sample law school personal statements

Writing your personal statement is an important part of the admission and selection process, especially in law schools. It provides a glimpse of who you are and adds vital information to your grades and scholastic background. However, simply stringing words together to write a description about yourself will not be sufficient for an admission essay.

Staring into a blank paper to write about one?s self may be one of the most difficult parts in writing a personal statement. Knowing how to get started may help give you a shove into making an exceptional piece.

Your introduction as a tool to hook your readers

The introduction is an important part of your essay. It often determines if the reader will continue reading it or not since it is your first chance to spark interest in the reader. The introduction primarily attracts the reader to your essay as it provides them with a glimpse of what to expect in the succeeding paragraphs. It explains the purpose of the essay as well as provides a guide for the reader. Simply put, having an excellent introduction will prove beneficial to your chances of getting admitted in the school.

No-no’s when writing your introduction

Writing down that first few words is often the biggest hurdle in making a personal statement. Knowing what to avoid will guide you in writing an engaging introduction. Unorganized introduction often means a poorly written essay. So make sure you strategize before writing. Using quotations or statements that are considered clich?s is also not an effective strategy.

Likewise, gimmicky introductions often make your personal statement seem and may even be seen as tacky. Introductions often follow a simple structure: getting attention, providing a background, and sharing the central idea of the paper. Do not discuss everything in the introduction. It is there to give others just a glimpse and is usually used as a teaser that would invite others to go through the rest of your statement.

The introduction is a powerful tool if used properly however, if done poorly, the readers may not even try to finish your introduction.

Other tips in getting your introduction right

To get the attention of the readers, you can employ many strategies. A rhetorical statement may be used to stress a point or even challenge certain ideas. You may also put a relevant anecdote, share a commonly held belief, give startling facts and figures, present an observation or pose a question. Providing background information on the other hand serves as a channel to the central idea of your essay. It establishes facts that are relevant to the discussion. Likewise, the central idea or the thesis of the essay must be clearly defined in the introduction. This will serve as a guidepost for the reader for him or her to understand what you have written easily.

Getting readers engaged in your essay is important, but having them get started is entirely different. They way you want to spark interest are varied. Employing the right methods and strategies will help you reach out to your reader.

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Original personal statements – Tips on how to write your law school personal statement

Above the Law is a blog that focuses on legal information. From topics on law news and the legal industry to those on law school and legal careers, the goal of this blog is to help law students and legal professionals get a better view and a better understanding of the legal industry. As such, the website covers topics like “Some Thoughts on the Changing Legal Industry” and “Don?t Major in Criminal Justice If You Want to Go to Law School.”

What puts Above the Law above other blogs

Above the Law is a simple, yet well-designed website that gives it a relatively unique look and feel in comparison to other blogs with the same scope. The simple black-and-white design is brought to life by the pictures in the blog entries. Also, the website makes use of thumbnail pictures to help distinguish the links to other blog entries. This is a helpful feature that makes the website easier to navigate, more pleasing on the eyes, and more appealing in general. The blog has a good concept as a “legal tabloid,” which gives the site some personality and flair — something that many other blogs lack.

Content-wise, a lot of post do offer fresh insights and interesting topics to rouse the curiosity of readers. The layout of the website is also well done, with header tabs that are easy to read and access, and margin links that don’t look one-bit cluttered. The organized look and feel of the site lends to its usability, navigability, and the overall look of simplicity and neatness.

What brings down Above the Law

Above the Law is a great site, and there isn’t much that needs improvement on the blog. If anything, I would just enhance the use of graphics in the heading of the blog. Perhaps the use of pictures or a tabloid-like font would help to bring some of that “legal tabloid” attitude to the blog design.

It is undoubtedly important to give an exemplary account of who you are with your law school application essay. With a limited number of words, you must capture your true essence in a manner that will highlight your strengths. One skill that is essential in the field of law is lateral thinking. It helps you get a good angle that you can capitalize when writing your admission essay.

What are lateral thinking skills?

The term lateral thinking started with Edward De Bono. He is a physician, author, consultant, and a passionate advocate for the teaching of lateral thinking skills in schools. Simply put, lateral thinking is finding a solution through creative and oftentimes indirect means. Unlike critical thinking skills, which focus on the truth value of a statement, lateral thinking skills focus on the creation of a new idea based on the given facts. It requires thinking out of the box, which is seeing things from a different perspective. This is an important tool especially in the field of law. Being able to find solutions that others weren’t able to conceive is an asset. Tools and methods can help sharpen and improve your lateral thinking skills.

Tips in highlighting your lateral thinking skills in your essay

Do not be tempted to write all of your experiences in your essay. Select only those that are relevant to your chosen field. Furthermore, choose examples having varied backgrounds and circumstances. Avoiding similar examples will highlight how you truly use your lateral thinking skills in various situations. Make it a simple and memorable essay.

