b'The Basics of a Legal Resume\nThe goal of the legal resume is to get an interview. To do this, your resume must present clearly\nand concisely the reasons why you are a great candidate. In other words, the legal resume is\npersuasive writing.\nA good legal resume accomplishes three major tasks:\n\xef\x82\xb7\n\nTo present your background and experience to emphasize how well you meet the\nrequirements of the position.\nWhich parts of your education, work and life experience are most pertinent to the job\nrequirements? How should you describe them? If you have non-legal work experience,\nwhat experience should you include and how do you describe it to emphasize the skills\nthat appeal to legal employers?\n\n\xef\x82\xb7\n\nTo do so concisely and in an easy to read, proper legal format.\nEmployers typically screen resumes in 30-60 seconds. A legal resume has a specific\nformat that allows reviewers to see the most important information easily within this time\nframe. Review the \xe2\x80\x9cLegal Resume Samples\xe2\x80\x9d for examples.\nLegal resumes are typically one page, unless you have substantial professional\nexperience, or the position requires a more detailed resume, such as an intellectual\nproperty or academic position.\n\n\xef\x82\xb7\n\nTo convey a sense of who you are as an individual and as a potential employee.\nYou can do this by including information on personal interests, community involvement,\nor other relevant experiences. Personal interests should be interesting to catch the\nreader\xe2\x80\x99s attention. This can often be a conversation starter in an interview and can help\nattorneys remember you as a candidate.\n\n\x0cWriting a Good Legal Resume\nYou can simplify the process of writing the legal resume if you follow this approach:\n\xef\x82\xb7\n\nBrainstorm all the experiences you have had using the \xe2\x80\x9cLaw School Resume\nWorksheet,\xe2\x80\x9d at the end of this publication. The next step is to list your skills,\nqualifications, and accomplishments. Update your resume as you continue to gain legal\nexperiences, and on an annual basis after you graduate from law school.\n\n\xef\x82\xb7\n\nRead the qualifications preferred for the position. When you apply for a position, read\nthe detailed job description to target your resume/cover letter as much as possible to\nmatch the employer\xe2\x80\x99s desired qualifications.\n\n\xef\x82\xb7\n\nConsider the overall appearance of your resume. Is the layout professional and easy\nto read? Is there enough white space? Is it free of grammar and spelling errors? Are the\nverb tenses consistent? Do the headers highlight your experience, such as, \xe2\x80\x9cLegal\nExperience\xe2\x80\x9d or \xe2\x80\x9cBusiness Experience?\xe2\x80\x9d Because templates restrict the resume\xe2\x80\x99s\nstyle/formatting and often do not highlight your information in the best way, we\nrecommend that you avoid using resume templates. See the \xe2\x80\x9cLegal Resume Samples\xe2\x80\x9d\n(found in the Symplicity Document Library in the Symplicity Document Library) which\ndemonstrate good examples of legal resumes.\n\n\xef\x82\xb7\n\nBe succinct in your writing style. Use short, dynamic, descriptive phrases rather than\nlong sentences or paragraphs. Keep it to one or two pages, preferably one, unless you\nhave extensive relevant experience.\n\n\xef\x82\xb7\n\nBegin sentences with action verbs. Examples of action verbs would be: drafted,\norganized, counseled, researched and evaluated. Stress skills, accomplishments, strengths\nand qualifications. Do not use the same verbs repeatedly to describe your experience.\nCheck out the \xe2\x80\x9cAction Verbs\xe2\x80\x9d in the Symplicity Document Library for more suggestions.\n\n\xef\x82\xb7\n\nDraft the resume. Use these suggestions to help in this process. Remember, anything\nyou put on your resume you may be asked about in an interview, so be sure it is accurate.\n\n\xef\x82\xb7\n\nHave a draft of your resume reviewed. By submitting your first resume in Symplicity,\nit will automatically be reviewed by career staff. You may schedule an appointment with\na career advisor to review your resume. It may also be helpful to ask a mentor or\nprofessional in your job target area to review your resume for technical accuracy. Then,\nmake your final revisions and proofread well.\n\n\x0cRESUME CONTENT\nThe legal resume lists sections on education, legal and other experience, and may include other\ncategories such as personal interests or community involvement. The main goal of your resume\nis to present the most relevant information about you within a limited space.