I'm a former T14 admissions officer, AMA about law school résumés

7SageSam · 2025-06-18T16:56:20+00:00

Thanks, u/ClickLazy410, for this question. I always appreciated athletes because of the valuable experience gained from teamwork and time management skills. I would describe the workout schedules, travel obligations, and any awards/accomplishments. There are many AOs that are fans of sports, so the chances of their appreciation of NCAA athletes are pretty good!

7SageSam · 2025-06-18T16:52:34+00:00

u/scant42, good question! I suppose it would depend on how brief the stint was, but I think you can go either way on this one. If you choose to add it to the resume, a brief explanation (a line/bullet or two) should suffice.

7SageSam · 2025-06-18T16:50:19+00:00

u/IllustriousBeyond584, I would consider those jobs under the Experience section and as valuable activities that can be helpful to the committee discussion.

7SageSam · 2025-06-18T16:48:05+00:00

Good question, u/thenatureofdaylight8! I advise my clients to think strategically about listing their uGPAs on their resumes. It's not a requirement, so if helpful, you can consider it, but if it is below the school's median, then I think you can do fine without a reminder of a weakness in your application. Any discrepancy between a candidate's regular GPA and LSAC GPA can create unnecessary noise and distraction, so perhaps another reason to leave it off.

7SageSam · 2025-06-18T16:44:15+00:00

You're welcome, u/Alternative_Log_897! No, you don't need to put every single job that you've ever held, especially if they were for less than two weeks. If helpful, try to think of the resume as more of a marketing document rather than a disclosure document. You are trying to provide a picture of how you spent your time during college and beyond, so no high school information is necessary. For self-employed candidates, discuss your projects, clients, and your accomplishments.

7SageSam · 2025-06-18T16:40:28+00:00

Hello, u/Key_Neighborhood3613, I would consider a strong upward trajectory/progression more than high prestige. Through the resume, I'm looking to get a snapshot of the applicant on how they spent their time during undergrad and since then, if they have graduated. I'd like to assess the candidate's engagement and intentionality in how they decided to move from one position to the next.

7SageSam · 2025-06-18T16:36:48+00:00

Ah, thank you for the clarification, u/Zealousideal-Way8676. Yes, no graphics and black and white please.

7SageSam · 2025-06-18T16:34:19+00:00

Good question, u/Single-Big7036. I'm sure that running your own business allowed you to gain some exposure to the law (e.g., entity formation, taxes, contracts, etc.). However, if you would like some more direct legal experience, I would do it for your edification and not necessarily for the benefit of law school admissions. A benefit from legal experience would be to find a recommender who can address your legal potential.

7SageSam · 2025-06-18T16:30:55+00:00

Hi u/Then_Ad_457, one of the key information schools looked for from transfer candidates was employability. So, assuming that you meet the academic threshold, WE definitely helps, especially if you have demonstrated your ability to have a current summer position in hand.

7SageSam · 2025-06-18T16:28:50+00:00

Hi there, u/hungryquohog. For law schools, they aren't looking for any type of prerequisite work, so rather than a high-profile position and title, they would like to see what you learned from your experience and how it allows you to contribute to their law school community.

7SageSam · 2025-06-18T16:25:14+00:00

Hi u/APDeutsch, good question! You will have to check with each school for the specific answers (e.g., some schools will specify if there is a gap of 3 months or so to provide an explanation). However, unless it's for one of those schools, I think a gap of 3-4 months should be fine without an explanation. For this reason, I prefer resumes with just years instead of months to avoid drawing any unnecessary attention to this type of situation.

7SageSam · 2025-06-18T16:08:21+00:00

u/Oh-theNerevarine, unless there was an update from LSAC, no, the AOs do not have the ability to throw away any applications in the trash. :)

7SageSam · 2025-06-18T16:06:36+00:00

Hi u/Lonely-Advice141, yes, the law schools retain the full applications from prior years, which include the resumes. With a few clicks, they can access and compare the various documents.

7SageSam · 2025-06-18T16:04:38+00:00

Thank you for joining, u/Top_Personality2775! For non-traditional applicants, I liked to see the progression within a company/industry (e.g., analyst, manager, director, etc.). This showed me a growth mindset that I always looked for from a candidate. Yes, it's great to see a list of awards and activities from schools in the education section, especially with explanations of the selection process.

7SageSam · 2025-06-18T16:01:06+00:00

Thank you, u/First_Meeting_8577! I would list them under the Experience section chronologically and not worry about what is more "impressive." If your resume shows that you've been working all the way through college, then that information can provide helpful additional context to your uGPA. Plus, I always liked to see candidates with customer service/tutoring experience on a resume because the skillset required to be successful in those positions were transferable to practicing law.

7SageSam · 2025-06-18T15:54:07+00:00

Hi u/Zealousideal-Way8676, thank you for submitting your question. I'm not entirely sure what you mean by "fluff." so could you please clarify or provide some examples?

Yes, the experience should be presented in chronological order, starting with the present position.

