sample law school personal statements

The practice of law involves doing different tasks that some people can see as either routine or very taxing. For those with a legal degree, the good news is that there are others avenues if you are at your wits’ end for having practiced litigation for the past two decades. There is a group of other jobs you can look into, and here are some of the principal ones:

In the courts

You may not need to do litigation, but the courtroom can still be your workplace. Lawyers in clerkship jobs do research and recommendations.

Public service

Indeed, politics could be another step for attorneys who are tired of the traditional legal work. Choosing to work in the public sector can be rewarding, especially if money is not an important matter to you. Graduates of law school who wish to work in the public sector find fulfillment and satisfaction helping several people on their legal problems every day.

In-house legal counsel

Big entities and corporations hold their own legal divisions to attend to everyday tasks pertaining to legal matters. The responsibilities of an In-House Counsel do not have to entail high-profile issues. Administrative duties can also be assigned to the members of a company’s legal department. A Counsel In-House often works hand-in-hand with Finance or the Human Resources of his or her company.

The act of legislating

Lawyers can choose to work with a senator or other members of legislative bodies. The legislative lawyer would do research or draft bills which have enactment potential. Needless to say, those in this kind of work would be exposed to a lot of politics, and he or she could later on become a famous personality if he or she gets involved in a very big political issue.

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The legal brief is a capsule of a legal document or case, and this is the kind of document presented in the court proceedings. The legal brief should be factual but concise - it should go right down to the gist of the matter. Writing classes during the first year of law school and the moot court contests instruct students on the basics of drafting a legal brief. Knowing how to write a proper legal brief is vital as there have been actual cases that have been botched up due to improper writing of the briefs. The following are some hints to guide the new entrants of the law profession on writing a legal brief.

Presentation of queries

Queries inclined to go in your favor is not the best approach. Get the art of writing sentences which are neutral in presentation but contain the seeds of defense in favor of the side you are in.

The art of the KISS

No, this has nothing to do with that scary-looking band; it means “Keep It Short and Simple.” The courts ordinarily have sets applied to brief-writing, and the Supreme Court has one too. It was put in enforcement since the first day of 1990. If you are having a federal appeal, get the FRAP. No, it’s not the one you get at Starbucks, but the Federal Rules of Appelate Procedure documents. They give all the technicals of brief writing - from margins to the length of the briefs. Follow them to the letter, because there should be no deviation.

Get rid of the prose

The law parlance is filled with jargon, and facts are stated in a 5-line paragraph. But the most important thing you should remember is that the data have to be given in a clear fashion.

Statements of fact

Each lawyer knows that every fact in the brief has to be found in the known records. Consistency of the established data would give credibility to the entire brief. If one fails to adhere to this, the case can be lost. There are other facts, however, that could still be included if they have relevance. Be mindful that you give them in a descriptive fashion. Avoid the defensive tone as far as these data are concerned.

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It is not only the parlance in general which confuses those not in the world of the law professions. Law entities are filled with phrases and words about their hierarchies and their tasks. The following are a few of them:

Pro bono

The actual translation for this phrase is “for the good of the public.” Pro bono refers to those hours mandated by the American Bar Association for every barrister. The American Bar Association actually requires fifty hours, but state bars suggest less than that. If a law firm gives a lot of pro bono hours, then it is more probable that this entity could be rated higher and preferred by the top students just coming into the legal profession.

Billable hours

The term “billable hours” refers to the hours of services done which get paid. Simply put, the more hours a laywer spends on the case, the bigger his or her bill becomes. Law firms are partial to new lawyers in their firm who acquire a significant amount of billable hours.

The hierarchy in a law firm

Paralegal: Paralegals have not yet passed the bar exam, but they do have the knowledge to be hired within the industry. They do legal research, legal documents, and could even give advice to clients for as long as an actual lawyer is supervising them.

Summer Associate: Interns from the law schools, usually hired for just a period of 3 months, are referred to as summer associates. Later on, if a summer associate impresses the law entity, he or she can be pulled in to work for the firm in the capacity of an associate.

Associates: These are the newly hired members of the firm. The associate is the entry-level post in a law firm.

Partners: Partners refer to the post all newbies dream of getting in the soonest time possible. If one is an equity partner, he or she owns a fraction of the company. Not just that, the lucrative thing is that the partner shares in the overall revenues made by the company.

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Factors such as LSAT scores, GPAs, personal statements, and letters of recommendations are used as basis of many law schools when admitting students into their institutions. Excellent college grades and high exam scores can open plenty of opportunities when going to law school but these are not the only factors that law school admissions panel look into. Extra-curricular activities could also play a role in you getting admitted into your dream law school. As a matter of fact, involvement in extra-curricular activities can be a springboard for your personal statement. You’ll notice that many sample law school personal statements discuss involvement in different groups, explaining how such experiences have shaped the applicant.

