LL.M. Resume Checklist - Review and Redrafting Guidelines

Sep 2, 2026

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LL.M. resume checklist provides detailed, practical guidance for rewriting an LL.M. application resume with a polished, professional presentation. It covers formatting essentials such as consistent typography, page limits, spacing, margins, and hyperlink handling, plus layout rules for education and experience ordering. It also addresses content prioritization, relevance filtering, bullet usage, and marketing strength through clear qualifications, action-verb writing, and focused, transferable accomplishments.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResumes

FormatDOCX

Pages5

Reading Time2 min

AccessFree to download

LL.M. Resume Checklist

Overall Appearance

Layout

Marketing

Relevance

Writing Style

Specificity

LL.M. RESUME CHECKLIST Please consider the following points when redrafting your resume: Overall Appearance: Neat, consistent, perfect? ☐ Limit resume to one page (for U.S. law firms and ISIP applications). ☐ Use consistent formatting and punctuation. ☐ Use standard 8 ½” x 11” (Letter-size) paper. ☐ Proofread carefully. Correct spelling and typographical errors. ☐ Use single space formatting. ☐ See LL.M. Resume Handbook for formatting samples. ☐ Use the LL.M. Resume Template when redrafting your resume. Layout: Does it look professional? ☐ Margins: Margins should be the same on top, bottom, right, and left whenever possible. ☐ Font: Use a professional font, such as Times New Roman. Generally, use a font size of 12 pt. for your name and 11 pt. for the rest of the resume (this text is 11pt. Times New Roman). ☐ Typeface: Avoid using too much bold or too many italics; it is difficult to read and nothing stands out. ☐ Use BOLD ALL CAPS on your name; Bold Small Caps on your school names and employer names. (For Small Caps, in Word, click on Format- Font- Effects and select small caps). ☐ Use bolded italics on your job titles. ☐ Turn hyper-links off when writing your email address, it should be plain black text: abc123@nyu.edu. ☐ Do not use bullets anywhere, except in your job descriptions where the text of your job description is more than six lines. Each bullet should group similar tasks or skills or tasks that relate to a particular practice area. Bullets should appear as ● ; avoid using periods, asterisks, arrows or dashes. Marketing: Do key qualifications stand out? ☐ Bar status: Indicate status (Passed July 20** New York Bar Exam, awaiting admission) or intention to sit for Bar. Plan to sit for the New York State Bar Exam, July 20** ☐ Education: Generally Education precedes Experience if promoting your LL.M. specialization. Include degree dates only, not dates of attendance. Be consistent in writing out or abbreviating your degree titles. If you use “LL.M.” then also use “J.D.” or “LL.B.” If you use “Master of Laws” use “Juris Doctor,” etc. New York University School of Law, New York, NY Candidate for LL.M. in International Legal Studies, May 20** For Tax LL.M.s, list relevant coursework as a J.D.; Loyola Law School, Los Angeles, CA J.D., May 20** Tax GPA: 3.8 (5 courses) or Tax Coursework: Income Taxation (A), Estate Planning (A-), Trusts & Estates (B+), International Tax (A-) ☐ Experience: Preferred format: Shearman & Sterling, Paris, France Job Title, May 20** – July 20** List positions with faculty members and judges as follows: Professor Jerome Cohen, NYU School of Law, New York, NY Research Assistant, Fall 20** The Honorable George Blair, U.S. District Court, E.D.N.Y., Brooklyn, NY Judicial Intern, December 20** – present If you worked at the same organization twice, there is no need to list it twice. Example 1: Same employer, different job titles, substantially similar responsibilities XYZ Corporation, New York, NY Assistant Manager, June 20** – August 20**; Administrative Assistant, May 20** – May 20** Example 2: Same employer, different job titles, different responsibilities XYZ Corporation, New York, NY Assistant Manager, June 20** – August 20** Administrative Assistant, May 20** – May 20** Relevance: Has out-of-date and extraneous material been eliminated? ☐ Place the most relevant information first. In your job descriptions, focus first on those substantive tasks requiring skills that the employer will most value. When listing Honors and Activities under each school, list first those that will be of most significance to the employer. Consider cutting older or less relevant honors and activities. ☐ In your job descriptions, eliminate or place last those tasks that are ministerial. ☐ Your experience includes several positions that could best be described in a more general fashion under the category of Additional Information. Example: Worked during the summers and t

FAQs

How long should an LL.M. resume be for U.S. law firm applications and ISIP applications?

Limit the resume to one page for U.S. law firms and ISIP applications.

What formatting and styling rules are recommended for an LL.M. resume?

Use consistent formatting and punctuation, single spacing, standard Letter-size paper, a professional font (e.g., Times New Roman), and BOLD ALL CAPS for your name and bold small caps for school/employer names. Turn hyperlinks off for email addresses so they appear as plain black text.

How should education and experience be organized when promoting an LL.M. specialization?

Generally place Education before Experience when promoting the LL.M. specialization. Include degree dates only and keep degree-title wording consistent (e.g., LL.M. with J.D./LL.B. where relevant).

Sep 2, 2026

Upload by Skyler