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Associate Attorney Resume Example

An associate attorney resume must prove billable-hour discipline, deal or case experience, and bar admission to pass both ATS filters and partner review.

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Associate Attorney Resume Sample

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Associate Attorney resume example rendered in the Manuscript template
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CONNOR BLAKE

Associate Attorney - Corporate & M&A

Chicago, IL · c.blake@email.com · (555) 214-7783

Summary

Corporate associate with 5 years advising public and private companies on mergers, acquisitions, and financing transactions. Closed over $1.2B in deal value and manages due diligence teams of up to 8 associates.

Experience

Associate Attorney · Kirkland & Ellis LLP

2021 - Present

  • Advised acquirers and targets on 14 M&A transactions ranging from $50M to $410M, drafting purchase agreements, disclosure schedules, and closing documents
  • Led due diligence review for a $410M private equity buyout, identifying $6M in contingent liabilities that reduced final purchase price
  • Supervised and trained 4 junior associates and 2 summer associates on deal-room protocol and document review
  • Negotiates credit agreement covenants across 6 financings totaling $340M in facilities

Summer Associate / Law Clerk · Sidley Austin LLP

2019 - 2021

  • Drafted memoranda on securities disclosure requirements for 3 IPO clients, cited directly in registration statement filings
  • Researched antitrust precedent for a Hart-Scott-Rodino filing, contributing to a 2-week faster clearance timeline
  • Reviewed 900+ commercial contracts in 2 data rooms, flagging 47 change-of-control provisions
  • Prepared deposition outlines and exhibit binders for 5 witnesses in a breach-of-warranty case

Legal Intern · Cook County State's Attorney's Office

2018 - 2019

  • Summarized 60+ case files and witness statements for prosecutors before preliminary hearings
  • Researched Illinois evidentiary rules on Westlaw and drafted 12 bench memoranda for supervisors
  • Indexed discovery productions in a 400-document fraud matter using an internal case tracker

Education

J.D. — University of Chicago Law School · 2021

Skills

Contract Drafting, Due Diligence, M&A Transactions, Securities Law, Westlaw, LexisNexis, Legal Research, Deal Management, Client Counseling, Corporate Governance, Regulatory Compliance

Certifications

Licensed Attorney, State of Illinois, Supreme Court of Illinois

Admitted to Practice, U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois

CIPP/US, International Association of Privacy Professionals

Key Achievements

Named to Illinois Super Lawyers Rising Stars list, 2024 and 2025

Logged 180 pro bono hours on immigration and small business clinic matters

Selected for the firm-wide associate leadership program, 12 of 240 associates

Published in the Business Law Journal on earnout dispute litigation trends

Languages

English (Native), Spanish (Professional Working)

Interests

Appellate advocacy coaching, Long-distance cycling, Chess, Jazz piano

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Must-Have Keywords for Associate Attorney Resumes

These are the keywords ATS systems and recruiters search for. Include them naturally in your Skills, Summary, and Experience sections.

LitigationDue DiligenceContract DraftingLegal ResearchWestlawLexisNexisBar AdmissionMotion PracticeClient CounselingDiscoveryMergers & AcquisitionsLegal WritingCase ManagementDeposition

The Right Resume Structure for Associate Attorney Roles

ATS systems parse your resume top to bottom. The order of your sections matters — here is the order that works best for Associate Attorney applications:

  1. 1Contact Information
  2. 2Bar Admissions
  3. 3Professional Summary
  4. 4Practice Areas
  5. 5Work Experience
  6. 6Notable Matters
  7. 7Education
  8. 8Certifications

ATS Optimization Tips for Associate Attorney Resumes

  • Open with your bar admission(s) and jurisdictions right under your name so ATS and recruiters see eligibility instantly.
  • Quantify caseload and outcomes: "Managed 25+ active matters" or "Negotiated settlements totaling $4.2M."
  • Name the practice area explicitly (M&A, litigation, IP) in your title and summary — generic "Attorney" gets filtered out of specialized searches.
  • List law review, moot court, or clerkship experience if under 5 years out — it signals writing and research chops.
  • Use precise legal verbs: drafted, negotiated, litigated, argued, advised — avoid vague terms like "helped with."
  • Include CLE credits or specialized certifications if relevant to the target role.
  • Mirror keywords from the firm's practice group description, such as "cross-border transactions" or "regulatory compliance."

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