Writing and debate organizations

Being a member of the school paper can be a great plus when applying to law schools. This is because joining such groups will hone your written communication skills, which are very important in legal discourse. Being a staff of your school or community paper means your trained to recognize bad sample law school personal statements from the good ones, as this is very important when reading sample law school personal statements as you write your own. Outstanding writing skills are traits of an excellent lawyer, and law schools would always appreciate an applicant who shows a lot of potential. Joining debate groups can help you hone your speech-making skills, which are also important if you wish to excel in law school. Even as a student, one has to be able to express his or her thoughts coherently. This is why those who join broadcast media organizations can gain an edge over other applicants.

Non-government organizations

Participation in a community or non-government organization is a big plus. When one is championing for a cause as part of his or her extra-curricular activities, this could pave the way to a specialization in law; joining an environmental group can expose you to environmental issues. However, you have to join these groups not because you want to enhance your resume. You have to sincerely believe in the group’s advocacies.

Positions held in organizations

Having a high organizational position typed on one’s resume would already speak volumes. It shows that one has the ability to take the lead and the skills to handle different people. Remember, organizational and leadership skills are always appreciated by law school admissions officers.

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Law reviews are journals or papers that are edited and run by students of a law school. Staffed by law school students, the articles are written by judges, professors, and practitioners. A law review is a place for academic publishing focusing on articles about different judicial issues.

Kinds of law reviews

These publications can include satellite journals. Such law journals give a more concentrated view on specific issues or fields of law. Then there are law reviews that include articles covering various judicial issues.

Applying for a law review

Many law students aim for the different posts in law reviews and journals. Some of the most notable law reviews hold writing contests to pick future members, with the contest open to freshmen. If a first-year student is chosen, he or she writes comments and case notes that are published during that school year. Senior members usually hold the editorial posts.

Benefits of joining a law review

Law journals serve as a venue for legal discussions. Even if an article written by a student would not really affect a legal decision, the student will be recognized for his or her integrity as such an article has to be well-researched for it to be published in a law journal.

If an employer sees a law review on an applicant’s resume, the chances of the employer taking a second look on the applicant’s credentials is greater. This is because many employers see members of law journals as exceptional and responsible individuals. Plus, the skills that you’ll develop as you join your school’s law review will make you an asset in the eyes of many potential employers. Because case notes and articles in law reviews are highly regarded for their integrity, being a member of your school’s law review is definitely a worthy credential.

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Without a doubt, US Supreme Court justices served as role models to multitudes of law students. The following discusses the academic profiles and contributions of three notable US Supreme Court justices who have left their own legacies in the world of jurisprudence.

Antonin Scalia

Antonin Scalia, known for his argumentative approach, attended Harvard for his law degree. At the same time that he was in public service, he was an educator too. He taught in several schools such as the University of Chicago and Stanford. At present, he is the second most senior Associate Justice in the highest court of the land. His advocacy is that the Constitution must be the basis for many rulings; it should not be treated as a tool for the benefit of certain people. This may be a conservative mindset, but it poses a challenge for law students on the way the actually see the Constitution. He penned a new book entitled “Making Your Case: The Art of Persuading Judges.” It was considered as an exceptional work by the Federalist Society members.

Benjamin Cardozo

After the death of Chief Justice Holmes, Cardozo was nominated to the highest court in 1932 by President Hoover. Benjamin Cardozo attended Columbia Law School, and his treatises are constant texts for studies. Among them are “The Growth of the Law” and “The Nature of the Judicial Process.”

Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr.

Holmes, Jr. penned the Common Law and attended Harvard for his undergraduate degree. He then joined the Civil War. When he returned from the war, he pursued a degree in law and he taught at Harvard just for one year. After teaching law, he was put up by President Roosevelt for nomination as the Chief Justice of the US Supreme Court. He won the post in 1902. Holmes was renowned for his bold reasoning skills and he solidified and defended the scope and limits of the Freedom of Speech.

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The love for a profession propels many individuals to get a graduate course. You may have read various sample law school personal statements discussing how passion is very important for an individual to excel in a chosen field. If you do have the passion for a certain field, pursuing a graduate degree becomes easier, despite the sacrifices you have to make for those long study hours and grueling exams. So if you think your passion for studying can help you keep up with a more demanding coursework, why not pursue a joint JD/ MBA degree?

The MBA/JD joint degree

They may seem unrelated, but these two disciplines could now be taken under one course. When looking for sample law school personal statements to help you out with your own essay as you apply for schools that offer this program, take note of the structure and style used. But, don’t copy off ideas from sample law school personal statements; use these sample law school personal statements only as guide when writing your own essay. You can then submit your well-written essayj to top schools like Stanford and Harvard that offer joint JD/MBA programs.

Management and the Law

The Juris Doctor degree is the first door to practicing jurisprudence. When one has passed the bar exams, he or she could then go to either public or private practice.

