Education first? Forum

(Discuss resume building techniques, LinkedIn profile suggestions, cover letters)

Education first?

Poll ended at Tue Mar 16, 2021 2:55 pm

Yes
1
20%
No
4
80%
 
Total votes: 5

Anonymous User
Posts: 428105
Joined: Tue Aug 11, 2009 9:32 am

Education first?

Post by Anonymous User » Wed Feb 24, 2021 2:55 pm

Hi all. I clerked for 2 years, and I worked in biglaw for almost 2 years. My question is simply - should I put education first on my resume still, or work experience? I'm looking at lateral positions.

Anonymous User
Posts: 428105
Joined: Tue Aug 11, 2009 9:32 am

Re: Education first?

Post by Anonymous User » Wed Feb 24, 2021 3:21 pm

I'd put education at the bottom at this point. Based on my own applications and what I've seen people submit, I don't think it matters very much one way or another, but I think for lateral positions it makes sense, especially since your experience is clerking/biglaw so probably a decent proxy for your educational background anyway.

Anonymous User
Posts: 428105
Joined: Tue Aug 11, 2009 9:32 am

Re: Education first?

Post by Anonymous User » Wed Feb 24, 2021 4:26 pm

Advice I have been given by more than 1 person is that you include education first when you are junior and move it to the back as a mid level. I’d move it to the end given that you’ve been out of school for 4+ years.

AuthorDWRandolph

New
Posts: 11
Joined: Mon Dec 19, 2022 11:25 am

Re: Education first?

Post by AuthorDWRandolph » Sat Dec 24, 2022 12:58 am

After you have about 2+ years of "real" lawyering experience (a clerkship counts), in my experience, most attorneys at Big Law firms are more focused on the quality of your experience than where you went to law school.

D.W. Randolph, author of Big Law Confidential

Anonymous User
Posts: 428105
Joined: Tue Aug 11, 2009 9:32 am

Re: Education first?

Post by Anonymous User » Mon Dec 26, 2022 11:20 pm

15+ year lawyer here who hires interns. Until you've had at least 4 or 5 years of real world experience, it's hard for your work experiences to really stand out in comparison to others. You may as well lead with your education first, and certainly any accolades earned during academia whether undergraduate or law.

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