Applications don’t formally open until September. So what can you be doing now? You want to have your applications ready to submit this fall.
You can be writing your personal statement. The prompts do not change much from year to year. They are generally open — so chances are you can craft a personal statement now that you can use for most law schools.
Here are some tips to get you started:
Topics
Topics vary so widely for personal statements. Some applicants write directly about law related positions, such as summer internships or paralegal jobs. Others write about law-related extra-curricular experiences, such as being president of the pre-law society or on the mock trial Team. Some write about volunteer experiences. Others write about a sport or some other activity they are passionate about.
Whether it is directly law related or not, you should make the connection as to why you want to go to law school. That has become increasingly important to many admissions offices.
One former applicant I know wrote about her love of travel and learning languages. It was not law related. However, she discussed wanting to become an international lawyer. So, it all tied together in the end.
Your personal statement replaces an interview in general. Tell them a story. And make it primarily about you — not your family or a lawyer you admire — you should be the central focus and “star” of the essay. The story should have one theme, rather than trying to incorporate multiple topics.
Format
This is a writing sample. Remember that. Beyond telling the admissions offices about your background, it is a sample of your writing.
Work on several drafts. I consider the personal statement to be one of the most important parts of the application. Carefully read what each law school requests. Some may have a specific word count. Some may even have a specific font they would like you to utilize.
In general, statements are two pages, double spaced. If you want to write a statement you can use for most law schools, try to stick to that length. You will have your resume and individual supplemental essays to discuss whatever does not fit into your statement.
Your personal statement is written in the first person. Paragraphs should not be overly long. It should be easy to read — you don’t have to try to sound like a lawyer. Just sound like you.
Pitfalls
Common pitfalls: trying to discuss several topics or to rehash your resume in your personal statement; having it sound too much like an academic paper instead of a personal account; and having less than stellar grammar/typos/overly long sentences and paragraphs.
You really must like the topic to write about it. Steer clear of topics that are more geared to try to please admissions and stick to what you feel strongly about. Feel free to show it to a trusted peer, mentor or professor — but in the end, it is your essay, and you should feel good about it.
Over the past 20 years of working with applicants, some personal statements stick in my mind. I remember one about a student who interned at a nursing home and saw potential abuse there. I remember one about a swimmer who overcame asthma to become a champion swimmer. It’s not the topics I remember most though — it’s the sense that I really got to know the applicant through reading their personal statement.
Hillary Mantis is a private admissions consultant and career counselor. She is the author of several books about law school admissions and careers for lawyers. She has also served as a prelaw advisor and career services director for many years. Admissions questions? Write to Hillary at Hillary.Mantis@yahoo.com.
