How To Write A Law Student Resume | Job-Winning Resume Writing Tips

Because of the wide range of legal practice fields, it might be difficult to know what to include and exclude from your law school resume. And we all know that a well-written law student resume can help you persuade an employer that you are the best candidate for the job, regardless of your lack of experience.

If you are a recent law school graduate or law student looking for an entry-level position, you should know what to include in your resume. In this article, we will take you through a detailed guide on how to write an appealing law student resume with examples, tips, and templates that you can use to make your own job-winning law student resume, in this article.

So let's get right to the guide and as we begin the first step is to go through a perfectly crafted law student resume. Let’s take a look at this example. But well, if you want to cut through the chase and have your resume ready within minutes, use our ready-to-use resume templates.

Looking for some other resume example? Don’t worry, we got it all. Hover over to our bundle of varied resume examples.

How to Make a Law Student Resume from Scratch

As we proceed, we must follow a specific framework. The majority of hiring managers are accustomed to writing resumes in the manner that I will be guiding you to accomplish, and they typically anticipate that the resume will follow suit. Using the right resume FORMAT is one of the most important elements of a well-written law student resume.

1. Contact information
2. Resume objective or summary
3. Work experience in reverse-chronological order
4. Education
5. Skills
6. Additional Sections (Certifications, Awards, Conference Participation, Volunteer Experience, or Hobbies and Interests)

What Should A Law Student Resume Look Like?

You likely already know the information that should be on a law student resume to land you a job, but the harder challenge is figuring out how to display it without making it too long or crowded.

The ideal law student is professionally crafted in a way that you getting a job straight after you finish law school is guaranteed. To know how you can craft one, take a look below.

1. Select one of the three forms for resumes. The ideal technique to target a potential employer is to use the reverse-chronological format.

Your employment experience is listed in this format in reverse chronological order. This suggests that the employment you placed first in your work experience section is the most recent.

Most importantly, you may feel comfortable using this style because it is the most popular among recruiters and legal employers worldwide.

These are the other two resume formats:

• The Functional Format: A skills-based resume is another name for this. This approach is suitable for recent graduates with little to no work experience because it places more emphasis on your talents than your professional experience.

• The Combination Format: The hybrid model, which gives equal weight to both skills and work experience, is often used.

1. "Hello, recruiter!" is not the appropriate opening line. The fastest way to be recruited is with a well-designed Resume, much to how code libraries make work go more quickly.
2. Choose a resume typeface that is appropriate for a professional audience. The most reliable typefaces include Calibri, Arial, Ubuntu, Roboto, Overpass, and Helvetica.
3. Your law student resume should have one-inch margins all around, including at the top and bottom of the page.
4. Include all necessary elements on your Resume, including your heading, profile, education, employment history, projects, and extracurricular activities.
5. Both PDF and MS Word resume templates are acceptable as long as the formatting is preserved when viewed on various devices.
6. It is always advisable to use a resume template. Looking for one? Check our ready-to-use resume templates.

The Header & Contact Information

Because they are short on time, the administrator will want to get as far away from the stack of unanswered resumes as they can. He decides how much interest he will pay in the future based on the first sentence he reads on a résumé. Make it thorough enough that you can use a catchy header to promote it.

The contact information section could seem straightforward and uncomplicated, but you shouldn't ignore it.

This part must be correctly filled out and free of mistakes and typos (for obvious reasons).

First and foremost, make sure recruiters can get in touch with you if they want to schedule an interview. Second, you don't want to come out as sloppy.

Aside from that, constructing this section is quite simple. All you need to include is the following:

1. Full name
2. Title
3. Phone number
4. Email
5. Social profiles such as Dribble or GitHub or LinkedIn (if any)

Take a look at the resume examples below:-

CORRECT

Good Header

Maria Richard

Law School Student

(555)-555-5555

maria19@gmail.com

linkedin.com/in/HananiAmir

INCORRECT

Bad Header

Maria Richard

4698 52nd St. Phoenix, AZ 85005

888-222-0000

maria.facebook@gmail.com

14/05/1985

Demonstrate Your Experience as a Law Student

Do you have any prior legal internship experience?

These ought to be mentioned in the section on work experience on your stellar law student resume. However, there is a key strategy to make yourself stand out from the competition for internships.

Any resume must include work experience, barring a complete lack of legal professional experience.

