This guide shows how to craft a senior-level litigation solicitor CV that highlights your trial experience, case leadership, and strategic impact in the UK market. You will get practical examples and formatting tips so your CV presents relevant experience clearly and professionally for UK employers across private practice, in-house teams, and the public sector.
Building a Litigation Attorney resume?
Skip the blank page. Start with a template built for this role, then tailor it for each job you apply to.
Tip: use the template as a starting point, then swap in your own numbers and project names.
Headline and Professional Summary for a senior-level litigation solicitor CV
Start with a concise headline that states your role and years of litigation experience, for example 'Senior Litigation Solicitor, 12+ Years Trial and Appellate Experience.' Follow the headline with a professional summary of two to three sentences that focuses on the types of cases you lead, your court or tribunal record, and the value you bring to a firm or in-house legal team. Use the summary to call out specialisms such as complex commercial litigation, white-collar defence, or group actions.
Avoid vague claims and instead mention concrete responsibilities such as leading trial teams, managing disclosure budgets, and advising clients on risk exposure. If applicable, note notable UK-specific achievements (e.g.
High Court or Court of Appeal outcomes).
Core Skills and Practice Areas
Create a skills block that lists litigation-relevant skills in short phrases so recruiters can scan them quickly. Include items such as Trial Advocacy, Pleadings and Motions, Cross-examination, Witness Statement Drafting, Disclosure and Discovery Management, Case Management, and E-Disclosure Tools.
Group skills by category when helpful, for example Trial Skills, Pre-trial Practice, and Technical Tools. If you have experience with specific litigation platforms or databases, name them (e.g.
Westlaw UK, LexisNexis, or case and document management systems) and pair technical skills with the number of matters or users where possible.
Experience section for a senior-level litigation solicitor CV
List roles in reverse chronological order and lead each entry with your job title, employer, location, and dates in DD/MM/YYYY format. For each role provide 3 to 6 bullet-style accomplishment lines that start with a strong verb and quantify results when you can, such as case outcomes, pounds at stake, or team size.
Prioritise recent and most relevant matters rather than listing every matter you handled. If a matter is confidential, describe the nature of the work and the outcome in general terms, for example 'led defence in a multi-million-pound contract dispute resulting in a favourable settlement after motions practice.'
Key achievements and how to quantify impact
Highlight outcomes and metrics that demonstrate impact in the UK market. Focus on settlements or judgments obtained, stated value of matters won or resolved, contract terms secured, or savings in litigation spend.
Quantify impact with pounds (£), percentages, or headcount impacted where appropriate. When possible, provide context such as 'led a defence worth £8m, achieving a settlement on favourable terms' or 'reduced disclosure costs by 30% across a portfolio of matters.'
Additional Tips
- 1When describing a case, focus on your role and the outcome in one concise sentence, then add a second sentence explaining the strategy you led or your case-management approach.
- 2Keep a master CV with all matters and achievements, then tailor role-specific versions for each application quickly and accurately.
- 3Ask a colleague to check for clarity and relevance, ideally someone familiar with UK hiring committees; incorporate their feedback before finalising your CV.