\nHEADER\n\nName, address, phone number, and email (preferably your Mitchell Hamline\naddress).\n\nTIPS:\nMake sure the header is easy to read. Your name should be a large font size (14-16 pt). There are\nmany ways to save space on your resume, for example: your phone number and email address\ncan be written on one line in the header. Add a symbol (~ or other symbol) to separate your\naddress, phone and email address. Remove the hyperlink in your email address by using a right\nclick of the mouse.\nMake sure that your contact information (address, phone, and email) is current. Employers will\nuse this information to contact you if they want to schedule an interview. Make sure that your\nvoicemail messages and e-mail addresses are professional and that you check these on a regular\nbasis.\nHEADER EXAMPLES:\n\nSusan A. Johnson\n1122 Grand Avenue, St. Paul, MN 55105\n651-699-1234 ~ susan.johnson@mitchellhamline.edu\n\nSusan A. Johnson______________________________________\n1122 Grand Avenue, St. Paul, MN 55105 \xef\x81\xb3 651-699-1234 \xef\x81\xb3 susan.johnson@mitchellhamline.edu\n\nEDUCATION\nList your college/university, city and state, and graduation year (not years attended). Include\nactivities and honors from both undergraduate school and law school. List your GPA / Class\nRank / and Top % of class, especially if you are participating in On-Campus Interviewing (OCI).\n\n\x0cEDUCATION ENTRY EXAMPLES:\nMitchell Hamline School of Law, St. Paul, MN\nJuris Doctor expected, June 2018\nG.P.A.: 2.97 Class Rank: 100/300 (Top 33.3%)\nHonors: Mitchell Hamline Law Review, Staff Member Vol. 40\nMitchell Hamline School of Law, St. Paul, MN\nJuris Doctor expected, June 2018\nGPA: 3.32 Class Rank: 20/220 (Top 9.1%)\nHonors: CALI Award (highest grade in class) for Constitutional Law and Evidence; Dean\xe2\x80\x99s\nList (two semesters)\nActivities: International Law Student Organization; Student Bar Association, Section\nRepresentative\nMitchell Hamline School of Law, St. Paul, MN\nJuris Doctor expected, June 2018\n\xef\x82\xb7 Dean\xe2\x80\x99s Honor Roll, 2 semesters\n\xef\x82\xb7 International Law Student Organization\n\xef\x82\xb7 Student Bar Association, Section Representative\nGustavus Adolphus College, St. Peter, MN\nBachelor of Arts, cum laude, Physics, G.P.A. 3.35, June 2014\nHonors: Physics Department Award of Merit; All-Conference Soccer Team\nActivities: Physics Club (President); Varsity Soccer; Student Senate (Chair)\nConcordia College, Moorhead, MN\nBachelor of Arts, magna cum laude, Business, May 2012\nHonors: Dean\xe2\x80\x99s List (every semester); Merit-Based Academic Scholarships\nActivities: Student Senate Standards Board, Chair; Residence Hall Assistant; Intramural\nVolleyball\nTIPS:\nSpell out Degrees: Juris Doctor and Bachelor of Arts; magna cum laude and summa cum laude\nare Latin and written in italics with small letters (no capitals).\nLaw Review: Mitchell Hamline Law Review (Staff member, 2016) Law Review should be\nwritten in italics (if using subheadings, list Law Review within you law school honors\nsubsection).\nGrades and Class Rank: This should match what is on your transcript. Do not round your GPA\nor class rank to your advantage. A class rank of top 10.4% does not round up to top 10%, and a\nGPA of 2.9 is not a 3.0.\n\n\x0cLaw School Activities: Legal employers are interested in seeing leadership roles you have held.\nList student organizations and any offices held or committee membership roles.\nAcademic Honors: Include CALI Awards, Burton Awards, Dean\xe2\x80\x99s List and other selections.\nInclude moot court/mock trial competitions and any honors you achieved (final competition\nteam, best brief, etc.) List law journal membership, any publications, and offices held. Include\nscholarships awarded on the basis of merit.\n\nEXPERIENCE\nThis section highlights your experience (paid or unpaid, including internships and volunteer\nexperience) demonstrating your qualifications for the job.\nIf you have one or more legal experiences, you may want to title this section \xe2\x80\x9cLegal Experience.\xe2\x80\x9d\nIf you have extensive prior work experience, you may want to select titles that reflect your\nexperience such as: \xe2\x80\x9cBusiness Experience,\xe2\x80\x9d \xe2\x80\x9cTechnical Experience,\xe2\x80\x9d or \xe2\x80\x9cPublic Service\nExperience.