All About Strategy: Becoming LawyHer Podcast Episode 4

The reality is, your resume and your letters of recommendation walk into a room before you do. When packaging together your application for law school, being strategic and intentional goes a long way. 

In our fourth episode of the Becoming LawyHer podcast, Hadiyah sits down with Associate Dean of Admissions and Student Affairs at Howard University School of Law, Tracy L. Simmons, to discuss the value of being strategic with different parts of your application like your resume and letters of recommendation. Unlike earlier episodes, which focused on stats and personal statements—the topics applicants often stress about most—this conversation is a reminder that your law school application is a complete package, and every detail matters. 

“The idea of being the main character in your story works, but it also means that the documents you are submitting need to actually be congruent with whatever that story is intended to be.” (4:00) With Dean Simmon’s advice in mind, it’s a good reminder for our audience to know that there are parts you can control in your application; so let’s pull out that resume and get to work–seriously! 

Did you know that there is a difference between a law school resume and a professional resume? Did you also know that some schools might want to know about your hobbies, interests and skills? Remember, not every school offers the opportunity to interview, so how you package your application really makes a difference on whether an admissions officer can resonate with you on a human level. 

Additionally, for your letters of recommendation, you want to find people who will back up what you’re saying about yourself; so while asking your local congress person whom you’ve never worked with might seem impressive, it may actually weaken your application. Essentially, what Dean Simmons gets at is that there should be compatibility across all parts of your application. So take your time, make a spreadsheet or list with all of your schools and their requirements, really think about what each school is asking for, and how you can leverage and adjust your materials to fit each school’s requirements. You might ask four professors or supervisors for letters of recommendation, then choose two to send to one school and a different two to send to another. In one version of your résumé, you might highlight that you play the clarinet; in another, you might focus on your campus leadership and involvement.

Episode 4 pulls back the curtain on a process that often feels gate kept and out of reach for many aspiring lawyers. That’s why it’s essential to highlight what Dean Simmons and Hadiyah share about the value of an HBCU legal education—from the strength of its alumni network, to the wide range of professional opportunities, to the powerful legacy these institutions continue to uphold. It’s no secret that the legal profession was designed to exclude, police, and punish certain bodies. However, the existence of HBCU law schools like Howard University School of Law actively resists and challenges the lack of diversity in the legal profession. So if you’ve never considered a HBCU law school, we highly recommend looking into all six HBCU law school programs and see if any of them align with what you’re looking for in a law school.

Listen to  Becoming LawyHer on YouTube,  Apple Podcasts and Spotify--or listen wherever you stream your favorite podcasts!