Hot Flashes, Cool Resume: Still Billable, Still Brilliant: Resumes for Legal Professional Women Who Aren’t Done Yet.

By Chere Estrin

The other day, I got an email from someone I used to work with years ago. Sweet woman. We hadn’t spoken in a long time. Her message started with, “I’m so glad to know you’re still around.”

Still around? Are you kidding me?

I wanted to respond with, “Thanks, I didn’t realize I was one step from a commemorative plaque.”

If you’ve heard this too, welcome to the sisterhood. We’re not just “still around.” We’re still smart, still savvy, and very much still in the game. Whether you’re in a law firm, in-house, freelancing, consulting, re-entering, or just plotting your next power move, this one’s for you.

There’s a popular belief that women won’t apply for a job unless they meet 100% of the qualifications. But a study of over 10,000 people by the Behavioral Insights Team shows that women apply when they meet about 56% of the listed requirements. Men? About 52%. Not such a massive difference. And as qualifications and experience go up, guess what? The gap gets smaller.

This isn’t about skill. It’s about perception.

One more stat: 68.4% of women use hyper-specific keywords when searching for jobs, things like “remote part-time entry-level legal.” That kind of precision can be smart. But it can also be a form of self-filtering before you even get in the door.

Let’s start with the resume and talk about how to write a one that says: I’m here, I’m valuable, and no, I didn’t peak in 1994 and yes, I am a successful woman legal professional who is of a certain age. 

Let’s be honest. For women of a certain age, the job search can feel like swimming upstream in a business suit and heels. Compared to their younger counterparts, older women often face more roadblocks and I’m not just talking about the tech skills myth. Ageism? Still alive and well. In the legal field of all places? Oh, yeah. And yes, let’s say it out loud: Looks play a role, too. (If you missed my article in Fortune: Are You Pretty Enough for Your Firm? (EstrinReport.com), brace yourself. It’s an eye-opener.

Here’s the truth: You may know you’ve got the skills, experience, and savvy to crush it. But some hiring managers still see mature candidates, particularly women, as “overqualified,” out of step, too expensive. not the right “look”. (Spoiler alert: They’re wrong.) The bias continues: Surveys show that overweight white women are almost always rejected. Not so for black women. And, women are still paid less than men. Yes, in 2025. After 15 years in the career, women lawyers earn 61–63% of what men do. Reference Link

According to the 2024 NALA survey, male paralegals earned 14% more than female paralegals. Reference: 2024-NALA-Compensation-Utilization-Report-ExecSumm-FINAL-1-15-25.pdf

I was stunned. Outraged. Practically yelling at my screen.

Let that sink in: Fourteen. Percent. More. For the same roles. The same responsibilities. In a field that has been female-dominated since its inception.

Yes, paralegals started as a profession created by women yet somehow, decades later, men are still walking in and getting paid significantly more.

Back in 2016, women paralegals made 94 cents for every dollar men earned. That was bad enough. But now? Over the past 9 years,we’ve lost ground.

How is this still happening in 2025? Where’s the outrage? Where’s the accountability?

This isn’t just a wage gap. It’s an insult. And it’s coming from within our own profession. Ok, off my soap box for the moment. 

Women often bring a detailed, thoughtful approach to things, so why not apply that to your search process? You can use your ability to analyze and pinpoint exactly what you want through the resume rather than getting lost in a sea of irrelevant job listings. Don’t minimize your achievements.

The fix? A thoughtfully crafted, razor-sharp, modern resume that tells your story without screaming the year you graduated. This is your calling card, and it better look like it belongs in 2025, not the Clinton administration.

What if I haven’t written a resume in years? Start with a good old-fashioned brain dump. Write down every job, project, title, win, skill, or metric you can remember. Dig through old performance reviews. Scan your inbox for thank-you notes and praise. Revisit job descriptions for roles you’re targeting. Use LinkedIn to spark your memory, your own and others’. Ask yourself: What did I build? Lead? Improve? Save? Solve?

The secret sauce? Quantify what you can. Numbers show results. “Prepared legal documents” is fine, but “Drafted and filed over 250 pleadings in multi-jurisdictional cases, contributing to successful resolution of 12 trials” is better. Think about dollars saved, hours reduced, cases won, settlements negotiated, people managed.

