Law CV Example: 6 Legal CVs from Student to Solicitor
By Mustafa Tarabya, founder of CVBooster · Published · Updated
9 min read
A good law CV example puts your legal experience and your route to qualification at the top, then proves each skill a firm lists with one specific piece of work. The constraint is competition. Prospects, the UK graduate careers service, puts it plainly: "Applications for legal jobs far outweigh the number of vacancies." Since the SQE replaced the old training route, your CV also has to show where you are on the Solicitors Regulation Authority pathway. Below are six complete legal CVs, from first-year student to qualified solicitor, checked against the SRA rules in October 2026, plus the format and template that hold them together. Written by Mustafa Tarabya, who hired for his own company, read every application himself and now writes CVBooster's guides.
Every law CV in the pile says "excellent attention to detail". It is usually on the line with the typo.
Law student CV for a vacation scheme
First and second-year students apply for vacation schemes and open days with almost no legal work behind them. The firm knows that. It reads for academic results, one sign of genuine interest in law, and any job where you were trusted with something.
Entry level: second-year LLB student applying for a vacation scheme (180 words)
PRIYA SHAH Leeds | 07700 900412 | priya.shah@example.com | linkedin.com/in/priyashah
PROFILE Second-year LLB student at the University of Leeds on course for a 2:1, interested in commercial property after a week shadowing a real estate team. Applying for your summer vacation scheme.
EDUCATION LLB Law, University of Leeds, 2025 to 2028. Second-year modules: Land Law (68), Contract Law (66), EU Law (64). A levels: History A*, English Literature A, Economics A.
LEGAL EXPERIENCE Work shadowing, Harland Moss LLP, Leeds, one week, April 2026 Shadowed the real estate team on a lease renewal; summarised three title documents for a trainee and sat in on a client call.
Student adviser, Leeds Law Clinic, October 2025 to present Interview members of the public about housing problems and write an attendance note for the supervising solicitor within 24 hours.
OTHER EXPERIENCE Sales assistant, Boots, weekends, 2023 to present Trusted to cash up and train three new starters on the till.
ACHIEVEMENTS Second place, internal mooting competition, 2026.
SKILLS Legal research on Westlaw and LexisNexis; Microsoft Word and Excel; conversational Gujarati.
Training contract and QWE CV for a graduate
Graduates now apply for training contracts, SQE-funded trainee roles and paralegal jobs that count as qualifying work experience. Say exactly where you are on the route: SQE1 passed or booked, SQE2 booked, and how much QWE you already have. The SRA says QWE "can be gained in up to four organisations, in paid or volunteer work", so a clinic placement and a paralegal job can both belong in this section.
Entry level: law graduate applying for a training contract (174 words)
DANIEL OKAFOR Birmingham | 07700 900233 | daniel.okafor@example.com
PROFILE Law graduate (2:1) with SQE1 passed and SQE2 booked for April 2027. Ten months of qualifying work experience across a law clinic and a high street firm. Seeking a training contract in a regional commercial practice.
QUALIFICATIONS SQE1, passed, July 2026 LLB Law, University of Birmingham, 2:1, 2025. Dissertation: unfair prejudice petitions in small companies (72).
LEGAL EXPERIENCE Paralegal, Fenwick Clarke Solicitors, Birmingham, January 2026 to present Run a caseload of 30 residential conveyancing files under a senior associate, from draft contract to completion statement. Prepare SDLT returns and register completions at HM Land Registry.
Student adviser, Birmingham Law Clinic, October 2024 to May 2025 (counts towards QWE) Advised members of the public on employment problems under supervision and drafted four letters before claim.
Vacation scheme, Marlow Grant LLP, July 2024 Researched limitation periods for a professional negligence claim; my note was used in the advice to the client.
SKILLS Case management on Proclaim; legal research on Practical Law; drafting letters and attendance notes.