What to keep in mind when discussing about your skills in your essay

When writing your essay, it is a good idea to highlight your lateral thinking skills. However, thinking too highly of your self and reflecting it in your essay is not a sensible course of action. Likewise, beating around the bush is not a strategy that works. Rather, cite instances when you made decisions and actions based on your lateral thinking skills. Furthermore, share what lateral thinking skill tools you employ and how you provide creative solutions to problems. Most importantly, discuss the outcome of your actions based on your lateral thinking skills. Highlight the impact of your actions as opposed to using traditional problem-solving means. Spare the theatrics and simply give a clear and concise account so it can be easily understood.

The importance of lateral thinking in the field of law is undeniable. Scrutinizing information and drawing conclusions must be done effortlessly. Furthermore, having lateral thinking skills will prove invaluable time and time again.

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Lateral thinking – All about liberal lateral thinking
Thinking freely – About thinking out of the box
Effective personal statement – Tips on how to write personal statements
Legal brief writing – Tips on writing a legal brief
Disastrous personal statement – How not to write disastrous personal statements

If you are planning on applying for law school, as early as possible you should be able to present yourself to the respective admission committee of your chosen school as someone who has the makings of a good lawyer. What the admission committee seeks from applicants vary from school to school. They might require high scores in admission tests, transcripts, or letters of recommendation, and the like. One sure requirement is writing your law school personal statement.

Importance of having strong arguments in your application essay

Your application essay should convince the admission committee that among all other applicants, you deserve a slot in their university. Your argument should be strong; it should be justified, pointed clearly, and directly stated.

How to support your arguments

When it comes to persuasion and making an argument, you should be clear on what you are claiming. You should show in your essay that you know your topic well, and that your claim is based on facts and that you have supporting evidence. There are different kinds of evidence that you can use. Expert testimonies are examples of strong evidences. These can either be facts, informed opinions, and speculations. To be able to gather these evidence, you should research and consult with experts.

Statistics is another form of evidence, and so are examples. Examples can strengthen statistics. By also giving specific examples, you become more persuasive. You can also incorporate personal or anecdotal experience and analogies to not only make your points clearer, but to support them as well. However, you should use these types of evidence sparingly. The secret is to use logic to connect all the evidence and weave them into a seamless argument in your essay.

Other tips for a persuasive essay

Structure and organization are integral components of an effective persuasive essay. No matter how good your evidence are, if you are not able to write an interesting introduction, a coherent and substantial body, and a strong conclusion, all your efforts in making your argument are futile. Focus on improving your structure and organization as well.

Related links:

Personal Statement Tone – Improving the tone of your essay
Law School Essays – Using sample law school essays as guides
Law School Motivation – Discussing motivations in your essay
Personal Statement Mistakes – Spotting mistakes in your essay
Convincing Personal Statements – How to write convincing personal statements

Law Admission Essays – All about law school admission essays
Best Admission Essay – All about writing the best admission essay
Law School Essay – All about law school admission essays
Admission Essays – All about writing your admission essay
College Persuasive Essays – Difference of college persuasive essays from other essays

Trying to act or speak like a lawyer when barely setting foot on law school is a definite no-no.  If you think you can score points by making it seem like legalese terms are your second language, then better prepare fpr the thumbs-down.  This kind of writing no longer works.  You will only come off pretentious and arrogant.  Nowadays, the admissions panel focus more on how you clearly convey your message and not how you sugar-coat it.

The main ingredients for disastrous law school personal statements are the following:

Thinking too highly of yourself

Despite your impressive scholastic records, remember that you’re not yet a lawyer or close to being a legal expert.  You still have to enter law school to be that and pass the board exam. so don’t go on bragging about your accomplishments as if you’re the best student the law school can ever have.  Don’t make it sound like you know it all; entering law school is just the beginning.

Speaking like a court room lawyer

Some may give you “A” for the effort, but this rarely works nowadays.  When trying too hard to use legalese terms, you might also run into trouble of using them the wrong way.  This may also cause confusion or misinterpretation.  With thousands of application essays to look into, what the admissions panel is probably searching for are personal statements that are clearly written, easy to understand, and free-flowing.  If they want a thorough discussion of law, they might as well get a copy of the constitution or attend legal hearings themselves.

Beating around the bush

Don’t stress your points into lengthy paragraphs if you can get the right message across in two to three sentences.  Every word and sentence should count.  Make sure that they’re all connected and do support your main ideas or thesis statement.  Your law school personal statement is no place for random thoughts and filler sentences.  Don’t just edit twice; read and revise until you get it right.