Many women are taught (explicitly or otherwise) to downplay success, saying “We achieved X” when it was really your idea. Or using language like “I just…” or “I think maybe…”, or “Sorry if this doesn’t make any sense, but…” when you know what you’re talking about.

Use questions to guide your recall:

• Who did I report to?
• What was the size of my team? Budget? Caseload?
• What kind of cases or client matters did I handle? How many?
• Did I supervise others? Lead projects? Save time or money? If so, how?
• Did I mentor anyone or train new hires?
• Did I implement new systems?
• Did I participate in any DEI activities? Committees involving women in law firms?
• Was I the only woman partner/supervisor in the firm?
• What are your technology skills? Make sure you are up to date on the latest. 
• What were the winning teams in which I contributed? How many “wins” did I participate in?
• Was I the first woman in a leadership role, to head a team, get promoted to a position or to be recognized for a key achievement?
• What did others rely on me for?
• What feedback did I receive that reflects my strengths?
• What changed for the better because of my involvement?
• What’s one project I’m genuinely proud of?
• What specific problem did I solve, and how?
• What did others rely on me for in that role?
• What feedback did I receive that reflects my strengths?
• What changed for the better because of my involvement?
• Did I mentor other women?

How do I talk about early career work experience? The answer is: it depends. Is the early experience relevant to the roles that you are applying for? Is it with a “big name” law firm or Fortune 500 corporation? Is it work that you would like to emphasize? If the answer is NO, then you can choose to keep it off your resume and use a career note at the end of your resume. Share this without the years that you worked.

Be acutely aware: Do NOT list every single solitary job you have had since 1987. I see so many folks of certain ages who think they must list everything. You do not need to go back 30 or 40 years! It is no longer relevant and contributes to age discrimination. 

Examples: Other experience (without dates): Roles as Legal Assistant for ABC Law Group and Paralegal for XYZ Corporation. Highlights include managing litigation support teams across complex contract disputes and organizing document productions in multi-million-dollar cases.

Experience includes litigation roles with top-tier firms such as BigLawFirm including support on bet-the-company trials and regulatory defense. Key accomplishments include managing 200+ case files, coordinating cross-functional trial teams, and preparing trial exhibits for use in federal court.

How do I discuss my career break on my resume? Use a Career Note to discuss career breaks. If you are re-entering the workplace, take webinars to update your skills and put those at the top of the resume so people see that your skills are up to date.

Career Note: “Served as caregiver from 2017–2020”. That’s all you have to say. Or, you can say, “Career Break”.  Don’t say sabbatical unless it is a real sabbatical. More typically, for women, there was a career break to raise kids. In that case, just say, “Career break to raise children”. List if you were head of the PTA, volunteering, and other activities. I don’t think cutesy descriptions work such as” Chief Operating Officer of the Smith Household” and I just don’t like the word, homemaker. Personal choice. 

How do I discuss a short-term job on my resume? What if the role wasn’t a fit and I left the job quickly (i.e., within a few weeks/months)? This happens all the time. Discuss the role briefly on your resume. This is a lot more common than most people think. Frame what you learned and how you can use those learnings in your new role. Be aware that employers will ask you in the interview why you left your last three positions. If the reason is the same: “not a fit”, “poor management”, you will demonstrate a pattern that is not acceptable. 

Career Note: Held short-term litigation legal professional position with Jackson LLP. “Supported trial prep and eDiscovery. Role concluded due to department restructuring”. “Laid off due to COVID”. 

And speaking of COVID: If you were laid off during COVID, say so. Employers see short-term jobs around 2020 – 2022 and assume you are job hopping, got fired or something else. They have forgotten what the world was like back then. 

Dates of employment: Other than not going back to when you were born, the dates of employment absolutely MUST be accurate. Firms now have stringent background checks and if the dates don’t line up, your offer can be rescinded.

Should I use a functional resume format? Do not use a functional resume format. Hiring managers want a clear upward career path. It’s better to tell your story in reverse chronological order while highlighting transferable skills in your executive summary.

