Update Your Academic Résumé – Pre-Health/Pre-Law Advising Center

Overview

Should demonstrate your education, most relevant experiences, volunteer work, and awards
Begin ASAP and add to it throughout your academic career

Draft your résumé with the reader in mind.
Understand that a résumé is a sales tool, not an autobiography.
Make it visually clean and clear. What will an employer see in 30 seconds? 5 seconds?
Be scrupulously honest. Exaggerations or misrepresentations will damage your reputation and professional relationships.

Format

Keep your résumé to 1-2 pages. Make sure you follow the instructions of the law schools to which you are applying.
Use a standard font such as Times New Roman or Garamond.
Try not to use any colors. Black text only is preferred.
Select a font size of 11 or 12 points.
Create margins no smaller than .5 inches on all sides.
Use bold, underlining, and italics consistently to enhance readability.
Make deliberate style choices, then stick to them throughout.
Ensure your résumé is error-free.

Sections

Include your name, mailing address, cell number, and email address
- If you do not have a mailing address, that is fine, as mailing addresses are becoming optional
Add your permanent mailing address to emphasize ties to an area when applying to positions nearby
List your gender pronouns if you wish

List degrees in reverse chronological order
List each educational institution, location, and degree. Also include the expected date if you are currently enrolled.
Use this section to emphasize relevant skills and interests
- Ex. research and writing skills, oral advocacy, teamwork, and leadership
Do not include high school or LSAT score
Undergraduate GPA - include at your discretion with a strategic mindset

List experiences in reverse chronological order
Include the name of the employer, the location, titles, and dates of employment
List experiences that demonstrate knowledge and skills in areas relevant to legal employers, especially research, writing, and analysis
List both paid and unpaid experiences
Use action verbs and rich detail in descriptions

Languages: List if relevant and/or skill level is high
- May be useful to delineate written vs. spoken proficiency
- Be scrupulously honest regarding skill level
Publications: Think strategically about the school's impressions
- Shows writing skills, but long lists of publications may signal interest in an academic career
Interests: Include a few special interests that may be compelling and serve as icebreaker topics during an interview

Other skills: List only relevant skills, eliminating those that are universal (e.g., MS Word) or unrelated to legal needs.

Do's

Don't's

Additional Resources