TABLE OF CONTENTS
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ............................................................................................................................ 1
AUTHORS .................................................................................................................................................... 1
ADDITIONAL CONTRIBUTORS .............................................................................................................. 1
ABOUT UCLA SCHOOL OF LAW ............................................................................................................ 1
ABOUT THE OFFICE OF PUBLIC INTEREST PROGRAMS ................................................................. 1
INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................................................ 2
I. PREPARING TO DRAFT YOUR RÉSUMÉ ................................................................................. 2
II. GENERAL RÉSUMÉ GUIDELINES ............................................................................................. 2
III. PRINCIPAL RÉSUMÉ SECTIONS ................................................................................................ 4
HEADING .................................................................................................................................................... 4
EDUCATION ............................................................................................................................................... 4
EXPERIENCE .............................................................................................................................................. 5
ADDITIONAL SECTIONS .......................................................................................................................... 7
IV. TWO-PAGE RÉSUMÉ ................................................................................................................... 7
V. REFERENCE LIST ......................................................................................................................... 8
VI. SAMPLE RÉSUMÉS AND REFERENCE LIST ........................................................................... 9
1L RÉSUMÉ ............................................................................................................................................... 10
2L/3L RÉSUMÉ ......................................................................................................................................... 11
TWO-PAGE RÉSUMÉ .............................................................................................................................. 12
REFERENCE LIST .................................................................................................................................... 14
VII. ACTION VERBS .......................................................................................................................... 15
CONCLUSION ........................................................................................................................................... 16
1 Public Interest Résumé Guide
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
AUTHORS
Ingrid Eagly, Faculty Director, David J. Epstein Program in Public Interest Law and Policy
Brenda Kim, Programs Coordinator, Office of Public Interest Programs
H. Catherine Mayorkas, Executive Director, Office of Public Interest Programs
Silvana Naguib, Public Interest Fellow, Office of Public Interest Programs
ADDITIONAL CONTRIBUTORS
The UCLA Public Interest Résumé Guide is the distillation of insights from several decades of
experience advising law students pursuing public interest careers. We thank Jessica Blatchley,
Kristen Eichensehr, Jamie Libonate, Frank Lopez, Elizabeth Moeller, and Catherine Zingale for
their assistance with this project.
ABOUT UCLA SCHOOL OF LAW
UCLA School of Law, founded in 1949, is the youngest major law school in the nation and has
established a tradition of innovation in its approach to teaching, research, and scholarship. With a
rigorous public interest curriculum and the David J. Epstein Program in Public Interest Law and
Policy, the school is a preeminent training ground for students committed to careers in public
service.
ABOUT THE OFFICE OF PUBLIC INTEREST PROGRAMS
The Office of Public Interest Programs strives to enhance UCLA School of Law’s commitment to
public interest by offering an array of services to students and alumni. The Office’s principal goal
is to encourage students and alumni to embrace a career that incorporates an ongoing commitment
to public service.
2 Public Interest Résumé Guide
INTRODUCTION
The UCLA Public Interest Résumé Guide provides general guidance to assist you in drafting your
résumé. It is specifically tailored to law students seeking summer and post-graduate positions
with public interest entities, including nonprofit organizations, government agencies, courts, and
private public interest firms.
I. PREPARING TO DRAFT YOUR RÉSUMÉ
Your résumé serves as the primary document that public interest employers will review. When
preparing to draft your résumé, you should consider the job that you are seeking. For example, is
there a certain type of advocacy work that interests you, such as litigation, community organizing,
or direct services? Are you applying to work for a judge, nonprofit organization, government
agency, or private public interest firm? Try to find out as much as you can about the positions to
which you are applying. Based on this information, you can begin to identify which of your
experiences, skills, and accomplishments to emphasize in your résumé.
In drafting your résumé, you should reflect on your employment, volunteer work, and academic
experiences since your undergraduate years. Set forth in writing what is noteworthy about these
accomplishments. For example, you could include the obligations you undertook, the substantive
areas of knowledge you deepened, and the skills you developed.