Should I use a template? Yes. Go to livecareers.com, resumegenius.com or others. This is a visual world now. You are strongly competing with others and often, it’s all in the packaging. The old-fashioned, plain resume in Times Courier, hand designed, no longer receives stellar results. In fact, it’s just the opposite. Pick a template that is horizontal and not columns. Columns do not read well in databases or on cell phones. For mature workers, it’s best not to use colors. Particularly, those considered “feminine” or too “girly”. (Lavendar, pink…) Is that bias? You bet. However, if you do use color, keep it at a minimum. Navy is good. Even red.

What fonts should I use? Stay away from Times Courier. It’s outdated. Use Calibri or Arial. Do not go below a 10pt. 

Give me the 411 on email addresses: One of the worst things you can do to demonstrate just how out-of-date you are is to use anything other than Gmail. AOL, MSN and other outdated addresses show just how far behind the times you are. Stay away from cutesy emails: IronLady; SpecialKaye; GreatMom; VegasLady. Oh, gosh. Absolutely not! Use your name and your name only. Patricia.Doe@gmail.com. 

How should I break out my experience if I have been with the same company for a long time? Can I show multiple roles together? Yes, and how you do it depends on what tells your story best. You can break out experience in projects or by title. Focus on what aligns with your current career goal.

Should I use AI to write my resume? Yes and no. Recruiters can spot an AI written resume a mile away. Frequently, it uses trite phrases and cliches. Furthermore, it tends to “dummy down” your responsibilities such as “prepared legal documents”, instead of specifics. It will add phrases such as “Coordinated comprehensive trial preparation, including organizing exhibits, in order for attorneys to present a well-structured and effective case in court. It’s the “in order for attorneys to present a well-structured…….” Or “in order for attorneys to focus on strategy and advocacy” or even better: “to allow attorneys to conduct efficient, well-supported courtroom presentations.” Well, no kidding. We know that. These superfluous phrases indicate the use of AI and are often silly.  Just be careful.

There are websites you can use to check to see if your resume matches the ATS (Applicant Tracking System) that looks for key words in the job you are applying for. If those words are not there, the software can reject your resume. One website is: enhancv – Enhancv Plans. 

Should I show my hobbies on my resume? Unless your hobbies/interests are aligned with your goal role, I don’t recommend it. “Knitting while watching courtroom dramas” is fun but not resume-worthy. Also, employers don’t want to see high-risk activities such as “hang-gliding over the Pacific Ocean”. Not a good idea. 

Computer and technology skills: One of the biggest objections to the older worker is lack of technology skills. If you are not up to date in the latest, take courses now. Relativity, for example, offers a free tutorial. Plus, you are more likely to get more dollars if you are Relativity certified. Anyone in litigation who does not have this skill may automatically be rejected. Do not list outdated software such as WordPerfect, and other programs no longer used. It dates you. Bad move.

Use headlines to grab the reader. Ditch the “objective” statement. That’s so 1990’s. Modern resumes focus on what the employer or client is looking for. Your goals matter to you but what matters to employers is how you can help them succeed. Instead, write a dynamic, compelling executive summary. 

Executive Summary
Accomplished litigation and transactional attorney with a distinguished career spanning complex legal matters across corporate, regulatory, and litigation arenas. Brings deep institutional knowledge, sound judgment, and a practical, solutions-oriented approach trusted by executives, boards, and clients alike. Adept at navigating high-stakes negotiations, managing cross-functional legal teams, and aligning legal strategy with business objectives. Recognized for mentoring younger attorneys, building consensus across departments, and delivering outcomes that protect risk while advancing growth. A steady hand in fast-changing environments, with the insight and foresight earned from decades of impact at top-tier firms and in-house legal departments.

Yeah, that’s pretty good……..

