For various reasons, such as protracted unemployment, a recent move or the need for additional income many highly qualified attorneys with otherwise stable employment histories choose to work as contract attorneys at some point in time.  But with the varying perceptions of attorney contract work many attorneys searching for full-time employment may wonder whether they should include the contract work on their resume.

Generally speaking an attorney should make potential employers aware of all positions they have worked in because of the possibility that a conflict situation may exist.  But that doesn't necessarily mean that the contract work should be directly on your resume.  In most cases, mentioning the contract work in a cover letter may be sufficient.  But there are some cases where an attorney might benefit by including the contract work on their resume.

1.    If the work done in the contract position is relevant to the job opportunity.  For example, if an attorney is applying for a position as a family law attorney and their only experience in that field is in a contract position then it might be advantageous to include it on the resume.

2.    An attorney held the contract work for a long period of time and excluding it from your resume would leave a hole in your employment history.  In this case the attorney may want to include the contract work on the resume.

3.    The contract work an attorney did was significant and meaningful.  Most contract positions involve mostly document review and related tasks; but oftentimes when an attorney is in a contract position for an extended amount of time the work becomes more involved and significant.  If an attorney's work in a contract position is significant, by all means include it on the resume.

Because the perception of legal contract positions can vary widely, always check with a qualified recruiter to determine how such work should be presented in its best light on your resume and cover letter.