024 - May 2024
- Assisted attorneys in preparing discovery materials for 8 active civil litigation cases, including organizing and indexing over 3,000 documents for production
- Drafted initial versions of interrogatories, requests for production, and motions to compel under attorney supervision, with 90% requiring only minor revisions before filing
- Conducted legal research on Westlaw for case law supporting summary judgment motions in two employment discrimination matters
- Maintained case calendars and tracked filing deadlines across all assigned cases using the firm's NetDocuments system, with zero missed deadlines during the internship
Legal Clinic Volunteer
Tennessee Legal Aid Society · Nashville, TN · Sep 2023 - Dec 2023
- Conducted client intake interviews for 40+ individuals seeking assistance with landlord-tenant disputes, family law matters, and benefits appeals
- Prepared court-ready documents including lease termination letters, protective order petitions, and fee waiver applications under supervising attorney review
- Organized a document collection drive that assembled complete case files for 12 pro bono clients who had previously been unable to move forward due to missing paperwork
Administrative Assistant
Pinnacle Financial Partners · Nashville, TN · Jun 2022 - Aug 2023
- Managed scheduling, correspondence, and document filing for a branch office of 14 financial advisors, handling an average of 60+ client interactions per week
- Created and maintained a tracking spreadsheet for quarterly compliance documentation that reduced missed submission deadlines by 35%
- Processed and organized client onboarding paperwork including account applications, KYC documentation, and regulatory disclosures
Education
Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice Administration — Middle Tennessee State University, 2023 (ABA-Approved Paralegal Studies Certificate (completed concurrently). Dean's List, 3 semesters.)
Skills
Legal Research & Writing: Westlaw, LexisNexis, Legal memoranda drafting, Case law analysis, Statutory research, Shepardizing citations
Litigation Support: Discovery management, Document review and indexing, E-discovery basics (Relativity), Court filing procedures, Deposition preparation
Software & Systems: NetDocuments, Microsoft Office Suite, Adobe Acrobat Pro, Clio, ProLaw
Substantive Knowledge: Civil litigation procedures, Employment law fundamentals, Contract review, Corporate compliance basics, Family law
Certifications
ABA-Approved Paralegal Certificate - MTSU (2023) · Notary Public - State of Tennessee (2024)
See how your resume scores against ATS systems
Check Your ATS Score Free →Why This Resume Works
Skills are positioned where attorneys will scan first. Attorneys hiring entry-level paralegals want to know two things right away: can you use the research tools, and do you have any exposure to the relevant practice area? By leading with categorized skills, this resume answers both questions before the reader even reaches the experience section. Westlaw, LexisNexis, Relativity, and civil litigation all appear above the fold.
The internship punches above its weight with specifics. Saying you 'assisted with discovery' is forgettable. Saying you organized and indexed 3,000+ documents for production across 8 cases gives an attorney a concrete sense of your throughput and reliability. The detail about 90% of drafted documents needing only minor revisions signals quality, which is what matters in legal work.
Non-legal experience is framed through a legal lens. The administrative assistant role at a financial firm could easily read as unrelated. Instead, the bullets emphasize compliance tracking, document management, and regulatory paperwork. These are transferable skills that translate directly to paralegal responsibilities. Every prior role should be described in terms of what carries forward.
Common Paralegal Resume Mistakes
Hiring managers reviewing Paralegal resumes flag these problems repeatedly. Each one can knock your ATS score or land your application in the rejection pile.
- Listing legal knowledge areas without specifying the research tools and technology platforms you actually used.
- Describing internship tasks in passive, vague language instead of quantifying the scope of work you handled.
- Omitting whether your paralegal program is ABA-approved, which is a meaningful distinction many firms filter for.
- Forgetting to include your notary commission if you hold one, since this is a practical credential attorneys value.
- Using the same generic bullets for legal experience that you would use for any administrative job.
- Failing to mention specific practice areas, which leaves attorneys guessing whether your background fits their department.