Creating a resume (or CV) is an excellent starting point for those who are beginning to work on their law school applications. Here are several reasons why now is the time to focus on drafting or polishing your resume:
1) Nearly every top school requires a resume. This is usually requested as part of the written application. Even if the school does not request a stand-alone resume, they will usually solicit similar information within their application forms (employment history, educational background, etc). In addition, your resume is often a good starting point for conversations in admissions interviews.
2) Crafting a resume can serve as the creative starting point for candidates trying to develop their positioning strategy and career goals. Distilling all relevant educational, professional and extracurricular experiences into a coherent one-page document can be an eye-opening exercise. This step is helpful to many applicants because it can reveal overarching themes in their education, work, and activities or bring to light key selling points in their profile.
3) The resume is a barometer of an applicant’s potential to market his or her skills and experiences in the post-degree job search process. The adcom is curious to see how a candidate presents his or her experiences prior to earning a law degree. Providing the committee with a polished, coherent resume is a great way to demonstrate one’s potential appeal to campus recruiters in applying for internships or jobs during or after completion of the law degree.
Good luck to all those working on their law school applications!