Your Reboot Resume Checklist includes:

• Define your career goal
• Craft a targeted headline
• Write a compelling executive summary
• List your skills with keywords tied to job descriptions
• Highlight accomplishments with quantifiable results
• Include education, certifications, certificates, executive development
• Show community leadership and board roles
• Emphasize technical skills and legal software knowledge
• Go back 20 years? That’s ok. 30 years? Not so much.
• It is not mandatory to keep your resume to one page. That is a huge myth. However, anything over 2 pages is going too far.
• Include volunteering if the transferable skills fit. 
• Highlight where you were noticed as a woman. For example, First Woman Partner.
• Update your LinkedIn profile. Make certain it matches your resume. All potential employers run to LinkedIn. Keep accurate dates in mind.
  • Straight talking: Get a picture that makes you look like a professional and yes, attractive. It’s an unfortunate bias, particularly for women. (Can you believe that? Still!) The preferable stance is to fight bias. However, is now the time? Get your hair and makeup done for the picture and wear a conservative outfit. Shoot. Get Botox if you want to. Employers are biased towards women who are not conservatively dressed. You are not going to change bias single handedly.  You don’t have that power. You can go with what works or be stubborn and on the market for a long time.
• Professional templates are available online – some examples: livecareers.com or resumegenius.com

When writing about your experience:

• Share your biggest career highlights
• Quantify results wherever possible
• Use verbs like delivered, built, advised, implemented, led, created, trained
• Make your resume tell a clear, cohesive story about your career path
• Do not continue saying: “Responsibilities or duties included”. That’s a given.
• Do not use the word “seasoned”. You may as well say “age discrimination”. 

Here are a few strong resume headlines:

• Sr. Litigation Paralegal | Multi-Million Dollar Cases | Community Leader
• Executive Leadership: Healthcare, Malpractice, Complex Litigation
• Legal Operations Director | Budget Oversight | Compliance
• Corporate Attorney | Finance| Banking |Top Firms
• Litigation Associate | Mass Tort | Class Actions | Trial Experience

Be sure to demonstrate your value through numbers:

• Processed 1,500 candidate applications in 12 months
• Improved trial team efficiency by 20% through redesigned workflows and more comprehensive management of the pipeline (Always say how you did it.) 
• Handled merger & acquisitions of corporations with over $20 million in revenue
• Sat 2^nd chair for 3-month trial out-of-state with a winning verdict of $3.5 million
• Trained 12 junior paralegals across five practice areas
• Handled 250 trademark assignments per week
• Prepared wills and trusts & estates for high-net worth clients with over $100million in assets and income
• Do not use unbelievable stats just to impress or make them up. For example: Saved the firm $150,000 is not believable unless you can substantiate it. Most people throw that in to impress. It does not impress. It is better, if this is a true accomplishment, to say, “Saved the firm $150,000 through customizing a reporting structure that itemized past and current spending for each vendor. Re-evaluated and renegotiated 25 vendor contracts”.

Education

You don’t need to show years of graduation.  You can show if a graduation, certification or certificate is in progress (with expected completion date). You can show relevant coursework separately (or if it was completed from a university, you can share that in the Education section). Generally, if you are more than 10 years out from your graduation, putting your GPA down is not necessary. 

Examples:
Recent courses: Completed professional development courses including Legal Technology Fundamentals, Discovery Software Certification, and Diversity in the Workplace CLE. 

Paralegal Certificate:
UCLA Paralegal Program, Dean’s list

Master of Business Administration (MBA):
Finance and Strategy University of Pittsburgh, Joseph M. Katz Graduate School of Business 

Bachelor of Science, Mechanical Engineering and Engineering and Public Policy Carnegie Mellon University; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 

Business Coursework University of Phoenix (in progress)

OR: 

             EDUCATION

            Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law at Arizona State University, Phoenix, AZ
            Juris Doctor (Pro Bono Distinction)
            Activities: Jurimetrics: The Journal of Law, Science, and Technology; Jessup Moot Court 
            and U.S. Pacific Champion; Law Review

Describing your jobs: Do not put the exact same job description for each job. It simply is not believable. You surely must have completed different types of assignments at each job. Repeating the same description for each job shows no upward movement and rarely is believable.

Do not say “References Available Upon Request”.  If you want to look like you are stuck in the eighties, go ahead and put this in. 

