sample law school personal statements

The Harvard Law School blog has the main purpose of serving the large number of law school applicants that Harvard Law School has to handle every year. The mission of the site is to make the Harvard Law School admission process more transparent, so applicants can get a better idea of exactly what the application process is about, as well as offer some information and advice to the applicants. Some of the articles that you will find on the Harvard Law School blog include interview samples and application-related information about law school.

The good things about Harvard Law School

The Harvard Law School blog has a great mission. Maintaining transparency in their application process shows Harvard’s commitment to being true and honest in their application procedure and admission selection. Furthermore, it proves to applicants and their parents that Harvard Law School wants to stay true and just to the idea of legal education and law in general. The blog entries on the site are very helpful and highly relevant for anyone thinking of applying to Harvard Law School. It gives applicants an idea of how the interviews go, what the application process is like, and how law school at Harvard is.

Room for improvement

The Harvard Law School blog does leave an open space for improvement. The site is rather simple, with no pictures of any kind. In fact, if the website domain wasn’t law.harvard.edu, I would be inclined to think that this site was just pretending to be associated with Harvard. It would help to use the school insignia, or any other kinds of Harvard-related pictures to give the site a more professional look, which is what you would expect from a prestigious school like Harvard.

Find Law is a blog that covers practically anything and everything about law. The blog is a project of the FindLaw company, which was founded in 1995 and has since been able to expand and grow into one of the leading providers of legal information on the Internet. With monthly traffic figures of over four million visitors, it’s easy to see why this is one of the leading websites for legal information on law cases, legal news, law career help, and more.

The blog mainly targets legal students and professionals, but the information coverage is wide enough so that practically anyone needing legal information will find Find Law helpful. Some of the topics that you can find at FindLaw include the Top 7 Law School Study Aids and Why You Should Do Pro Bono Work.

The good things about Find Law

What makes Find Law such a great blog is that it is linked to a successful company and website. Not only does this help to increase visitors, but it also gives visitors more reasons to come back to the site. The community tools, like the forums and message boards, are great additions that serve as a platform for legal professionals and students to discuss matters, help each other out, and form a global community. The blog also gives relevant, current, and highly-demanded legal information, advice, and news. With a solid design and a good layout that is easy to navigate, Find Law is a great blog.

The bad things about Find Law

There is only one area that I feel Find Law needs improvement on, and that is with pictures. Blogs are a lot more exciting to look at and more fun to read when there are pictures for visitors to look at and browse through.

Fearfully Optimistic is a blog designed to help law students with all of the stresses and hardships of law school. One of the mantras of the Fearfully Optimistic site is that “law school is broken.” Basically, the founder of the site feels that the legal education system is too demanding on students, to the point that students have a painful time not only getting through law school, but also when looking for legal professions. With the mission of “putting the cool back into law school.” The Fearfully Optimistic site has articles like “Why a Social Life is Tricky in Law School” and “The Links Between Unschooling and Law School.”

The optimistic side

Fearfully Optimistic has a good angle, helping students with all of the hardships of law school. The idea that there’s something wrong with the legal education system, which has a negative impact on students, is a great perspective. It falls in line with the thoughts and feelings of the many law school students who are spending grueling hours studying for tests, memorizing laws and statutes, and slowly grinding through the bar exams. The blog also covers topics that students like to know about, such as specific law courses, the legal industry, and some of the pressing matters in legal education.

The pessimistic side

The bad thing about Fearfully Optimistic is that the blog has a rather uninteresting layout. While some students may like the straightforward, no-frills design of the blog, other visitors may want to see some color and some pictures as well. It can get boring scrolling through a blog that is all just black, grey, and blue text, without any pictures to break the monotony. Adding some community tools, such as forums or discussion boards, can also help to increase traffic and entice visitors to return to the site.

PhiLAWdelphia is a blog about the Philadelphia Bar Association’s Young Lawyers Division. At first glance, I thought it was more of a bulletin board for upcoming events or a place where certain members of that organization could post stories about law practice in Philadelphia, certain cases and how to deal with them, or lawyers giving advice to other lawyers. After thoroughly going through it though, I found out that the blog isn’t that technical at all.

