Traditional Legal Internship Resume Example Guide

As you apply for legal internships, a traditional resume can help get your foot in the door. Use the traditional format for law firms and employers that are old fashioned and value time-honored ways of doing things; you may even be asked to submit your resume via postal mail. Looking at traditional resume templates is a good starting point for crafting your own, and we have provided a sample free traditional legal internship resume below. Read it and the accompanying tips as you develop a top-notch resume.

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What to Include in a Traditional Legal Internship Resume

When you are writing a traditional legal internship resume, always begin with your contact information. Check that your email address is professional, and in the body of your resume, focus on your skills, work experience and education. It is possible you have no legal internship experience; in such cases, emphasize transferable skills you have developed in non-legal jobs. For example, if you wrote for your undergraduate college newspaper, you could tout your interviewing, research and writing skills. Your experience and the legal internship in question factor into how you create the resume. Write in traditional language, and use bullet points for easier reading.

Common Resume Fails: Mistakes to Avoid

• Forgetting Important Dates: Include your expected law school graduation date, or if you have already graduated, the month and year in which you graduated. Also include whether you have passed a bar examination or when you plan to take one.
• Not Positioning Yourself as a Team Player: It is important that legal interns be team players. Be sure you emphasize your teamwork and collaboration skills throughout your resume.
• Neglecting to Proofread: It can happen to the best of us, but do not let it happen to you. Proofread your resume, and have others proofread for pesky typos and errors.
• Including Your High School Information: It may seem tempting to list your high school if it was private and prestigious, but it is neutral information at best and may alienate some employers.