Explaining the Reasons Why You Want to Attend Law School in your Personal Statement by:Nancy Haverford

Going to law school requires time, money, and commitment

. A half-hearted effort just wouldn't cut it in law school, which is why passion for the field is an important aspect of a law school personal statement. This is one of the three most important items in your application to law school, along with your LSAT score and GPA. Your personal statement, or the admission essay, can spell out the difference between getting into the "rejected" pile and the "accepted"or at least "waitlisted"list.

Why is a personal statement a big deal?

Writing your admission essay is the one thing that you have total control over in the application process. Even if you have outstanding scholastic records and excellent recommendations from your mentors, there are considerable factors that the Admission Board will not be able to evaluate through them. Passion and dedication are immeasurable, so there is one thing that the Admission Board would consider a deal-breaker: your purpose. The first thing you should do is to check your motives. The clearer your motivations for pursuing law school are to you, the easier it will be to write your personal statement.

What are the characteristics of an effective personal statement?

A good personal statement should clearly explain why you want to take up law. This is why outstanding admission essays often focus on the applicant's motivation in its discussion. Be a storyteller and walk the reader through your personal experiences which prompted you to want to become a lawyer. Make sure that you cite specific examples of activities that you participated in which are relevant to your goals. Although one of your objectives for writing your personal statement is to stand out from thousands of other applicants, keep in mind that you are applying for law school and not a creative writing course. Be concise and keep the flow logical and well-organized.

How do you go about writing a law school personal statement?

Before getting down to writing, learn more about the law school that you would like to study at. Take note of the principles and achievements that it considers very important. This is a crucial step, because you need to explain to the Admission Board why you are suited for the law school's culture and environment. Highlight personal qualities that match the values which the law school upholds, such as leadership and service. Go beyond motherhood statements and mention concrete examples. For instance, you may discuss how you organized an outreach program and what you accomplished during your term as president of the student council.

Your personal statement should allow the Admission Board to know you as a person, so they can determine how much pressure you can take. Use sample law school personal statements only as a guide to help you get a better idea of what to include in your own essay. It would be a big mistake to substitute the contents of the sample essays with your own information. That would be plagiarism, and it might jeopardize your chance of getting accepted. Also, avoid padding your essay with achievements that you do not really have. As long as you know your reasons for pursuing a degree in law quite well, writing them down would not be too difficult a task.

About the author

Nancy Haverford points out the characteristics you should look for in a sample law school personal statement. Her article contains helpful tips in writing your own admission essay using a sample law school personal statement as reference.

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