Your résumé should focus on the skills, knowledge, and accomplishments most relevant to the
opportunities you wish to pursue. However, in drafting your 1L résumé for initial review by your
career advisor, you should err on the side of over-inclusion. You can work with your advisor to
refine your résumé, keeping in mind the opportunities that interest you. In addition, depending on
the range of positions you seek, you may develop more than one version of your résumé.
II. GENERAL RÉSUMÉ GUIDELINES
In most situations, your résumé will serve as your first contact with a prospective employer. At
the same time, the prospective employer’s decision about moving your application forward may be
based on only a cursory review of your résumé. Accordingly, your résumé must be organized, easy
to read, accurate, concise, and error-free.
Although there are no strict rules that govern résumés, there are generally accepted practices,
which we discuss in this Guide. Exceptions to these practices can be appropriate in some
circumstances and should be discussed with your public interest career advisor.
Length:
Your résumé should not exceed one page.
An exception may be warranted in limited circumstances, such as when applying for post-
graduate public interest fellowships.
3 Public Interest Résumé Guide
More information on two-page résumés is included in Part IV of this Guide.
Page Margin:
The page margin is the space between the text and the edge of the paper. The standard
margin for a résumé is one inch on all four sides. We do not recommend making your
margins smaller than one inch because it will make the document look cluttered. Before
altering your margins, edit your text to be more efficient.
Under no circumstances should you make your margins smaller than 0.8 inch.
Bullet Points:
Bullet points are frequently used in legal résumés to describe different aspects of a job
description. This formatting choice may be appropriate if a position has multiple
responsibilities that are important to highlight. However, this formatting choice can also
make the writing of the job description choppy and take up unnecessary space.
In Part VI of this Guide we include examples of job descriptions in bullet point and
narrative paragraph formats.
Fonts:
You should choose one font style for your legal résumé. While some may advise using
Times New Roman or Arial fonts, we prefer Garamond.
In general, you should use one font size for the body of your résumé. We recommend 11-
point size. You should not use a font smaller than 10.5-point size because it makes the
résumé hard to read.
The header of your résumé with your name and contact information should be in a slightly
larger font size than the body of the document.
If your word processor automatically makes your e-mail address underlined and blue, you
should correct the font to be black and not underlined.
Bold, Italics, All Caps, and Small Caps:
A range of emphasis techniques can be used in your résumé. However, it is important to
use these techniques sparingly and only if they make the résumé easier to read.
We recommend against using underlining in your résumé. Typography experts agree that
underlining is not aesthetically pleasing and makes text hard to read. If you believe that it
is necessary to emphasize something in your résumé, we encourage you to use italics,
bold, all caps, or small caps. Also, do not combine italics and bold, rather choose which
emphasis technique you prefer.
It is crucial to maintain formatting consistency throughout your résumé. For example, if
you opt to include the names of your former employers in bold, you should do so
consistently throughout your résumé.
Typographical Errors:
An error-free résumé is valued by employers. A résumé with misspellings or typographical
errors could cost you the job.
Be sure that you proofread your résumé multiple times. Use the spell checker provided in
the word processing program and also read a printed copy carefully without the spell
checker.
4 Public Interest Résumé Guide
III. PRINCIPAL RÉSUMÉ SECTIONS
Legal résumés typically contain three to five sections. The principal sections are (1) Heading, (2)
Education, and (3) Experience.
HEADING
Your résumé “Heading” section is set forth at the top of your résumé. It should include your full
name, current mailing address, telephone number, and e-mail address. There is no single correct
heading format. Examples of headings are included in Part VI of this Guide.
Additional Tips:
As a current student, it is preferable to provide your UCLA LawNet e-mail address.
Include your telephone number on your résumé and make certain that you identify yourself
in a professional way on your voicemail greeting. Be sure to check your voicemail
regularly and ensure that your mailbox is not full.
