Two Different Documents, Two Different Audiences

The resume you submit to a law school serves a different purpose than the one you send to an employer. An employer wants to know what you have done and whether you can do the job. An admissions committee wants to understand who you are, what you have committed yourself to, and whether the intellectual and personal qualities that law school requires are in evidence.

Most applicants submit their professional resume with minor formatting adjustments. That is almost always a mistake.

Education Comes First — Always

On a law school resume, education leads. Your undergraduate institution, graduation year, GPA, honours, and relevant academic distinctions belong at the top of the page.

What to include in your education section:

  • Institution, degree, and graduation year
  • GPA — if it is above 3.0, include it
  • Latin honours, Dean's list, departmental honours, academic prizes
  • Thesis title if you wrote one
  • Study abroad, if substantive

Work Experience: Framing Matters More Than Titles

Law schools are not primarily looking for legal work experience. Non-traditional applicants — career changers, military veterans — are often stronger candidates precisely because of what they have done.

What the admissions reader is looking for:

  • Responsibility and leadership. Were you managing people, resources, or complex situations?
  • Analytical work. Research, writing, data analysis, policy development.
  • Client or constituent interaction. Evidence that you can navigate human complexity.
  • Scale and impact. "Managed $2.4M budget" tells a reader more than "responsible for budget management."

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What to Include Beyond Work

  • Leadership positions — Student government, club officer roles, team captain
  • Publications and writing — Journal articles, op-eds, policy briefs
  • Community service — Sustained engagement matters
  • Languages — Fluency is more useful to list than "conversational"
  • Military service — Include branch, rank, and significant deployments
  • Awards and recognitions — Keep this brief; include only genuinely competitive recognition

Length and Format

One page is standard for applicants with limited experience. Two pages is acceptable for applicants with substantial work history. More than two pages is almost never appropriate.

Format should be clean and conservative. Use a single readable font, consistent spacing, and clear section headers. Save and submit as a PDF.

The Mistakes That Show Up Repeatedly

  • Including a professional headshot. Do not do this.
  • Objective statements. The admissions reader knows your objective.
  • References available upon request. This is understood.
  • Inconsistent tense. Current roles in present tense, past roles in past tense.