What should your class rank be on a law school resume?
Asked by: Ms. Amira Lang | Last update: September 21, 2025Score: 4.7/5 (10 votes)
List a specific numeric rank only if you receive one from the Law School Registrar ("Class Rank: 23/221"). List a specific bracket only as assigned by the Law School Registrar: top 10, 20, 25, 33, 50, or 75 percent. The highest attainable GPA is 4.3.
Should you put class rank on a resume for law school?
So instead of GPA, include your class rank, but only if your class rank is pretty high. But if your GPA is something that is objectively high, eg, a 3.9 or something, then go for it.
What should I put for my class rank?
If you want to attend a more competitive college, you should aim to have a class rank that puts you in the top 25% of your class, or the 75th or higher percentile. For Ivy League and other top tier schools, a class rank in the top 10% or 5% is a good goal to aim for.
What should I put on my resume for law school?
- Contact Information. Like any resume, you should first list your contact information. ...
- Education. ...
- Professional Experience. ...
- Skills. ...
- Community and Volunteer Work. ...
- Other Potential Sections. ...
- Focus on relevancy, but tell your story. ...
- Keep it simple.
Does your rank in law school matter?
That said, the job market is easier for graduates of top-ranked law schools. Even if their grades are unexceptional, they have easier access to legal internships, clerkships and job interviews at well-known firms.
Law school admissions resume - what to include
Do law firms care where you went to law school?
Your Previous (On-the-Job) Training
Certain firms have the reputation for training people very well—and everyone knows that they have high expectations for the people there. If you get a good job right out of school or thereafter (with a major law firm), firms no longer really care about where you went to law school.
Is going to a top 14 law school worth it?
Graduates of T14 law schools have excellent employment prospects, often securing positions at top law firms, corporations, and government agencies. The strong job placement rates at T14 schools are a significant factor in their rankings and reputation.
What not to put on a resume for law school?
An “Objective” or “Summary of Qualifications” section
Your law school résumé is very different from a work résumé—so avoid using your work résumé as your template. And make sure it doesn't contain an objective or summary of qualifications. They serve no purpose except to make your law school résumé unnecessarily long.
What GPA should I put on my law school resume?
Only put your GPA on your resume if it is exceptional. In the legal world, this means at least a 3.5. If you had a not so great overall GPA in law school, but had a high GPA in classes in your area of practice (such as tax or intellectual property), you could include that GPA only.
How far back should a law school resume go?
If you've recently graduated from undergrad, then stick to what you did during that time. Unless you received a Presidential Medal of Honor in high school, there's no need to go back that far. If you have a few years of work experience, your resume should be a mix of both your career and academic achievements.
Is 20% class rank good?
Being in the top 20% of your class is generally considered a strong position, but its importance depends on the specific school to which you're applying and the relative competitiveness of your high school.
Is top 10% of class rank good?
For highly selective institutions, targeting a class rank in the top 5–10% is always a good idea if you're up to the challenge, as it will strengthen your application.
Does class rank really matter?
Class Rank and Colleges
Most large state universities, however, still require applicants to report class rank (as do many scholarship programs) and rely on it to help sort through the high volume of applications received.
Is LSAT or GPA more important?
In general terms, it can be said that law schools value LSAT scores more than they do undergraduate GPA, but whether or not this statement applies to a given institution and how by much depends on the school.
What is the typical education level for a lawyer?
For those who choose the traditional path, the next step to becoming a lawyer in California is to start a three-year Juris Doctor (JD) degree at one of the nearly 200 ABA-accredited law schools.
What is a good objective for a legal resume?
Resume objective examples for jobs in law
Aspires to apply knowledge of legal procedures, research skills and attention to detail to support attorneys in case preparation, document management and client communication.
How to list class rank on resume law school?
List your college/university, city and state, and graduation year (not years attended). Include activities and honors from both undergraduate school and law school. List your GPA / Class Rank / and Top % of class, especially if you are participating in On-Campus Interviewing (OCI).
Is a 2.7 GPA bad for law school?
So generally, if you're trying to get into the top schools, a GPA below 3.6 will be considered low. But to answer the question what GPA do you need to get into law school, any law school, then the answer is at least a 2.5. That is realistically the lowest GPA you can have to get into law school.
Is a 3.92 GPA good for law school?
The most recent Harvard Law entering class had a median GPA of 3.92; the lowest GPA accepted was 3.82. As such, Harvard does not consider a 3.0 GPA competitive, so it's very unlikely you will get into it if you have this GPA.
What does a good law school resume look like?
A strong law school resume highlights your academic achievements, relevant experiences, and transferable skills to demonstrate your readiness for legal studies. Unlike a traditional job resume, it's tailored to emphasize your fit for an academic program.
How many bullet points per job on a law school resume?
Perfect Each Bullet Point
Carefully craft each bullet point on your resume. Each position should rarely require more than three bullet points. Each bullet point should be a sentence long, although the final period is optional.
Should I put my LSAT score on my 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.
Does class rank matter in law school?
Summer associates, and later associate attorneys, are generally hired by law firms on the basis of how well they performed in law school. Class rank, scholastic honors, and GPA are three common indicators of how well a student performed in law school.
What is the hardest year of law school?
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.
Why is Duke law ranked so high?
Selectivity. With just a 10.70% acceptance rate, Duke Law School sets a competitive ranking. With its emphasis on higher LSAT and GPA scores, the school attracts academically competent students and appeals to all those seeking a demanding academic setting.