Volunteering:
Make sure your volunteering activities demonstrate transferable skills, particularly if you have had a career break. Stay away from political or religious activities. For example:

• Led a team of 35 volunteers on a coastal wetlands’ cleanup project.
• Coordinated a complex schedule of volunteer workers resulting in the complete cleaning of over 900 acres of wetlands in 30 days.
• First woman president of the Action for Forward Thinking Association handling budgets, PR, teams, strategy, meetings, community involvement. 

Published articles:
Do not put dates if the articles are more than 10 years old. Everything counts. Remember your audience: words are of number one importance. 

A special word to Paralegals: Be aware of the difference between “certificated” and “certified”. You are not a “certified” paralegal if you did not take the NALA 2 ½ day exam and passed. If you did, you could put “CP” after your name. It is the same as an accountant taking the Certified Accountant Exam and then able to put CPA after their name.

If you took a paralegal course, you received a Certificate of Completion. It does not “certify” you. These mistakes are critical because if you say you are “certified” when you received a certificate and did not take the exam, you will be deemed as someone who does not understand their career. 

There is no such thing as an ABA Certified Paralegal. The ABA does not certify anything. You took a course from an ABA Approved Program. There is no such thing as “ABA Accredited”. Same idea. Learn your career. Otherwise, your resume will continue to get bounced, particularly if other paralegals are making hiring decisions. 

Your grammar is sooo important:

If you take nothing else away from this article, heed this advice: Your current position is written in the present tense: Organize, draft, create, manage. Not: organized, drafted, created…… You are still in your position, so you are still handling these responsibilities and NEVER: organizes, drafts, creates, manages. 

All past positions must be written in the past tense: Organized, drafted, managed. Do not use “manages, drafts, organizes”. This is as if you are putting “She or he” in front of the statement. You want to be able to put “I” as in “I organize, draft, etc.”. Use ONLY present tense for current job, past tense for past jobs. Resumes get tossed because employers believe you do not know how to write. 

Example for current position: Sr. Litigation Paralegal, Wines, Wines & Coffee 2024-present
            Prepare pleadings and motions. Organize exhibits. Attend document
             productions. 

Example for all past positions: Sr. Litigation Paralegal, Super Law Firm 2020-2023
            Prepared pleadings, handled depositions, calendared court dates, followed up 
             with expert witnesses. 

And just when you thought we were done…
Stop and own your results. You’ve delivered value to every team you’ve been on. Say it. Write it. Believe it. You’re on your way!

At this stage in your career, not much should be shaking you up. Will you face bias as a woman of a certain age? Probably. Be confident with your age and experience level. (Trust me, I have handled thousands of candidates over the last 30 (ok, ok, I admit it) years of my career. I love the adage: “I’ve seen this movie before. I know how it comes out.” Your resume is the start of your next big thing, not a summary of the past. If you need inspiration, check out the sample resume below.

And if you haven’t yet, read my article: “Avoiding Age Discrimination.” on my blog: The Estrin Report (estrinreport.com)  It goes together with everything here. 

Remember: you’re not just still around. You’re only just getting started.

SAMPLE RESUME 
Note: for training purposes, this resume runs 3 ½ pages. It is important to cut it down to 2 pages. 

BETH SIMPSON
Austin, TX • 123.456.7890
Email Address • LinkedIn

LEGAL OPERATIONS EXECUTIVE | COMPLIANCE | RISK MANAGEMENT

Legal Operations • Litigation Support • Budget Management • Compliance Oversight • Legal Technology • Outside Counsel Guidelines • Contract Negotiation • Cross-Functional Leadership

Summary:
Versatile legal operations leader with 20+ years of experience directing complex cross-functional projects, compliance systems, and litigation support for AmLaw firms, corporate legal departments, and regulatory bodies. Skilled in streamlining legal processes, managing high-performing legal teams, and optimizing service delivery in high-pressure environments.

