Associate Lawyer CV When Moving Firms in France: Showcasing Three to Seven Years of Progression

With three to seven years of practice, an associate moving to another firm is no longer judged on potential but on trajectory. The partner interviewing them wants to understand what they can do on their own, what responsibilities they have been given over the years, and what they will bring from day one: technical know-how, supervisory skills, sometimes client relationships. Yet many experienced associates' CVs still look like first-year CVs, only longer: a list of practice areas and matters in which progression is invisible.

This article helps you build a CV that tells a story of development, while respecting professional secrecy and the rules of loyalty towards the firm you are leaving.

What a partner looks for in an experienced associate

Progression rather than seniority

Five years at a firm says nothing on its own. The partner looks for markers of progression: moving from first drafts to running files, a first significant hearing, first direct dealings with client legal departments, handling a transaction from start to finish, supervising junior associates and trainee lawyers. Your CV should make these steps visible.

Real level of autonomy

At this stage, the partner wants to know which matters you can handle with light supervision. Say it precisely: "independently managed a portfolio of around twenty litigation files, with monthly reporting to the partner" is usable information.

Depth of expertise

An associate with six years' call is expected to have an area of expertise. If your practice has narrowed over time, show it: your first role may be generalist, your most recent one should be specialised. The CNB certified specialisation, available after four years of professional practice, can strengthen that signal. Our article on the CNB specialisation explains the procedure.

Contribution to business development

Associates are not expected to bring in revenue figures, but the partner does look at your contribution to the firm: articles, internal training, work on pitches, professional networking. If you have built a personal client base, which Article 14.2.2 of the French National Internal Rules (Règlement intérieur national, RIN) permits for self-employed associates, you can refer to it in general terms at interview, without ever naming a client.

A coherent move

The partner wonders why you are leaving. The CV does not need to explain it, but it should not raise doubts: a readable trajectory, consistent tenures and a clear orientation towards the target firm's practice often make the question easy to answer at interview.

Recommended structure

Two pages are acceptable at this level, provided every line carries information.

1. Header: name, bar and year of swearing-in, contact details, title line ("Senior associate – commercial litigation and insolvency"), certified specialisation if obtained.
2. Three-line summary: specialism, client type, level of responsibility. No adjectives, only facts.
3. Professional experience: by firm and, within the same firm, by period if your role changed.
4. Education: CAPA, master's degree, any LL.M.; further training relevant to your practice.
5. Publications, teaching, speaking: selected and dated.
6. Languages and tools.

To organise these elements quickly, build your CV in the editor: the sections are already set up for a lawyer's career.

Showing progression within one firm

This is the point most CVs overlook. If you have spent five years at the same firm, split that experience:

• 2021–2023 – Associate: drafting, research, attending hearings.
• 2023–2026 – Senior associate: running files independently, direct client relationships, supervising two junior associates.

Titles must match those actually used by your firm. Do not invent a "counsel" or "senior associate" title that was never formalised: a single reference call would contradict it.

Describing your matters without breaching professional secrecy

Article 2.2 of the RIN brings client names within professional secrecy. The more experienced you are, the stronger the temptation to cite prestigious references: resist it. The habits are the same at every level:

• describe the client category ("listed industrial group", "mid-cap investment fund", "credit institution");
• describe the nature of the matter and its complexity (number of parties, international dimension, procedural stakes);
• specify your role;
• give an order of magnitude only if it allows no identification.

What you take with you, and what you leave

Article 14.7.5 of the RIN provides that, on request, an associate may obtain from the firm the documents they helped prepare, within the limits of professional secrecy, including in support of a specialisation application. These documents serve your specialisation file or your own practice; they are not meant to be attached to a job application.

Before and after examples

The examples describe fictional profiles; figures illustrate how to write.

Litigation

Before: "Commercial litigation: drafting submissions, advocacy."

After: "Independently managed a portfolio of around twenty commercial disputes (termination of commercial relationships, warranty claims): set litigation strategy with the partner, drafted and pleaded before commercial courts and courts of appeal, supervised a junior associate."