If your connection to a geographic area is relevant to the job you seek, you should include
both your permanent and current mailing addresses on your résumé.
EDUCATION
The “Education” section should include your educational institutions, degrees, and graduation
dates, as well as any relevant achievements or activities associated with each degree.
Additional Tips:
Set forth your educational history in reverse chronological order.
If you are a current law student, you should reference your degree as “expected” or
reference yourself as a “candidate.” For example, you could write “J.D. expected, May
2020” or “LL.M. Candidate, May 2019.”
If you are pursuing another degree simultaneously with your law degree (joint degree),
you should set forth the school name, the degree anticipated, and the anticipated date of
graduation as a separate entry.
You should not include your high school education on your résumé.
GPAs:
While many law students include their law school and undergraduate GPAs on their
résumés, you are not required to do so.
Law school grades may not be of paramount importance to some public interest employers,
especially in the summer employment context. However, others will want to know your
GPA and certainly will be impressed by top grades. For most public interest employers,
however, stellar grades cannot make up for a lack of demonstrated public interest
commitment.
Your undergraduate GPA will become less important as you advance in law school.
Nevertheless, you may want to include your undergraduate GPA on your résumé,
especially if it is outstanding. Even if you choose to omit your undergraduate GPA, you
should include if you graduated with honors (e.g., cum laude) and any membership in
academic honorary organizations (e.g., Phi Beta Kappa).
5 Public Interest Résumé Guide
Thesis:
If you wrote an undergraduate and/or graduate thesis, you can include the thesis title on
your résumé. Write “Thesis:” (or the type of thesis, such as “Honors Thesis:”) followed by
the thesis title in italics.
Honors:
The “Honors” subsection includes any awards or recognition that entailed selection
through a competitive process.
If the honor is unclear from its title, you should provide a brief description in parentheses.
Journals:
A “Journals” subsection captures your service as a staff or board member of a law school
journal. Include the name of the journal in italics, along with your position on the journal
in regular font. You may also include the dates of your service.
Any comment or note published in a law school journal should be included in a separate
“Publications” section.
Activities:
The “Activities” subsection can include a range of activities, including participation in
school-affiliated pro bono efforts, student organizations, and moot court.
For a public interest résumé, it is especially important to include activities that
demonstrate your public interest commitment.
You may want to consider including one or more of your activities in the “Experience”
section. For example, if you have volunteered extensively with nonprofit organization
during law school or served as a research assistant for a professor, describing this work in
more detail in your “Experience” section would be a way to more draw attention to the
knowledge and skills you acquired.
In certain circumstances, you may wonder whether an affiliation with a particular activity
may make you less attractive to certain public interest employers. You should feel free to
discuss any such questions with your career advisor before finalizing your résumé.
Study Abroad:
Study abroad experience can be noted in a separate subsection under the appropriate
school entry. You should include the name of the educational institution, its geographic
location, the dates of attendance, and, if relevant, the focus of your studies. We include an
example of a study abroad entry in the 2L/3L résumé included in Part VII of this Guide.
EXPERIENCE
Your “Experience” section should include a description of significant full- and part-time work,
including paid employment, volunteer work, internships, externships, academic research positions,
or work in a live-client clinical course during law school. In determining which experiences to
include, keep in mind that your résumé is a marketing tool. Therefore, it should communicate that
you have skills, knowledge, and attributes relevant to public interest work. In addition, an
employer reviewing your “Experience” section should be able to quickly and easily understand the
responsibilities you undertook in each position.
6 Public Interest Résumé Guide
Additional Tips:
Part-time work, internships, externships, volunteer opportunities, and participation in a
live-client clinical course during law school all may be included in the “Experience”
section.
Do not feel compelled to include each and every one of your experiences before or during
law school. Your résumé is intended to emphasize your most significant and relevant
experiences. Consider excluding your earliest experiences, especially if they also are the
least relevant to the positions you seek. Also consider excluding experiences that are of a
very similar type to other listed experiences. Be aware, however, that time gaps in a
résumé may raise a question in an employer’s mind. You can discuss these issues with a
career advisor.