\xe2\x80\x9d\nResumes may use either a bulleted or paragraph format. Bulleted points may be easier to read,\nbut may take up more space. Always use strong action verbs to begin each phrase. Use the\npresent tense for current jobs and past tense for previous jobs. Refer to the \xe2\x80\x9cAction Verbs\xe2\x80\x9d and\n\xe2\x80\x9cLegal Resume Samples\xe2\x80\x9d for further examples\nTIPS:\nRemember that volunteering for MJF, research assistantships with Mitchell Hamline professors,\nclinics, legal internships and externships are all legal experiences, as is work at a private law firm\nor other legal settings before and during law school. This work does not have to be paid work.\nDescribe the kinds of legal issues and experiences you were involved in, the types of legal\ndocuments you wrote, the level of responsibility you had and the results accomplished. Do not\nmerely list the job tasks. Make your work experience come alive with well chosen detail and\ndescription.\nFor non-legal jobs, emphasize those aspects of your job that intersected with legal issues, such\nas: Negotiated contracts on _______ and provided clients with advice to obtain health care under\ncomplex federal, state and local regulations. Emphasize your transferable skills, for example,\nskills valued in the legal arena: Problem solving, oral and written communication, research and\nanalysis in complex situations, client/customer service, and obtaining results.\n\n\x0cWhenever appropriate, and significant, use numbers and percentages to quantify\naccomplishments (for example: Supervised 12 employees; increased sales by 25%; managed\nbudgets of $1-2 million).\nEXAMPLES:\nLindquist & Vennum, P.L.L.P., Summer Associate, Minneapolis, MN, Summer 2015\nResearched and drafted over 10 memoranda on legal issues, including lost profits, attorneys\xe2\x80\x99\nfees, credit loan participation, and liability of corporate officers for patent infringement.\nDrafted documents for marital dissolution, including interrogatories, requests for admission,\naffidavits and court briefs. Updated an arbitration clause for use in client contracts.\nWells Fargo N.A., Minneapolis, MN (June 2010 - August 2013)\nSenior Loan Account Representative. Managed accounts for 20 clients who maintained more\nthan $10 million in commercial loan transactions. Analyzed and presented trends information\nto senior bank management. Researched and assessed the impact of new federal bank\nregulations on clients and on compliance activities of the bank.\nSouthern Minnesota Regional Legal Services, Mankato, MN, May \xe2\x80\x93 July 2014\nVolunteer Law Clerk\n\xef\x82\xb7 Researched tenant rights issues, including the right to cure, HUD Section 8 rules, giving\nproper notice before eviction and the landlord\xe2\x80\x99s duty to repair.\n\xef\x82\xb7 Advised as many as 20 clients per day regarding legal housing issues.\n\xef\x82\xb7 Advocated with HUD on behalf of four clients to resolve compliance issues.\n\nINTERESTS OR COMMUNITY SERVICE\nThis section shows a sense of you as a person, in a way that will be likely to help you connect\nwith a legal employer.\nTIPS:\nThe \xe2\x80\x9cInterests\xe2\x80\x9d section is optional but can be more interesting by providing some details. For\nexample: \xe2\x80\x9cTraveled in East Asia\xe2\x80\x9d vs. simply \xe2\x80\x9cTravel.\xe2\x80\x9d\nPublications, Language or Licenses/Certifications (CPA, Rule 114 neutral, etc.) could be\nadditional headings that show specific skills. If you are active in professional organizations or\nhave been published, you may also want to include those.\n\n\x0cSPECIAL TOPICS\nCertain topics are \xe2\x80\x9chot button\xe2\x80\x9d topics\xe2\x80\x94those that may create a negative impression on the\nresume reviewer, based on the reviewer\xe2\x80\x99s own background and beliefs. These topics include\npolitics, social fraternities, religion, sexual preferences, and issues that are currently being\ndebated by society.\nThere are three ways to handle these issues in a resume: 1) list the activities 2) list activities in a\nneutral way 3) or, do not include these on your resume. It is your choice whether or not to\ndisclose activities or experiences that reflect your beliefs/values. These can be listed as follows:\nMinnesota Law Students for (Democrat/Republican) Candidate (Then list activities.)\nState Chairman, Law Student Organization, for presidential candidate (Then, list activities, as\nyou choose.)