CV That Got Me Into Harvard LL.M. Program

Introduction: What I Had on My CV When I Applied to Harvard

When I decided to apply, I had a three-page CV that I submitted as part of my application. I've written about a lot of the experiences I had here and here. At the time, I don’t think Harvard Law School had specific formatting or content requirements for LL.M. CVs.

Looking back, I realize my CV was missing some elements that might have added value, especially from an American perspective. For instance, I didn’t include any extracurricular activities or hobbies because I wasn’t aware of how much importance Americans place on those. Despite having three years of experience singing in a choir and practicing multiple dance styles, I left them out entirely. Now, I understand that American-style CVs often emphasize these aspects to present a more well-rounded picture of the applicant. Still, that did not prevent my application from being successful.

In this blog post, I’d like to share the CV that earned me admission toHarvard LL.M. There are many things I’d change (and my current CV, of course, looks very differently). But I believe there is value in letting others see the imperfections. It lightens the pressure of unrealistic expectations that so many people experience. Full text is available here.

1. My Harvard CV: The Education Section

In the education section, I clearly separated degree programs from non-degree programs.

At the time, I thought this was one of the most basic principles, but I only truly appreciated its importance when I became a member of the admissions committee. One of the most frustrating tasks was sorting through the education sections of applicants’ CVs and trying to determine which entries corresponded to degree programs and which did not.

A lot of people either don’t understand the difference or try to artificially inflate their educational credentials. While you might fool some people, others will see through the bluff, and if you encounter the latter, you risk permanently damaging your credibility. So please be very clear on which is which.

I’ve written about this on my blog – see this post on how to write a magnificent CV for your LLM application.

As a member of the admissions committee, my primary focus is on education that results in the award of a degree. This is what determines your eligibility for the program you are applying for, and it’s the first thing I’ll look for when reviewing your CV.

At the time of my application to Harvard, I had my first law degree (with honors) and was pursuing a PhD. These were the two entries I included in the education section.

I didn’t indicate my GPA, as it’s not a requirement for Harvard. Unless the university explicitly sets a GPA threshold—like Oxford—you don’t need to include it, especially since applications are evaluated holistically, and the GPA might not play as big a role as you think. Even if it does, it will be evident from your transcripts, so there’s no need to duplicate this information on your CV.

At the time, I wasn’t sure how to list my other educational experiences, such as summer schools and exchange programs, so I created a subsection titled “Extracurricular Engagements.” There, I listed:

• my visiting stay and exchange studies at the Humboldt University of Berlin
• studies at the French College of the Moscow State University
• studies at the French College of the Moscow State University
• participation in the non-degree program at the University of Regensburg

If I were doing it now, I’d structure it differently – see [this post].

2. My Harvard CV: Professional Experience

In the professional experience section, I included the following entries:

• ‍Teaching at Moscow State University: I taught a course on the law of obligations to third-year students.
• ‍Work at Noerr: I noted that I worked on developing a code of conduct for a local arbitration association, founded the firm’s pro bono practice, and contributed to expert opinions on Russian law.
• ‍Research Fellow at the Higher School of Economics: I worked on the financial law reform project commissioned by the Russian Central Bank.
• ‍Internship at the Association for International Arbitration in Brussels: I authored articles, including a policy brief on the Trans-Atlantic Trade and Investment Partnership, and helped organize a conference on the arbitrability of antitrust disputes.
• ‍Internship at Morgan Lewis: I collaborated with an arbitrator on the arbitrability of corporate disputes under Russian law—back then a particularly complex topic with a lot of caselaw.
• ‍Internship at the State Office for Registration: This was my first experience in litigation, representing the state authority in court and drafting statements of defense.

The descriptions of these experiences were fairly standard: I outlined my duties and highlighted some outcomes. However, if I were to revise this section now, I would adopt Stanford’s approach to CVs—placing a stronger emphasis on outcomes and providing more specific details.

The thing is, if you are a lawyer, a lot of what you do is probably very similar to what other lawyers do: drafting documents, representing clients in court and before state authorities, communicating with clients, and negotiating. Describing these tasks in generic terms won’t set you apart or add value for an admissions committee member. Your CV will have a greater impact if you highlight the specific aspects of the projects you’ve worked on (while respecting confidentiality requirements).

