How to List Activities on Your Resume

The activities section of your resume is small but useful. Done right, it shows leadership, interests, and personality. Done wrong, it's wasted space. Here's how to handle it.

What to Include

Leadership positions. President or board member of a student org, editor on a journal, moot court team captain. These demonstrate initiative.

Journal membership. Even if you're not an editor, journal membership signals strong writing and research skills. List your position and the journal name.

Clinics and competitions. Moot court, mock trial, negotiation competitions, legal clinics. These show practical skills.

Pro bono work. Consistent pro bono involvement during law school is a positive signal, especially at firms with strong pro bono programs.

Community involvement. Bar association committees, mentoring programs, volunteer work, if it's ongoing and meaningful.

What to Cut

• Organizations you joined but didn't actively participate in
• Undergrad activities (unless highly distinctive or directly relevant)
• Long descriptions of what the organization does, focus on what you did
• More than 5-6 activities total. Curate; don't list everything.

How to Format

List the activity, your role, and dates. Add a one-line description only if your role isn't self-explanatory.

Keep this section tight. It should take up no more than a quarter of the page. If you need more space for experience or education, the activities section is where you trim.

The Interests Line

Many resumes end with a brief interests line: "Interests: Distance running, Civil War history, Argentine tango." This is optional but useful. Partners use it to start conversations. Make it genuine and mildly interesting. Skip "reading" and "travel", everyone reads and travels.

For more on building a strong resume, see our full resume guide. Research firms on the firm directory to understand which activities align with the firms you're targeting.