1. Commence with the most recent internship or job you had.
2. Add a list of accomplishments in the form of bullet points to personalize your resume.
3. Include the job title, the name of the company you interned with, the location, and the duration of your employment.
4. The initial word in each of your bullet points ought to be an action word for a law student resume.
5. If you don't have any experience in the legal industry, demonstrate relevant skills from jobs working in retail or waiting tables.

Now, simply formatting this space correctly is insufficient.

Where it is possible, we suggest you put more emphasis on your successes than your job responsibilities because your legal experience as a law student should set you apart from other candidates.

What If You Don’t Have Work Experience?

Well, no one is born with work experience, even if it is a major boost on a law student's resume. As a result, those of you who have just graduated are probably unable to contribute anything to this part.

What do you then?

The good news is that recruiters do not demand work experience from students or fresh grads. Instead, they're interested in learning more about your abilities, like critical thinking, organization, and time management

As an alternative, you may compile all of these skills into a portfolio. Your portfolio of law practice could include:

• Freelance jobs (writing, checking documents)
• Pro bono work
• Volunteering in courts
• Internship experience
• Judicial clerkship gigs
• Witnessing transactions and contracts

Your Education Is Key—Treat It as Such

Your resume's education part is crucial because you are a law student.

Your education needs to be compelling whether you're applying to a large corporation or a tiny law firm.

Just below your resume objective, include a section for education, and use your academic accomplishments to persuade the prospective employer.

How to do this?

• Begin with your most recent or greatest degree. Your master's degree comes first, followed by your undergraduate degree. Leave out high school.
• Order your information as follows: degree, institution name, graduation date (or anticipated graduation date, if you're still in school), your major, and minors (if applicable).
• Each education record should have the following information:

1. GPA
2. Pertinent coursework
3. Significant academic accomplishments
4. Extracurricular activities.

Draft the Perfect Law Student Resume Job Description

The following are the characteristics of strong arguments:

So—

Describe what you've already accomplished to demonstrate to them your abilities and create a barrage of accomplishments in the employment history section of your resume.

How to write a law student resume's job descriptions:

• Read the instructions for applying again.
• List a few of the skills that this specific employer could find valuable.
• Consider the occasions you've helped your past jobs by utilizing those skills.
• Create resume bullet points that detail the aforementioned and are supported by figures. Quantifiable successes are significantly more effective than a dull list of responsibilities.

To get a clearer idea of how to write the job description correctly, let’s take a look at the below given correct and incorrect examples of the same.

CORRECT

Administrative Assistant

King Assets Management

2019–present

• 98% of the agreements I prepared for the corporate counsel to approve each month were accepted as-is.
• Showed that they were familiar with the 2000+ pages of rules and protocols.
• I took part in seven committees, which resulted in the creation of almost 12 new policies.
• Two new clients, each worth $75,000-$95,000 per year, were hired.

INCORRECT

King Assets Management

2019–present

• Agreements that were prepared for the corporate lawyer's approval were almost all accepted without modification.
• Showed that they were familiar with several rules and procedures.
• Sat on different committees that were charged with formulating new policies.
• A few clients were hired on my initiative.

And that’s on significant improvement with just a few adjustments.

Highlight Your Law Student Skills

Are you worried that the necessary abilities won't be on your law student resume? Give us all of your troubles. Because the right skills aren't included, the majority of resumes are unsuccessful.

Let's see how you can successfully exhibit your legal education:

• Look for the job skills in the job description. Note the ones that the company seems to prioritize. The top of the commercial will include them.
• In the job description, look for both hard and soft talents.
• Make a list of your top 10 law student resume talents as the following stage in creating your resume. But don't stop there. Include these skills in the bullet points along with your successes.

Law Student Resume Skills Section — Sample

Here are some examples to get the ball rolling:

Hard Skills

• Document preparation
• Paper filing
• Digital filing
• Archiving
• Advanced spreadsheet skills
• Research
• Academic writing
• Business/administrative writing
• Technical writing
• Proprietary POS software

Soft Skills

• Critical thinking
• Customer service
• Organization
• Time management
• Detail orientation
• Interpersonal skills
• Teamwork
• Collaboration
• Deductive reasoning
• Inductive reasoning

Write a Winning Professional Summary for Your Law Student Resume

It matters how you introduce the case in court. If you do it right, the jury will be on your side.

Your law student resume opening paragraph is equally vital.