If you are a first-year student, do not worry if you do not have any prior law-related
experience. Employers will not expect you to have such experience. Do, however, think
about how your non-legal experiences, such as research, writing, and working with people,
are relevant to a legal employer.
Formatting:
Present your work experiences in reverse chronological order, with your most recent
experience first.
With respect to each experience, set forth the employer name first, followed by the
employer’s geographic location.
The dates of each experience can appear following the employer’s geographic location,
justified along the right margin. Or they can appear on a separate line, following your job
title. Examples of both styles are included in Part IV of this Guide.
Dates typically include the month and year of the beginning and end of the experience
(e.g., June 2016 – December 2017). However, dates can be noted more generally where the
time frame would be understood by an employer. For example, a summer internship could
be listed as “Summer 2017” and an academic externship could be listed as “Fall 2018.”
This technique makes the résumé less cluttered.
Include your job title on the second line, directly below the employer’s name.
If you were at an organization for a long period of time and had multiple job titles, you
can list the job titles on separate lines under the organization’s name, with the
accompanying dates for each on the right margin on the same line.
As the sample résumés in Part IV demonstrate, you can use bold, italics, all caps, or small
caps to highlight different components of your experience, such as the employer name and
your title.
Descriptions:
The descriptions of your work and volunteer experience are an important part of your
public interest résumé. They contain the skills, knowledge, attributes, and
accomplishments you would bring to a new position.
The relative length of each description should reflect the relative importance of your
experiences. Thus, we recommend using longer descriptions for the experiences that will
be most impressive to the potential employer.
Whether you use bullet points or a narrative style for your descriptions, be sure that your
writing is clear, concise, and interesting. Remember that employers will treat the
document as a sample of your writing skills.
7 Public Interest Résumé Guide
Use action verbs to begin each descriptive segment (e.g., “conducted legal research and
drafted a motion for partial summary judgment,” “developed ‘know your rights’
curriculum for low-wage workers,” “supervised volunteers”). In Part VII of this Guide, we
include a list of effective action verbs.
Do not exaggerate your responsibilities or your accomplishments.
ADDITIONAL SECTIONS
You may want to include additional sections in your résumé. For example, depending on your
background and training, you may want to add a section on “Languages,” “Publications,” or
“Interests.” In developing a public interest résumé, take time to think about what each section
would add to your qualifications for the position. For example, a “Publications” section that
includes articles you have written about public health would be a far more relevant section when
applying for a position with a healthcare organization than an “Interests” section that says you
enjoy kayaking.
Languages:
If you are fluent or conversant in a language other than English, you should include a
separate “Languages” section on your résumé. Include in the section your level of
proficiency. Public interest employers value the language skills needed to work with client
communities and may ask you to demonstrate your language ability during an interview.
Publications:
You can include a separate “Publications” section following either the “Education” or the
“Experience” section. We recommend including a “Publications” section if you have
published a note or comment in a law journal. Other non-legal publications can also be
included in a “Publications” section. Before adding a long list of publications you should
assess their relevance to the positions to which you are applying.
If you include a “Publications” section, be sure to follow the legal citation format of The
Bluebook and be prepared to answer questions regarding your publications in an interview.
Interests:
Some résumés include a separate “Interests” section for hobbies or travels. Our view is
that you should not prioritize including such a section in a public interest résumé. Instead,
you should use the limited space to convey your public interest commitment and expertise.
If you do opt to describe your interests, remember that some interests could reveal
personal information that employers do not need to know, such as age or parental status.
If you do list your interests, be prepared to speak about them in an interview.
