Law Student CV Examples & UK Templates

As you near the end of your law degree, you're likely beginning to explore job opportunities and planning your first steps towards a successful legal career.

Related CV Examples

Lawyer CV example

Use this template

Ideal for lawyers navigating high-stakes corporate or litigation roles, this sleek, professional template highlights your expertise with a structured layout and subtle accents. Its clean design emphasizes your achievements, building trust with clients and employers alike.

Paralegal CV example

Use this template

Crafted for paralegals, this clean, structured layout highlights your precision and organizational skills essential in legal roles. Its balanced design emphasizes expertise in research, documentation, and case management, impressing law firms and corporate employers alike.

Solicitor CV example

Use this template

Focused on clean lines and a structured layout, this template highlights the precision and professionalism essential for a solicitor. Its balanced formatting emphasizes your expertise in financial law, building trust with clients and employers alike.

You also know that first impressions matter. Just as a client may form an opinion based on your professionalism and communication within moments of meeting you, a law firm will make its initial judgment based on your CV. If that impression falls flat, it can be difficult to recover.

So how can you ensure that your law student CV stands out? By crafting a polished, compelling document that highlights your academic achievements, practical legal experience, and key skills that set you apart in the competitive field of law.

Guide for a law student CV example

Elevate your career with resume.io. With our  CV examples and guides covering 200+ professions, and our  CV builder tool, it’s simpler than ever to create a compelling CV for a law student.

This CV guide and corresponding law student CV example will cover the following:

• How to write a CV as a law student
• Choosing the right CV format for a law student
• How to add your contact information
• Using a CV summary
• Listing your relevant experience, skills, and education
• Picking the right CV design and layout
• What the legal job market looks like and what salary you can expect

How to write a law student CV

Ready to get started? If you’re eager to apply for legal roles, you need to make sure that your law student CV is up to scratch. The first step in this process is ensuring that you are including the right parts. 

As a rule, your CV should contain the following elements:

• The  CV header
• The  CV summary (a.k.a. profile or personal statement)
• The  employment history section
• The  CV skills section
• The  education section

To ensure that your law student CV is successful, it needs to follow the above outline. Hiring managers expect this structure as it is easy to read and digest quickly. Since each recruiter spends mere seconds reviewing job applications, you don’t have time to waste. It’s all about making an impact as fast as possible.

Try this winning formula to spark some interest in your law student CV:

• Put the focus on achievements. Don’t just list what you have done; explain what you have achieved. For example, anyone can share that they are studying law, but do you have any standout grades,  awards, or other achievements you can include?
• Tailor your CV to each employer. Tailoring your application to the specific company or law firm is essential. Research their website, social media, and recent news, then adapt your CV and language to align with their values and needs.
• Select a simple and professional CV template. Try not to go overboard with too many design elements, as this may look confusing or distracting.
• Optimise your CV with keywords from the job posting. This will greatly improve your chances of impressing hiring managers and any  CV scanning software they may use.

Choose the right law student CV format

Your law student CV should clearly showcase your experience, whether that includes previous clinical placements, research work, or your academic background.

If you have relevant work experience, a  reverse chronological CV format is likely the most effective. This format highlights both your professional and educational history, starting with the most recent experiences and working backwards.

However, every rule has an exception. In some cases, it may be better to use either a functional ( skills-based) or hybrid CV format. Reach our guide for more information on the  best CV formats.

There are many  CV templates available in our CV builder, so choose one that best fits your background, and be sure to explore the CV examples for each format to ensure that your law student CV is as clear and straightforward as possible.

Include your contact information

Your CV header is simply the topmost part of your CV, where you display your name and contact information in a professional manner. It seems basic, but it’s actually quite an important part of your law student CV to get right.

