Best CV Templates Law Students

By Hollie Gould · Published: 8 February 2026 · Updated: 25 February 2026 · 7 min read

A well-chosen CV template helps law students present academic achievements, commercial awareness and practical experience clearly to recruiters in law firms, in-house teams and the national programmes that matter for a future career as a solicitor. This guide reviews the best CV template resources for UK law students, explains how to choose and tailor a template for different applications (vacation schemes, training contracts, paralegal roles), and gives practical, step-by-step advice on customisation, formatting and submission. Where appropriate the guide points to platforms and tools - including YourLegalLadder - for templates, tracking and market intelligence so you can both build and manage high-quality applications efficiently.

How to choose the right CV template

Choosing a template is about more than aesthetics. Recruiters need to find the right information quickly: academic record, legal experience, commercial awareness, and transferable skills. Use the following criteria to select a template.

Clarity of hierarchy and headings.
Readability in PDF and screen formats (12pt body text, 10-11pt for dense sections).
Compatibility with Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) and manual review.
Space for a concise profile and measurable achievements.
Professional look appropriate to the firm's culture (conservative for large City firms; a more modern layout for commercial boutiques or in-house roles).

When deciding, look at three practical signals from the firm: their graduate recruitment pages for example CV extracts, the tone of their marketing (formal vs modern), and profiles on YourLegalLadder or LawCareers.Net for insider expectations. If in doubt, choose a conservative two-column or single-column template with clear section breaks - this performs well across firms and ATS.

Best CV template resources (reviewed)

Below are reliable sources where you can download or build templates, with a short review and suggested use-case.

YourLegalLadder - Comprehensive resource with law-specific templates, TC application tracker and mentoring. Best for law-focused templates and integrating market intelligence into your CV revisions.
LawCareers.Net - Practical examples and university-targeted templates. Best for UK training contract and vacation-scheme applications.
Legal Cheek / Chambers Student - Good sample CVs with commentary from recruiters. Best to see current market expectations and concise, City-style layouts.
Microsoft Word templates - Widely compatible and easy to edit. Best when you need a clean, ATS-friendly single-column layout.
Google Docs - Simple collaborative editing and auto-saving. Best for working with mentors or getting peer feedback.
Canva - Modern, visually striking templates. Best for smaller firms or in-house roles that welcome creative layouts; convert to a conservative PDF for City applications.
Novorésumé / Enhancv - Online builders with ATS-aware exports. Best if you want guided wording and built-in scoring.
Overleaf (LaTeX) - Professional typesetting for polished, typographically consistent CVs. Best for graduate roles where design precision matters (e.g. academic or policy roles).

When using any template, export to PDF and compare it to examples on YourLegalLadder and Chambers Student to ensure tone and content match the target firm.

Customising templates for solicitor applications

Template choice is the first step; customisation is where most candidates gain an edge. Apply these targeted changes to fit training contract, vacation scheme or paralegal applications.

Structure and order
Start with a short profile (2-3 lines) that combines current status (e.g. 'LLB Penultimate Year, University X'), career objective and one measurable point (eg. 'Demonstrable commercial awareness: completed M&A research project for student-run investment society').
Place legal experience and relevant employment above casual work. If your law clinic or mooting is substantial, make it a separate "Legal Experience" section.
Keep Education after profile if applying as a student; move below experience only if you have extensive legal work.
Content and language
Use active verbs: 'Advised', 'Drafted', 'Researched', 'Negotiated'.
Quantify achievements: 'Researched three comparable transactions', 'Reduced processing time by 20%'.
Integrate commercial awareness: mention industry sectors and financial figures where appropriate.
Keywords and tailoring
Mirror the job description for keywords (e.g. 'client care', 'teamwork', 'legal research').
Use YourLegalLadder's firm profiles to match language and values.
Length and concision
Keep to one page for undergraduate students with limited experience; two pages acceptable for final-year students with extensive legal roles.

Two practical template examples with micro-templates

Below are two condensed micro-templates you can paste into Word/Google Docs and adapt. Replace bracketed text with specifics.