Paralegal CV
A paralegal CV is read by a supervising solicitor who needs someone to carry files from day one. Lead with the practice area, the size of the caseload and the systems, then the tasks you did without being checked.
Mid level: paralegal with three years in personal injury (140 words)
SOPHIE TURNER Manchester | 07700 900781 | sophie.turner@example.com
PROFILE Personal injury paralegal with three years on fast-track road traffic and employer liability claims. Runs a caseload of 85 files on the Claims Portal, from instruction to settlement, under a supervising associate. SQE1 passed; this role would complete my QWE.
EXPERIENCE Paralegal, Ashworth Bell Solicitors, Manchester, 2023 to present Manage 85 live files and issue Claims Notification Forms within two days of instruction. Instruct medical experts and prepare medical reports for disclosure. Draft Part 36 offers for review and calculate special damages schedules. Trained two new paralegals on the case management system.
Legal administrator, Ashworth Bell Solicitors, 2022 to 2023 Opened files, ran conflict checks and managed the post for a team of six.
EDUCATION LLB Law, University of Salford, 2:1, 2022 SQE1, passed, 2025
SYSTEMS Claims Portal, Proclaim, Microsoft 365.
Newly qualified solicitor CV
At NQ level the CV turns into a record of seats and matters. Name each seat, the type of work and the value or volume where the client would not mind. Partners hiring an NQ want to know which seat you actually liked, so say it.
Mid level: newly qualified solicitor moving into employment law (140 words)
JAMES HARGREAVES London | 07700 900554 | james.hargreaves@example.com
PROFILE Newly qualified solicitor (admitted September 2026) with two employment seats in a national firm. Advised on tribunal claims for discrimination and unfair dismissal and on restructures for corporate clients. Looking for an NQ role in an employment team.
TRAINING CONTRACT Trainee solicitor, Bramwell Price LLP, London, 2024 to 2026 Employment (two seats): drafted ET3 responses and witness statements for six tribunal claims; prepared the consultation timetable for a 120-person redundancy. Commercial litigation: prepared disclosure lists and attended a two-day High Court hearing. Real estate: ran a portfolio of 15 lease renewals for a retail client.
EDUCATION SQE1 and SQE2, passed LLB Law, University of Nottingham, First, 2023
ADMISSION Admitted as a solicitor of England and Wales, September 2026
SKILLS Employment Rights Act and Equality Act advice; tribunal bundles; client reporting.
Associate solicitor CV
After a few years, a law CV is about the client work you lead. Group your experience by matter type, give the scale, and keep training contract seats to one line each.
Senior: associate solicitor, six years PQE, corporate (156 words)
AMARA NWOSU Bristol | 07700 900198 | amara.nwosu@example.com
PROFILE Corporate associate, six years PQE, advising owner-managed businesses and private equity buyers on acquisitions and disposals up to 40 million pounds. Runs transactions day to day with one trainee and a paralegal and manages the client relationship on most of them.
EXPERIENCE Senior Associate, Hollins Webb LLP, Bristol, 2022 to present Led the legal workstream on 14 share purchases, including due diligence, the SPA and disclosure letter. Acted for the management team on a secondary buyout; negotiated warranties and leaver provisions. Supervise two trainees per rotation and review their drafting before it goes to clients. Wrote the firm's due diligence checklist for technology targets.
Associate, Gregson Lane Solicitors, Bristol, 2020 to 2022 Corporate and commercial work for regional clients.
EARLIER Trainee, Gregson Lane Solicitors, 2018 to 2020 (corporate, property, litigation, private client)
EDUCATION LPC, University of Law, Distinction. BA History, University of Exeter, 2:1.
ADMISSION Admitted 2020
Pupillage CV for the Bar
Barristers apply on different terms. The Bar Standards Board describes pupillage as "a period of work-based, practical training under the supervision of an experienced barrister", and adds that "Obtaining a pupillage is very competitive." Chambers read for advocacy and written argument, so mooting, debating and mini-pupillages go near the top.
