(Thread) I recruit law students for my firm's summer program. Here are some tips for #lawstudent when applying to firms for summer positions:

1. Include your GPA and ranking (if your school ranks) at the top of your resume. I am seeing some where those aren't included.

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You might miss an opportunity based solely on that! A glance at the transcript may suggest the GPA is competitive, but I may not know the ranking off-hand. You don't want to make the reader put down your resume to try to figure it out.

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The competition is usually strong. The recruiter may or may not get the calculator out to figure your rank for you, or might not attempt to interpolate your rank from other resumes that did include GPA and rank.

(Not a statement on the merits of ranking law students.)

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2. I suggest you place education information at the top of your resume. Law school first, then undergraduate information. That's the first stuff I want to see first. Don't demote it to the bottom half of the page!

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3. I am interested in your undergraduate achievements. Don't overdo the details, but I do want to see GPA, awards, honors, significant extracurriculars.

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A strong undergraduate performance can make the difference when choosing between two excellent candidates, or can help rehabilitate if there's one law school grade that isn't as strong as the others

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4. Don't re-invent the resume wheel.

I know resumes are boring. They're dull. They look dull. It's just bullet points and info, crammed onto the page. (Try to keep it to one page!)

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BUT: from my perspective, I want them to deliver the most pertinent information to me as quickly as possible. Remember your audience: an attorney who wants to find *you* as quickly as possible.

The "boring" format achieves that goal. So don't be afraid of a boring resume.

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IMO: having a creative page format, borders, different fonts, pictures, etc., will not help me remember that resume more than the important content.

Also, going overboard on the "creativity" might come off as unserious or unprofessional.

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Your resume can tell me SO many more things about you besides your GPA/ranking. Make it easy for the reader to orient and understand quickly.

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5.Cover. Letters. The worst, amirite? Embrace them!

This is your time to tell the reader something your resume may not show. Explain an iffy grade. Address why you are from X part of the country but are in law school in Y part. (Unless top 20 law. That's pretty obvs.)

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6. Don't be discouraged if your 1st semester grades aren't what you wanted. My office is not large, but we are almost constantly looking for 1/2 and even 3Ls. You can rehabilitate your grades. We can see when you've done that over time by reviewing your transcript.

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Those are my thoughts for now. Other recruiters might disagree or prioritize other things. But I hope this might be helpful. DMs are open. Cheers!

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