An estate planning attorney resume that only says "did estate planning" gets filtered out. The firms hiring for this role care about one thing: can you draft estate documents, plan around tax and family goals, handle administration, and back it with bar admission. The resumes that land interviews talk about drafting, planning, and bar admission — not just "did estate planning."
In one line: your resume should answer "what estate documents did you draft, what planning did you do, and where are you admitted."
"Did estate planning" tells a hiring partner nothing:
Quantify around: plans/documents drafted, estates/trusts administered, matters/clients, practice areas. See how to quantify achievements on a resume. Keep matters confidential and never promise tax or legal outcomes.
Group your estate planning attorney skills so a reviewer can scan them:
See how to write the skills section. For an estate planning attorney, lead with drafting and planning — documents are the means, sound plans that carry out client wishes are the result. Related practice areas are the corporate attorney resume guide and the employment attorney resume guide.
These roles are both transactional but differ — keep your resume positioned:
One plans estates for individuals; the other handles business transactions. Tailor to the target role — see how to tailor your resume to a job description.
Document drafting, planning strategy, administration, and bar admission. Use plans/documents drafted, estates/trusts administered, matters/clients, and practice areas to show your experience — not just "did estate planning." Keep matters confidential.
Use real figures within confidentiality: plans/documents drafted, estates/trusts administered, and matters handled. "Drafted wills and trusts, advised on estate and tax planning" beats "did estate planning." Never promise tax outcomes.
An estate planning attorney serves individuals and families — wills, trusts, tax planning, administration. A corporate attorney serves businesses — deals, drafting, governance. One plans estates; the other handles business transactions. Frame your resume to match the role.
If you have one, yes — a tax LLM or relevant tax background is valued in estate planning. List it with your bar admission and drafting/planning experience so it's clear you bring both the credential and the practical estate-planning skill set.
The core of an estate planning attorney resume is showing drafting, planning, and bar admission. Make your drafting, planning strategy, and credentials clear, keep matters confidential, and your resume will compete. When it's ready, run it through Prism Resume's free check: prismresume.com/check.
Wondering how your own resume holds up?
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