Entry level: Bar course student applying for pupillage (127 words)
THOMAS ELLIS London | 07700 900667 | thomas.ellis@example.com
PROFILE Bar course student at City, University of London, with three mini-pupillages in criminal and family sets. Applying for criminal pupillage. Member of Gray's Inn.
EDUCATION Bar Vocational Studies, City, University of London, 2026 to 2027 LLB Law, King's College London, 2:1, 2025
ADVOCACY Semi-finalist, national mooting competition, 2025 Volunteer, Free Representation Unit: represented two clients at employment tribunal hearings
MINI-PUPILLAGES Criminal set, London: watched a Crown Court trial and drafted a note on bad character evidence for my supervisor Family set, Bristol: attended two private law hearings Criminal set, Birmingham: drafted a skeleton argument on a sentencing appeal, reviewed by my supervisor
OTHER Independent custody visitor, London: unannounced visits to check detainee welfare
SCHOLARSHIPS Inn scholarship, Gray's Inn
Legal CV format: the order that works
A legal CV format is conservative for a reason: partners read hundreds of them and want to find the same things in the same place. Use this order:
- Contact details: name, town, phone, email. No photo, no date of birth.
- Profile: three lines. Where you are on the route to qualification, your area of interest, the role you want.
- Education: degree with classification and module marks if they are strong, then A levels. Put SQE results here once you have them.
- Legal experience: vacation schemes, clinic work, paralegal jobs, mini-pupillages. Each with one task and what it was used for.
- Other experience: retail, hospitality and admin jobs belong on the page. They show you can be trusted with money, customers and deadlines.
- Achievements and interests: mooting, debating, positions of responsibility. Interests only if they say something about you.
Prospects advises you to "keep the length to two sides of A4", and when I read applications for my own company, the ones that got a call put the relevant thing on page one. Do the same.
CV template for law applications
A CV template for law is plain on purpose. One column, a serif or clean sans serif font at 10 to 12 points, bold headings, no colour blocks and no skills bars. Many firms use online application forms instead of CVs for training contracts, so keep a master CV and copy from it. High street firms, in-house teams and paralegal roles usually still ask for a CV and a covering letter.
Our CV examples show the same layout across other UK jobs, and the paralegal resume and law student resume pages carry US-style versions if you are applying to an American firm. For the letter that goes with your CV, see how to write a cover letter. If you are deciding whether you need a CV or a resume, read CV vs resume.
The SRA also sets the rule for confirming QWE: "QWE must be confirmed by a solicitor of England and Wales or Compliance Officer for Legal Practice (COLP)." Write the name and role of the solicitor who will confirm each placement on your own notes, because the firm may ask.
Frequently asked questions
How do I write a CV for law?
Start with a three-line profile naming your stage on the route to qualification and the work you want. Then list education with classification, legal experience with one specific task per role, other jobs, and achievements such as mooting. Keep it to two pages and tailor the profile and top bullets to each firm.
What should a law student put on a CV?
Your degree and module marks, A levels, any vacation scheme, open day, clinic or shadowing, and every part-time job. Add mooting, debating, pro bono work and positions of responsibility. A law student CV is judged on academic results and evidence of interest in law, so show both on the first page.
Is there a CV template for law?
Yes, use a plain one-column layout: contact details, profile, education, legal experience, other experience, achievements. No photo, no graphics, no skills ratings. Many training contract applications use online forms, so keep a master CV and copy your answers from it rather than designing a new document each time.
How long should a legal CV be?
Two sides of A4 at most, and one is fine for a student. Prospects gives the same two-page limit. Partners and graduate recruiters read many CVs at once, so keep older or less relevant jobs to one line each and give the space to legal experience and results.
Should I put SQE results on my CV?
Yes. Put SQE1 and SQE2 under education or qualifications with the date passed or booked. Firms hiring under the SQE route want to know where you are, and how much qualifying work experience you already have. Note which past roles count as QWE so the reader can see the total.
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