Political Affiliation Forum

[Leenie87]

I am on the e-board for my school's law democrats. Should I keep this off my resume? Thanks.

[TCScrutinizer]

I am on the e-board for my school's law democrats. Should I keep this off my resume? Thanks.

If your position provided you with significant work or leadership experience that will strengthen your resume, yes. If it was just a name, no.

[1ferret!]

My CDO's recommendation: Consider the audience. If you know that the person who you are handing your resume to is one who sees the affiliation as a bonus, then include. Otherwise abstain. If unsure...leave it off.

[vespertiliovir]

reality has a well known liberal bias.

[StudentAthlete]

My CDO's recommendation: Consider the audience. If you know that the person who you are handing your resume to is one who sees the affiliation as a bonus, then include. Otherwise abstain. If unsure...leave it off.

Agreed. If your applying for a job as a corporate litigator, keep it off. If your applying for a job for the city or CDPL, than include it lol

[OperaSoprano]

I honestly have trouble with advice to leave off things like this. If it was important enough to you to participate in it, would you really want to work for an employer that would screen you out of an interview upon finding out? My nonprofit has a political affiliation pretty far to the left, and it's going to be obvious to employers where my politics lie, but I don't think I'd be happy in a conservative work environment. I think this is something you want to consider.

[Morten Lund]

Most midsize and large firms have attorneys with a variety of political views. Small firms (just by virtue of being small) will have less variety, but even there it would be a mistake to think that a certain political perspective is automatically a liability.

To the contrary, as noted above, most firms will value any type of leadership activity, and this will mostly be true regardless of the particular political leanings of the firm or particular interviewer. These are good things to have on your resume.

That said, there is a difference between "leadership activity" and "activist." Being a rabid anything is generally bad, and it is not a good idea to let your politics take over your resume (or an interview).

[MartianManhunter]

General consensus at the firm I'm at is that nobody cares. If your client is a big oil then you're defending big oil today, regardless of political leanings.

They do like leadership, though.

[StudentAthlete]

I think I've changed my mind. It could polarize people if your either a member of the Democratic Progressive Society or the Federalist society. When in doubt, leave it out.