\nSPECIAL RESUMES: OCI, Judicial Clerkship, IP and Public Interest\nCertain resumes require a different emphasis.\nJudicial Clerkship: Emphasize Moot Court, Judicial externships, Law Review, research and\nwriting experiences, including any publications.\nOn-Campus Interviews (OCI): Include your GPA, Class Rank, and (Top __%), Law Review,\nand all other academic achievements.\nPublic Interest: Public interest employers are particularly interested in things that show a\ncommitment to public service and connections to the greater community, particularly in the area\ndealt with by that employer. Include a separate section with volunteer work and community\ninvolvement. In the cover letter, you will also want to emphasize how and why your\ncommitment to this kind of public interest opportunity arose.\nIntellectual Property (IP): IP employers are often looking for a specific technical background.\nList details about the technical aspects of your education and experience, including publications\nand research projects. These resumes can be longer than one page.\n\n\x0cFREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:\nCan I use my nickname on my resume if that\xe2\x80\x99s what I prefer to be called? Use your full\nlegal name and write your nickname in parentheses or quotation marks. (For example: Elizabeth\n\xe2\x80\x9cBetsy\xe2\x80\x9d Roberts). If your nickname doesn\xe2\x80\x99t seem professional, do not use it on your resume.\nShould I use an \xe2\x80\x9cobjectives\xe2\x80\x9d statement? Most legal resumes do not include an objectives\nstatement. Mention the position you are applying for (and why) in your cover letter.\nShould my resume be only one-page? Legal employers prefer to see a concise resume. Most\nlaw student resumes are one page. If you have extensive professional experience or a technical\nbackground it may be appropriate to have a two-page resume. If your resume is two pages, make\nsure that your name is on the second page (Robin Hood, page 2), but omit the complete header.\nHow important is formatting? Make your resume inviting and easy to read by using white\nspace wisely. Do not overuse bold, italics, or underlined text because it may make your resume\nappear busy. (For example: Bold the names of educational institutions and employers, but do not\nbold the city, state, and dates).\nDo I need to list my GPA and Class Rank? How do I explain if my grades are not in the top\n___ % of my class? Most law firms want to see your GPA and class rank. Emphasize the\npositive. If your grades show an upward trend, show both cumulative GPA and the trend:\nCumulative GPA: 2.9; GPA: 3.4 (second year). If you received a high grade in a class that\npertains to the position, you may list it (this could also be highlighted in the cover letter as well.)\nShould I include my undergraduate activities and honors? Legal employers are typically\nmost interested in your law school experience. Select the most relevant honors and activities. If\nyou received a substantial scholarship related to your academic performance, you can say\n\xe2\x80\x9cPresidential Scholarship\xe2\x80\x9d or \xe2\x80\x9cAcademic scholarships\xe2\x80\x9d\nHow should I list clinics, competitions, and other experiences? List clinics, internships and\ncompetitions after you have been accepted or have started the experience. Do not list clinics or\ncompetitions you anticipate taking. If you want to emphasize courses relevant to the position,\nsuch as IP courses, you could include this in a sub-category \xe2\x80\x9cCourse Highlights\xe2\x80\x9d in the\nEducation section (in addition to your cover letter).\nWhere do I list clinics and MJF experience? Clinic participation and volunteering with MJF\nare important legal experiences \xe2\x80\x93 include these under the \xe2\x80\x9cLegal Experience\xe2\x80\x9d section to provide\nmore visibility.\nWhat about Study Abroad? Study abroad can also set you apart from other students. You can\nadd a \xe2\x80\x9cStudy Abroad\xe2\x80\x9d section as an activity under the college or university you attended.\n\n\x0cEXAMPLE:\nStudy Abroad: London, England (May-June 2015)\nEmphasis: Comparative Contracts and Alternative Dispute Resolution.\nIf the study abroad was sponsored by another university, you may also list the name of that\nUniversity.\nDo I need to list every job on my resume? List the jobs that are pertinent to the position. You\ndo not need to list every single position. There should not, however, be large unexplained time\ngaps in your resume.