Lawyer CV example: admission first, then practice areas and matters
A lawyer CV opens with where and when you were admitted, then lists practice areas with the matters you handled, described without naming clients, then education, languages and tools. Trainees name their training stage instead.1
Written 13 October 2026. CitedCV. How we write our guides
Put your admission on the first line
Before a partner or a general counsel reads about your cases, they want to know whether you can sign pleadings and appear in their courts. That is a matter of admission, and each system grants it differently. In Türkiye, article 9 of the Attorneys Act (Law No. 1136) says the right to use the title Avukat starts when the bar issues the licence (ruhsatname). In England and Wales, the National Careers Service says a solicitor must meet the character and suitability requirements of the Solicitors Regulation Authority. In the US, the BLS notes that each state’s highest court sets its own rules for bar admission.
How to write the admission line
- Admitted: Istanbul Bar Association, Türkiye, licence issued 2021.
- Solicitor of England and Wales, admitted 2024.
- Admitted to practise in New York, 2022.
- Trainee lawyer (stajyer avukat), Ankara Bar, training ends March 2027.
One line per jurisdiction, the year, and nothing vague such as “licensed lawyer”. If you are admitted in two places, list the one that matters for the job first.
How admission works in Türkiye, England and the US
| System | Education | Exam | Supervised training | Who admits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Türkiye, avukat | Law degree from a Turkish faculty, or a foreign one plus exams in the missing courses (Law 1136, art. 3) | Hukuk Mesleklerine Giriş Sınavı (HMGS), pass mark 70 out of 100 | One year: six months in courts, six with a lawyer of at least five years’ standing (art. 15) | The bar board decides; the bar issues the licence (arts. 7 to 9) |
| England and Wales, solicitor | Any degree or equivalent | SQE parts 1 and 2 | Two years of qualifying work experience | SRA, after character and suitability checks |
| England and Wales, barrister | Law degree or a conversion course | Bar training course, one year full time | Pupillage, one year | Called to the Bar through one of four Inns of Court |
| United States | J.D. from an accredited law school in most states | Bar exam | Varies by state | The state’s highest court |
Turkish training runs in a fixed order. The TBB training regulation (article 12) sends the trainee through the prosecutor’s office and the criminal, civil and enforcement courts in the first six months; the supervising lawyer then reports after three months and at the end (article 20). The bar can extend training by up to six months if the reports find it lacking (article 28).
Trainees: write the stage, not the title
Because Turkish law gives the title only with the licence, a trainee writes “trainee lawyer (stajyer avukat)” and the bar, never “lawyer”. The same caution applies in England, where the National Careers Service notes that people who began on the older route before 2021 may continue on it until 2032; say which route you are on.
Practice areas, written as matters
A list of practice areas tells a reader what you would like to do. A matter line tells them what you have done: the type of matter, your role, the volume, the forum and, where public, the result. Group matters under two to four practice areas so the reader sees depth rather than a catalogue.
| Practice area | Line that says little | Matter line |
|---|---|---|
| Commercial litigation | Handled commercial cases | Drafted pleadings in 35 commercial court cases; second chair at 12 hearings |
| Debt enforcement | Experience in enforcement | Ran 120 enforcement files for two lenders from payment order to collection |
| Employment | Employment law knowledge | Advised a 400-person manufacturer on 18 dismissals; 3 went to mediation, none to court |
| Corporate | Corporate transactions | Prepared share transfer and board documents for 6 private company acquisitions |
| Criminal defence | Criminal law experience | Attended police interviews and 40 first-instance hearings as junior counsel |
Confidentiality limits what you can name
Article 36 of the Turkish Attorneys Act forbids a lawyer to disclose what was entrusted to them or learned in the course of their work. On a CV, describe the client by sector and size (“a listed retailer”, “two lenders”) and give the matter type and your role. Name a client or a case only if it is already public and your professional rules allow it.
Sample CV section: commercial litigator moving in-house (example)
Example only. The person, firm and figures are invented to show the form; write your own facts.
- Elif Kaya, Lawyer (Avukat). Istanbul. Email, phone, LinkedIn.
- Admission: Istanbul Bar Association, licence issued 2021, after one year of training (2020 to 2021).
- Associate, a 25-lawyer commercial litigation firm, Istanbul, 2021 to present: drafted pleadings in 35 commercial court cases and second-chaired 12 hearings; ran 120 enforcement files for two lenders; prepared 9 expert-report objections that the court accepted in part or in full.
- Advisory work for a 400-person manufacturer: reviewed 60 supplier contracts a year against a standard playbook; advised on 18 dismissals, 3 of which settled in mediation.
- Trainee lawyer (stajyer avukat), 2020 to 2021: six months of court rotation, then six months at the same firm.
- Education: LLB, 2019; LLM in international commercial law, part time, 2023. Languages: Turkish (native), English (C1, IELTS 7.5).