There are more than a few ways to write your essay.  One is to use a metaphor or analogy.  You can also start with a quote and share your thoughts or pose rhetorical questions.  This will best exemplify your objectivity, logical reasoning, and effective communication skills.  Offer solutions to problems or share an interesting anecdote.  Sample law school personal statements will offer different writing techniques and insights on what makes a personal statement even more compelling.

How to Effectively Use Sample Law School Personal Statements As Guides in Writing Your Own

In writing your personal statements for law school, you can do better if you read various sample law school personal statements first.  The first thing that you should do is to choose the admissions essay samples that are well-written.   Read them and take note of the factors that make them interesting.  Among the things that you have to observe are the structure and organization of the sample essays.  You should analyze how the writers structured the introduction, the supporting paragraphs, and the conclusions.  Analyze how the sentences are woven for the smooth flow of ideas.  You also have to pay attention to the themes or topics in the sample essays.  Do you think that the topics that the writers used are really appealing?  If so, you can also use these themes and topics in writing your own, or you may only use these to give you ideas for your own essay.  But be careful in choosing the theme or topic.  Before you think about this, you should read the instruction first, because there are law schools that ask applicants specific questions or give them a specific topic.

What to avoid when using sample law school personal statements as models

Reading the works of others and getting ideas from them can be very advantageous when you start writing your own essay.  However, doing this also has its dangers.  For one, you will have the tendency to copy the works of others instead of just getting ideas from them.  If this happens, instead of getting more chances for law school admissions, you will most likely blow your chance.  This is why you have to practice caution when you use the sample essays. Reading various essays is also helpful to make you avoid committing plagiarism.

The secret to a well-written personal statement

If you directly copy chunks from other essays, you will lose one of the important recipes of a notable admissions essay, the originally or uniqueness.  Uniqueness is the factor that could draw the interest of the admissions committee.  You have to keep in mind that the members of the committee have read hundreds or even thousands of essays.  Because of this, it is not easy to capture their attention.  This is why you really have to make an effort to make your essay unique.  Be creative.  But you must be very careful not to fall to over creativity.  Keep in mind that your essay is for law school application and not for a creative writing class.  Just employ very little creativity and humor to keep the reader from getting bored.

Where to find sample personal statements

You can get sample admissions essays from various sites online.  Many universities and law school admissions services offer sample personal statements that you can use as models when you write your own.  You can also ask your friends, family, or professors who also have law careers if they can show you their own essays.

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Using Sample Law School Personal Statements That Focus on Productive Summer Internships

One of the topics that are commonly discussed in personal statements for law school is work experience.  Actually, talking about your valuable work experience is really an effective way to draw the attention of the admissions committee on your application.  For one, this can give the admissions officers an impression that you are mature enough to handle responsibility.  Aside from this, having work experience also means you have an edge over other applicants when it comes to having a relevant background.  So to give you better chances of getting admission to the law school of your choice, use your work experience as topic.

If you have not yet experienced working full time, as expected from many students, you can just talk about your productive summer internships.  No matter how short your work experience in internships is, it is still a valuable factor in your admissions application.  This is because if it is a productive one, you have surely learned a great deal from this experience.

What to include in your essay regarding your summer internships

If your internships involve research, writing, and assisting legal attorneys, then you can discuss how the tasks helped you developed skills that would be valuable when you are already in a law school.  It is best if you talk about your experiences in your internship that you think you didn’t get from school but will prove to be important to help you survive in this highly competitive academic environment that is law school.  Aside from these, you can also discuss about the challenges and the obstacles you have overcome while you are an intern.  Writing about these would give the admissions officers an idea just what type of person you are based on how you face certain problems.  Aside from these, you can also talk about how your summer internships give you motivations to study law.

How to write your personal statement

There are quite a number of topics that you can use to write your essay.  But it is recommended that you only choose one to concentrate on.  Remember that the number of words for the admissions essay are limited, so you better focus on a single topic.  You can concentrate on your skills, for instance, or you can also talk about your motivations and inspirations only.  To help you with the structure of the essay, you should read sample law school personal statements.

How to use law school personal statements as models

There are various personal statements for law school that you can find online.  You should only limit your search for those samples that talk about productive summer internships.  It is best if you read various samples and determine what makes certain essays interesting and engaging.  You have to analyze how the writers of those specific essays developed their themes and keep the sentences tightly written.

There would surely be a lot of other students who will use their summer work experiences in their essays.  Because of this, you have to make it a point to render uniqueness to your essay as much as possible.  You have to go beyond the simple listing of your experiences and accomplishments.

