Office of Career Planning and Professional Development LL.M. Orientation

1. Office of Career Planning and Professional Development LL.M. Orientation

2. The Resume • A profile of your educational and experiential qualifications • The basis on which employers grant an interview • Use of US resume style is important - conveys to employers that you are comfortable in the US employment market • Accuracy is paramount • Single page highly preferred • Visual aesthetics are important - reader needs to be able to "scan" or "skim" the resume and glean highlights

3. CONTACT INFORMATION • Name centered at top of page, set off with bold or large type • Employers will use your resume heading to determine how to address you in conversation: • if you use your middle rather than your first name, consider using only your first initial: • A. Maria Gonzalez, rather than Anna Maria Gonzalez • if you go by an American name or a diminutive of your name, include that name: • Weeravej (William) Sirichatchai • Yetunde (Titi) Talabi • if your name may be gender neutral to a US reader, add the title Mr. or Ms. • Include your current mailing address, email address and telephone number (cell phone is ok). You may also include an address in your home country.

4. BAR ADMISSION • All headings flush left • Placed first because your ability to provide legal advice and service is of paramount importance to a prospective employer • Include certifications/memberships in home country and elsewhere • Indicate your intentions regarding bar admission or other certification/licensure in the US

5. EDUCATION • List educational institutions in reverse chronological order, with Washington and Lee first • Include the city/state/country (if outside the US) • Include the degree expected or received and the year in which it was awarded • Include your grade point average, if it is an asset (3.0 or greater is our guideline) • Subsections listing honors and activities: • include academic honors, scholarships, your thesis or dissertation topic, etc. • include positions of leadership in university or community organizations • include team sports

6. EXPERIENCE • List positions of employment in reverse chronological order • No large time gaps left unaccounted for • Need not include non-legal employment while a student • Format: • name of employer, location, time period employed, position title • job description, using active verbs (list available on OCS website) and present tense • what were your responsibilities? • what tasks or projects did you undertake? • what specific examples of your work would assist the reader in understanding your experience? • what lawyering skills did you develop?

7. SKILLS AND INTERESTS • Optional. May provide insight into your personality • May provide opportunity to develop rapport with interviewer by revealing common interests • Appropriate entries: • charitable, civic or political involvement • travel • business skills, public speaking • Athletics • Avoid general statements like "Reading and Sports"

8. LANGUAGES • Identify your native language • Truthfully indicate your level of skill • Native German, Fluent English, Conversational Spanish • Native Spanish, Fluent written English

9. WHAT TO EXCLUDE FROM YOUR RESUME • Job Objective (not appropriate for legal market) • Personal statements about health, age, weight, marital or parental status • Scores on LSAT, TOEFL or other examinations • Basic Computer skills • Indication that references or a writing sample are available upon request • Names of references • should be on a separate sheet entitled “References” • include your name on an upper corner of your References sheet • 3 references are sufficient

10. THE DETAILS • 8.5 x 11 paper • white or off-white (cream, ecru) bond • use same paper for resume, reference sheet and cover letter • your resume and related documents MUST be error free: • proofread yourself, and have another person proofread as well • do not rely on computer “spell-check”

11. ALBERTO GRANDE 5555 Academy Street Lexington, Virginia 24450 Home: (540) 463-0000 Cell: (540) 461-0000 BAR STATUS Admitted to practice in Peru since 1996 Will take the New York State bar examination in July 2004 EDUCATION Washington and Lee University School of Law, Lexington, Virginia Candidate for LL.M. in United States Law, May 2004 Coursework: Introduction to United States Law; Contracts; Constitutional Law; Legal Writing Activites: International Law Society Universidad Del Peru, Lima, Peru Law Degree, May 1995 GPA: 3.75/4.00, ranked 34/235 Coursework: Advanced study in corporate and international law Honors: Recipient, Outstanding Corporate Law Student award Activities: President, Law Student Association EXPERIENCE Javier, Diaz & Pena Law Firm, Lima, Peru Attorney, 1996-2003: Represented clients on cases involving international law, business and corporate matters including purchase of corporations. Advised corporate clients concerning trade law, corporation law, stock exchange regulations and contractual matters. Represented clients in trial and appellate courts. Prepared briefs, contracts, settlement agreements and corporation charters. Contreras & Ortega Law Firm, Lima, Peru Legal Intern, 1994-95: Assisted partners on general corporate matters, international commercial contracts, intellectual property matters, trademarks agreements and real estate negotiations. LANGUAGE SKILLS Fluent in written and spoken English and Spanish (native) PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS Colegio de Abogados de Lima, Lima, Peru INTERESTS Scuba diving; Tae Kwon Do