How to Write a Law Resume and CV for Internships and Job Applications

A law resume follows different conventions than a general corporate resume. Here’s what actually matters for internship and entry-level job applications in India.

Structure that works

Lead with education (college, year, CGPA if strong), followed by moot court and legal-writing experience, internships (most recent first, naming the organisation and what you actually did — drafting, research, court attendance), publications or blog contributions, and co-curricular activities (debate, legal aid clinics, student bodies).

What to actually say about an internship

Avoid vague lines like “assisted with research.” Be specific: “Researched and drafted a memo on [specific issue] for a [case type] matter” or “Reviewed [number] contracts for compliance gaps under [specific act].” Specificity signals real engagement; vagueness reads as padding, and reviewers notice.

Common mistakes

• Listing every internship with identical generic descriptions — tailor each one to what was distinct about it.
• Omitting moot court and client counselling competition experience, which many recruiters specifically look for as a proxy for advocacy skills.
• A resume longer than one page for a student with limited experience — concise and well-organised beats long and padded.
• No mention of legal research tool familiarity (SCC Online, Manupatra, or free resources like Indian Kanoon) where relevant to the role.

A cover letter still matters

Pair the resume with a short cover letter or email naming the specific organisation and why you want to work there — a generic mass-sent email is easy to spot and easy to ignore.

More: internship cover letter template · building a legal writing sample · free LL.B. notes