Getting an MBA is a common path for those who want to climb the corporate ladder. An MBA program can provide you with the right experience and training on matters such as accounting, finance, consultancy, and administration.

Advantages of having a joint JD/MBA degree

The MBA-JD program is advantageous to people in the corporate setting, or if one is a legal counsel of a major company. Through this program, you’ll gain knowledge on legal matters and develop a client-oriented mindset in the process. This kind of training and expertise can bring about many opportunities and more lucrative offers. This is because many companies prefer well-trained multi-taskers.

One downside, however, is that many law firms view the JD/MBA program as a course that’s more focused on the business aspect than on legal aspects. Still, if a lawyer wants a career change and go into the corporate world, then this joint degree is beneficial.

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The career services departments of law schools work with law firms searching for “new blood” to be able to match the intership or job position with the right applicant. Many law firms woo potential interns and employees through various benefits and perks but the potential applicants should first meet the law firms’ standards.

Skills in communication

Without a doubt, lawyers have to have above-average skills in communcation. As an applicant, you should be able to display excellent written and oral communication skills. After all, your tasks as an intern or employee usually involve drafting legal briefs, arguments, and other documents that may be used in actual proceedings.

Exceptional grades

Having excellent grades is definitely a plus when applying in top law firms. There are law firms that mainly target students or applicants who belong to the top percentile of their classes. If you don’t have excellent grades, however, don’t despair. Grades may be the easiest factors to measure but it is not the only basis of law firms when looking for potential interns or employees.

Loyalty

Law firms also consider an applicant’s loyalty and staying power in determining if he or she really deserves a slot in the company. There are law firms that offer their prospective employees with perks like expensive dinners, allowances, trips, etc. This is for them to see who among the group of newbies or interns would stay on after the internship phase. A good intern would accept these perks and still do their responsibilities with full efficiency.

To summarize the things law firms look for in applicants, it’s best that you exhibit excellent communication skills, above-average critical and analytical thinking, and the right attitude. Although grades are not the sole criterion of many law firms, your academic performance says a lot about your ability to cope with pressure and still produce excellent results.

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A qualifying test that allows those with law degrees to practice law in a jurisdiction, the bar exam is composed of different parts that include essay questions and multiple-choice items. Take note though that bar exams in each state is different. This is because every state has its own regulatory board. It’s best to take the bar exam in the place or state where you mostly likely plan to practice law. An ideal way of knowing more about the kinds of bar exams a state requires is to surf the net and check out the official site of a specific state bar association. Another way is to seek data from your school’s career office.

Enrolling in review schools

An option for you to be well-prepared for the bar exam is to enroll in a review school. In a review school, you will be guided accordingly as you review the different subjects of law. When enrolled in a review school, it’s good to treat the bar review like a full-time job. This means you have to commit yourself into your bar review classes. A bar review school could give some exercises anchored on topics from past bar examinations.

Travel and accommodations

If you are taking the bar exam in another state, make sure to book the flight early and have reservations for lodging. Looking for a place to stay when you arrive at the exam venue can cause unnecessary stress. It’s best to have the logistics arranged even before you leave home. Also, keep in mind possible problems that may occur in relation to the number of students taking the exam such as traffic on the actual exam day.

Other tests

Aside from the bar exam, there are states that require law degree holders to go through character evaluation before they are allowed to practice law. The MPRE or the Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination is a group of standardized exams that have to be taken across all states, save for the following jurisdictions — Washington, Puerto Rico, Wisconsin, and Maryland.

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Getting a law degree is never cheap. That’s why law schools may offer scholarships to students or establish their own financial assistance programs. For law students who need additional funding in pursuing law education, here are some good options:

Financial assistance based on need

Law schools could offer support to students who urgently needs financial help to keep on studying. There are some need-based assistance with set amounts to give away. Other financial aid providers, however, may use special calculations. The amount of financial assistance may be based on the student’s income, among other requirements.

Financial assistance based on merit

To seek financial assistance based on merit, the student has to maintain a certain grade or GPA as part of the requirement. Law students can seek financial aid by applying for scholarship or study grants.
They may look for these programs through private organizations, foundations, business companies, and certain individuals who may willingly offer sponsorship. Aside from these, law schools may also have their own programs. Take for instance the scholarship program of Duke University.

Loans

Student loans can also be a good option in financing law school education. These are usually provided by federal agencies, private organizations, banks, and other financial institutions. There are numerous plans and packages to choose from when applying for student loans.

Other payment option

There are other ways to pay a loan such as committing to public service after graduating with a law degree. The same principle is used by Harvard Law School. The school will offer free tuition to third year students if they spend five years of their legal career  to public service after graduation. Other law schools also have their own payment terms, so might as well read the terms and conditions before applying for any kind of loan.

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