You are in your undergraduate law degree, you are looking for a first internship in a law firm or a legal department, and your CV is three lines of education and one line of summer jobs. That is the situation of almost every student at this stage, and supervising lawyers know it. They do not expect experience: they look for signs of seriousness, careful writing and a genuine interest in the profession.
This article shows what a lawyer or in-house counsel reads in an undergraduate CV, how to present your education, university activities, student jobs and languages, and then walks through a fictional example line by line. It is aimed at second- and third-year students and remains useful at the start of the first year of the master’s.
What a supervising lawyer expects from an undergraduate
A lawyer who hosts an undergraduate intern does not expect them to draft submissions alone. They mainly ask themselves three questions: is this person reliable, do they write cleanly, and will they understand what is asked of them without having to be told twice?
A quick, targeted reading
A student’s CV is read in a minute, sometimes less, between two meetings. The reader first looks for the university and the level (L2, L3, M1), then the period of the internship you want, then a sign of interest in the firm’s field. If these three elements are visible at the top of the page, the rest will be read more carefully.
Reliability shows in the form
In a profession where a procedural deadline entered wrongly can cost a case, the form of the CV matters as much as its content. A supervising lawyer notices a spelling mistake, an uneven layout, inconsistent dates. Conversely, a clean one-page document with uniform headings reassures without saying a word.
What is not expected
You do not have to invent practice. An undergraduate who writes “drafting of submissions” after merely observing a hearing makes a poor impression as soon as the interview starts. Write what you actually did, with the right verb: observe, attend, research, summarise, proofread, file.
Grades, honours and subjects: education comes first
With no experience, education is the main section of your CV. It therefore goes first, before activities.
The title and the period
State the degree you are preparing, the university and the current year: “Third year of the law degree (L3), private law track – University of [city], 2026-2027”. If your institution offers an enhanced track or a double degree, mention it: it says something about your work rate. To place the general framework of legal studies, the Onisep pages on training for law and justice careers 🔗 recall the paths leading to the various professions.
Honours: only if they help
An honours distinction obtained in L1 or L2 may appear, with the year. A mediocre average is not hidden by a lie, but it does not need to be showcased: highlight instead the subjects in which your results are strong. Never give an approximate grade or one rounded in your favour. In a law firm, accuracy is a professional quality.
Subjects: one targeted line
A “Main subjects” line only makes sense if it matches the internship you are aiming for. For an employment law firm, list labour law, fundamental freedoms, civil procedure. For a corporate firm, company law, contract law, the law of obligations. Five subjects are enough. Avoid the list of every course of the year, which drowns the information.
The dissertation, the seminar, the standout tutorial
If you wrote a research paper, a case comment that was noticed or an in-depth presentation, one line can say so: topic, subject, supervisor if relevant. A precise topic (“The regime of the non-compete clause in employment law”) says more than “various academic work”.
Law clinic, moot court, associations
These activities are often the best content of an undergraduate CV, because they show you have already done something other than attend lectures.
The law clinic
Several universities offer their students law clinics or supervised legal advice schemes run by lecturers and practitioners. If you took part, describe what you did, without overstating it: receiving and listening to people, identifying the legal question, researching texts, drafting a note or a summary sheet, review by a supervisor. State the framework (“session supervised by a lecturer and a lawyer”) and do not suggest that you gave a consultation on your own.
Another point of caution is confidentiality. Do not mention any name or any detail of a case. A sentence such as “Respect for confidentiality and for the secrecy of exchanges” is enough, and lawyers like it.
Pleading competitions and mock trials
An oratory competition, a mock trial or a pleading competition is presented by its name, the year, your role and the level reached, if you know it for certain (semi-final, final, prize). Add what the exercise required: preparing a file, building an outline, teamwork, pleading before a jury of professionals. These are concrete skills for a litigation firm.
Associations, law and commitment
A student law association, a student committee, a legal advice service run by a charity, involvement in homework help: all of this shows regularity and a sense of the collective. State the role (treasurer, head of a unit, active member), the duration, and one or two verifiable responsibilities: managing a budget, organising a conference with speakers, coordinating a team of volunteers.
Making student jobs useful for a legal position
Waiter, cashier, youth worker, shop assistant, tutoring: these jobs are not legal, but they prove qualities that firms look for. The art is to describe them in the vocabulary of skills, without inflating them.
Choosing what carries over
For each job, ask yourself what it specifically required. A checkout job requires accuracy and keeping accounts. A restaurant job requires working under pressure with fixed hours. A youth worker job requires responsibility and communication. One line is enough, two at most.
Example wordings
| Weak wording | Useful wording | | --- | --- | | Student job in catering | Table service, welcoming a varied clientele, teamwork during peak periods | | Shop assistant | Advising customers, running the till with no discrepancies, following end-of-day procedures | | Tutoring | Explaining concepts to pupils, preparing sessions, monitoring progress |
These lines are drafting models: use only what matches your real experience.
A rule of common sense
A student job should not be justified by a forced link with law. Writing “sense of procedure” about a shop assistant job sounds false. A sober description that lets the reader make the connection is better.
What about the observation placement from school?
A short observation placement done at secondary school may appear if it took place in a court, a law firm or a legal department, even a very short one. It shows that your interest is not new. Otherwise, it has no place in an L3 CV.
