| Law school taught you plenty, but it probably didn't | | | | education are at the end of your resume. And the |
| teach you how to write a resume that will secure | | | | longer you've been out of school, the shorter your |
| you an interview with the firm of your dreams. It can | | | | education section should be. It's your experience |
| be daunting to create or even update a resume | | | | talking now-not your GPA. |
| because there's so much pressure to be unique. The | | | | Keep it clean. It's tempting to throw everything into |
| best advice, however, is not to strive for "different" | | | | your work history in hopes that something in there |
| but for "best." Legal resumes aren't the venue for | | | | will impress a potential employer, but resist the urge |
| getting creative or artsy. You want to blow them | | | | to "kitchen sink" your resume. Make sure every detail |
| away them with your incredible successes and | | | | is somehow relevant to the job you want. When |
| winning attitude. How do you do that? By putting | | | | you're applying for an environmental law position, |
| your experience in the best possible light (no lying) | | | | mentioning your 82 percent success rate in personal |
| and expressing your desire to do great work for | | | | injury law is fine (it shows your winning history), but |
| them. | | | | mentioning the number of hits per game that you |
| Below are more tips on creating a winning legal | | | | average on your slow-pitch softball team is just |
| resume: | | | | bizarre. And, yes, it happens more often that you'd |
| Pick a format. In some professions, it's easy to | | | | like to believe. |
| determine whether you should submit a chronological | | | | Spell it out. There's a significant amount of legal |
| resume or a functional resume. For attorneys, | | | | jargon and acronyms that you'd hope potential |
| however, the choice isn't as clear cut. First, think | | | | employers would know, but you can't be sure that |
| about the goal of your resume. Are you changing | | | | the person reading your resume first is an attorney. |
| fields? Do you change jobs a lot? Are you new to | | | | Lots of firms farm out their human resources needs |
| the legal profession? A functional resume is probably | | | | to companies who sift through resumes from |
| your best bet. Are you submitting your resume in | | | | doctors to garbage collectors. When in doubt, spell it |
| hopes of a promotion? Are you applying for a | | | | out. And definitely spell out your job titles. If you |
| senior-level position? Are you changing cities but | | | | were an assistant state's attorney, for example, spell |
| sticking to the same area of law? Choose | | | | out "assistant." One exasperated hiring manager |
| chronological. The final factor in the format debate is | | | | mentioned that if she saw any more "ass. attorneys" |
| the firm to which you're applying. If it's a young, hip | | | | on a resume, she would simply toss it. |
| firm, they may conclude that you're not up-to-date | | | | Consider a transaction sheet. Depending on the area |
| on current legal matters if they see 25 years of | | | | of law for which you're submitting a resume-and if |
| experience on your resume. So opt for a functional | | | | you have enough years of experience-you may want |
| rather than chronological resume. But if you're | | | | to include a transaction sheet as part of your |
| applying to an old-school firm, they may think that 25 | | | | resume. For an even cleaner look, make it a |
| years is just a launching point, so chronological is fine. | | | | supplement to your resume. Rather than list |
| Include an objective-or not. Again, whether you | | | | transactions chronologically (you shouldn't use dates |
| include an objective at the beginning of your resume | | | | anyway), group them by area of law. Also, keep the |
| depends on a couple of factors. It's only considered | | | | sheet simple, using bullet points to illustrate your |
| necessary if the firm to which you're applying is | | | | successful transactions. Finally, make sure you're |
| active in a number of legal fields or if your resume | | | | legally able to disclose any information you include on |
| includes experience in a variety of areas. If you're a | | | | the sheet-dollar amounts in particular. |
| family law attorney applying to a family law firm, it's | | | | Proof and proof again. While it's never a good idea to |
| assumed that your objective is to work in family law. | | | | make a grammatical or spelling mistake on a resume, |
| Move your education to the bottom. Unless you've | | | | nobody wants to hire an attorney who doesn't know |
| been out of law school for fewer than five years, | | | | the difference between "there" and "their." Run your |
| format your resume so that the details of your | | | | resume past a friend who does know the difference. |