Corporate

Before: "M&A and private equity deals."

After: "Coordinated SME acquisitions for mid-cap funds from start to finish: ran due diligence, negotiated share purchase agreements and shareholders' agreements with opposing counsel, organised closings; day-to-day contact for investment teams."

Employment

Before: "Employment law advice."

After: "Ongoing advice to HR departments of services groups: reorganisations, negotiation of collective agreements, preparation of information and consultation procedures with the works council (CSE); ran internal training on disciplinary procedure."

Supervision

Before: "Supervised interns."

After: "Supervised two junior associates and trainee lawyers: allocated work, reviewed drafts, held weekly progress meetings."

Business development

Before: "Involved in business development."

After: "Drafted proposals in response to legal department tenders; published four articles in a specialist journal; spoke at a professional conference on the reform of appeal procedure."

Common mistakes

Presenting seven years as a single block. A single line "Associate, 2019–2026" followed by a list of matters erases your progression. Split by period or set out a clear hierarchy.

Naming clients or transactions. At this level of experience, the mistake is viewed even more harshly: it calls into question your loyalty to the firm you are leaving and to your future clients.

Claiming the firm's matters as your own. Saying "my clients" when referring to the firm's clients creates ambiguity. Reserve the term for your personal clients and stay general.

Implying that clients will follow you. Article 14.7.6 of the RIN prohibits any clause restricting a former associate's freedom to set up practice, but requires the former associate, for two years after the contract ends, to notify their former firm before assisting one of its clients they were introduced to during the contract, and to refrain from any unfair competition. A CV suggesting a "portable book of business" makes the hiring firm uneasy.

Leaving out management skills. Supervision, work allocation and reviewing drafts are precisely what distinguish a five-year associate from a two-year associate.

Keeping a junior CV. Details of master's internships and student jobs no longer belong; one education line is enough.

Anticipating the practicalities of the move

The CV opens the conversation, but moving firms requires anticipating several points:

• Notice period: for self-employed associates, Article 14.7.1.1 of the RIN provides, unless the parties agree on better terms, at least three months' notice, increased by one month per year beyond three full years at the firm, up to a maximum of six months. Your availability date must reflect this.
• Conflicts of interest: the hiring firm will check for conflicts arising from your past work (Article 4 of the RIN). This check is prepared with the firm in a way that respects secrecy; it does not go through your CV.
• Remuneration: negotiating your fee retrocession is best prepared with concrete evidence of your level of responsibility. Our article on associate fee retrocession will help.
• Partnership prospects: if that is your goal, your CV should already show the skills expected of a future partner. Read our guide to becoming a partner in a law firm.

Frequently asked questions

Should my CV fit on one page after five years of practice?

Not necessarily. Two pages are acceptable if the second contains useful information (representative matters, publications, teaching). A dense single page remains preferable if your career covers only one or two firms.

Can I state the size of the deals I worked on?

An order of magnitude is possible if it identifies neither the deal nor the client. If in doubt, describe complexity instead: number of parties, courts involved, international dimension.

How should I present a personal client base?

On the CV, a general mention is enough ("developed a personal client base of SMEs in commercial law"), with no names or identifying volumes. Useful details can be discussed at interview, in keeping with professional secrecy.

Should I state why I am leaving?

No. The CV presents your trajectory; the reason is discussed at interview, in factual terms and without criticising your current firm.

Should I wait for certified specialisation before moving?

No. It can strengthen your positioning, but it is not a condition for moving. If you plan to apply, identify now the matters that best represent your practice: Article 14.7.5 of the RIN allows you to request copies from the firm, including in support of a later application.

Conclusion

An associate with three to seven years' practice who moves firms must show a trajectory: growing responsibilities, a clear specialism and supervisory ability, all described without ever exposing a client. To lay out this career and split it by period without spending your evenings on it, open the CV editor and focus on describing your progression.