How to Write the Perfect Law School Resume: Examples & Tips

Applying for a law school takes a will of steel. Law school applications usually consist of the following steps:

1. Taking the Law School Admission Test (LSAT)
2. Researching and selecting law schools to apply for
3. Registering with the Credential Assembly Service (CAS)
4. Submitting required documentation, including a law school resume, to the school

Not only do you need to ace the test, but you also need to prepare various materials for the admission board to review, including:

1. Personal statement
2. Transcripts of records
3. LSAT scores
4. Letters of recommendation
5. A law school resume 

Instead of a regular employment resume, law schools usually require a different form of resumes during admission. A law school application resume is more than a list of your skills and qualifications; it should offer a solid review of your background related to the fields of law that you wish to study in the future. 

A law school resume targets the admission committee, serving to highlight your potentials in the law and help you stand out.

Hence, it’s crucial to have a law school resume that demonstrates your readiness for law school.

Although creating a law school application resume can be a feat, it can also be tackled by following the 5 steps below.

Step 1: Research the desired school and major.

To make sure your qualifications meet the requirements, research thoroughly the desired majors and schools before crafting a resume for applying to law school. 

Step 2: Choose the right law school resume format.

After you brainstorm and list your strengths, choose a resume format that best underscores your potential as a law professional for your law school applications.

3 common formats for law school resumes:

• The chronological resume format:
  This format shows all your previous education and experience in reverse chronological order. It emphasizes your background, either educational or professional.
• The functional resume format:
  The functional resume format focuses more on your skills rather than your experience.
• The combination resume format:
  As its name suggests, the combination resume format mixes the chronological format and functional one, showcasing both your skills and experience.

Step 3: Look up other law school resume templates & examples.

Before you start writing your law school resumes, look up templates and examples. You will have a better idea of what to write and how to arrange your experience and skills to stand out.

Step 4: Tailor your law school resume according to the school and major.

To stand a better chance of being accepted by a law school, tailor your law school application resume according to your desired school and major. The key is to highlight the most relevant experience and qualifications that match the keywords in their requirement.

Step 5: Proofread.

Finally, have your law school resume proofread by professional proofreaders, so there’s no typos or other careless, but fatal, mistakes. Then, you are good to go.

1. Resume Header

A resume header contains all the necessary personal and contact information, such as your full name, address, contact information (your phone number and email address), and social media (if applicable).

2. Resume Summary or Objective 

A resume summary describes your background, relevant experience, and qualifications, while a resume objective is a short statement that explains your career prospects. Those with little work experience should opt for a resume objective.

A resume summary or objective is not necessary for a law school resume since the admissions committee is seeking candidates with strong academic backgrounds and prospects. However, include it if you have relevant experience that can set you apart from others. 

3. Education

Education is the most important section in a law school resume.

5 essential elements you need to include:

• Your degree 
• Your majors and/or minors
• School name
• School location
• The year of graduation

Optional information can also be mentioned in the education section in a law school resume:

• Honors and awards
• GPA, if above 3.7
• Relevant courses 

4. Work Experience

All relevant jobs should be included in reverse chronological order in the experience section. The name of the organizations where you previously worked should come first, followed by the location and employment dates.

5. Skills

Showcase skills that are relevant to the fields of law you want to study. You can put both hard and soft skills on your law school resume.

6. Extracurricular Activities

Extracurricular activities on the resume can significantly help you stand out in the law school application process. Admissions committees are seeking enthusiastic and engaged students.

This is especially relevant in law schools, where the number of student clubs and groups is high. Include as many relevant extracurricular activities as you can.

7. Awards & Honors

List any honors, awards that you previously received outside school, along with the years in which you received them.

8. Hobbies & Interests

Hobbies and interests, like extracurricular activities, show your character. If you have hobbies and interests that you haven’t already mentioned on your law school resume, be sure to include them in this section. For hobbies, put activities you’ve taken part in.

As for interests, they are things that you enjoy doing. Avoid being general as this section can also add value to your law school resume as much as other sections.

When applying for the best law schools, for example, Harvard, Yale, Columbia, etc., you want your application documents to be perfect, including your test results and resumes.

Here are 5 tips for writing the perfect law school resumes.

👍 Customize the resume for the law school.

Read the requirement for the desired schools carefully, and match the keywords in the requirement in your law school resumes.

Formatting and length matter too. Each law school has different rules for formatting and length. If you are applying for Yale Law School, then you should customize your Yale law school resume. If you are applying for Harvard Law School, your Harvard law school resume should follow their standards.

👍 Highlight what makes you unique.

While applying for a law school, you should stress your achievements, education, and grades as well as the work experience on the resume.

These are the things that would make you stand out among other law school candidates.

👍 Quantify results on your law school admissions resumes.

To quantify means to express with numbers. Use numbers such as in the given example to support your statement:

"Researched 20+ cases and made presentations to attorneys."

👍 Use resume action words.

Action words, such as “represented”, “researched”, “devoted”, and “supervised”, are strong and compelling verbs that accentuate your skills and responsibilities on your law school resume.

👍 Prioritize your education on your law school resume.

Education is more noteworthy on a law school resume. Its importance outweighs a resume objective or a resume summary because law schools are often looking for strong academic qualifications over professional experience.

You might still be wondering what else you need to pay attention to when you look up law school resume templates online. Here are three frequently asked questions about the best law school application resume template:

📝 How long should a law school resume be?

Law school application resume’s length should be one to two pages long at most unless it is otherwise stated in the requirement. 

📝 What is the best font to use in a resume for law school admission?

The format and style of the law school resume should be professional. Choose a legible font and provide appropriate margins at the top, bottom, and sides of each resume page. The most optimal fonts are Calibre, Cambria, and Helvetica and the font size should be no larger than 12 and no smaller than 10.

📝 What format should a resume for law school applications be in, Word or PDF?

You should also have your law school resume template in the correct format, so choose PDF unless the school specifies otherwise. PDF retains the layout you laboriously design.