Do law schools care about resume?

Asked by: Peggie Wisoky  |  Last update: November 16, 2023
Score: 4.8/5 (20 votes)

Getting into a top law school is extremely competitive, and will only be accepted if your résumé indicates that you are the best and most worthy for admission. So, if you submit a haphazard résumé, hoping your LSAT score and GPA are enough to get you in, you're most likely shooting yourself in the foot.

What should my resume look like for law school?

Most law school résumés have four sections:
  • Experience. Include both jobs and internships. Note promotions and other accomplishments. ...
  • Education. Include degrees, distinctions such as magna cum laude, and academic awards. ...
  • Activities. Include community service and other extracurriculars. ...
  • Personal.

Do law schools care about job experience?

At many of the top law schools, the percentage of applicants admitted to their programs with at least one year of work experience after college exceeds 50%. These days, I encourage applicants to think about taking a gap year to work, especially if they are light on prior employment.

Do you put all work experience on law school resume?

Including Your Work History in Your Application

Your law school resume should clearly present all your work experience. Schools also commonly ask applicants to list each significant job or volunteer position individually on a separate form for easy comparison.

What GPA should I put on my law school resume?

As a general rule, if your GPA is in the top half of the class, or starts with a "3," include it. Otherwise, you may want to consider leaving it off. Employers will assume your grades were lower than top half if they see no mention of grades or rank.

The Do's and Don'ts of Your Law School Application Resume

17 related questions found

Is a 3.92 GPA good for law school?

An Undergraduate Degree: The median accepted GPA is 3.92. LSAT/GRE Scores: The median accepted LSAT score is 168.

Is a 3.73 GPA good for law school?

Among the 191 ranked law schools that submitted grade data to U.S. News in an annual survey, the average median GPA of entering law school students in 2021 was 3.55. But at the 20 highest-ranked law schools, the average median GPA is much higher – 3.86.

How much do law schools care about resume?

Getting into a top law school is extremely competitive, and will only be accepted if your résumé indicates that you are the best and most worthy for admission. So, if you submit a haphazard résumé, hoping your LSAT score and GPA are enough to get you in, you're most likely shooting yourself in the foot.

Is it easier to get into law school after working?

Working as a paralegal or legal assistant can also help you learn more about the legal profession and make professional connections that could benefit you in law school or later in your career. To be clear, working in a law-related position will not give you an advantage in the law school admissions process.

How do I make my law school resume stand out?

List experiences that demonstrate knowledge and skills in areas relevant to legal employers, especially research, writing, and analysis. Emphasize professional skills including organizational ability, leadership, initiative, creativity, communication skills, common sense, and intellectual ability.

Is it better to take a gap year before law school?

Is It Good To Take a Gap Year Before Law School? If students use their gap year to make themselves better candidates through a higher LSAT score or a richer resume, then yes! A gap year can help them get into law school easier and can also give them time to fulfill other goals they have.

What stands out on law school applications?

Be sure to include every relevant activity you participated in during and after college in your résumé too. Whether you were a college athlete and/or a volunteer at the local soup kitchen, you should highlight those activities. Even your hobbies can be helpful in making your application stand out.

What is the best first job out of law school?

The most popular job you can get out of law school is an associate attorney position at a small to midsize firm. There are also opportunities to work as a government attorney or staff attorney for an organization. You could look into legal fellowships at universities or in public interest.

Should I bring my resume to a law school fair?

Furthermore, law fairs occur during the fall semester before some applications have even opened and before most students have applied. While it may not hurt to bring your resume along, most reps will kindly ask that you submit your resume online with your actual application, per the application instructions.

Do you put LSAT score on resume?

In that same survey, the vast majority of employers thought listing LSAT scores was “irrelevant,” and a few found it annoying. Given this feedback from employers, you most likely will choose not to include your LSAT on your resume.

How long should my resume be for law school?

Most law schools permit applicants to submit a two-page resume, although you should carefully review each school's application to confirm this.

What is the toughest year of law school?

Most students consider the first year of law school to be the most difficult. The material is more complex than they're used to and it must be learned rapidly. What's more, the way students are taught and tested is very different from high school or undergrad.

Is 26 too old to start law school?

It's never too late in life to apply to law school. Although most applicants are under 25, roughly 20% are 30 or older, according to the Law School Admission Council. Many older law school graduates build fulfilling second careers that draw upon preexisting skills and experiences.

Which year of a law degree is the hardest?

Law school is an academic challenge; most students agree the first year (“1L” year) is the most difficult. In part, this is because law school is taught using methods entirely different than the lecture method used in most college classrooms.

Can a high GPA offset a low LSAT?

Emphasize Other Strengths

High grades can help offset a low LSAT score, as can strong recommendation letters from professors, professional experience and a well-structured personal statement.

Does working before law school help?

Working a legal job before law school can prepare you for the realities of a career as a lawyer. In some cases, it may help you avoid starting down a path you don't want to go down.

Do employers look at law school GPA?

There's no doubt about it — your law school GPA is important for your first job (or two) after law school graduation. If you review job ads (which are a fantastic research tool), you'll often see law firms and other employers demanding top academic credentials.

Is 2.8 a bad law school GPA?

What is considered a low GPA for law school? Typically, a low GPA for law school would be below 3.0.

Is 176 on LSAT good?

A good LSAT score for T-14 law schools is a 170–171 or higher. In addition to the schools above, the following schools—with some year-to-year variance—comprise the rest of the T-14 schools: University of Virginia, Berkeley, University of Michigan, Duke, Cornell, Northwestern, and UCLA.

What is the easiest law school to get into with a low GPA?

15 Easiest Law Schools to Get Into Based on GPA
  • DePaul University College of Law – 3.20.
  • Howard University Law School – 3.24.
  • University of Baltimore – 3.25.
  • Vermont Law School – 3.25.
  • University of Idaho College of Law – 3.25.
  • Akron Law School – 3.28.
  • Creighton University Law School – 3.29.