When reviewing CVs or speaking with candidates, I occasionally find that one or more roles have been omitted —most commonly short stints at firms or positions that didn’t work out as planned.
This is something I consistently advise against and can create all sorts of issues for individuals.
Short tenures happen and, in most cases, they can be reasonably explained. A competent recruiter will take the time to understand the context, and when candidates are open and transparent, this is rarely a concern or an issue when explained (especially if it is a one off)
Equally important is to be honest about the dates of your employment. Inflating, shortening or altering the dates of your roles can quickly destroy credibility, lead to questions on your integrity and raise major red flags if discovered during reference or background checks. A recruiter or a firms HR team will be obtaining references in the event you are offered a position and the dates of your employment will be confirmed, so best just to be honest in the first place.
Being up front even about short stints or gaps, is a far safer option to avoid questions of your integrity and honesty being raised, which as I am sure most would agree are 2 qualities that you should not want be in question as a lawyer.