IV. TWO-PAGE RÉSUMÉ
For most public interest positions, your résumé should fit entirely on one page. This is especially
true if you are applying for judicial clerkships. However, in limited circumstances, it may be
appropriate to submit a two-page résumé. For example, a two-page résumé may be appropriate if
you are a LL.M. student with extensive professional work experience or if a prospective employer
has requested an exhaustive work and volunteer history. In addition, if you are applying for post-
8 Public Interest Résumé Guide
graduate public interest fellowships, it may be appropriate to describe your work experience more
thoroughly. Be sure to discuss this issue with your career advisor.
Additional Tips:
A two-page résumé is an opportunity to showcase a more extensive picture of your
experiences. You should still consider what, if anything, each piece of information adds to
the overall picture of your commitment and expertise.
Include a header on the second page with your name and “Page 2.”
Place the most important information on the first page of a two-page résumé. Employers
are less likely to read the second page.
Remember that you not need to fill the entire two pages. It is better to have your résumé
end halfway down the page than to fill the second page with irrelevant or redundant
information.
V. REFERENCE LIST
Prospective public interest employers may request a reference list. Your reference list will
typically include a combination of professional and academic references. You may discuss the
issue of who to include on your reference list with your public interest career advisor.
Be sure to confirm whether your prospective employer is asking for “References” or “Letters of
Recommendation.” “References” generally means a listing of persons who are willing speak about
your qualifications. “Letters of Recommendation” means that your references must submit
detailed letters about your qualifications for the position or fellowship.
Additional Tips:
Your references should be able to speak about your skills, attributes, and experiences that
are relevant to the position. For example, if you are a first-year student and the position
you are applying to involves research and writing, your Legal Research and Writing
course instructor would be an excellent academic reference for you to include.
A professional work reference should be a direct supervisor or someone who is familiar
with your work.
Be sure to confirm your reference’s formal job title, address, e-mail address, and phone
number.
Prior to listing someone as a reference, you must confirm that he or she is willing to act as
a positive reference for you. It is also considered good form to touch base with your
references prior to beginning a job search. You should provide your references with a
current copy of your résumé and let them know if a prospective employer might contact
them.
Formatting:
Your reference list should fit on one page.
The style of your reference list should be consistent with the choices you made on your
résumé, including font type and margins.
9 Public Interest Résumé Guide
The reference list should include a header with your full name and contact information.
This header should be exactly the same as the one you use for your cover letter and
résumé.
We recommend that you note “References” or “Reference List” below your header. Most
students accentuate this titling of the page using bold, all caps, and/or small caps.
Generally, each reference is separated by spaces and formatted as an address block. Do not
use bullet points.
For each reference you should note (1) full name, (2) professional job title, (3) name of
workplace (e.g., “UCLA School of Law” or “National Immigration Law Center”), (4)
mailing address, (5) preferred phone number, (6) preferred e-mail address, and (7) your
relationship with the reference (e.g., “Ms. Bruin was my direct supervisor during my Fall
2017 full-time externship with Earthjustice.”).
VI. SAMPLE RÉSUMÉS AND REFERENCE LIST
The pages that follow contain a 1L résumé, a 2L/3L résumé, a two-page résumé of a rising 3L, and
a sample reference list. We also provide comments in blue that highlight some of the formatting
and style choices used in these samples.
ANGELES PUBLIC
1 BRUIN WALK, LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA 90095
310-794-4061 ▪ [email protected]DU
EDUCATION
UCLA School of Law, J.D. expected, May 2020
Specialization: David J. Epstein Program in Public Interest Law and Policy
Activities: Education and Law Society, Member
Reentry Legal Clinic, Volunteer
UCLA Graduate School of Education, M.A. in Education, June 2013
Activities: Graduate Students Association in Education, President
Harvard University, B.A. in Comparative Literature, June 2011
Honors: summa cum laude
Phi Beta Kappa
2011 Senior of the Year (recognizing academic merit and community service)
Activities: Community School, Volunteer Tutor
EXPERIENCE
Crenshaw High School/LAUSD, Los Angeles, California Fall 2017 – Present
Volunteer Debate Coach
Coach award-winning high school debate team.
