Top 12 Litigation Legal Assistant Skills to Put on Your Resume

Litigation moves fast. Legal assistants keep the engine humming—tracking deadlines, wrangling documents, lining up research, and steadying the team when cases hit turbulence. If you want your resume to get a second look, spotlight the skills that prove you can command the details, support every phase of a case, and help your attorneys win without wasting time.

Litigation Legal Assistant Skills

1. LexisNexis
2. Westlaw
3. PACER
4. E-filing
5. CaseMap
6. Time Matters
7. Document drafting
8. TrialWorks
9. Clio Manage
10. Relativity (eDiscovery)
11. Transcription proficiency
12. Bluebook citation

1. LexisNexis

LexisNexis is a deep, searchable legal research platform with case law, statutes, secondary sources, news, and public records—fuel for fast fact-finding and precise support in litigation.

Why It's Important

It delivers verified authority and current law, so your filings lean on good precedent and precise analysis. Less guessing, more confidence.

How to Improve LexisNexis Skills

• Search like a pro: Boolean operators, segment searches, filters—stack them to narrow results quickly.

• Tap practice tools: Use litigation-focused analytics, brief analysis, and drafting aids built into the platform.

• Train regularly: Short refreshers pay off. New features roll out often; keep pace.

• Set alerts: Track new cases, statutes, and publications tied to your issues and jurisdictions.

• Stay mobile: Research and review on the go to keep cases moving between hearings and meetings.

Sharpen those habits and LexisNexis turns into a speed advantage.

How to Display LexisNexis Skills on Your Resume

2. Westlaw

Westlaw is a comprehensive legal research system with caselaw, statutes, regulations, treatises, and tools built for speed and accuracy.

Why It's Important

When you need validated authorities and reliable updates, Westlaw brings KeyCite, editorial enhancements, and analytics that make research airtight.

How to Improve Westlaw Skills

1. Level up search: Combine Boolean logic with fields and filters. Save searches and reuse them.

2. Workspaces that work: Customize the homepage and organize research in folders mapped to matters.

3. Verify everything: Run KeyCite on every citation so you never rely on bad law.

4. Mine analytics: Use Litigation Analytics for judge, court, attorney, and law firm insights.

5. Draft faster: Pull models and use form tools to speed up standard litigation documents.

6. Keep learning: Short trainings or office hours help you pick up time-saving features you didn’t know existed.

Tighter search, smarter organization, cleaner citations—the trifecta.

How to Display Westlaw Skills on Your Resume

3. PACER

PACER (Public Access to Court Electronic Records) provides access to federal dockets, filings, and case information across U.S. courts.

Why It's Important

It’s the backbone for tracking federal cases, pulling records, and monitoring deadlines—vital for fast-moving litigation teams.

How to Improve PACER Skills

1. Search with precision: Use court-specific queries, party names, case numbers, and filters to land the right docket quickly.

2. Know the systems: Each court’s CM/ECF layout varies. Get familiar with the ones you use most.

3. Watch for updates: New features and fee changes roll out periodically; adjust workflows as needed.

4. Speed up navigation: Learn shortcuts, bookmark key courts, and keep a standardized naming convention for downloads.

5. Add helpers: Use docket management tools that sync with PACER (for example, PacerPro, DocketBird, or Docket Alarm) to organize and auto-deliver filings.

Less clicking around, more time on the real work.

How to Display PACER Skills on Your Resume

4. E-filing

E-filing means submitting court documents electronically through the court’s designated system, replacing hand delivery or mail.

Why It's Important

It speeds filing, confirms receipt, cuts paper waste, and reduces clerical errors—critical under tight deadlines.

How to Improve E-filing Skills

1. Track the rules: Local rules change. Monitor formatting, service, and technical requirements by jurisdiction.

2. Prep perfect PDFs: Use robust PDF tools for OCR, bookmarking, page labels, and PDF/A where required. Check file size and readability.

