A litigation attorney resume that only says "handled litigation" gets filtered out. The people hiring for this role care about one thing: can you manage cases, draft motions, run discovery, handle hearings and trials, and get good outcomes. The resumes that land interviews talk about case management, motions/discovery, and outcomes — not just "handled litigation."
In one line: your resume should answer "what cases did you manage, what motions and discovery did you handle, and what outcomes did you achieve."
"Handled litigation" tells a hiring manager nothing:
Quantify around: cases / caseload, motions / briefs, depositions / discovery, outcomes (settlements/wins). See how to quantify achievements on a resume. Keep claims accurate and outcomes honest.
Group your litigation skills so a reviewer can scan them:
See how to write the skills section. For a litigation attorney, lead with case management and outcomes — motions and discovery are the work, results are what hiring partners weigh. A sibling specialization is the corporate counsel resume guide.
These legal roles are very different in nature — keep your resume positioned:
One litigates disputes; the other does transactional contract work. A sibling specialization is the ip attorney resume guide. Tailor to the target role — see how to tailor your resume to a job description.
Case management, motions/discovery, and outcomes. Use cases/caseload, motions/briefs, depositions/discovery, and outcomes (settlements/wins) to show what you managed and what results you achieved — not just "handled litigation." Keep claims accurate.
Use real numbers: caseload managed, motions and briefs drafted, depositions and discovery handled, and outcomes (favorable settlements, hearing/trial wins). "Managed a caseload, drafted motions, ran discovery, won favorable outcomes" beats "handled litigation." Keep outcomes honest.
A litigation attorney handles disputes — case management, motions, discovery, and trials/settlements. A contract attorney handles commercial agreements — drafting, negotiating, and managing contracts (transactional). One litigates; the other does transactional work. Frame your resume to match the role.
Yes, where you can share them appropriately — settlements, dismissals, motion and trial results are what hiring partners weigh most. Keep them accurate and respect confidentiality; describe outcomes and your role honestly rather than overstating, since litigation outcomes are easy to verify and overclaiming backfires.
The core of a litigation attorney resume is showing case management, motions/discovery, and outcomes. Make your case management, written advocacy, and results clear, keep claims accurate, 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?
Check it free — no sign-upAn attorney resume has to prove bar admission, practice expertise, and results — cases, deals, and outcomes. Learn what to lead with, where the bar goes, which skills to feature, and how to write one as a new lawyer.
A compliance counsel resume that only says 'handled compliance' gets filtered out. Hiring managers want compliance programs, regulatory advice, policy, investigations, and risk reduction. This guide covers what to prove, how to quantify it, how to write skills, how it differs from corporate counsel, and an FAQ. Free resume check at the end.
A contract attorney resume that only says 'reviewed contracts' gets filtered out. Hiring managers want contract drafting, negotiation, risk mitigation, and volume handled. This guide covers what to prove, how to quantify it, how to write skills, how it differs from corporate counsel, and an FAQ. Free resume check at the end.
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