- Tools: UYAP lawyer portal, two legal research databases, contract management software.
What the in-house reader learns from these lines
A company hiring its first or second lawyer wants someone who can run disputes and also read contracts quickly. The volumes show both. The expert-report line shows judgement in litigation, and the contract line shows that the lawyer has already worked to a business’s own standards.
Skills table for lawyers
| Skill named by an official profile | Where it is named | Proof on the CV |
|---|---|---|
| Legal knowledge including court procedures | National Careers Service (solicitor, barrister) | Courts and forums where you appeared, by type |
| Explaining legal matters in plain language | National Careers Service (solicitor) | Client memos, training given to non-lawyers |
| Persuasion | National Careers Service (barrister) | Hearings argued, settlements reached |
| Analytical skills | BLS | Research memos, opinions drafted |
| Problem-solving and reaching settlements | BLS | Matters closed by agreement, with numbers |
| Thoroughness and attention to detail | National Careers Service | Due diligence reviews, contract volumes |
Languages and tools
Give each language a CEFR level or an exam score and say whether you have drafted or negotiated in it. List research databases and case management systems by name only if you use them in daily work.
Proof: what we read on 13 October 2026
We read every source on 13 October 2026. The BLS counts about 863,700 lawyer jobs in 2025 and a median annual wage of $159,670 in May 2025. The National Careers Service gives solicitors a range of about £30,000 to £80,000 and 37 to 50 hours a week. The Turkish HMGS regulation (Official Gazette 8 May 2024) holds the exam twice a year, in April and September, with at least 120 multiple-choice questions and a pass mark of 70 out of 100. The SRA page on SQE2 exemptions was last updated on 6 August 2026.
Admission rules change. Open the bar’s or the regulator’s own page before you apply.
Who should use a different layout
- Academics: a law lecturer applying for a university post needs an academic CV with publications first; see the CV vs resume guide.
- Judges, prosecutors and law professors moving to the bar in Türkiye: article 4 of Law 1136 exempts those with four years in such posts (ten years for public-sector legal counsel) from the training requirement, so the CV leads with that service.
- Paralegals and legal assistants: lead with the systems and file volumes you handle, not with admission.
Applying abroad with a Turkish law licence
The SRA grants SQE exemptions only to qualified lawyers already admitted in their own jurisdiction. For SQE2, it asks for practising rights in at least one listed area, such as civil litigation or business organisations, and at least two years of professional legal work experience. Put those two facts on the CV in the same words the SRA uses.
Next steps
There is no country guide for lawyers on this site yet. The guides on showing a foreign degree and on CVs for jobs abroad cover recognition and personal details. CitedCV can write the CV in English, Turkish or German from the facts you enter, such as your admission year and matter volumes; it does not check admission records, so list only what you hold.
Questions people ask
How do I write bar admission on a CV?
Write the bar or regulator, the jurisdiction and the year on one line under your name, for example Istanbul Bar Association, licence issued 2021.
Should a lawyer CV list cases?
List matters, not client names: the matter type, your role, the volume and the forum, and name a case only when it is already public.
What should a trainee lawyer put on a CV?
The bar, the training stage and its end date, the courts rotated through, research and drafting done, plus grades and languages.
Can a Turkish lawyer become a solicitor in England?
Yes, through the SQE; a lawyer admitted in Türkiye can apply for an SQE2 exemption with listed practising rights and two years of experience.
What skills should a lawyer put on a resume?
The skills official profiles name, such as legal knowledge, plain-language explanation and persuasion, each backed by a matter or a number.
How long is legal training in Turkey?
One year by law: six months in courts and six months with a lawyer of at least five years’ standing, extendable by up to six months.
Is a lawyer CV the same as a legal resume?
Mostly yes; US firms ask for a one- or two-page resume, while academic posts want a longer CV with publications.
Sources
- Avukatlık Kanunu No. 1136 (mevzuat.gov.tr)www.mevzuat.gov.tr/mevzuatmetin/1.5.1136.pdf
- TBB Avukatlık Staj Yönetmeliği (mevzuat.gov.tr)www.mevzuat.gov.tr/mevzuatmetin/yonetmelik/7.5.5777.pdf
- HMGS and İdari Yargı Ön Sınavı Regulation (mevzuat.gov.tr)www.mevzuat.gov.tr/mevzuatmetin/yonetmelik/7.5.40781.pdf
- National Careers Service: Solicitornationalcareers.service.gov.uk/job-profiles/solicitor
- National Careers Service: Barristernationalcareers.service.gov.uk/job-profiles/barrister
- BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook: Lawyerswww.bls.gov/ooh/legal/lawyers.htm
- SRA: Applying for an SQE2 exemptionwww.sra.org.uk/become-solicitor/qualified-lawyers/sqe-exemptions/applying-sqe2-exemption/