9 Important Personal Statement Tips for Law School Applicants

As a constabulary school bidder, you may not have a chance to sit down with the admissions committee and explain why you'd be the perfect fit for their institution. But you lot exercise have the personal argument, and that'south almost as practiced—equally long every bit y'all follow these tips...

You are so much more than your LSAT score, undergrad GPA, and extracurricular activities. That'due south why your personal statement is a critical function of your law schoolhouse application: Information technology's your gamble to address the police school admissions commission straight and bear witness usa your character, what's of import to y'all, and why you're a groovy fit for the school. It's as well an opportunity to fix yourself apart in a ocean of competitive law school applicants. So don't allow it become to waste!

Follow these tips to brand sure your police force school personal statement really shines.

Related: 4 Outstanding Real-World Law School Personal Statement Examples

Tip ane: Focus on you

This may seem obvious, just police force school applicants sometimes miss this important point: Your personal statement needs to be almost you lot. Non the people or work that influenced you. You lot. (While a mother, father, or grandparent tin inspire an interest in constabulary, don't focus your personal statement on that person; otherwise we'll wish they were the one applying to police school!)

We desire yous to utilize the personal statement to show the states that you take the skills needed to succeed in law schoolhouse, across what your LSAT score or GPA can tell usa. We're looking for things like a stiff work ethic, motivation, and the determination to overcome obstacles.

Think almost your strengths, defining characteristics, and values—especially the ones that might come into play as a lawyer: Are you thoughtful, belittling, compassionate, service-oriented? Call back near how you spend your free time: Exercise yous honey traveling, researching, or volunteering? Think about what motivates you: Do you want to work in a burgeoning legal field similar intellectual property law, aid others by developing public policy, or start your own firm?

Once you've zeroed in on some qualities yous want to highlight, information technology's fourth dimension to begin anecdotes from your life that demonstrate those things…

Tip 2: Brainstorm broadly

The personal argument often gives y'all lots of liberty in what you write about, and so feel free to begin broadly most possible topics.

In the New England Law awarding requirements, we advise applicants to "write virtually personal characteristics and circumstances; strengths; piece of work experiences; extracurricular activities; ethnic, economic, and educational background; or any other topic that will help the committee evaluate y'all."

Non certain what to write most? Proficient law school personal statement ideas often come from:

  • Extracurricular activities: campus clubs, recreational sport leagues, community service groups, arts organizations, social clubs, etc.
  • Meaningful obstacles or challenges you've overcome
  • Professional activities: full- or part-time work, internships, cooperative education, enquiry positions, etc.
  • Accomplishments: leadership positions, awards, achieving significant goals, etc.
  • Hobbies or other unique interests that are of import to you

Equally you lot brainstorm personal statement ideas, remember that y'all want to put your best foot forward, testify how you've grown, and prove that you're ready for law school. After all, yous're ultimately trying to convince the admissions committee that you'll be an asset to the school.

Handy tip: update your résumé earlier you brainstorm personal statement topics. Even though you lot definitely don't want to only repeat your résumé in your personal statement, information technology helps to update your résumé before you start writing, because you'll exist forced to call back all the things you've been involved in since you lot became an undergrad. And those experiences and accomplishments might make great essay topics!

Tip 3: Be genuine

You don't need to be a superhero to impress the police school admissions committee. You can show your passion, dedication, and constabulary schoolhouse readiness in lots of everyday anecdotes from your life. You can even write your personal argument about a mistake or a weakness—just brand sure you turn it effectually to show how yous ultimately overcame that error or weakness.

Finally, this may go without saying, only don't stretch the truth (ahem) in your personal statement. We can tell. And we will cheque.

Related:Everything You Need to Consider in Choosing a Police School

Tip four: Just write

In one case you have a personal statement topic in mind, set bated some time to write—and just let yourself go. Give yourself permission to bang out a crummy first draft. Write in a stream-of-consciousness fashion. Don't worry about making it sound skillful; simply focus on getting your ideas on the page (er, screen).

This will brand the process much easier when you go back to edit the application essay later on (see tip #ix!).

Tip 5: Remember your "why"

Yous desire to go to law school to work in the legal field. Merely why? Why is police schoolhouse a disquisitional adjacent step in your career programme and life path?

While you don't need to spell out your ten-point program for becoming a lawyer, your underlying reasons for going to law schoolhouse should be the foundation of your personal statement. For example, peradventure you want to exist a lawyer because you want to correct the injustices y'all come across in the globe effectually y'all. You might write your personal statement most a memorable protest you once participated in equally an undergrad, and how it made y'all want to do even more to help people.

Tip 6: Be specific

Don't effort to fit your life story into your personal statement. Go on your essay focused on a item theme, thesis, or even moment in time.

Part of the challenge is that you're limited in space, so you have to be both succinct and efficient with your writing. And any yous do, don't just rehash other data that's elsewhere in your awarding. You lot're only going to exist able to highlight 1 or two things nearly yourself, so be thoughtful well-nigh what those things are.

And remember: If you start with a story, let united states of america know what happens at the end. Don't get out the admissions committee hanging!

Tip 7: Take hold of our attention

Unlike your undergrad awarding essay, you may demand to exist more straightforward with your personal statement for law school. But that doesn't mean it has to be tiresome. You nonetheless desire to tell a story that allows the admissions commission to get to know the real you and remember you in a bounding main of applicants. Then tell the story no one else tin tell.

Start your personal statement with an attention-grabbing chestnut, a surprising fact, or an intriguing line of dialogue. That being said, write like you lot normally would—don't write in a style you haven't mastered. In particular, jokes and other attempts at sense of humor can hands get lost in translation, so exist careful.

Tip 8: Know what makes the school tick

You probably already did lots of research to decide which law schools actually fit you (you did, correct? Right?!). So by the time you lot're drafting the personal argument portion of your application, you should have a good sense of what your intended schools are all most. But if you lot don't—if yous can't talk about what a school values, its defining characteristics, its mission—then y'all don't know the law school well enough to write a swell personal argument.

And so read the schoolhouse's mission argument, news and blogs, and social media feeds. Become a sense of what's important to the institution, and then try to weave those values in your personal statement.

Related: How to Accept an Astonishing Law School Visit: Tips and Questions You Demand to Ask

Tip nine: Shine it upwards

By the time you use to law school, yous're probably accustomed to writing at the collegiate level. Just it's adept to be reminded to send in your very all-time piece of work with your law school applications. Competition is tough, and you desire your application to be every bit strong as it can be. Plus, there'south a lot of writing in law schoolhouse, and you need to prove that your skills are upwards to snuff.

Advisedly proofread your personal statement—not to mention the balance of your law schoolhouse application—earlier you lot send it in. Also double-check to brand sure you followed the application directions to the letter: Did you stay within any given word count? Did you fully reply to any given essay prompt? Did yous attach to any special formatting or submission criteria? Have you lot have used the right law school name? (You might be surprised how oftentimes constabulary school admissions folks get essays that reference the incorrect school!)

Finally, enquire others to review your personal statement too, like an undergrad professor, mentor, or that good college friend who aced English. You can as well have your essay to the writing or career services office of your undergrad school (these services are often available long afterward you graduate likewise).

You lot don't need to be the next J.Thousand. Rowling to craft a great personal statement for your police force school applications. Just follow these tips, and you're certain to write an essay you can be proud of.

Learn more than about our law school personal argument and other application requirements here.