Languages and legal databases
This section is short, but it is read.
Languages
State your languages with a verifiable level: a certificate (TOEIC, TOEFL, IELTS, Cambridge, DELF/DALF), an academic stay, a degree. Avoid subjective labels (“fluent”, “good level”) without proof. If you took law courses in English or took part in a mock trial in a foreign language, say so: it is valuable for a firm that works with foreign clients.
Databases and tools
Law students learn to use their university’s legal information databases, as well as Légifrance for legislation and case law. You can write “Legal research: Légifrance and university databases (e.g. Lexis, Dalloz, depending on your access)” if you have actually used them. Add office tools: Word with styles and table of contents, basic Excel, Zotero or a reference manager for dissertations. To understand what firms expect today in terms of tools, see our article on legal tech tools to highlight on a lawyer’s CV.
Skills you can claim safely
Writing a summary note, searching case law, careful proofreading, working to a short deadline: these skills are demonstrated by your academic work. State each in three or four words, in a “Skills” section.
A CV commented line by line
Here is the outline of a fictional CV for a third-year student aiming for a two-month internship in a law firm. The name, the city and the institutions are invented; adapt each element to your situation.
First name LAST NAME — Third-year law student (L3), private law track Available for an internship from June to July 2027 – [city] – [e-mail] – [phone]
Comment. The first line gives the level and the track, the second the period. The reader knows within seconds whether the candidate fits.
Education Third year of the law degree (L3), private law track – University of [city], 2026-2027 Second year of the law degree (L2) – same university, honours [to be stated if obtained], 2025-2026 Main subjects: company law, special contracts, civil procedure, fundamental freedoms
Comment. Reverse chronological order, honours given only if obtained, subjects aligned with the targeted firm (here, a firm practising in corporate law).
University activities University law clinic, 2026-2027: supervised reception of individuals, identification of the legal question, drafting of summary sheets reviewed by a supervising lawyer. Respect for the confidentiality of exchanges. Mock trial competition, 2026: preparing the file, drafting a pleading outline, pleading before a jury of practitioners.
Comment. The verbs are precise and go no further than what the candidate did. Each line shows a skill useful in a firm: analysis, writing, oral work.
Experience All-round restaurant employee, summer 2026: welcoming customers, running the till, teamwork during busy periods.
Comment. One line for a job with no direct link to law, worded in terms of accuracy and reliability, without exaggeration.
Languages and tools English: TOEIC [score to be stated if one exists]. Spanish: school level. Légifrance, university legal databases, Word (styles, table of contents), basic Excel.
Comment. The language level is verifiable, or clearly described as school level. Honesty beats an unverifiable “fluent”.
The three most frequent mistakes
- Filling the page with unimportant lines: a clean page beats a crowded one.
- Stating overly vague career goals (“joining a large international firm”): prefer a specific field or type of case.
- Forgetting the desired internship period: without a date, the firm does not know whether your application meets its need.
Going further: preparing what comes next
An undergraduate CV also prepares the next steps. When you move into the master’s, then possibly into a law school for lawyers, the same document will evolve. For an overview of the path, the National Bar Council’s page on the CRFPA entrance exam 🔗 presents the official framework for access to lawyer training. Our article on choosing your PPI placement at law school then explains how to think through the trainee-lawyer path, and the one on the CV for a first associate position shows what the CV becomes when you look for a firm.
If you are aiming for legal positions outside the bar during your studies, two models can guide you: the legal assistant CV example and the trainee lawyer one, which show how more advanced profiles organise their page.
On the practical side, an internship of more than two consecutive months generally entitles you to a gratification, as recalled by the Service-Public page on the gratification of a student intern 🔗; check it before negotiating, and look at the internship agreement your university will have you sign.
Formatting the CV without losing your evening
Layout is where many students lose time, and sometimes legibility: columns that shift, mixed fonts, a file that changes appearance from one computer to another. Yet many firms and legal departments use screening tools that read overly decorated documents poorly. The AvocatCV editor takes care of the layout for you and produces a structured PDF that these programs read correctly, which leaves you time to work on the content.
To start from a clean base, create your CV in the editor and reuse the structure of the example above, section by section.
Frequently asked questions
Should a law student put a photo on their CV?
It is not compulsory, and in France no rule requires it. Many firms attach no importance to it. If you include one, choose a sharp, sober picture against a neutral background. If in doubt, a page without a photo remains perfectly acceptable.
What should I put if I have had no internship or university activity?
Highlight your education (subjects, a dissertation or presentation that stood out), your languages, your tools and your student jobs, described through their skills. A short but precise page is better than one filled with generalities. In the cover message, explain in a few sentences why you are aiming for this firm.
How many pages for an undergraduate CV?
One. A supervising lawyer reads in a few moments; a second page adds nothing at this level and costs clarity.
Can I apply for an internship in a law firm as early as the second year?
Yes, many students look for an observation or summer placement from the second year. State the desired duration and your availability dates, and rely on the law clinic, a competition or an association to show your motivation.
Should I adapt my CV to each firm?
Yes, slightly: the order of subjects, the opening line and the activities you highlight may change depending on whether the firm works in employment, criminal or corporate law. Never change the facts, only what you bring to light.