A professional profile, a brief opening line that appears directly under the resume header, will catch the hiring manager's attention.

A resume career aim will be your greatest option. It is effective for job seekers aiming for entry-level roles and individuals with little to no professional experience. Instead of outlining your experience history (which you don't yet have), it focuses on your talents and motivation for your profession.

Show the recruiters you can provide genuine value to the firm by highlighting this on your resume. Show them how your abilities will be helpful to them.

Use:

• One adjective (efficient, detail-oriented, highly motivated)
• Your standing as a law student or recent alumnus
• The tested abilities you will use to excel in your studies
• Two or three of your most noteworthy accomplishments, including at least one from the workplace and one from the classroom.

These law student resume examples show how:

GOOD PROFESSIONAL SUMMARY

Dedicated J.D. candidate with a BA in Philosophy who placed a high priority on moral issues and concerns about the scope of the judicial system. While working at King Asset Management, I individually recruited two clients with a combined total of over $150,000, earning the Dean's Award for Writing at UCLA. As a committed intern at Goldstone & Partners, I'm looking to put my established research and analytical abilities to use.

BAD PROFESSIONAL SUMMARY

With a BA in philosophy and currently studying law. searching for a suitable internship. Whilst working at King Asset Management, I recruited two clients on my own while studying law-related philosophy at UCLA.

Watched that?

The first example is concrete, with successes whenever possible being quantified.

If you are writing a resume for a legal profession, use the career advice below:

• By putting a focus on your current knowledge and talents, you may demonstrate how well you'd fit in.
• Consider both your transferable skills and your quantifiable accomplishments from your former work.
• There is no need to cram this section with information. It should be brief—three to four sentences—and tailored to the requirements of the post you're after.

Add Other Sections to Your Law Student Resume

Want to impress the recruiter with some additional accomplishments or share a personal story?

Act prudently. You don't want any contradictory proof, do you?

Look at the below examples that are great for your law student resume:

• Journal and non-journal publications
• Conferences
• Student organizations
• Voluntary work
• Activities
• Moot court gigs
• Language skills
• Achievements and awards
• Hobbies and interests

These two law student resume samples demonstrate yes vs. no:

Good Example

Certifications

• LibreOffice Certified Advanced User
• First Aid, CPR, AED, American Red Cross

Languages

• Spanish (Rioplatense dialect) – native speaker
• English – native speaker

French – advanced

Bad Example

Hobbies and Interests

• Binge-watching shows on Popcorn Time
• Photographing clouds that look like things (other than clouds)
• Listening to creepy true crime podcasts by candlelight

Languages

• Spanish
• English
• French

There's nothing wrong with stating your interests and hobbies but everything you include must be directly related to your application.

Tips to Make Your Law Student Resume Like A Pro

• Once you're done, save your law student resume in PDF format to ensure that the formatting is preserved. However, make sure to read the full job advertisement. If your prospective employer does not accept PDF files, submit your resume in DOC format.
• In your resume's aim or summary for employment, address the employer by name and identify the position you are seeking. To put it another way, you cannot apply for employment while still a law student. That, in and of itself, is the aim. Make each resume you submit stand out!
• After submitting your law student resume, follow up with a strong cover letter. You may demonstrate your ability to follow up with a friendly nudge by phone, email, or in person!

Key Takeaways: Writing a Law Student Resume

Follow the crucial stages we discussed to create the finest possible law student resume:

• Your law student resume should begin with a career goal or summary. Make a counter-offer that showcases your qualifications as a candidate.

• Put more focus on your successes than your obligations in the section regarding your job experience. Quantify and employ action verbs whenever possible.
• Compare the job posting's requirements to your list of competencies.
• Include any more information that supports your worth as a resource.
• Make certain that each resume you send stands out from the throng. Use the firm name, and make sure your law student resume is prepared per the credentials specified in the job description.

Attach a Law Student Resume Cover Letter

So here it is THE TRUTH.

There are stacks of law student resumes waiting to be reviewed. That is why a cover letter is so important—only half of the candidates attach one, yet more than half of recruiters anticipate one!

Use the following strategies to develop a law student cover letter that will get you noticed:

• Follow the proper cover letter formatting guidelines.
• In the cover letter introduction, make your point.
• Showcase your abilities and accomplishments that can benefit the company.
• At your cover letter's end, provide a call to action.

You can also use our cover letter builder to make one here.

Frequently Asked Questions