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A very quick question, lateraling as a junior, should I list my GPA on my resume, which is in the 3.4 - 3.45 range? Speedy answer would be really helpful!

Thank you!

No. Don’t put any gpas.

2013 wrote: ↑

Fri May 14, 2021 12:33 pm

No. Don’t put any gpas.

Agreed; I would only list academic honors if you have them. The firm can request a transcript if they care about grades.

Thanks to you both.

Just for color, is this in general, or based on my 3.4-ish GPA? (e.g. if I had a 3.6 GPA, would you suggest I list it?)

There's conflicting advice about the GPA on the resume thing when lateraling in the first 1-3 years and I'm trying to figure out what the general consensus is. If it's relevant, I ultimately ended up working at a V20, so I feel like I'd rather leave the GPA off since they'd assume it's high enough to work there, etc.

Anonymous User wrote: ↑

Fri May 14, 2021 12:45 pm

Thanks to you both.

Just for color, is this in general, or based on my 3.4-ish GPA? (e.g. if I had a 3.6 GPA, would you suggest I list it?)

There's conflicting advice about the GPA on the resume thing when lateraling in the first 1-3 years and I'm trying to figure out what the general consensus is. If it's relevant, I ultimately ended up working at a V20, so I feel like I'd rather leave the GPA off since they'd assume it's high enough to work there, etc.

You can list school-specific prizes and honors. That's it. So if you go to CLS and graduate with Kent and the Feinberg, you list both but you don't list the actual GPA. It doesn't matter what the GPA is, you don't list it, that's what your honors are doing for you.

Anecdotal, of course, but I lateraled in year 3 and I listed my GPA and honors. I was going from midlaw to biglaw, and it may have helped. I'd say it depends on how early you're lateraling and how high the GPA is.

What if the GPA is extremely high (3.9) and you’re looking to lateral after your first year?

Anonymous User wrote: ↑

Fri May 14, 2021 7:14 pm

What if the GPA is extremely high (3.9) and you’re looking to lateral after your first year?

Just put summa cum laude (this is assuming your school does Latin honors)

hdr wrote: ↑

Fri May 14, 2021 12:41 pm

2013 wrote: ↑

Fri May 14, 2021 12:33 pm

No. Don’t put any gpas.

Agreed; I would only list academic honors if you have them. The firm can request a transcript if they care about grades.

Wait so if I do a cold lateral application (just sending my materials to someone in the firm’s recruiting department), should I include a transcript and writing sample, or just a resume and cover letter?

2013 wrote: ↑

Fri May 14, 2021 8:26 pm

Anonymous User wrote: ↑

Fri May 14, 2021 7:14 pm

What if the GPA is extremely high (3.9) and you’re looking to lateral after your first year?

Just put summa cum laude (this is assuming your school does Latin honors)

I don’t understand this. Is this really the norm?

Anonymous User wrote: ↑

Sat May 15, 2021 8:39 am

2013 wrote: ↑

Fri May 14, 2021 8:26 pm

Anonymous User wrote: ↑

Fri May 14, 2021 7:14 pm

What if the GPA is extremely high (3.9) and you’re looking to lateral after your first year?

Just put summa cum laude (this is assuming your school does Latin honors)

I don’t understand this. Is this really the norm?

Also confused. At my alma mater magna/hh is top 5% and other schools give it for top 10% so I feel like just listing it is less impressive. I doubt employers are cross-referencing the school honors systems for every resume they glance at.

Anonymous User wrote: ↑

Fri May 14, 2021 8:37 pm

hdr wrote: ↑

Fri May 14, 2021 12:41 pm

2013 wrote: ↑

Fri May 14, 2021 12:33 pm

No. Don’t put any gpas.

Agreed; I would only list academic honors if you have them. The firm can request a transcript if they care about grades.

Wait so if I do a cold lateral application (just sending my materials to someone in the firm’s recruiting department), should I include a transcript and writing sample, or just a resume and cover letter?

You should follow whatever instructions they put on their website. If they don't request a transcript or writing sample then don't send one.

Ideally you should have a friend at the firm email your resume to recruiting (or even better, to the head of the group that's hiring if they know him or her).

Anonymous User wrote: ↑

Sat May 15, 2021 5:49 pm

Anonymous User wrote: ↑

Sat May 15, 2021 8:39 am

2013 wrote: ↑

Fri May 14, 2021 8:26 pm

Anonymous User wrote: ↑

Fri May 14, 2021 7:14 pm

What if the GPA is extremely high (3.9) and you’re looking to lateral after your first year?

Just put summa cum laude (this is assuming your school does Latin honors)

I don’t understand this. Is this really the norm?

Also confused. At my alma mater magna/hh is top 5% and other schools give it for top 10% so I feel like just listing it is less impressive. I doubt employers are cross-referencing the school honors systems for every resume they glance at.