What makes the blog unique

The writer, who goes by the name John E., talks about a wide array of topics, some of which have nothing to do with law in Philadelphia. The common theme I can see in each article is that they all have something to do with Philadelphia, although there was also an article about the American Bar Association conference in Chicago, where the writer compared certain parts of Chicago with Philadelphia. The writer dwells on stories like the newly constructed Trump Hotel and Tower, restaurants that he thought were only exclusively found in his hometown of Philadelphia, the number of tourist going about the streets, and even how the famous Chicago breeze made the summer sun more bearable for him.

Areas for improvement

The range of topics goes for a more technical discussion at times, a good example of whic is an article entitled Payments Return for Court-Appointed Attorneys and Arbitrators. The only problem I noticed is that the writer doesn’t really go into detail on how to do that, or for the least, have any evidence that payments will actually be released. The basis of his story is the idea of the city of Philadelphia securing a loan of 275 million dollars, and somehow the attorneys and arbitrators could get a piece of that.

Although the site looks neat with a very organized menu, blogroll, and archives, some subheadings could at least be set in bold face to make the text more reader-friendly. All in all, the site looks authoritative.

Your personal statement for law school serves as one of the most important bases for your admission. It is an aspect of the assessment process that aims to see you as an individual, with characteristics and experiences that make you different from the rest. This is why you have to make sure that your personal statement would be able to reach your readers in such a way that your academic record or resume can’t.

Benefits of telling a narrative tale in your essay

Telling a story about a very important part of your life enables the readers to get to know you better. Your choice of topic, writing style, and personality will leap up from it like no other literature can. Remember the best books that hooked you. These are usually the ones that build the character up until he or she seems real in your mind. This should be the goal of your personal statement- to show who you realy are.

Choosing an experience or event as a story for your essay

Your choice of experience to relate should indicate what you are most passionate about. It should reflect an integral part of your character that was built because of it. Some people may have one life-changing experience, while others will have a string of related experiences that lead to who they are. Focusing on one big experience would be easier in making your personal statement. However, with some creativity, you can make a story that connects different experiences. The important thing is to be honest.

Tips in telling a story in your essay

Be conversational when telling your story. While it shouldn’t be too formal, writing it through a poem, while creative, may throw the readers into confusion. When telling your story, try not to put too much “I” into it. It should be about you, but not “all” about you. Mention other people who’ve helped you along the way and give credit where it is due. Be positive. Even if your story is about hardships, make sure not to delve on the difficulties too much and to end with a positive note.

Putting a story in your essay is supposed to give your law school admission essay the personal touch that it needs. Remember to make it work well for you by choosing the right topics and telling it in a way that both shows the true you and impresses your readers.

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The law school personal statement that you will submit must be compelling as well as provide a good insight about who you are. It is necessary to provide the readers with an engaging piece of work that will help them decipher your true persona. Your ideas, thoughts, beliefs must be put forward. However, correct structure is imperative as it provides clarity as well as gives a glimpse of your skill. Putting a personal stamp on your essay is indeed important to get the attention of the admissions committee. It is essential that you leave a positive impact on them. Carefully constructing your conclusion will make a difference on what impression you leave your readers to make.

Your conclusion as an equally important part of your essay

Each part of the essay has important roles. Unfortunately, many underestimate and take for granted the power of the conclusion. It is important to note that the conclusion is the part when you can restate your main points and sum up everything. This underscores your whole thesis and the points that you’ve raise in support of it. It is imperative that you affirm your position on the subject and on the thesis of the essay. Conclusions are your last chance to get your message across, so do it in a creative and imaginative way. As a closing statement, provide a concise statement that will have a lasting effect on those who will read it.

Mistakes to avoid when making your conclusion

In this section, you should keep in mind that all you have to do is to simply restate the ideas and not extensively discuss them. Also, do not introduce new ideas and topics in this section. Neither should you simply enumerate your points in guise of summarizing your paper. Unlike a summary, which more often simply restates points, a conclusion must tie it all together. Through the conclusion, you can make your thoughts and ideas more cohesive and clearer.

More tips on coming up with a strong conclusion

Making a creative conclusion is advisable since it is your last chance to appeal to your readers. Some techniques include giving out a question that will help give a new angle that the readers can consider. Another is by underscoring your opinion, suggestions and course of action to emphasize your position on certain subjects and perhaps your future plans. Conclusions must be well planned to give the best effect. It is more than merely a run down of the points that you’ve raise. You must convince the readers using your conclusion.

As the last part of your law personal statement, the conclusion holds an important role in making your essay cohesive as well as compelling. Take the time to organize it and write it properly.

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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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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.

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
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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.