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Using Sample Law School Personal Statements to Come Up with Essays Focusing on Your Experiences as a Social Events Organizer at Your Pre-Law School

Even if you are an excellent features or news writer in your pre-law school publications, you still have to read lots of well-written personal statement samples if you want to make your law school admissions essay notable.  Unlike your academic papers or those you write for other publications, personal statements for law school are similar to an autobiography in the sense that it has the purpose of introducing yourself to the readers.  But unlike the autobiography, your admissions essay is only limited to a page or two, which are probably not enough to let the readers know the real you.  Because of this, it is necessary that you limit the content of your essay to information relevant to your law school application.

Why use your experience as a social event organizer in your essay

One of the topics that you could explore is your experiences that exhibit your skills and potential.  If you have organized a social event in your school, for instance, you can use this as a topic for your personal statement.  Through this, you will be able to show to the admissions committee your leadership potential, your organization skills, and your skills in dealing with people.  Talking about your experience as an organizer would also give the admissions committee the impression that you are a person who knows how to handle big responsibilities.

Where to find samples of law school admissions essay

To guide you in the structure of your essay, you can read sample admissions essays online.  These essays can guide you on how to write one that would draw the interest of the admissions officers.  You should analyze how these essays develop the theme or the topic.  Aside from the sample personal statements online, you can also ask for the personal statements of your professors or friends who have been into law school.

What to avoid when writing your essay

In writing your personal statement, avoid plagiarizing your essay models.  You should read sample essays not to copy them, but rather to get tips on how the essay should be structured and also to get ideas that you can use to create your own.  No matter how noteworthy the sample essays are, you have to keep in mind that these are only models.  In the end, you still have to write a “unique” one in order to draw the attention of the admissions officers.

What to remember when writing your own personal statement

The most important thing that you should keep in mind is that the admissions essay is about you.  Your experience in organizing a social event can help you make your essay more attractive.  However, you should make it a point to limit the scope to be included when you talk about this experience.

Before you submit your admissions essay, make sure that you let a law school professor read and examine it.  It is also best that you proofread and edit your essay several times.  And last, be honest in writing your personal statement for law school.

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Albany Law School

Albany Law School is one of the oldest and best law schools in the nation. In fact, Albany Law School holds the title as the oldest independent law school. Since the school’s establishment in 1851, it has developed into a premier educational center that is known around the world. Amongst the Albany Law School alumni are a number of successful people, including President William McKinley. The school’s law review, the Albany Law School Journal, is the country’s first-ever law review that is edited by students. To learn more about Albany Law School or to apply to the school, visit the school’s homepage and the Albany Law School admissions page.

Appalachian School of Law

What began as an attempt to increase economic activity in the region around Grundy, Virginia quickly became one of the best law schools in the country: the Appalachian School of Law. Since the school’s founding in 1994, the Appalachian School now has numerous programs for those pursuing a degree in law. The Appalachian promotes an education that forms and develops the student’s mind and character. The well-rounded, quality education at the Appalachian includes community service requirements and courses in professional responsibility and alternative dispute resolution. For information on applying to the Appalachian School of Law, people can visit ASL’s admissions page.

American University Washington College of Law

American University’s Washington College of Law is an institution that is known for its high quality education and its reputable student publications. The Washington College of Law has developed into one of the best schools in the nation, especially because of its public rights law and human rights law programs. WCL is also respected for its active involvement in promoting public sector work. The American University Washington College of Law has an easily accessible admissions page for those who want to apply to this school.

The Boston University Law School

When Boston University was first founded in 1839, the university didn’t yet have a law school. It was not until 1872 that the Boston University Law School was established. Since then, BU Law has grown into one of the most respected and renowned law schools in the country. Amongst the many courses offered at BU Law are JD-MA, JD-MPH, and JD-MBA programs. Such joint-JD programs usually include courses from the university’s different schools. One of the unique characteristics of the BU Law system of education is the use of the dialogue-style teaching and interaction that Socrates is well-known for. Those who want to apply to the Boston University Law School can do so at the BU Law admissions page.

Boston College Law School

Boston College Law School is one of the best law schools in the country. With its numerous programs in various disciplines, BC Law has educated many successful alumni, including politicians, justices, and a former president of the American Bar Association. Some of the programs that have helped BC Law gain its reputation include public interest law, social justice, and human rights programs. Application to BC Law can be accomplished through the school’s website, through the admissions page.

Brooklyn Law School

When Brooklyn Law School was first founded, the vision for this institution was to provide an accessible means of legal education. Today, Brooklyn Law School is a school that has a high-quality education and a diverse student body that reflects its success in reaching its aims. Some of the joint degrees offered at Brooklyn Law School include JD-MA in Political Science, JD-MBA, and JD-Masters in Urban Planning. Those who want to apply to Brooklyn Law School just have to follow the application instructions at the BLS admissions page.