Solicitor CV Example
Updated 7 July 2026
A solicitor CV must demonstrate technical legal competence, seat breadth, and measurable impact. Whether you are newly qualified or a senior associate, your CV should lead with a targeted personal statement, expand your training contract or post-qualification experience in detail, and quantify your contribution to matters, clients, and the firm.
Solicitor CV examples
Newly Qualified Solicitor
entryDetailed training contract seats with concrete achievements, active voice throughout, and clear commitment to a target practice area.
Senior Solicitor
seniorDemonstrates leadership, high-value caseload, business development, and supervision of junior lawyers, with quantified outcomes across all roles.
How to write a solicitor CV
Format and length
A solicitor CV runs to two pages for newly qualified candidates and up to three pages for senior associates or partners. Use reverse-chronological order throughout, with your personal statement at the top, followed by experience, education (LPC, LLB, A-Levels, GCSEs), and additional sections for achievements, publications, and professional memberships.
Personal statement
Open with 150 words (4-5 sentences) naming your target practice area, your core legal skills (research, drafting, client care, negotiation), and your commitment to the field. Tailor this to the role you are applying for.
Experience: the training contract
The training contract deserves substantial coverage, up to three-quarters of a page. Present each seat in reverse-chronological order with dates, and give roughly ten bullet points per seat. Cover both assisted and independent caseload work, using active voice and putting yourself as the protagonist: "Drafted documents for the case" rather than "Documents were drafted." Quantify your contribution with metrics firms care about: billable hours, caseload volume, matter values, and cases won.
Experience: post-qualification roles
For each role, lead with achievements and measurable outcomes. Go beyond the job description: include initiative-led activities such as networking panels, university outreach, legal seminars, or contributions to firm marketing and business development.
Skills
Emphasise the core solicitor technical skills: legal research, document drafting, client interaction and client care, negotiation, and the breadth of departmental exposure. Tailor the skills list to your target practice area (e.g. for litigation, highlight CPR knowledge and advocacy).
Education and qualifications
List qualifications in reverse-chronological order from LPC down to A-Levels and GCSEs. Use full degree titles with classification (e.g. "LLB Law, 2:1") and institution. Note the route to qualification (LPC or SQE). If circumstances affected your grades, add a brief note that you would welcome the opportunity to explain.
Additional sections
Include achievements (awards, certifications), publications, professional memberships, and volunteering. These sections show you exceed the trainee or associate baseline and contribute to the profession.
Personal statement examples
Newly qualified solicitor specialising in commercial litigation, with two years' training contract experience across contentious and non-contentious seats. Strong track record in legal research, document drafting, and client care, with particular expertise in the Civil Procedure Rules and dispute resolution. Committed to building a career in commercial and employment litigation.
Hard-working and dedicated solicitor looking for a role in a law firm where I can use my skills and grow my career. I am a team player with a passion for the law and helping clients.
Writing your experience
The result-plus-metric pattern
Every bullet point should follow the pattern: action verb + task + measurable outcome. Solicitor CVs live or die on specificity. "Drafted documents" is a duty; "Drafted particulars of claim for 12 breach of contract cases, achieving settlement in 10 before trial" is an achievement.
Before and after examples
| Weak (duty-focused) | Strong (achievement-focused) |
|---|---|
| Responsible for managing a caseload of employment tribunal claims. | Managed a caseload of 18 employment tribunal claims, achieving settlement in 14 cases before hearing and securing costs orders in 2 contested matters. |
| Assisted with disclosure exercises. | Reviewed and indexed 1,200 pages of disclosure for a £2.3 million commercial contract dispute, preparing a chronology and key document bundle. |
| Drafted legal documents. | Drafted particulars of claim, defences, and witness statements for 12 breach of contract cases, ensuring compliance with CPR timescales in 100 per cent of matters. |
Action verbs for solicitors
Use active voice and put yourself as the protagonist. Strong verbs for solicitors include: drafted, advised, conducted, managed, liaised, negotiated, prepared, reviewed, represented, achieved, secured, delivered, led, supervised, contributed.
Quantify with the metrics firms care about
- Billable hours worked or target met (e.g. "Recorded 1,680 billable hours, exceeding the seat target by 12 per cent")
- Caseload volume (e.g. "Managed a caseload of 25 residential conveyancing transactions")
- Value of matters handled (e.g. "Assisted on six M&A transactions with a combined value of £18 million")
- Matters or cases won (e.g. "Achieved settlement in 14 out of 18 cases before trial")
- Client satisfaction or retention (e.g. "Maintained a client satisfaction score of 4.8 out of 5")
Go beyond the seat job description
Include initiative-led activities to show you exceed the baseline: networking panels, university outreach, legal seminars, contributions to firm marketing or business development, pro bono work, or leadership among peers. These demonstrate commercial awareness and commitment to the profession.