3. My Harvard CV: Achievements

Next, I included a section titled ‘Achievements.’

In my current CV, this section is labeled ‘Prizes, Awards, Funding’ since it is now tailored for academic positions, where securing research funding is highly valued. Because funding often overlaps with prizes and awards, I grouped all of this information into a single section.

For my Harvard LLM application, this section included, among other things, scholarships I received from the Hague Academy and the Paris Arbitration Academy. I recall that during my LLM, I asked the Harvard career office to review my CV, and they remarked that they didn’t fully understand this part, suggesting that I should clarify what these academies were. While I strongly advocate for clarity in writing, I believe that these academies are so well-known within the field that, if you are applying for something related to your area of study, stating their full names should suffice. That said, I would revise the wording for clarity. Currently, they are phrased as follows:

• Award of scholarship for studies in private international law at The Hague Academy of International Law 2016, The Hague, the Netherlands
• Award of scholarship for studies in international arbitration at Paris Arbitration Academy 2015, Paris, France

Additionally, I listed my experience as a coach for the Concours Charles Rousseau, my participation in the Jessup Competition and the Concours Charles Rousseau, winning a national writing competition with one of my course papers, and acknowledgments and prizes at national student conferences.

I also mentioned my success in national Olympiads during my time as a university student and in high school. There’s a common piece of advice not to include high school achievements in an LLM application. I personally advocate for this as well—see this post for more on this topic, as well as my comprehensive Harvard State of Mind course.

However, there are exceptions, one of which is when an event holds significant importance and influence in your life. Olympiads were, and continue to be, a huge part of my identity, so I felt compelled to include them. They essentially set the course for my career and marked the beginning of my journey as a lawyer. They were also the single most important means of upward social mobility available to me. Finally, they were relevant to my essays, and I wrote about them in my Harvard personal statement. Still, to make them compatible with an LLM application, I framed them differently—not as part of my high school experience, but as standalone achievements.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who Is the Ideal Candidate?

I get a lot of questions from people asking me to gauge their chances against an ideal profile. The thing is, there is no such thing as an ‘ideal candidate,’ and trying to predict your chances of admission solely based on your resume would be wrong. The only ‘hard’ criterion that might impact your eligibility is your GPA, but even that comes with caveats. Many universities don’t have strict GPA cut-offs and instead evaluate applications holistically, considering a range of qualitative and quantitative factors.

That said, there is such a thing as a strong candidate. The strength of your candidacy will be determined by multiple factors, including, but not limited to, your transcripts, extracurricular achievements, recommendation letters, and essays.

Your writing—personal statements and, if applicable, essays on legal issues—will play a crucial role. I’ve seen essays tip the scale, especially when other credentials are comparable. Moreover, as a member of the admissions committee, I’ve had to reject numerous applicants with seemingly strong CVs because their writing revealed a lack of critical thinking skills. 

What If I Don’t Have Enough?

In my experience, in 9 out of 10 cases, the issue isn’t that you don’t have enough. It’s that you aren’t presenting it effectively.

A common question I get is: I don’t have enough work experience. Should I wait? My personal view is that you should only wait if the program  explicitly requires work experience and you don’t meet that requirement yet.For example, if Columbia Law School states that they prefer applicants with at least two years of work experience, and you’ve just graduated, it would be wise to gain that experience first. Otherwise, a lack of work experience shouldn’t affect your chances. At Harvard, I had classmates who had just finished their bachelor’s degrees.

When reviewing multiple applications, I often encounter several candidates with similarly impressive achievements. What ultimately tips the scale isn’t an extra publication, a moot court, or another case—it’s the writing. If you take the time to develop strong writing skills and craft a compelling personal statement (and, if applicable, a writing sample), you’ll become a much stronger applicant than someone who simply adds another line to their CV.

Final Thoughts

There are many ways to craft an effective CV for an LLM application. In this post, I’ve shared what I did for my Harvard LLM application.

If you’re looking for more guidance, I’ve created a comprehensive course on LLM applications, which includes a whole module on CVs - incorporating the insights I learnt during my time at Harvard from the university's career office.

If you'd like a personalized review of your CV, please reach out for a quote.

Hope it helps and good luck! ☺️

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