Resume keywords & skills for a Paralegal
A paralegal resume's keywords center on legal research and case support: legal research, document drafting, case management, discovery and e-discovery, legal writing, trial preparation, contract review, filing pleadings, cite checking, and due diligence. On tools, firms all but assume Westlaw, LexisNexis, Clio, Relativity, and PACER, with NALA / NFPA certification as a credential signal. Paste your resume below to see which of this role's keywords you hit and miss — comparison only, nothing uploaded. One honest note: certifications are verifiable, so list only what you actually hold.
Paralegal resume keywords (28)
Hard skills
Tools & tech
Soft skills
Check your resume against these Paralegal keywords
Paste your resume (or drop a file) and see which of this role's keywords you already have and which you're missing — entirely in your browser, nothing uploaded.
Keywords are relevance, not a trick
A paralegal can't do work reserved for licensed attorneys (appearing in court, giving legal advice), so your wording must accurately reflect your real duties. NALA / NFPA certifications are verifiable — list only what you hold, and overstating your role is a red line.
Frequently asked questions
Core practice skills and the areas of law you know: legal research, document drafting, case management, discovery, trial preparation, cite checking — plus your practice area (litigation / corporate / real estate / immigration). Firms prize reliably supporting attorneys in moving cases forward, so spelling out the specific tasks you've genuinely done reads stronger than a noun pile.
Almost always — legal research is core to the role, and Westlaw and LexisNexis come up constantly. Litigation / e-discovery roles also look for Relativity and PACER. List the platforms you've genuinely used and say what for; don't pad with ones you haven't touched, since an interview question about research specifics will expose it.
Not necessarily. Many firms weight real hands-on experience over the certificate itself, and a solid record of research, drafting, and case management often moves a hiring manager more. List a certification honestly if you have one, and don't claim one you don't — it's verifiable. Pursuing it is fine, but proving competence through real work is what counts.
No. Keywords only raise relevance; legal hiring ultimately turns on your real practice skills, precision, and reliability. PolishCat helps align wording and spot gaps — and never encourages inflating your duties into attorney-level work, since accurate, honest wording matters especially in the legal field.
Updated · PolishCat team