LawCrossing has released a practical, step-by-step guide that helps law students and recent grads craft résumés that actually get interviews—across OCI, clerkships, internships, and public interest roles. The piece, published July 8, 2025, walks readers through formatting, section order, and how to translate experience into results-focused bullets that resonate with legal employers.
What’s Inside the Guide (Highlights)
- Keep it to one page. For students and new grads, a single page is the professional norm and forces tight, relevant storytelling—exactly how busy hiring teams prefer to read.
- Use a clean, professional format. Classic fonts, consistent headings, and generous white space win over stylized graphics or columns. Treat the résumé like your first legal writing sample.
- Lead with education. Put law school first and include high-value details (honors, journals, clinics, leadership, strong GPA/class rank when appropriate).
- Prioritize legal experience. Judicial internships, clinics, RA work, and pro bono belong ahead of unrelated roles—then frame everything with specific tasks and outcomes.
- Leverage non-legal experience. Translate client service, deadlines, writing, data, or team leadership into skills a legal employer values.
- Tailor for each role. Small, thoughtful changes to keywords, matter types, and bullet order significantly increase response rates.
Quick Checklist for Law Students
- One-page résumé with clear, uniform formatting
- Education first (JD details, honors, journals/clinics, strong GPA/rank if applicable)
- Legal experience bullets with action + impact (research, drafting, client/matter scope)
- Non-legal experience reframed to show transferable skills
- Keywords aligned to the job post (practice area, tools, matter types)
- Meticulous proofreading—consistent dates, titles, locations, and punctuation LawCrossing
Who Should Read It
- 1Ls/2Ls preparing for OCI and summer associate recruiting
- 3Ls and recent grads applying for clerkships, clinics, and fellowships
- Candidates targeting public interest or government roles who need a concise, impact-oriented résumé
Read the Full Guide
Learn the exact structure, examples, and wording tips here:
👉 How to Write a Law School Resume That Actually Gets You Interviews
