Law school resumes are similar to the ones used apply for a job, with a few noticeable differences. Keep in mind that your law school resume needs to be academic focused, with an audience of an admissions committee instead of a prospective employer. Therefore, there’s no reason to include an “Objectives” or “Summary of Qualifications” portion since they obviously know why you are applying. Instead, highlight the skills and accomplishments that the law school is looking for, such as your academic achievements, interests, leadership, activism and study abroad experiences.

Being honest on your law school admissions resume can help push your application to the top of the list. After reading literally thousands of resumes, members of the admissions committee are pros at finding the “fluff.” Meaning that adding extra responsibilities in your work experience section or rounding up on your GPA is lying (and they’ll have your transcripts to back it up!). Of course it’s important to put your best foot forward, but if the admissions committee even suspects you’re exaggerating, your resume will be tossed to the bottom of the pile.

Key points to remember:

• Use your content to stand out, not the format: Your resume needs to conform to what the admissions officer will expect so they focus on the content instead of spacing or elaborate formatting. So keep it down to a page, written in Times New Roman or Arial Font at 10pt. Also, it’s important to organize your resume in a way that makes sense, and if applicable, refer to yourself in the third person.
• Unglamorous jobs are better than no jobs: showcasing your past employment is always important, even if your only experience was at a pizza parlor. Simply having a job (full-time or part-time) showcases that you are responsible, can (assumedly) handle money and are a useful part of your community. There’s no need to go into detail about the process of delivering pizzas, but be sure you include it anyway.
• Honesty is the best policy: Remember that the law schools you’re applying to will receive your transcripts, complete with your class standings, etc., so be sure to keep your integrity intact and be honest – even rounding up on a GPA could reflect poorly on your character.