3. Protect data: Encrypt when needed, validate redactions, and apply strong access controls and backups.

4. Standardize: Naming conventions, cover sheets, exhibit labeling, and filing checklists save time and prevent mistakes.

5. Leverage software: Case management and e-filing tools (for example, Clio, File & Serve solutions, or court-integrated platforms) can streamline submissions and service.

6. Debrief and refine: After major filings, capture what worked and what didn’t. Update templates and playbooks.

Clean inputs equal smooth approvals.

How to Display E-filing Skills on Your Resume

5. CaseMap

CaseMap helps organize facts, issues, people, and documents so case narratives become clear and defensible.

Why It's Important

It centralizes the moving parts—evidence, chronology, claims—so strategy is visible to the whole team.

How to Improve CaseMap Skills

1. Structure the data: Define consistent fields and tags for facts, issues, sources, and players before you import.

2. Filter ruthlessly: Master filtering and views to surface what matters for motions, depositions, or trial prep.

3. Update continuously: Enter new facts and link sources as they arrive. Stale databases create confusion.

4. Integrate wisely: Connect with transcript and timeline tools to keep testimony and chronology aligned.

5. Report with intent: Build tailored reports for case conferences, mediation, or trial—each purpose needs a different cut of the data.

Good inputs make patterns pop.

How to Display CaseMap Skills on Your Resume

6. Time Matters

Time Matters is case, document, and workflow management software built for law firms—deadlines, calendars, emails, and files under one roof.

Why It's Important

It keeps dates straight, documents findable, and tasks coordinated, so nothing slips between discovery and trial.

How to Improve Time Matters Skills

1. Tailor the workspace: Surface litigation-specific dashboards, task lists, and matter views you actually use.

2. Automate documents: Build templates for common pleadings, discovery, and letters to cut errors and drafting time.

3. Use task chains: Map repeatable workflows—case intake, discovery responses, expert coordination—step by step.

4. Sync email: File critical emails straight to matters with consistent naming and tags.

5. Track time accurately: Capture work as you go. You’ll improve billing hygiene and spot bottlenecks.

6. Refresh skills: New releases add features. Short training cycles keep you sharp.

Process turns chaos into cadence.

How to Display TimeMatters Skills on Your Resume

7. Document drafting

Drafting means producing pleadings, motions, briefs, and letters that comply with court rules and clearly advance your client’s position.

Why It's Important

Strong drafting translates facts and law into persuasive, rule-compliant filings. Clarity wins hearings. Precision avoids sanctions.

How to Improve Document drafting Skills

1. Write to purpose: Know the ask, the audience, and the standard. Everything else supports that spine.

2. Build a skeleton first: Outline issues, facts, authorities, and requested relief before wordsmithing.

3. Plain words: Cut jargon unless the rule demands it. Clean sentences travel faster.

4. Cite cleanly: Verify every citation and quotation. Keep pin cites tight and sources current.

5. Proof in layers: One pass for substance, one for structure, one for typos and formatting. Read aloud if needed.

6. Templates that live: Maintain models updated to current rules and preferred styles. Version them.

7. Seek edits: A second set of eyes catches drift, repetition, and gaps you can’t see.

Good drafting is part rigor, part restraint.

How to Display Document drafting Skills on Your Resume

8. TrialWorks

TrialWorks is litigation-focused case management—documents, deadlines, contacts, and communications, organized for busy dockets.

Why It's Important

It corrals matter details and timelines, helping teams prepare for depositions and trial without scrambling.

How to Improve TrialWorks Skills

1. Take the tour: Learn the features you actually need—batch operations, reports, deadline tools, and templates.

2. Customize templates: Align matter types, document models, and checklists to your practice areas.

3. Integrate core tools: Connect email and office apps so filing and drafting stay in sync.

4. Stay current: Keep the software updated for stability, security, and new capabilities.

5. Share learnings: Team tips, shortcuts, and standards reduce friction for everyone.

Order in, stress out.

How to Display TrialWorks Skills on Your Resume

9. Clio Manage

Clio Manage is cloud-based practice management: matters, billing, time, documents, tasks, and client communications in one place.

