First, unless you have been out of school for ten (or more) years, it is always best to begin your resume with your education. In addition, you should always tout any honors or accolades that you received either at law school or your undergraduate institution. If you graduated summa cum laude or in the top 10%, then by all means include that information on your resume in a way that the reader will notice. The one exception to this rule is if you went to a second or third tier law school, but you are currently working with a top firm. In this situation, you may want to begin your resume with your "Experience" section, as the name of your firm is likely to pique the interest of the reader.
Second, it is very important to figure out the potential employer's needs and tailor your resume accordingly. For example, if you know that the potential new employer has a very active capital markets practice, then you should stress your experience in that area. The foregoing may sound obvious, but I often work with candidates who have broad experience and they fail to tailor their resume for different opportunities. If you have an experience that is a very good match, then you may want to consider emphasizing that experience in your resume, even if it means omitting some of your other very good but perhaps irrelevant experience.
