Paralegal Resume Skills and Keywords

What skills should I put on a paralegal resume?

The top skills to put on a paralegal resume are Thomson Reuters Westlaw; Orion Law Management Systems Orion; and Microsoft Office (Excel, Word and PowerPoint), along with law and government, administrative knowledge, and computers and electronics. Employers also look for dependability, attention to detail and integrity, which are best shown through results in your bullet points rather than listed.

• Thomson Reuters Westlaw
• Orion Law Management Systems Orion
• Microsoft Excel
• Microsoft Word
• Microsoft PowerPoint
• Law and Government knowledge
• Administrative knowledge
• Computers and Electronics knowledge
• Dependability
• Attention to Detail
• Integrity

What software should paralegals know?

Paralegal job postings most often ask for Thomson Reuters Westlaw; Orion Law Management Systems Orion; and Microsoft Office (Excel, Word and PowerPoint). Many paralegals also use information retrieval or search, document management and desktop publishing software; which products matter depends on the employer, so list the specific products a posting names and you have used.

• Thomson Reuters Westlaw
• Orion Law Management Systems Orion
• Microsoft Excel
• Microsoft Word
• Microsoft PowerPoint
• Microsoft Office

What hard skills do employers want in paralegals?

Paralegals need law and government and administrative knowledge far more than most workers, and computers and electronics and writing more than most. Name these in your resume summary and prove each one with a bullet that shows you using it.

• Law and Government · Needed far more than in most jobs
  Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.
• Administrative · Needed far more than in most jobs
  Knowledge of administrative and office procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and workplace terminology.
• Computers and Electronics · Needed more than in most jobs
  Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
• Writing · Needed more than in most jobs
  Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
• English Language · Needed more than in most jobs
  Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, and rules of composition and grammar.
• Reading Comprehension · Needed more than in most jobs
  Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.

Compared with the average rating across all jobs in Department of Labor data.

What soft skills do paralegals need?

The most important soft skills for paralegals are dependability, attention to detail and integrity, followed by cautiousness. Show them through results in your bullet points rather than listing them as single words.

1. Dependability: A tendency to be reliable, responsible, and consistent in meeting work-related obligations.
2. Attention to Detail: A tendency to be detail-oriented, organized, and thorough in completing work.
3. Integrity: A tendency to be honest and ethical at work.
4. Cautiousness: A tendency to be careful, deliberate, and risk-avoidant when making work-related decisions or doing work.

What keywords should a paralegal resume include?

A paralegal resume should include the exact tool names, skills and job title from the posting. For paralegals, common keywords include Thomson Reuters Westlaw; Orion Law Management Systems Orion; Microsoft Office (Excel, Word and PowerPoint); Immigration Paralegal; and Law Associate. Applicant tracking systems and recruiters scan for these words, so use them wherever they truthfully describe your experience.

How do I write paralegal resume bullet points?

Start each paralegal bullet point with a past-tense verb and a core task, such as “Prepared for trial by performing tasks such as organizing exhibits,” then end it with a measurable result: what changed, by how much, and for whom. These starters come from the job’s most important tasks.

What are other job titles for a paralegal?

Other job titles for a paralegal include Immigration Paralegal, Law Associate, Legal Analyst, Legal Assistant and Legal Clerk. Government job data groups them as “Paralegals and Legal Assistants.” Search for these titles too, and use the posting’s exact title on your resume when it fits your experience.

• Immigration Paralegal
• Law Associate
• Legal Analyst
• Legal Assistant
• Legal Clerk
• Legal Processing Assistant
• Litigation Paralegal
• Paralegal Specialist
• Real Estate Paralegal
• Certified Paralegal
• Contract Preparer
• Contracts Specialist
• Corporate Legal Assistant
• Corporate Paralegal
• Document Processor
• Estate Planning Paralegal
• Family Law Paralegal
• Intellectual Property Paralegal
• Legal Aide
• Litigation Legal Assistant

What education do paralegals need?

Most paralegals need an associate's degree to get hired. No prior work experience is usually required. On your resume, list coursework or certifications in law and government, administrative knowledge, and computers and electronics. In a federal survey, 37% of paralegals said the job requires a bachelor's degree and 20% an associate's degree.

How much do paralegals make?

Paralegals earn a median salary of $62,890 a year, according to May 2025 federal wage data. The lowest-paid 10% earn less than $44,740, and the highest-paid 10% earn more than $101,500. Employment is projected to shrink 0.3% from 2025 to 2035, slower than the 3.5% average for all jobs, with about 40,800 openings a year.

Openings still come up as people retire or move on, but in a shrinking field, skills that carry over to other jobs matter more on your resume.

What’s changing in this field

The Bureau of Labor Statistics expects these trends to shape hiring. If your experience touches any of them, say so.

• Productivity change - share decreases as tasks such as conducting research and preparing documents are increasingly automated via technology including artificial intelligence (AI), reducing the need for these workers.

What other jobs can paralegals do?

Paralegals’ skills carry over best to jobs as legal secretaries and administrative assistants; title examiners, abstractors, and searchers; and court reporters and simultaneous captioners, which use the most similar skills and day-to-day work.