Here’s what you need to include in your CV header:

• Full name and title. Include your first and last name, along with your main job title.
• Location. Simply list your town/city and country, but not  your street address or postcode as this is both outdated and unsafe.
• Professional email address. Avoid using a quirky or unprofessional email address. Instead, opt for a straightforward email format like firstname.lastname@email.com.
• Phone number. List a number where you can easily be reached. Make sure that your voicemail greeting is professional.
• LinkedIn. Most social media profiles should not be included on your law student CV, but if you have a  LinkedIn profile, feel free to add it. This demonstrates your professionalism and ambition to succeed, even before graduation.

You don’t need to include:

• Date of birth. This isn’t necessary and could potentially lead to age discrimination.
• Personal details. Your marital status, passport number, etc. are not needed on a CV.

Make use of a CV summary

Your law student CV’s summary section, also sometimes referred to as a  CV profile, is where you can display your talents and top-notch qualifications. This is your chance to stand out in a sea of other qualified candidates and make a strong first impression on the hiring manager.

This short paragraph—no more than two to four sentences—sits at the top of your CV, detailing your key accomplishments and what you bring to the table. Sprinkle your summary with  action verbs, such as “researched,” “collaborated,” “spearheaded,” and “advanced,” to showcase your drive and motivation.

Make sure to avoid repeating any information that is already elsewhere on your CV. Apart from being repetitive, this won’t be very impactful. Simply provide an overview of your background that hooks the reader and compels them to read on to learn more about you. What makes you unique? What have you accomplished that others may not have?

For example, your CV summary could highlight your specialism or placement with a prestigious law firm: “Motivated law student specialising in commercial law, including recent completion of a three-month internship with Clifford Chance, assisting with legal research, drafting, and client communications.”

Looking for some inspiration for your summary? Check out our related CVs:  legal CV example,  lawyer CV example,  paralegal CV example, or  solicitor CV example.

Here’s an adaptable law student CV example summary that you can adjust:

Outline your work experience: presenting your case

If you’re a law student, you might not have a whole load of experience yet. That is perfectly understandable. Use this section to write about any work placements, part-time jobs, internships, or  voluntary positions you have held over the years.

Recruiters tend to prefer a reverse chronological format where your most recent work experience is placed at the top of this section, and working  backwards to earlier roles. Underneath each employer and job title heading, describe your accomplishments in the role.

Use bullet point statements to share impactful details and specifics where you can, while being as concise as possible. You should also avoid using personal pronouns like “I.”

For instance, you might begin your work experience bullet points with statements like:

• "Conducted legal research…”
• “Drafted client correspondence…”
• “Attended court hearings…”

These example bullet points do show your responsibilities, but are also vague enough to apply to any law student. Adopting a results-based approach can bring these bullet points to life for your unique experience and accomplishments.

Inject these statements with specificity and detail to achieve this goal:

• “Completed an internship at Irwin Mitchell LLP, supporting family law solicitors with legal research on divorce and child custody cases.”
• “Recognised for the ability to draft clear and accurate legal documents and client correspondence ahead of deadlines.”
• “Volunteered at a local legal advice centre, assisting clients with common legal issues, including housing, family, and employment law.”

Take a look at the law student CV example employment history below:
 

How to write a CV for a law student with no experience

If you’ve been so focused on your academics that you haven’t had time for a law placement or part-time job, you needn’t worry! A first job CV can instead rely on your transferable skills.

Firstly, your studies are already going to be included on your law student CV, and what better way to show your drive and motivation for the field of law. If you have little or no work history, consider moving your education section to the top of your CV, above your work history.

If you’ve completed any volunteer work, that counts as work experience. You can also include any leadership positions you’ve held for school clubs or sports.

Even work you’ve done on your own, like childminding or odd jobs, can count as experience. Think about the important skills you gained and how they may transfer to this new job, even if you lack direct experience.
Generally, we don’t recommend featuring personal hobbies or interests on your CV, but if you are light on experience and have especially  relevant hobbies, you can add them here as well.

Include the relevant key skills for a law student

Chances are, you have learned a selection of applicable skills at university. Now is the time to shout about them. Don’t be shy when it comes to listing your talents. The aim of the game is to set yourself apart from the crowd.

