Top 12 Senior Paralegal Skills to Put on Your Resume
In the competitive legal field, senior paralegals need a sharp, mixed toolkit. A resume that shows deft research, airtight drafting, and smooth coordination across cases and teams signals you’re ready to carry weight from day one.
Senior Paralegal Skills
- LexisNexis
- Westlaw
- CaseMap
- Time Matters
- PACER
- Concordance
- E-Discovery
- TrialDirector 360
- Document Drafting
- Litigation Support
- Bluebook Citation
- ProLaw
1. LexisNexis
LexisNexis delivers a wide research universe—case law, statutes, treatises, news, analytics—wrapped in tools that speed up finding, filtering, and citing what matters.
Why It's Important
It anchors fast, accurate legal research. Deep coverage and strong citator tools reduce guesswork and sharpen case prep.
How to Improve LexisNexis Skills
Sharpening your approach pays off quickly:
Train with intent: Take official trainings or quick tips sessions focused on your practice area and common tasks.
Work the syntax: Get fluent with Boolean operators, segment searches, and filters. Fewer clicks, better hits.
Set smart alerts: Track cases, topics, courts, or dockets so updates reach you, not the other way around.
Embed in your workflow: Use integrations like Lexis+ and Lexis Create for Microsoft 365 to draft, cite-check, and pull authority without context switching.
Pressure-test your results: Compare outcomes with peers and refine saved searches and filters over time.
Precision, then speed. In that order.
How to Display LexisNexis Skills on Your Resume
2. Westlaw
Westlaw provides comprehensive research, powerful citator checks, and analytics. Many teams now also work with Westlaw Edge and Westlaw Precision for tighter searching and risk signals.
Why It's Important
When a matter turns on a line of authority, you need confidence your search is complete and current. Westlaw’s tools help you get there faster.
How to Improve Westlaw Skills
Search like you mean it: Master terms & connectors, field restrictions, and filters. Calibrate noise down, relevance up.
Tune your workspace: Customize the home screen, favorites, and result views so your daily routes are one click away.
Use premium features: Lean on KeyCite Overruling Risk, Litigation Analytics, and Precision search features where available.
Organize as you go: Save to folders, annotate, and highlight. Future you will thank present you.
Stay in practice: Short training bursts, release notes, and internal lunch-and-learns keep habits sharp.
Go practice-specific: Drill into databases tailored to your subject area for cleaner, more relevant results.
Mobile ready: Keep the app handy for quick checks outside the office.
How to Display Westlaw Skills on Your Resume
3. CaseMap
CaseMap helps you wrangle facts, issues, people, and documents into a coherent, defensible story. Timelines tighten. Strategy clarifies.
Why It's Important
It centralizes case intelligence. Patterns pop. Gaps surface early. Preparation gets cleaner.
How to Improve CaseMap Skills
Nail the fundamentals: Field types, views, and linking. Consistency beats complexity.
Level up: Dive into issue coding, fact chronology, and reporting. Build reusable views for recurring work.
Customize: Add custom fields, tags, and templates that mirror how your team actually litigates.
Connect the stack: Use integrations (e.g., TextMap and related tools) to streamline transcripts, exhibits, and facts.
Curate the data: Regular reviews to merge duplicates, clean entries, and archive stale items keep analysis crisp.
Collaborate: Share conventions and quick tips across the team. If you’re on CaseMap Cloud, lean into real-time collaboration.
How to Display CaseMap Skills on Your Resume
4. Time Matters
Time Matters is legal practice management for calendars, deadlines, documents, and workflows—built to reduce friction and missed steps.
Why It's Important
Matters move fast. This keeps tasks visible, documents organized, and dates under control, which protects clients and the firm.
How to Improve Time Matters Skills
Shape the workspace: Configure layouts, lists, and dashboards around your day-to-day rhythm.
Template the routine: Standard letters, filings, and emails—turn repeated work into one-click actions.
Automate: Build workflows for intake, reminders, and deadline chains so nothing slips.
Deepen skills: Take targeted trainings; explore lesser-known features like rules-based calendaring.
Integrate: Connect with Microsoft 365, Outlook, and document assembly tools to cut duplicate entry.
Keep it clean: Periodic data hygiene boosts speed and reporting accuracy.
Share knowledge: Trade setups and shortcuts with your user group or internal champions.
How to Display Time Matters Skills on Your Resume
5. PACER
PACER (Public Access to Court Electronic Records) provides access to U.S. federal dockets, filings, and orders. It’s the spine for federal case tracking and document pulls.
Why It's Important
Direct access to filings means faster updates, fewer surprises, and a clearer record for the team.
How to Improve PACER Skills
Master the Case Locator: Search across districts and circuits efficiently; know the quirks of each court’s docketing.
Use advanced search: Narrow by party, date range, nature of suit, or event types to avoid sifting noise.
Set alerts: Track new filings and status changes on active matters.
Know NextGen: Keep credentials, e-filing links, and court-specific procedures organized and current.
Document discipline: Name, file, and index downloads the same way every time; centralize access for the team.
Ask for help when needed: The PACER Service Center can clarify billing, access, or search questions.
How to Display PACER Skills on Your Resume
6. Concordance
Concordance is a legacy document management and review platform used to load, search, and organize large collections of case files and metadata.
Why It's Important
Many firms still maintain Concordance datasets. When you can find, QC, and export precisely, review cycles tighten and productions stay clean.