Why It's Important

It streamlines daily operations—case tracking, deadlines, collaboration—so litigation work flows instead of stalls.

How to Improve Clio Manage Skills

1. Tune matter types: Customize fields, workflows, and templates for your litigation playbook.

2. Automate documents: Merge data into pleadings, discovery shells, and standard letters to cut drafting time.

3. Template your tasks: Build task lists for recurring phases—initial filings, discovery, motions, trial.

4. Track time everywhere: Use timers and mobile capture so no minute vanishes.

5. Use secure comms: Share documents, updates, and messages in-platform to keep a clean record.

6. Calendar with rules: Sync court dates, reminders, and personal calendars to avoid collisions.

7. Stay mobile: The app keeps matters moving outside the office—hearings, travel, client visits.

Consistency compounds into reliability.

How to Display Clio Manage Skills on Your Resume

10. Relativity (eDiscovery)

Relativity is a leading eDiscovery platform for ingesting, processing, searching, reviewing, and producing large volumes of electronic evidence.

Why It's Important

It makes document review scalable, defensible, and trackable—exactly what complex litigation demands.

How to Improve Relativity (eDiscovery) Skills

1. Get formal training: Learn core modules—processing, search, review workflows, productions—then build from there.

2. Pursue certification: Credentials signal proficiency and deepen your understanding of best practices.

3. Practice in sandboxes: Test searches, fields, views, and batches before changing live workspaces.

4. Refine search logic: Combine keywords, proximity, dtSearch, and analytics to home in on what matters.

5. Standardize review: Create coding panels, QC checks, and escalation paths so reviewers stay aligned.

6. Share knowledge: Hold short team debriefs on wins and snags; update playbooks accordingly.

7. Track updates: New features can shave hours off review—adopt them quickly.

Precision at scale—that’s the game.

How to Display Relativity (eDiscovery) Skills on Your Resume

11. Transcription proficiency

Transcription proficiency is the ability to convert audio from hearings, depositions, meetings, and interviews into accurate, polished text—fast.

Why It's Important

Clean transcripts feed motions, summaries, and impeachment prep. Sloppy transcripts introduce risk. Accuracy wins.

How to Improve Transcription proficiency Skills

1. Practice often: Speed comes from reps; accuracy comes from careful review.

2. Boost typing: Target both speed and precision. Short daily drills beat marathon sessions.

3. Learn the lingo: Legal terminology, citations, and common phrases should be automatic.

4. Use smart tools: Foot pedals, quality headsets, and speech recognition (e.g., Dragon Legal) can help.

5. Sharpen listening: Train on varied accents, poor audio, crosstalk, and unfamiliar subject matter.

6. Edit ruthlessly: Proof for names, exhibit numbers, timestamps, and key quotations.

7. Stay organized: Consistent file names, versioning, and secure storage prevent mix-ups.

8. Keep learning: Short courses and workshops (including on platforms like LinkedIn Learning) level you up steadily.

Aim for crisp, complete, court-ready transcripts.

How to Display Transcription proficiency Skills on Your Resume

12. Bluebook citation

Bluebook citation sets the rules for how to cite cases, statutes, regulations, and secondary sources in the United States.

Why It's Important

Uniform, accurate citations build credibility and help courts and counsel verify your authorities without friction.

How to Improve Bluebook citation Skills

1. Master the building blocks: Know the elements of each source type and how they change across jurisdictions.

2. Use the latest edition: The rules evolve; your citations should match current standards.

3. Practice with real docs: Cite authorities from your active matters and check against exemplars.

4. Automate cautiously: Research platforms and citation tools help, but always verify by hand.

5. Keep a quick-reference: Maintain a firm style sheet for common citations and id./supra usage.

6. Peer review: Build a short review loop for briefs and motions to catch formatting drift.

Consistency and care make citations disappear into the background—exactly where they belong.

How to Display Bluebook citation Skills on Your Resume