Being in the top 10% v top 5% makes almost no difference when lateraling. Both are impressive (especially from t13). It looks tacky to list GPAs. It’s your choice though. But be consistent. If you’re listing your law school GPA, list your undergrad as well.

There is no one-size-fits-all approach here. I have a decently high law school GPA, higher than most cum laudes, but because my school awarded those Latin honors solely on the basis of 2L and 3L grades, I didn't get any (I crushed 1L and then cruised from there, basically). So I think I get more juice out of listing my GPA rather than leaving it off. If your GPA is not impressive then just leave it off.

Anonymous User wrote: ↑

Sun May 16, 2021 12:15 pm

If your GPA is not impressive then just leave it off.

This. Your resume is supposed to put you in the best light. If your GPA doesn't do this, leave it off. If it does, include it.

Anonymous User wrote: ↑

Sun May 16, 2021 12:15 pm

There is no one-size-fits-all approach here. I have a decently high law school GPA, higher than most cum laudes, but because my school awarded those Latin honors solely on the basis of 2L and 3L grades, I didn't get any (I crushed 1L and then cruised from there, basically). So I think I get more juice out of listing my GPA rather than leaving it off. If your GPA is not impressive then just leave it off.

literally what.

Anonymous User wrote: ↑

Sun May 16, 2021 12:15 pm

There is no one-size-fits-all approach here. I have a decently high law school GPA, higher than most cum laudes, but because my school awarded those Latin honors solely on the basis of 2L and 3L grades, I didn't get any (I crushed 1L and then cruised from there, basically). So I think I get more juice out of listing my GPA rather than leaving it off. If your GPA is not impressive then just leave it off.

You sure about that? You're telling us there's a law school out there that ignores 1L grades for honors? The 1 year everyone takes the same courses? Since you're anon, you need to name the school.

I assumed they transferred.

bwh8813 wrote: ↑

Mon May 17, 2021 11:38 am

Anonymous User wrote: ↑

Sun May 16, 2021 12:15 pm

There is no one-size-fits-all approach here. I have a decently high law school GPA, higher than most cum laudes, but because my school awarded those Latin honors solely on the basis of 2L and 3L grades, I didn't get any (I crushed 1L and then cruised from there, basically). So I think I get more juice out of listing my GPA rather than leaving it off. If your GPA is not impressive then just leave it off.

You sure about that? You're telling us there's a law school out there that ignores 1L grades for honors? The 1 year everyone takes the same courses? Since you're anon, you need to name the school.

Not the anon, but Duke ignores 1L grades for cum laude and magna cum laude.

TheBlueDevil wrote: ↑

Mon May 17, 2021 1:30 pm

bwh8813 wrote: ↑

Mon May 17, 2021 11:38 am

Anonymous User wrote: ↑

Sun May 16, 2021 12:15 pm

There is no one-size-fits-all approach here. I have a decently high law school GPA, higher than most cum laudes, but because my school awarded those Latin honors solely on the basis of 2L and 3L grades, I didn't get any (I crushed 1L and then cruised from there, basically). So I think I get more juice out of listing my GPA rather than leaving it off. If your GPA is not impressive then just leave it off.

You sure about that? You're telling us there's a law school out there that ignores 1L grades for honors? The 1 year everyone takes the same courses? Since you're anon, you need to name the school.

Not the anon, but Duke ignores 1L grades for cum laude and magna cum laude.

Wow..what’s the rationale for that?

Anonymous User wrote: ↑

Mon May 17, 2021 2:14 pm

TheBlueDevil wrote: ↑

Mon May 17, 2021 1:30 pm

bwh8813 wrote: ↑

Mon May 17, 2021 11:38 am

Anonymous User wrote: ↑

Sun May 16, 2021 12:15 pm

There is no one-size-fits-all approach here. I have a decently high law school GPA, higher than most cum laudes, but because my school awarded those Latin honors solely on the basis of 2L and 3L grades, I didn't get any (I crushed 1L and then cruised from there, basically). So I think I get more juice out of listing my GPA rather than leaving it off. If your GPA is not impressive then just leave it off.

You sure about that? You're telling us there's a law school out there that ignores 1L grades for honors? The 1 year everyone takes the same courses? Since you're anon, you need to name the school.

Not the anon, but Duke ignores 1L grades for cum laude and magna cum laude.

Wow..what’s the rationale for that?

I'm not sure, maybe to accommodate transfer students? It's Rule 2-7 per https://law.duke.edu/about/community/rules/sec2/

Summa is based on all grades though. Students in the top 5% based on all coursework are also recognized, both after 2L and after graduation.

Latin honors are a bit weird at Duke because people can pick easier courses or courses that are subject to a higher mandatory median (or no mandatory median at all) to juice their GPAs after 1L. And, like the original anon, some people who perform well in 1L will slack off in the remaining two years and miss out on Latin honors, despite having a GPA that exceeds those receiving Latin honors.

Would you only put Latin honors, or would you also put in getting other academic awards like highest grade in a class (especially if relevant to your practice field)?