How to Improve Concordance Skills
Get the basics right: Fields, indices, views, and search syntax. Build muscle memory for frequent tasks.
Standardize structure: Consistent naming, foldering, and load-file conventions (OPT, DAT, TXT) reduce chaos.
QC relentlessly: Spot-check OCR quality, deduplication, and metadata mapping. Create checklists and stick to them.
Document workflows: Map import, coding, batching, and export steps so others can follow and audit.
Stay aware of alternatives: If your team is migrating to newer review platforms, learn the bridge—exports, load formats, and validations.
How to Display Concordance Skills on Your Resume
7. E-Discovery
E-Discovery is the hunt, hold, review, and production of electronically stored information—email, chats, docs, databases, mobile, cloud content, and more.
Why It's Important
Digital evidence drives modern litigation. Process discipline plus smart tools equals faster insight and fewer missteps.
How to Improve E-Discovery Skills
Work the EDRM: From identification through production, define steps, owners, and quality checks.
Use technology-assisted review: Apply TAR/CAL workflows to cut review hours without losing accuracy.
Map the data: Understand systems, retention schedules, legal holds, and custodians before you collect.
Tighten process: Build standard protocols for collection logs, chain of custody, dedupe rules, and privilege workflows.
Security first: Enforce least-privilege access, encryption, and vendor diligence to protect sensitive data.
Collaborate: Keep IT, vendors, and the trial team aligned with clear timelines and communication channels.
How to Display E-Discovery Skills on Your Resume
8. TrialDirector 360
TrialDirector 360 organizes and presents exhibits, video, and demonstratives for hearings and trial. Clean presentations; fewer hiccups at showtime.
Why It's Important
In court, clarity wins. Quick callouts, synced video, and smooth navigation keep the story tight.
How to Improve TrialDirector Skills
Pursue certification or structured training: Formal training builds depth and speed under pressure.
Rehearse: Run full mock presentations with hotkeys, callouts, and annotations until it’s second nature.
Join user communities: Trade workflows, hardware setups, and war stories that save time later.
Track updates: New features and fixes can change how you prep exhibits.
Customize: Build matter-specific workspaces, playlists, and backups. Label everything like a hawk.
How to Display TrialDirector Skills on Your Resume
9. Document Drafting
Drafting means building enforceable, readable, accurate documents—pleadings, motions, contracts, discovery, orders—without wobble.
Why It's Important
The record is only as strong as the words on the page. Precision protects clients and speeds court acceptance.
How to Improve Document Drafting Skills
Start with purpose: Know the outcome the document must achieve and trim everything else.
Write plainly: Clear, direct language beats jargon. Keep sentences tight.
Structure relentlessly: Headings, lists, and logical order make reviewers faster and kinder.
Cite cleanly: Verify authorities, pin cites, and quotes. No loose ends.
Edit in passes: One for substance, one for style, one for citations, one for formatting.
Keep current: Laws and rules move; templates should too.
Seek feedback: Attorney review and peer edits sharpen instincts.
How to Display Document Drafting Skills on Your Resume
10. Litigation Support
Litigation support covers the machinery of big matters: data intake, database setup, review workflows, deposition and trial prep, productions, and tech at counsel table.
Why It's Important
Good systems reduce risk. Great systems let attorneys focus on strategy instead of chasing files.
How to Improve Litigation Support Skills
Modernize the toolkit: Standardize on reliable case management, review, and production tools; document the stack.
Design processes: Map intake-to-production with SLAs, checklists, and escalation points. Iterate after each matter.
Communicate early and often: Status cadences, clear owners, and shared trackers prevent fire drills.
Measure and refine: Track turnaround times, error rates, and costs. Trim bottlenecks.
Protect the data: Apply role-based access, encryption, and incident response plans aligned to recognized security frameworks.
Invest in people: CLEs, cross-training, and professional groups keep skills fresh and networks strong.
How to Display Litigation Support Skills on Your Resume
11. Bluebook Citation
The Bluebook sets the rules for citing cases, statutes, regulations, and secondary sources—uniform, exact, and unforgiving.
Why It's Important
Flawless citations boost credibility and make documents easier to verify and use in court.
How to Improve Bluebook Citation Skills
Study the rules you use most: Case law, statutes, short forms, and signals. Dog-ear the relevant sections.
Be meticulous: Punctuation, spacing, abbreviations, and order—details decide correctness.
Stay current: Keep the latest edition handy and update house guides when rules change.
Use tools wisely: Draft with citation aids if available, then verify manually.
Practice and peer review: Regular checks by colleagues catch patterns you miss.
How to Display Bluebook Citation Skills on Your Resume
12. ProLaw
ProLaw combines matter management, documents, timekeeping, billing, and accounting in one ecosystem, giving teams a single source of truth.
Why It's Important
Less toggling between systems, fewer data mismatches, better reporting—efficiency shows up everywhere.
How to Improve ProLaw Skills
Tailor dashboards: Surface the lists, deadlines, and KPIs you need at a glance.
Standardize templates: Build forms and document templates for repeatable work to cut drafting time.
Automate dates and tasks: Tie reminders to matter milestones so critical steps happen on schedule.
Integrate: Connect email and document systems to keep communications and files linked to matters.
Track time granularly: Enter time in real time and align billing codes with client guidelines.
Report with purpose: Use analytics to monitor utilization, WIP/AR, and matter profitability; adjust operations accordingly.
Learn continuously: Take vendor trainings and gather internal best practices into a living playbook.
How to Display ProLaw Skills on Your Resume
