Interest Sections on Resumes Forum

[Anonymous User]

Let's hear it. What's make something a good interest for putting on a resume (specifically for rising 2Ls looking to earn an SA spot)?

[NYCounsel]

Not sure if your thread is connected to the current Reddit one, where everyone seems to think you need an interest section to land biglaw, but FWIW I got Biglaw ~V15. No interest section on my resume. But I also started law school with more legal experience than ~95% of law students, 1L, 2L, or 3L, so that could have distinguished me. It also means I’d be wasting space where I could put experience to share an ultimately trivial interest. I imagine this could apply to those who don’t have as much legal experience, too.

But since you did ask, and I feel obliged to answer in addition to giving my two cents: maybe include a book genre, philosophy, art, something along those lines.

[nixy]

A good interest for putting on a resume is an actual interest that you possess, that you can be entertaining about in an interview. That might be sports fandom. It might be playing the cello. Depends on you.

[northwood]

Never put one on my resume.. but guess you can if you are applying for a law school internship or through OCI. I would only put things on that you are interested in and can have an intellectual conversation about.

[nixy]

I think interest sections are most helpful for OCI, where there are a whole slew of nearly identical candidates and interviewers want something to talk to you about (this can certainly be past experience if you have a lot of that, although I have a lot of pre-law experience and got asked about my interests - they're just an easy subject of conversation), and for clerkship interviews (which are often much more conversational, get to know you kind of things). That doesn't mean an interests section is mandatory, but I think they can be somewhat helpful.