Job Entries for Junior and Mid-Level Candidates

Candidates need to be accountable for their post-law school years, where they have practiced, what they have done and demonstrate that they are engaged in their practice 

List your legal employment in descending chronological order.

For each entry, identify the name of the firm, the location where you worked, your title and dates of employment. 

Name of the firm.  You should use the legal name of the firm.  There has been a fair amount of musical chairs over the past bunch of years, with firms changing name/structure/going out of business.  If the firm has changed structure during your period of employment or thereafter, help the reader along with clarifying phrases, i.e.

John Doe LLP (currently Harry Doe Partners) or (dissolved, 2008) , etc.

 If you changed employer on account of a firm merger or practice group move, indicate it like this

John Doe LLP, New York, NY, Associate (2009-current)

Lion Cougar & Sons LLP, New York, NY (2008-2009)(firm merged with John Doe) or (moved with practice group to John Doe)

Avoid unnecessary duplication.  Real estate on that first resume page is precious.  If your practice remained the same, there is no reason not to combine the narratives for two successive firms:

                JOHN DOE LLP, New York, NY, Associate (2009-current)

                LION COUGAR & SONS LLP, New York, NY, Associate (2008-2009)(firm merged with John Doe)

                [shared  description]

Description of the firm: If you are looking in a different legal market or the entry is for a firm which is not well known, help the reader with a phrase which gives your experience context, i.e.

                JOHN DOE LLP, New York, NY, Associate (2009-current)

Regional ten attorney boutique specializing in employment litigation.

Parts of a Strong Job Entry

1.       Description of what subject matter areas/ practice specialties characterizing YOUR experience

Ex:

                “subject matter experience in antitrust, white collar crime and

Employment law.”

                “Experience in M&A, structured finance and general corporate governance.”

2.       Description of what skills you learned.  Litigators describe skills (I have a litigation checklist which helps refresh recollections as to the parts of a matter on which a candidate may have worked) Litigators might say what kinds of motions they drafted/argued; what they did in discovery, trial prep, etc.  Transactional lawyers describe the kinds of deals/documents they have helped structure, negotiate, and document. 

3.       Examples of significant matters in which you learned the skills stated above.

Transactions should be described in terms of $ size and also with a notation of what YOU did on the deal.

Litigators should identify whether they represented defendant or plaintiff, and the rough  subject matter of the suit—ex,  Defended bulge bracket financial institution against allegations of tortuous interference by registered representative (drafted answer, helped prepare expert witness for trial)

If it is a public deal or a case where the pleadings and filings are a matter of public record, there is no reason not to give the names of the parties.  Otherwise, describing the parties with as much detail as you can without compromising client confidentiality is key.


Next week what to do when your resume goes over onto two pages.