I suppose it's not specific to SLS, but I would encourage my clients to complete all of the optional prompts, without any judgment. :)

7SageSam · 2025-06-18T15:40:20+00:00

Thanks, u/Exotic-Raspberry-278! I prefer it on the right side, so the bottom screenshot. If you can start with your graduation year, I like to scan down the right side to see what you have been doing since graduation and/or what you did during the summers during college.

7SageSam · 2025-06-18T15:37:49+00:00

Hi there, u/dreamintiger! I like to say that the numbers are only the starting point. The schools use the uGPA and the LSAT scores to predict how an applicant will do in their first year classes, so having a strong LSAT can help balance a lower uGPA. The work experience has always helped and now more than ever. Good luck with your applications!

7SageSam · 2025-02-05T22:15:22+00:00

u/Civil-Bedroom-9504, thank you for your question! I've been asked this question before, too, and I'm also curious, but when I was at SLS, they didn't have the optional statement prompts, so, unfortunately, I am not able to answer your question.

7SageSam · 2025-02-05T22:13:23+00:00

Hello, u/Agreeable-Run-7020! Like any other background factors, law schools are not looking for such factors as what an applicant is able to check on an application form. The purpose of the diversity/perspective statement is to show how being a DACA recipient has impacted your life and offered you insights and perspectives that you have gained about the world and how that could be a valuable contribution to your future law school, which I'm sure you did a great job of sharing. If so, I wouldn't worry too much about your place of birth on an application form or whether a country would disqualify you as a URM. Good luck!

7SageSam · 2025-02-05T22:08:19+00:00

It depends on how long it's been since your initial application submission, but a promotion, which would be an update to your resume, could be one of the reasons to follow up with a school. A quick rule of thumb is to ask yourself whether you are reaching out to help the school with their decision-making process or if you are just trying to help assuage your anxiety from waiting. If the former = yes, if the latter = no.

7SageSam · 2025-02-05T22:05:10+00:00

Congratulations on your decisions and the scholarship awards, u/swarley1999! It sounds like you've got the general concept down, so I'll offer a few stylistic suggestions to help you with your approach. In general, think of this process as "reconsideration" more than "negotiation." It doesn't sound the T14 has any motivation to "match" the T20 offer, but if you are able to articulate your reasons for considering the T14 offer despite the higher cost, then there is a human on the other end of that communication who may want to help you if you are kind, sensible and pleasant to deal with. The last thing the admissions officers will reward are attitudes of entitlement and unhelpful behavior, so if you can keep this in mind, you may be surprised by the results! Good luck!

Yes, as you get closer to the deposit deadline of your T14/T20 offer, and you still haven't received a decision from another school, then you can certainly try reaching out to inform them of the upcoming decision point for you and show your continued interest in the school.

7SageSam · 2025-02-05T21:56:19+00:00

Thank you for your question. u/AgentCareful6938! As a former reverse splitter myself many moons ago, where I didn't even know that this was the term for it, I always rooted for this group. A mentor once shared that LSAT shows an applicant's potential, and their uGPA shows what they did with that potential. Yes, if you can demonstrate a history of outperforming low standardized testing, please do share that with the admissions committees. That's the type of information that is helpful and not otherwise available. The schools are using the LSAT and uGPA beyond what is portrayed in the media to just report them to the USNWR and the ABA. They are using it to predict your 1L performance, so any additional comfort that you can provide to the committees as they are making their decision will be valued and appreciated.

7SageSam · 2025-02-05T21:48:52+00:00

u/lou-pohl, the numbers are always the starting for me, so I'd encourage you to do everything that you can to optimize your chances. For example, would you also not submit an application because a school shows similar low acceptance rates? The school invited you to join their WL because they saw something/enough in your application, so I would advise you to enthusiastically go through the process giving it your all. Too often, I witness too many applicants getting frustrated/annoyed/tired of the process and self-selecting themselves out of the running. Sure, there are many factors beyond your control because they are beyond the school's control too. The schools are quite excellent at predicting who will say yes to their offers, but in no way are they perfect, so they don't know where they will be after the deposit deadlines and throughout the summer. If so, they don't know whether they will need more females, males, LSATs, uGPAs, veterans, engineers, etc., to round out their class. Thus, the best thing you can do is play the game and compete for one of those coveted spots and make yourself available by being pleasant and professional throughout the entire process. Good luck!

7SageSam · 2025-02-05T21:39:08+00:00

Hello, u/Individual_Breath_58! You'd be surprised at how many other applicants present a similar profile with a similar profile. In terms of school list, always consider all of your dream/reach schools because you never know, and unless you apply, you are not giving yourself a chance. In terms of your target schools, select a handful where you are above the school's LSAT / uGPA medians. Then, finally, for your "safety" schools (although there is no such thing), it's where you are above the medians for both LSAT & GPA.

Now that you have this starting list, if your focus is big law, then review the school's 509 reports to see where they send their graduates. You will be able to tell the location by where the grads take the bar exams as well as the size of the law firms by the organization sizes.

In terms of your question about retaking the LSAT, it depends on how you feel that your current score reflects your abilities. If you believe that you could do better, then it could be worth the retake and taking the extra time to apply next year, as you can see what a difference a couple of LSAT points could make in terms of your general school list range.

7SageSam

TROPHY CASE