Below are some resume hints you may find helpful. They are based on the most common errors we see. Since you only get one chance to make a positive first impression, it is in your interest to present the best resume possible.

1. Do not type “Degree”, “received” or “awarded” after indicating the type of diploma earned. It is redundant.
2. Be consistent. If you abbreviate one degree, abbreviate the others. (Note: This is a detail often overlooked, but for the hiring attorney who happens to be a stickler for such consistencies, it will not go unnoticed.)
3. The correct punctuation for the master of laws degree is LL.M. (no period after the first “L”).
4. Do not indicate your bar status under the law school section of your resume, as it is not generally achieved in law school. Perhaps more importantly, it tends to get buried there. Suggestion: Create a separate category called “Bar Status” if you are not admitted yet (“Passed February 2003 New York State Bar exam, admission pending”) or “Bar Admission” if you are.
5. The plural of memorandum is memoranda, not memorandums. (Note: Hiring attorneys have thrown out resumes for less noteworthy mistakes.)
6. Write about your experience in the first person, not the third. For example, “Draft and negotiate” not “Drafts and negotiates”. Please note that the subject is implied. Do not indicate “I” or “me”.
7. Unless you are currently working, make sure all verbs are in the past tense. If you are not working, make sure your last job no longer reads “to present” and give it an ending date.
8. Minimize the use of semi-colons. They are used where, in most cases, a comma or a period does the trick. If you must use a semi-colon, do not capitalize the first letter of the next word.
9. Minimize topography. Keep bolding, italics and underlining to a minimum as they distract the reader. As a general rule, use only one at a time on a word or phrase.
10. Minimize the use of parentheses, if you must use them at all. You are not speaking parenthetically to your reader; therefore, all items should be out in the open.
11. Do not capitalize nouns unless they begin the sentence. For example, capitalizing “Motion for Summary Judgment” is unnecessary and distracting.
12. Substantively, avoid using words like “various” or “many”. For example, “Various types of agreements” communicates less than “confidentiality, partnership, trademark licensing and software agreements.”
13. When listing dates on your resume, it is most traditional to list the starting and ending month and year. It is not necessary to list the day and it is not appropriate to list the season, because it is not specific enough. For example, a start date of “Spring 1999” could mean March, April, May or June. Similarly, listing a start and end date as “2000” could indicate you worked there January through December, it could mean that you worked one day that year or it could mean anything in between. You do not want to leave your reader with the impression that you are trying to overstate the duration of your experience. Also, do not stretch dates out beyond fact just to make it look like there are no time gaps between jobs.
14. Do not write “Associate Attorney,” as it is redundant. The correct title is “Associate”.
15. Spell check!