\nWhat if I was promoted or had several jobs with one company? You can list the company\ninformation once, and then list each separate position with a description. See examples in the\n\xe2\x80\x9cLegal Resume Samples\xe2\x80\x9d found in the Symplicity Document Library.\nWhat if my only experience is non-legal? Describe your accomplishments and results.\nEmployment at Starbucks during the rush hours says a lot about your ability to handle pressure\nand provide good customer service. Describe non-legal experiences focusing on transferable\nlegal skills. We also recommend gaining legal experience through MJF, externships, or clinics to\nadd legal experience to your resume.\nShould I list undergraduate internships? Some college internships provide excellent\nexperience and make you stand out to an employer. These should be listed under activities.\nAs a second career student, how do I describe my experience? Focus on your transferable\nskills, selecting the most relevant experiences. Be careful that your descriptions do not use\njargons or acronyms that are unfamiliar to legal recruiters.\n\n\x0cLaw School Resume Worksheet\nUse this worksheet to assist you in brainstorming all of the possible experiences to list on your resume. All resumes\nshould have contact information, education and experience sections, but content will differ greatly, depending on\nyour unique background. A resume is a targeted marketing piece about you, with the employer as your audience.\nThink about what you can do for the employer, with an emphasis on your skills and accomplishments, rather than on\nduties and responsibilities.\n\nSchool Name: ________________________________________________________________________\nLocation of School (City & State) _______________________________________________________________\nExpected Graduation Date: ____________________________________________________________________\nGPA: ______________ Class Rank: _____/____ (Top______%) (List GPA and Class Rank if in top 40-50%)\nScholarships/Awards/Honors (may include a brief explanation):\n_____________________________________________________________________________________________\n_____________________________________________________________________________________________\n_____________________________________________________________________________________________\n\nExtracurricular Activities (student organizations, CLE classes, publications, and presentations) Be sure to list all\nleadership roles within these organizations:\n_____________________________________________________________________________________________\n_____________________________________________________________________________________________\n_____________________________________________________________________________________________\n_____________________________________________________________________________________________\nWhat Made Me Stand Out? (What you did, started, improved that distinguishes you from anyone else doing the\nsame activity):\n_____________________________________________________________________________________________\n_____________________________________________________________________________________________\n_____________________________________________________________________________________________\nProfessional Experience (Legal experience, non-legal experience, volunteer activities):\n_____________________________________________________________________________________________\n_____________________________________________________________________________________________\n_____________________________________________________________________________________________\n_____________________________________________________________________________________________\nLaw School Experiences \xe2\x80\x93 Scholarly & Practical Learning (Journals, Law Review, Moot Court Competitions,\nClinics, Externships, Clerkships, Internships, Client Counseling, Student Bar Association, etc.):\n_____________________________________________________________________________________________\n_____________________________________________________________________________________________\n_____________________________________________________________________________________________\n_____________________________________________________________________________________________\n\n*For additional assistance, visit the Career & Professional Development Office, rm. 103, or schedule an\nappointment with a Career Advisor.'