Converse International School of Languages, San Diego, California Summers 2011 – 2017
Summer Program Coordinator
Planned and coordinated all aspects of residential language program for international students, including daily
language classes and excursions for 70-90 students. Trained and supervised program staff. Managed program
expenses, bookkeeping, and payroll. Implemented and enforced program rules and guidelines.
Crenshaw High School/LAUSD, Los Angeles, California Academic Years 2011 – 2017
English Teacher
Taught ninth, eleventh, and twelfth grade English at a public high school in South Los Angeles. Coached the
high school’s debate team which won the California debate tournament. Collaborated in establishing the high
school’s first course in Social Justice and Law.
UCLA Graduate School of Education, Los Angeles, California September 2008 – June 2011
Administrative Assistant
Performed a variety of administrative duties and responded to student inquiries. Participated as part of a team
processing graduate school applications. Assisted department staff and faculty in responding to general
questions about the Graduate School of Education.
Los Angeles Urban Debate League, Los Angeles, California June 2007 – June 2011
Volunteer
Coached high school debate team and served as judge and team mentor at debate tournaments throughout
California. Lectured on debate strategies and rules at the league’s summer institute.
LANGUAGES
Proficient in Spanish
Example of narrative form instead of bullet points
for descriptions of work experience.
Use present tense for a current position.
Consistent formatting choices
throughout (e.g., all institution
and organization names are in
bold).
Brief explanation clarifies the purpose of the
award.
SAMPLE 1L RÉSUMÉ
DOUBLE BRUIN
1 UCLA DRIVE, LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA 90095 ▪ (310) 794-4061 ▪ DB@LAWNET.UCLA.EDU
EDUCATION
UCLA School of Law, J.D. Candidate, May 2018
Specializations: David J. Epstein Program in Public Interest Law and Policy
Critical Race Studies Program
GPA: 3.8
Honors: Masin Family Academic Excellence Gold Award (highest grade in Evidence, Spring 2016)
Activities: Womyn of Color Collective, Member (Fall 2015-present)
UCLA Veterans Community Clinic, Clinical Student (Fall 2017)
UCLA Criminal Defense Clinic, Clinical Student (Spring 2017)
Professor Scott Cummings, Research Assistant (Fall 2016)
University of California, Los Angeles, B.A. in Sociology, March 2014
Honors: summa cum laude
GPA: 3.9
Activities: Bruin Feminists for Equality, President
Los Angeles Community Action Network, Volunteer
Honors Thesis: Suffragette: The Struggle for Women’s Right to Vote in the United States
Study Abroad: Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona (Summer 2012)
EXPERIENCE
Bet Tzedek Legal Services, Los Angeles, California August 2017 – Present
Legal Extern
Conduct legal research and draft memoranda on fair housing issues, including disability discrimination,
government benefits, and liability for damages. Investigate habitability complaints of low-income residents in
Los Angeles and assist attorneys with filing complaints with relevant city and county agencies.
Prison Law Office, Berkeley, California Summer 2017
Law Clerk
Drafted advocacy letters to prison and jail officials providing notice of unlawful conditions of confinement.
Evaluated detention facilities and interviewed prisoners to ensure compliance with court-ordered mandates.
Schonbrun Seplow Harris & Hoffman, LLP, Venice, California Summer 2016
Law Clerk
Researched Section 1983 claims, assisted in depositions, and attended pretrial hearings. Conducted client
intake about unlawful arrests on Skid Row and drafted declarations for use in litigation.
Innocence Project, New York, New York Summer 2014 – Summer 2015
Paralegal
Supported two staff attorneys on appellate cases involving innocence claims of incarcerated individuals.
Maintained contact with incarcerated clients and their family members.
LANGUAGE
Fluent in Vietnamese
SAMPLE 2L/3L RÉSUMÉ
Be sure your email address is
in regular black font, rather
than blue or underlined.