Key skills & ATS keywords
Hard skills
Soft skills
ATS keywords
Education & certifications
Qualifications order and detail
List qualifications in reverse-chronological order: LPC (or SQE), LLB, A-Levels, GCSEs. Use full degree titles with classification (e.g. "LLB Law, 2:1" or "Legal Practice Course, Commendation"). Include the institution and dates (start year and end year).
Include A-Levels and GCSEs
Unlike many professions, solicitor CVs include A-Level and GCSE results. List subjects and grades (e.g. "Law (A), History (A), English Literature (B)" for A-Levels; "9 GCSEs including English Language (8), Mathematics (7), and History (8)" for GCSEs). This is standard practice in the UK legal market.
LPC and SQE routes
Note your route to qualification. If you completed the LPC, state the grade (Pass, Commendation, or Distinction) and any elective distinctions (e.g. "Distinction in Civil Litigation and Employment Law electives"). If you are qualifying via the SQE, note SQE1 and SQE2 results and your qualifying work experience (QWE).
Relevant modules and dissertation
For your LLB, include relevant modules with grades if strong (e.g. "Employment Law (68 per cent), Contract Law (70 per cent)") and your dissertation title and mark if it relates to your target practice area (e.g. "Dissertation: 'The Impact of the Civil Procedure Rules on Access to Justice' (72 per cent)").
Explaining grade circumstances
If circumstances affected your grades (e.g. illness, caring responsibilities), add a brief note: "I would welcome the opportunity to discuss my academic background in more detail." Do not over-explain on the CV itself; save the detail for the cover letter or interview.
Professional development and certifications
Include any post-qualification certifications or professional development relevant to your practice area (e.g. CEDR accredited mediator, STEP affiliate for private client work, or specialist advocacy training). List these in the achievements section with the issuing body.
Common mistakes to avoid
Listing duties instead of achievements (e.g. "Responsible for managing a caseload")
Show measurable outcomes: "Managed a caseload of 18 employment tribunal claims, achieving settlement in 14 cases before hearing and securing costs orders in 2 contested matters."
Exaggerating your role on matters (e.g. "Led a £5 million M&A transaction" when you were a trainee assisting)
Be honest about your contribution: "Assisted on a £5 million M&A transaction, conducting due diligence and drafting disclosure letters." Interviewers spot inflated claims, and they surface during background screening.
Using passive voice (e.g. "Documents were drafted" or "Clients were advised")
Use active voice and put yourself as the protagonist: "Drafted documents for 12 breach of contract cases" or "Advised 15 corporate clients on employment tribunal claims."
Giving the training contract minimal space (e.g. one line per seat)
Expand each seat with roughly ten bullet points covering both assisted and independent caseload work. The training contract deserves up to three-quarters of a page.
Omitting A-Levels and GCSEs
Include A-Level and GCSE results with subjects and grades. This is standard practice for solicitor CVs in the UK.
Failing to tailor the CV to the target practice area
For a litigation role, expand on contentious work (e.g. employment or property litigation), emphasising CPR knowledge and drafting capability. For corporate, highlight M&A, due diligence, and commercial contracts.
Junior vs senior: what changes
| Aspect | Junior | Senior |
|---|---|---|
| Personal statement | Leads with training contract experience, core legal skills (research, drafting, client care), and commitment to a target practice area. | Leads with years of post-qualification experience, specialism, high-value caseload, leadership, and business development track record. |
| Experience section | Training contract seats dominate, with roughly ten bullet points per seat covering assisted and independent work. May include paralegal or legal secretary roles. | Post-qualification roles dominate, with emphasis on case strategy, supervision of juniors, business development, and high-value matters. Training contract is summarised briefly. |
| Metrics and achievements | Billable hours met, caseload volume, matters settled, and positive feedback from supervisors. Achievements focus on learning and contribution. | High-value matters won, client retention, fee income generated, team leadership, and awards or recognition (e.g. Legal 500 Rising Star). Achievements focus on impact and leadership. |
| Skills emphasis | Core technical skills (legal research, drafting, client care) and breadth of seat exposure. May highlight specific tools or systems learned. | Strategic skills (case strategy, risk assessment, negotiation, advocacy) and business development. Highlights supervision, mentoring, and thought leadership. |
| Additional sections | Pro bono work, law society roles, and volunteering to show commitment and initiative. Publications are rare. | Professional memberships (e.g. ELA committee member), publications in legal press, speaking engagements, and mentoring. Shows thought leadership and profile in the market. |
| CV length | Two pages, with the training contract taking up to three-quarters of a page. | Two to three pages, with post-qualification roles taking the majority of space and the training contract summarised in one or two bullet points. |