Writing a good personal statement is key to gaining admission to your law school of choice no matter where you are applying to. I have found 13 examples of personal statements that you can use the format on what a good personal statement is suppose to look like and how it should look. The most important when you write a personal statement being honest with yourself as why do you want to go to law school. You are going to invest time and money into this because it is a huge investment of your energy and focus.Most of all, you want to tell the admission committee makes you a good candidate above the other candidates that vying the seat at law school.
Your first statement is your thesis or your main idea. It should flow through your personal statement. The personal statement tells about you and has a form. It has structure that has to be consistent all the way through. It has to flow. You should read and correct it as many times as you need to. But, make sure that it is you in the essay and don't copy what someone has done. Nowadays, there is plenty of temptation to copy and cheat. I have seen plenty of people copy of other people's personal statements and the admissions committee saw the same personal and copied someone else experience and said that is theirs. This happen to me. I lent my very personal statement for someone to look at and they copied it word for word when I applied to. I applied to school at Baylor University School of Law. I was furious it was my blood,sweat and tears from my personal life went into the essay that I wrote. I discovered that this person had applied to the same schools practically I had. If you don't think the admission committee keeps records of who wrote what personal statements they do and they do keep it database and match it up to see if it is exactly your or someone that you plagiarized someone's else personal statement. The reason why they do this now is because they are too many dishonest people that think by cheating they can get ahead.
These essays I am putting as freebies are for your own use. I did not write the essays below. But, they were by real law student that were accepted to law school.Also, I felt they are good to gain entrance into a good law school. Also, I will put three paragraphs of my own personal statement so you can see how I open and close the personal statement. I think it is important that you are able to download all thirteen of them. Also, I am going to recommend a book to help. If you need more help with the personal statement. Ann Levine is a licensed lawyer, who helps students with their personal statements.I will put her information out there to you,so you can have it.
The 13 Personal Statements Examples
Personal Statement #1-Idealist
Personal Statement #2-Software Upstart
Personal Statement #3-Keyan Overcoming Tragedy
Personal Statement #4-Pre-law Student at University of Colorado
Personal Statement #5-Oboesman and Union Organizer
Personal Statement #6-Pre-law Student # 2 at University of Colorado
Personal Statement#7 Refugee Wartime Crisis
Personal Statement#8-Thinker and Dreamer
Personal Statement#9-Teachers Union
Personal Statement#10-Stay at Home Dad
Personal Statement#11 World Traveler
Personal Statement#12-Debater from a Small Texas Town
Personal Statement#13-Korean American Diversity Experience
You might want to get some extra help with yours to make these style fit your own life experience.
I am recommending the book, "The Law School Admission Game: Play Like an Expert, Second Edition" by Ann K. Levine, Esq. for further help.
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| Ann K. Levine,Esq. with LawSchool Expert |
Here is background information on her and credentials:
Ann Levine is the chief law school admission consultant at Law School Expert and personally advises all clients that purchase the all-inclusive advice package. Since founding Law School Expert in 2004, Ann has helped more than 2,000 law school applicants achieve their admission goals. Ann is also the author of bestselling law school admission book The Law School Admission Game: Play Like an Expert and The Law School Decision Game: A Playbook for Prospective Lawyers.
Before founding Law School Expert, Ann was Director of Admissions for Loyola Law School in Los Angeles. Prior to this role, Ann served as Director of Admissions for California Western School of Law in San Diego. As the director of admissions for two ABA-approved law schools, Ann reviewed thousands of applications each year and was primarily responsible for making all admission decisions including awarding scholarships. Previously, Ann led Student Services at the University of Denver College of Law.
Ann holds a Juris Doctor from the University of Miami School of Law where she graduated magna cum laude. Ann distinguished herself with service to the Inter-American Law Review and membership in Order of the Coif. Ann also holds a BSC in Communication from the University of Miami. The link is below her picture,so you can click on the link and will take you to her page.
Here are first 2 paragraphs of my personal and the closing paragraph:
Also, I am not giving the whole thing because of past incident to Baylor. I have been burnt on it because my ex-friend plagiarized my work. I still feel bad to this day for ever allowing it be seen in full.
The first two paragraphs of My Personal Statement:
First Paragraph
"Unfair". There are many
things are unfair. Battling the unfair,
it has been part of my whole life experience. I had four experiences that fit the
description of “unfair”. When most people would become bitter or spiteful or
wanted revenged, I decided to over time I would use a skill overcoming things
that were “unfair” in my personal life. Most of all, I will gain the tools and
experience to learn to the fight “unfair” at law school.
You notice that I use in quotes one word that is the key word that will transition to allow the essay to flow for the rest of the paragraphs of my personal statement.
Second Paragraph
My very first experience of being
treated “unfair” started I was 21. I had a horrific car accident where I
smashed into the windshield of a car while riding on a bicycle delivering
office supplies during the daytime. I had the right away and was a victim of a
hit and run accident. I landed in ditch and could have been dead on arrival at
the hospital. I was in terrible pain and had to have surgery to remove a blood
clot on the right side of my brain. I woke up three days later to find that had
my head had been shaved and a left fibula fracture. I was crying
uncontrollably. I remember feeling angry and thought it was so unfair to
undergo months of physical therapy and speech therapy. I strove under the pressure
to rise to the challenge of handling things that were unfair during the course of
my life. Most of all, there are many things are unfair especially when the odds
seem so insurmountable, and it is the core foundation of my being to overcome
things that are unfair.
Also, you notice that I use the word unfair to transition the concept of "unfair". This done to highlight and experience in my own how I fought the unfair situation and works well through out the rest of my personal statement.
My Closing Paragraph
All of my experience has led me to
want to pursue a career in law. I enjoy
the challenge and always left me curious about the law. It is my passion most
of all. I have learned and mastered these characteristics of persistence,
diligence, working smarter, negotiation, thinking critically, being able to
write well and speak well. These are the characteristics that I believe that
are key to success in the field of law. If I am given a chance, I will work
smarter to hone my skills even further in law school in pursue of excellence. Finally,
It is for this reason that I wish to pursue this endeavor above all else.
At the end of my closing paragraph is where I tie the whole essay together and state why I feel I am a good candidate for the law school environment. This is the nuts and bolts of it. As you can see how parts of it flow. This is what makes a good personal statement. This information is something that needs to be shown because in Australia there is just not enough information that I found. I decided make it available for everyone. The personal statements are free. You download them and use them to help you write your personal statement.
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