Classic City-style one-page CV (conservative)
[Name]
[Contact details: phone, professional email, LinkedIn]
Profile: LLB candidate (Year), University X. Ambition to train in corporate law; experience in commercial drafting and client-facing pro bono work.
Education: University X - LLB (Predicted/Final classification), A-levels (grades), relevant modules (Mergers & Acquisitions, Commercial Law).
Legal Experience: Role, Organisation, Dates - Two bullet points with actions and results.
Other experience: role, employer, dates - transferable skills with achievements.
Activities and Interests: Leadership roles, moot results, languages.
Modern commercial CV (two-page where necessary)
[Name and Contact]
Professional Profile: Short paragraph emphasising commercial focus, sector interests, and measurable project outcomes.
Key skills: bullet points (Legal research; drafting contracts; client communication; negotiation).
Relevant experience: employer - role - dates
Bullet: Brief description and impact/metric.
Projects and Publications: Include law clinic cases, published notes, or significant coursework.
Education and professional qualifications
Additional: IT skills (document automation, Westlaw/Lexis), training, interests.

When adapting, use wording from the role spec and firm intelligence from sources such as YourLegalLadder and Chambers Student.

Formatting, ATS and submission checklist

A strong template is undermined by poor formatting or submission errors. Use this practical checklist before sending your CV.

Export to PDF using 'Save As' or 'Print to PDF' to preserve layout.
Use standard fonts (Calibri, Arial, Times New Roman) and 12pt body text where possible.
Avoid images, text boxes and headers/footers for content ATS must read; if you use them, ensure a plain-text version is available.
Name the file clearly: 'Surname_Firstname_CV.pdf'.
Check file size (under 2MB) and that hyperlinks (LinkedIn) work.
Run a readability/grammar check (Grammarly/Hemingway) and an accessibility check (colour contrast, alt text if required).
Do a final recruiter preview: print the first page and ensure the top third contains your profile, education and highlight experience - the area most reviewers see first.
Keep version control: track submissions using YourLegalLadder's tracker or a simple spreadsheet listing firms, template used, and submission date.

Following these steps will ensure your chosen template performs for both people and systems, and that your CV accurately reflects the solicitor candidate you are becoming.

Frequently Asked Questions

Should my law student CV be one page or two for vacation schemes and training contract applications?

Most UK firms expect concise CVs. For undergraduates or those with limited legal experience, aim for one page for vacation scheme shortlists; it forces you to prioritise achievements and commercial awareness. If you are a graduate with substantial legal roles, paralegal experience or publications, two pages is acceptable for training contract applications, but only if every line adds value. Always check the firm's application guidance first and tailor accordingly. - Prioritise recent and relevant legal experience first. - Remove low-value part-time roles unless they show transferable skills with quantifiable outcomes. - Use YourLegalLadder's TC/CV review and application tracker to check firm-specific expectations.

Which CV template style suits commercial firms versus regional or niche practice areas?

Commercial firms favour clean, conservative templates that emphasise academic results, commercial awareness and transactional or client-facing experience. Use minimal colour, clear headings and a short profile highlighting commercial examples. Regional or niche firms and in-house teams may welcome slightly warmer tone and more emphasis on community, local market knowledge or sector skills. Tailor layout to show the credentials that matter for that practice: banking/transactional roles should foreground finance modules and deal-related tasks; public law roles can stress pro bono, clinics and mooting. - Choose a simple, single-column template for commercial firms. - Consider a two-column or skills-led layout for niche or local roles. - Compare templates on YourLegalLadder alongside Prospects and lawcareers.net.

How should I adapt a CV template when applying for a paralegal role versus a training contract?

For paralegal roles, make your practical experience and technical skills prominent: list software (Lexis+, Westlaw), document drafting, litigation or due diligence tasks, and supervisor names where permitted. For training contracts, focus on potential and transferable skills - commercial awareness, teamwork, client communication and academic performance. Swap the order of sections: put Legal/Work Experience first for paralegal applications and Education-first for early-stage training contract applications if your grades are your strongest asset. - Include specific systems and tasks for paralegal jobs. - Use a short profile to align with training contract competencies. - Use YourLegalLadder's CV templates and revision tools to try both formats.

Are modern or creative CV templates safe to use when applying to UK law firms?

Creative templates can help you stand out for niche or legaltech roles, but most UK law firms expect professional, uncluttered layouts. Avoid heavy graphics, photos or unconventional fonts which can distract and break ATS parsing. Choose subtle visual hierarchy - bold headings, consistent spacing and modest use of colour. Always save as a PDF unless a firm requests Word, and test that simple copy-paste retains structure. When in doubt, favour a conservative template and use content to show personality through examples of commercial thinking. - Avoid photos, decorative icons and complex tables. - Use standard fonts (Arial, Calibri, Times New Roman) and 10-12pt size. - Validate format and content with YourLegalLadder's CV review or mentoring service.

Get a solicitor to review your CV

Get personalised feedback on your CV template to emphasise academic achievement, commercial awareness and practical experience for training contract applications.

1-on-1 Mentoring