• Background in major firms servicing Fortune 500 companies
  Proven expertise in eBilling, contract lifecycle management (CLM), and legal technology implementation
• Led teams of attorneys, paralegals, and operations professionals across litigation, IP, compliance, and regulatory matters
• Strong background in M&A, contract negotiations, eDiscovery, and vendor management
• Implemented department-wide initiatives driving cost reduction, efficiency, and legal risk mitigation
• Completed Legal Operations Certificate, Legal Lean Six Sigma, and Advanced Contract Management coursework

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
ABC BigLawFirm, Global Locations ▪ July 2014 – Present
Interim Legal Operations Executive

• Serve as Interim Head of Legal Operations for global law firm,  overseeing budgets, vendor contracts, and legal software implementation
• Develop new eBilling policies and matter management workflows 
• Design custom reporting dashboards for compliance, litigation tracking, and legal spend analytics
• Negotiate Master Service Agreements (MSAs) and Statements of Work (SOWs) with international vendors
• Lead RFP process to evaluate and implement CLM and eBilling systems, saving $1.1M annually in costs by initiating complete overhaul of system, better pricing, new software, and training of attorneys on RFP process and bidding
• Consult on strategic workforce planning and performance tracking for internal legal teams across multiple practice areas

Career Break: December 2013 – June 2014 (Stay-at-home parent)

XYZ CORPORATION, Sunnyvale, CA ▪ July 2004 – November 2013
Vice President, Legal Operations (2010 – 2013)

• Oversaw $300M legal operations budget and team of 120 legal professionals, including project managers, analysts, and support staff
• Directed all legal tech initiatives including onboarding of new enterprise legal management systems
• Spearheaded outside counsel billing guidelines and audit protocols, reducing invoice errors by 42%
• Built strong partnerships with IT, finance, and C-level executives to align legal services with corporate strategy
• Reduced outside counsel roster by 35% while improving matter outcomes and efficiency through value-based billing. Eliminated overpriced counsel, and culled firms with a success rate of 90% in company’s matters. 

Senior Director, Compliance & Legal Sourcing (2007 – 2010)

• Developed global compliance tracking tools used across risk, employment, and IP litigation functions
• Created vendor risk scoring model and drove compliance with FCPA, GDPR, and other regulatory frameworks
• Co-founded Beijing-based legal services operations and built cost-efficient vendor sourcing system

Senior Director, Legal Program Management (2004 – 2007)

• Led legal tech upgrades and project-managed major case initiatives
• Developed law department best practices for eDiscovery, subpoena response, and litigation hold compliance
• Collaborated with internal counsel to integrate DMS, billing, and litigation support tools

ADDITIONAL EXPERIENCE
HP, San Jose, CA
Senior Manager, Legal Engineering Operations

• Led cross-functional efforts between legal, engineering, and contracts departments during corporate restructuring
• Designed legal project intake and prioritization system across 6 global sites

EDUCATION

Juris Doctorate, UCLA School of Law, Dean’s List
Bachelor of Science, Electronic Engineering, USC 

TECHNOLOGY SKILLS

Relativity, iManage, Trial Director, CaseMap, Juris, CompuLaw, DISCO, Excel, PowerPoint, Microsoft Suite 

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Relativity Master Course 2024

ASSOCIATIONS
CLOC – Legal Operations Association
ALA – Association of Legal Professionals

BOARD OF DIRECTORS | COMMUNITY LEADERSHIP
American Red Cross, Regional Chairperson

CONFERENCE SPEAKER 
ALA Annual Conference 2023
Are Your Billables Actually Billables? 

AWARDS
Women of Achievement, Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce

PUBLISHED ARTICLES
Age Discrimination in the Law Firm
Legal Management, 2024

VOLUNTEER WORK
Led a team of 35 volunteers on a coastal wetlands cleanup project.

Coordinated a complex schedule of volunteer workers resulting in the complete cleaning of over 900 acres of wetlands in 30 days.

American Red Cross
Big Sisters and Brothers

CERTIFICATIONS
Legal Operations Certificate – LegalOps Institute
Legal Lean Sigma & Project Management Certification
Contract Management Program – Stanford Graduate School of Business

Chere Estrin is the CEO of Estrin Legal Staffing, Editor-in-Chief of The Estrin Report, and an expert in legal career strategy. She is known for saying what most recruiters won’t. She has a new book, Power Plays for Legal Professionals: Strategies to Move Your Career Forward coming out Fall 2025. Reach her at: Chere@EstrinLegalStaffing.com.