To save space, list research assistant
experience and public interest clinical work
under “Activities.”
To reduce words, try using “Summer” and the
year for your summer internship dates.
Example of study abroad experience.
BLUE N. GOLD
CURRENT ADDRESS
1 Campus Drive
Los Angeles
, California 90095
310-794-4061
PERMANENT ADDRESS
300 E 161st Street
Bronx, New York 10451
718-838-0000
E
DUCATION
UCLA School of Law
, J.D. Candidate, May 2018
Honors:
California Bar Foundation Diversity Scholarship (merit-based scholarship recognizing
diverse law students with a commitment to public service)
Specializations: David J. Epstein Program in Public Interest Law and Policy
Critical Race Studies Program
Journals:
UCLA Law Review
, Articles Editor
Activities: Criminal Justice Society, Member
Law Fellows, Mentor
The Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, Syracuse University
, M.P.A., June 2013
Honors: Syracuse University Graduate Fellowship (merit-based scholarship)
Activities:
Maxwell School Public Administration Council, President
(2012–13)
University of Michigan
, B.A. in Political Science, June 2008
Honors:
magna cum laude
Activities:
Men’s Varsity Tennis Team, Captain
E
XPERIENCE
American Civil Liberties Union of Northern California
, San Francisco, California
Legal Intern
, Summer 2017
▪
Engaged in local advocacy to strengthen pre-conviction representation of indigent immigrants
charged with crimes.
▪
Participated in a campaign to ensure that veterans deported to Mexico receive medical care from
the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.
▪
Researched and wrote a letter to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement that resulted
in the release of our client from detention.
UCLA Civil Rights Litigation Clinic, Los Angeles, California
Clinical Student, Fall 2017
▪
Drafted
discovery requests, conducted legal research, and summarized depositions in multiple prison
law cases.
▪
Researched
and wrote a report on constitutional policing practices.
The Bronx Defenders
, Bronx, New York
Legal Intern,
Summer 2016
▪
Worked with criminal defense attorneys and immigration attorneys to provide clients with
effective legal advice on the immigration consequences of criminal convictions, as required by
the Sixth Amendment.
▪
Supported immigration attorneys in defending detained clients in removal proceedings, as part
of the New York Immigrant Family Unity Project, primarily by interviewing witnesses and
writing affidavits to support clients’ cases.
A two-page résumé provides space to
feature participation in live-client
clinical courses and public interest
externships.
SAMPLE TWO-PAGE RÉSUMÉ
Example of bullet points instead of narrative format for
work experience.
For a cleaner look, you may eliminate
dates for activities and journals.
Add your permanent address to reveal your geographic
connection to a location.
BLUE N. GOLD PAGE 2
Add header to second page.
The Center for Popular Democracy
, New York, New York
Senior Organizer
, August 2014–July 2015
▪
Coordinated a new statewide immigrants’ rights coalition in New Jersey.
▪
Launched a new initiative in collaboration with key progressive stakeholder organizations to
strengthen and expand community organizing in faith communities throughout New York City.
▪
Organized faith leaders to support campaigns to pass paid-sick leave legislation in New York.
Working Families Party
, New York, New York
New York State Minimum Wage Campaign Director
, July 2012–July 2014
▪
Built and led a broad statewide coalition of stakeholder organizations, including labor unions,
immigrant-based worker centers, community-based organizations, advocacy organizations, faith
institutions, and businesses.
▪
Conducted a political analysis of key elected officials who were important to advance the living
wage issue, and researched their constituencies and political relationships.
▪
Coordinated policy research and implemented effective communication strategies.
Alliance of Communities Transforming Syracuse (ACTS)
, Syracuse, New York
Lead Organizer
, May 2008–June 2012
▪
Expanded ACTS from a membership of seven inner-city churches to become an interfaith and
multiracial coalition of 43 dues-paying member institutions, including synagogues, the region’s
mosque, suburban congregations, direct service organizations, and labor unions.