Make sure that you include both hard and soft skills.  Hard skills are those that can be objectively demonstrated and measured—for example: legal research, legal document drafting, case law, contract law, or administrative law.

On the other hand,  soft skills relate more to how you work, such as  analytical and critical thinking,  communication skills, and attention to detail.

Our  CV builder offers numerous skills that you can select to use on your CV, or you have the option to provide your own.

Here’s what the skills box looks like in our law student CV template:

While this section is where you’ll list your skills plainly, it’s not the only helpful place to feature them. It’s also a good idea to include relevant skills throughout your law student CV, especially if you can include examples of how and when you used these skills in action.

For example, when writing your CV summary and work history sections, you could highlight:

• Legal knowledge. Describe your academic studies and any relevant placements or internships in legal settings, including your knowledge of specialist areas of law.
• Problem solving and analytical thinking. Show how you identify issues, analyse complex information, and develop effective solutions.
• Communication skills. Share your ability to communicate clearly and professionally with clients, colleagues, and other legal professionals.
• Time management. Mention how you can manage multiple demands to exacting quality standards, thereby ensuring smooth case management.

For guidance about which skills to include, review the job posting. This is your essential guide to what the employer is looking for in their next hire, so you can use this information to impress them on your law student CV and cover letter.

Detail your education & relevant certifications

As a law student, your CV’s education section is of utmost importance. Whether  your degree is complete or still in progress, this should be the primary focus on your law student CV.
Law is competitive, so if your degree is in progress and/or you have impressive grades from your secondary school and sixth form (or college) education, then include this information too.

Here are some things you may consider including:

• Degree. List your law degree and any other relevant academic qualifications, including your university, dates attended, and predicted or achieved grades. Mention any modules or specialisms that are particularly relevant to the role you’re applying for.
• Internships and placements. Include any legal internships or work placements to  demonstrate practical skills and a real commitment to a career in law.
• Professional development. Highlight involvement in law societies, moot court competitions, pro bono work, or student organisations.

Remember, if your education and training is particularly impressive or more relevant than your work experience, consider placing this section before your employment history. This is known as a functional CV, which emphasises your qualifications and shows your commitment to professional growth in the field of law.

Pick the right law student CV design & layout

By this point, you already know how to write your law student CV. So let’s talk about the design and layout. Your application needs to be clean and straightforward. The roles for which you are applying will be highly formal. You need to make sure that your application matches that.

Wherever possible, make use of white space. This means not cramming your CV with too much information. Leave  appropriate gaps around the sections and edges of the document.

Our recommendation is to use a streamlined,  simple design with a  modern font. While a pop of colour is fine and can add a punch, avoid more than one colour on your CV.

If you need inspiration, you can take a look at our professionally-designed  CV templates for law students and let us take care of the formatting!

Law student job market & outlook

You’ve (almost) got a law degree under your belt. So what happens next? Common career paths can lead to becoming a barrister or solicitor. However, those aren’t the only options. 

According to Prospects, alternative job options for law graduates include the following:

• Arbitrator
• Barrister’s clerk
• Chartered legal executive
• Company secretary
• Licensed conveyancer
• Paralegal
• Trade mark attorney

While these positions relate directly to your law degree, you may also want to look into other roles where your qualification would be useful. Examples include becoming an advice worker, tax advisor, or town planner. 

Now that you have graduated, take the time to consider what the right path is for you. Figure out what  your strengths and passions are, and take it from there.

Key takeaways for building a law student CV

Pursuing a career in law takes dedication, commitment, and intelligence, so you should feel proud of what you’re accomplishing! Let that fuel you as you create your law student CV.

Incorporate your extensive education, your high marks and accomplishments, and any relevant work experience you have (whether paid or volunteer) to lay the foundation for a long and successful career in law.

Our online  CV builder is a great place to start. We’ll help you pull everything together and create an eye-catching CV for a law student in mere minutes.