Law School Personal Statement Samples Page 7
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10 Lawyers are master orators. They must know the skills of persuasion. Your essay
must be able to persuade your audience to admit you. Use your rhetorical choices to
show you have considered the art form.
Community service is imperative for advantaged applicants and those interested in
public service.
The admissions committee is looking for those who have had “cross-cultural”
experience: those who have put themselves in another environment that is out of
their comfort zone and excelled, enjoyed it, learned about another culture, and
learned to fit in.
What you’ve done needs to be impressive and have impacted many people.
The admissions committee is looking for future leaders in the public and private
sectors, and those who value social power. They are not looking for naïve idealists.
If the school were a store, you should go in knowing what you want, why you want
it, and that you’re getting the best deal for your time and money. It is rare for an
applicant to have taken the time to research the school, the program, and what he or
she wants from it and why he or she wants that one experience. Present yourself
strongly. Know what you want. Be clear about it, and simple, but smart.
Admissions committees are impressed when you can mention one of their school’s
individual strengths and how that would benefit you. Showing that you would take
advantage of the school’s strengths as a means to achieve your end shows the
committee you are motivated.
8. To Do’s:
• Use first-person “I.”
• Read through thirty personal statement samples. You will quickly see how they all
start to sound the same. Now imagine your audience reading through thousands of
law school personal statements. Try to find a way to make your writing style and
content stand out from the crowd.
• Have a clear idea of what you want to convey before writing. Before starting your
law school personal statement, use an outline to determine the structure of your
statement. Have a central theme or thesis that is used throughout your personal
statement. Note that you can brainstorm and free write to generate topics for your
personal statement, but before you begin writing anything close to your final draft
you should have a clear and concise idea of what you are conveying in your personal
statement.
• Show continuity. Conclude your personal statement by referring back to the
introductory paragraph and restate your main thesis in a slightly different way.
• Use your law school personal statement as a means to market yourself. Most top law
schools receive thousands of applications. Admissions committees seek to weave
together a class composed of unique individuals whose diverse views symbiotically
complement each other. Consequently, admissions decisions are based upon
subjective determinations, such as the personal statement, in addition to objective
measurements such as one’s GPA and LSAT score. Use this opportunity to show the
admissions committee that you are more than a standardized test score and a cluster
of grades; showcase your dynamic and intriguing personality.
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