▪
Recruited, trained, and supervised a diverse group of full-time organizers, paid interns, and
volunteers.
▪
Guided issue taskforces in undertaking campaigns to effect policy changes, and won several
victories, including the creation of a public-private collaboration that enrolled over 5,000
uninsured children into public health insurance.
Restaurant Workplace Project
, Ann Arbor, Michigan
Volunteer
, September 2007–May 2008
▪
Assisted in establishing the first low-wage restaurant worker center in the Ann Arbor area.
▪
Investigated the working conditions of immigrant restaurant workers in Ann Arbor and wrote a
report documenting violations of the minimum wage and of health and safety regulations.
P
UBLICATION
Comment,
Defending Immigrants in the Era of Trump
, 65 UCLA L.
R
EV
. (forthcoming 2018).
A two-page résumé allows you to feature
significant volunteer experience.
A two-page résumé need not fill the entire two pages.
Publication styled according to The Bluebook.
HILLS O. WESTWOOD
1 Westwood Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90095
•
hills@lawnet.ucla.edu
•
310-794-4061
References:
Jane Defender
Supervising Attorney
Public Defender Service (PDS) for the District of Columbia
633 Indiana Ave NW
Washington, DC 20004
(202) 628-1200
Ms. Defender supervised my work as a 2018 summer intern at PDS.
Ingrid Eagly
Professor of Law
UCLA School of Law
385 Charles E Young Drive East
Los Angeles, California 90095
(310) 206-0001
I served as Professor Eagly’s Faculty Research Assistant during the 2017-18 term.
Silvana Naguib
Public Interest Fellow and Lecturer
UCLA School of Law
385 Charles E Young Drive East
Los Angeles, California 90095
(310) 794-0000
Professor Naguib was my instructor in the First-Year Public Interest Workshop, a core course in the David J. Epstein Program
in Public Interest Law and Policy.
The header on your reference list should match the header used for
your cover letter and résumé.
SAMPLE REFERENCE LIST
It is helpful to describe your relationship with your references.
Organized
in ABC
order by
last name.
Be sure to include the full title and address of your reference.
The font size and style of your reference list should match your résumé.
15 UCLA Public Interest Résumé Guide
VII. ACTION VERBS
You may use these action verbs to describe your accomplishments in past positions.
accomplished
achieved
adapted
administered
advised
analyzed
applied
arranged
assessed
assisted
authored
balanced
briefed
budgeted
built
chaired
collaborated
communicated
compiled
composed
conducted
convened
coordinated
corresponded
counseled
created
critiqued
delegated
demonstrated
designed
developed
devised
directed
drafted
edited
educated
effected
enhanced
established
evaluated
examined
executed
expanded
explored
facilitated
focused
formed
fostered
founded
generated
governed
guided
handled
helped
identified
illustrated
implemented
improved
increased
influenced
initiated
innovated
instituted
instructed
integrated
interpreted
interviewed
investigated
judged
led
maintained
managed
marketed
mediated
mentored
modeled
monitored
negotiated
observed
obtained
operated
ordered
organized
originated
outlined
oversaw
participated
performed
persuaded
planned
presented
presided
produced
promoted
proofread
provided
publicized
recommended
reconciled
recorded
recruited
redesigned
reported
represented
researched
resolved
responded
reviewed
revised
rewrote
scheduled
selected
served
shaped
solicited
solved
spoke
stimulated
studied
supervised
supported
synthesized
systematized
taught
tested
trained
translated
tutored
updated
utilized
validated
verified
worked
wrote
16 UCLA Public Interest Résumé Guide
CONCLUSION
We hope that the UCLA Public Interest Résumé Guide is helpful in drafting your public interest
résumé. Once you have an initial draft of your résumé prepared, we encourage you to come to the
Office of Public Interest Programs to meet with a public interest career advisor. The advisor can
review your draft and answer any questions you may have. As you advance in your law school
career, you should continue to use this Guide to revise and update your résumé.
