Resume Help Forum

[js123]

So basically I read the TLS article on resumes and was wondering what is usually the consensus on this. What exactly should be changed from the regular "work" resume to make it a "law" resume? Also, does anyone actually list key courses as shown in the TLS resume sample? Any input or links to more information would be greatly appreciated.

[rinkrat19]

I feel kind of stupid posting this basically every time I give resume advice, but it went through about 5 rounds of edits by my OCS and I think it's a good example of a law school resume that fits a lot of info while staying readable and attractive:

Here is my current resume, genericized and redacted. Red is stuff that has been added since starting law school. The resume I applied to law school with was basically the same design before cramming the new stuff in, except with more relaxed spacing. There may have been a third bullet point under the older jobs.

[theycallmefoes]

So basically I read the TLS article on resumes and was wondering what is usually the consensus on this. What exactly should be changed from the regular "work" resume to make it a "law" resume?

Omit the "objective" section that is often included in work resumes. Your objective is clear, so including it is both redundant and a waste of space. If you're coming out of undergrad (or have recently finished), you'll want to emphasize academic achievements over work experience. If you've been out of undergrad for some time and have extensive work experience, then your work history would play a more prominent role.

Also, does anyone actually list key courses as shown in the TLS resume sample?

I wouldn't (and didn't). Adcomms have your transcripts - they know what courses you've taken. Plus, conventional wisdom is that they don't care that much, barring some bizarre changes in course patterns (like attempting to make your life easier by taking only 100-level courses your senior year). If you do include information about coursework on your resume, stick to specialty courses (like Mock Trial, Model UN, etc.) that speak to some experience that specifically applies to law school admissions, individual research projects/theses, and perhaps very unique course experiences (e.g., involving mock debates, intensive volunteering, working with international students, etc.). However, I would work these into the resume in some other way - not as "key courses" but as part of an "academic experience" section or something along those lines.

Lastly, I would not listen to the nay-sayers who insist on a 1-page resume. I've watched/read interviews with many deans of admissions (including several from T-14s) who stated that, for the purpose of law school applications, a 2-page resume is perfectly acceptable (and, according to some, preferable), because they expect it to be "annotated" (their word).

Hope this helps!

[js123]

Thanks for all the advice! Certainly helpful and enlightening.

[rinkrat19]

I absolutely disagree with the above person re: two-page resumes. So does the NU CSO. I'd been working for 10 years and still fit mine on a single page at their insistence. Unless you have an even lengthier career than me, you have not done enough to warrant two pages, and filling up two pages would just be a bunch of unnecessary fluff. Most resumes I see that people think "need" two pages usually are just using the space on the page badly. With an efficient layout you can fit everything you need on one page, and it won't have a bunch of sad-looking whitespace.
(If you have a bunch of published works you want to list, you can put them on a separate sheet and note on your resume that your publications are listed elsewhere.)

[TheSpanishMain]

I absolutely disagree with the above person re: two-page resumes. So does the NU CSO. I'd been working for 10 years and still fit mine on a single page at their insistence. Unless you have an even lengthier career than me, you have not done enough to warrant two pages, and filling up two pages would just be a bunch of unnecessary fluff. Most resumes I see that people think "need" two pages usually are just using the space on the page badly. With an efficient layout you can fit everything you need on one page, and it won't have a bunch of sad-looking whitespace.
(If you have a bunch of published works you want to list, you can put them on a separate sheet and note on your resume that your publications are listed elsewhere.)

To be fair, I think he means that two pages is fine for admissions, not necessarily employment. My guess is it's fine for admissions, since your application just becomes one multi-page PDF anyway, so a second resume page isn't going to annoy anyone. For the purposes of employment, though, I'd absolutely agree with you/NU CSO.

(rinkrat, I have no idea why I accidentally PM'd my response to you. My bad.)

[theycallmefoes]

To be fair, I think she means that two pages is fine for admissions, not necessarily employment.

This. Sorry if I was not clear. My point was simply that I have heard several deans of admissions say that while the 1-page resume is standard for work resumes, they welcome 2-page resumes for applicants, because they expect you to include some more meat, in the sense that they want you to list some of your job duties, the extent of your organizational involvement, etc. I think it was in a Kaplan webinar where a dean (cannot remember which school, but it was definitely T25, if not higher) said that even a 3-page resume would be acceptable (however, that would be excessive, in my opinion).

[rinkrat19]

To be fair, I think she means that two pages is fine for admissions, not necessarily employment.

This. Sorry if I was not clear. My point was simply that I have heard several deans of admissions say that while the 1-page resume is standard for work resumes, they welcome 2-page resumes for applicants, because they expect you to include some more meat, in the sense that they want you to list some of your job duties, the extent of your organizational involvement, etc. I think it was in a Kaplan webinar where a dean (cannot remember which school, but it was definitely T25, if not higher) said that even a 3-page resume would be acceptable (however, that would be excessive, in my opinion).

Fair enough. I don't violently disagree with this.

(rinkrat, I have no idea why I accidentally PM'd my response to you. My bad.)

lol, no worries.