Law School Application Resumes

Use your one-page resume to highlight your abilities to learn, think critically, work well on teams, speak to the public, multi-task, handle information in a confident way, etc. (the same transferrable skills successful lawyers possess)

You do not need to include everything you’ve ever done!  Be selective based on what will inform the law schools regarding the skills and background you want them to know about in relation to you being a well-round member of their law student community and future lawyer.

One small caveat- it is not advised that you include experience from high school unless the experience is something rare and exceptional.

Showcase leadership and engagement in organizations. 

Law schools are looking for well-rounded candidates.  Do not feel that you can only share your law-related involvement on your resume!

Each bulleted statement should share what you did, how, and the result.  When writing your bulleted statements, start with a descriptive action verb.

Example:

Chaired weekly student government sub-committee meetings, setting agendas and managing follow-ups on initiatives to improve campus inclusivity.

Note: Review each bullet in your resume.  If the statement has no relevance to the audience consider omitting it from your resume for brevity purposes.  Sometimes less is more!

Feel free to include your coursework and relevant projects!

One way to do this might be to add in a “Relevant coursework” area to your Education section and include the names of the relevant courses you’ve taken.

Or, choose include a “Academic Projects” section before or after your work experience section.  Include the name of the project, the date, and then use bullets underneath to explain what you did in the class.

For example:

Constitutional Law seminar, Fall 2024

• Analyzed landmark Supreme Court decisions in a Constitutional Law seminar, presenting findings in a 10-minute oral argument simulating appellate court style.

• Collaborated with a team to write a policy brief on immigration reform for a Public Policy course, earning top marks for clarity and persuasive structure.

Don’t forget to share information regarding any language, research, and technology skills