How to Add Certificate Courses to Your Law CV (with Examples)

Put certificate courses in a separate “Certifications” or “Courses and Certifications” section, below education and internships. List each one on a single line with the course name, the issuer, the month and year, and the certificate ID or verification link. Keep only the two to four that match the role, never call a course an internship, and be ready to explain in an interview what you learnt and how you used it.

Where certificate courses go on a law CV

A law CV is read top-down in under a minute. Recruiters look for education, internships, moots and publications first. Certificates support that story; they do not lead it.

A typical order for a law student:

1. Name and contact details
2. Education (with year and marks, if good)
3. Internships
4. Moot courts, publications, research papers
5. Courses and Certifications
6. Positions of responsibility, languages, interests

Exception: if you are a first-year student with no internships yet, the certifications section can move up, just below education. For a first-year CV, see how to write a law student CV with no experience.

How to word each entry

Keep each entry to one line, or two at most. Use this format:

Course name, Issuer, Month Year (Certificate ID: XXXX, verify at lexfolio.in/verify-certificate/)

Examples:

• Legal Drafting: Notices, Affidavits, Applications and Agreements, Lexfolio, August 2026 (Certificate ID: [your ID])
• New Criminal Laws: BNS, BNSS and BSA, Lexfolio, September 2026 (Certificate ID: [your ID])

If the role is directly related, add a short line on what the course covered: “Drafted legal notices, affidavits and a rent agreement as part of module assignments” only if that is true for the course you took. Do not add claims you cannot back up.

Use the exact course name shown on the certificate. A recruiter who checks the ID will compare it.

How to talk about certificates in an interview

Interviewers often pick one line from your CV and ask about it. If they pick a certificate, you need a short, specific answer. Use this pattern:

1. Why you took it. “During my internship in Allahabad I realised I could not draft an affidavit without help.”
2. One concrete thing you learnt. “I learnt the standard structure: deponent details, numbered paras, verification clause, and how the verification differs from the body.”
3. Where you used it. “In my next internship I prepared first drafts of two affidavits that my senior corrected and filed.”

If you cannot answer a basic question about a course on your CV, remove it. An unexplained certificate hurts more than a missing one.

Example: Rahul lists “New Criminal Laws: BNS, BNSS and BSA”. The interviewer asks which BNSS section deals with FIR. He answers s.173, adds that it allows a zero FIR and an e-FIR to be signed within three days. That one answer makes the certificate credible.

What not to do

• Do not call a course an internship. A self-paced course is not an internship, even if a seller labels it a “virtual internship”. BCI’s Legal Education Rules 2008 require actual internships, and interviewers know the difference.
• Do not list dozens. Fifteen one-day certificates suggest you collected paper rather than skills. Keep the strongest two to four.
• Do not inflate the status. A certificate of completion is not a diploma, a degree or a professional qualification. Do not describe it as one.
• Do not hide the issuer. Always name who issued it.
• Do not list courses you did not finish. If you have not passed the final test, it does not go on the CV.
• Do not use outdated titles. If a course taught only IPC and CrPC, consider whether it still helps you, since BNS, BNSS and BSA have been in force since 1 July 2024.

LinkedIn and verification

Add the same certificates to the “Licenses and certifications” section on LinkedIn. Enter the issuer, issue month, the credential ID and the verification URL. Keep CV and LinkedIn consistent: same names, same dates.

For Lexfolio certificates, anyone can confirm your certificate at lexfolio.in/verify-certificate/ using the ID printed on it. Keep the PDF saved on your phone so you can show it at an interview if asked.

Want something specific for the CV? Browse the certificate courses page.

Frequently asked questions

Should I put certificate courses above internships?

Usually no. Internships carry more weight. The exception is a first-year student with no internships yet.

Do I need to include the certificate ID?

Yes, if the issuer offers verification. It lets a recruiter check the certificate in seconds and shows you have nothing to hide.

Can I describe a recorded course as a “virtual internship”?

No. That is misleading. List it under certifications with its real name.

How many certificates should a law CV have?

Two to four relevant ones. More than that, and the section starts to look like padding.

Does a Lexfolio certificate count as a qualification?

No. It is a certificate of completion issued by Lexfolio after passing the final test. It shows you studied and were tested on a subject; it is not a degree or diploma.

Quick quiz

Add a practical skill to your CV: Legal Drafting certificate, ₹499.

Sources

• Bar Council of India Rules of Legal Education 2008 (internship requirement)
• Advocates Act 1961, ss.29 and 33
• Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita 2023, s.173

This page is for education and general information, not legal advice for a specific case. Law as on 29 October 2026.