How long should your Personal Statement be? Top 50 Law Schools PS Length and Optional Essay Instructions
The following are the instructions for the Personal Statement length and Optional Essay instructions that are contained within each application.
PS: No stated page limit
Other essays: Required 250 word statement on any topic
PS: Maximum 2 pages with 11pt font, 1” margins, double spaced
Other essays: Optional diversity statement
PS: About two pages
Other essays: Optional diversity statement (“brief”)
PS: 2-4 pages suggested
Other essays: N/A; include diversity information in PS
PS: 2 pages double spaced
Other essays: Optional diversity statement, optional “Penn Core Values,” optional essay about experience on a team — all 1 page maximum double spaced
Other essays: Optional addenda (open-ended, multiple addenda accepted)
UC Berkeley
PS: Maximum 4 pages double spaced
PS: No page limit
Other essays: Optional “Why Duke,” optional diversity statement
Other essays: Supplemental essays — 8 options, choose 1 or 2 (or none). Should be about one page, 11pt font, double spaced, but no more than 2 pages. Topics: (1) Say more about your interest in the University of Michigan Law School. What do you believe Michigan has to offer to you and you to Michigan? (2) Describe your current hopes for your career after completing law school. How will your education, experience, and development so far support those plans? (3) If you do not think that your academic record or standardized test scores accurately reflect your ability to succeed in law school, please tell us why. (4) Describe a failure or setback in your life. How did you overcome it? What, if anything, would you do differently if confronted with this situation again? (5) Describe an experience that speaks to the problems and possibilities of diversity in an educational or work setting. (6) What do you think are the skills and values of a good lawyer? Which do you already possess? Which do you hope to develop? (7) How might your perspectives and experiences enrich the quality and breadth of the intellectual life of our community or enhance the legal profession? (8) Describe your educational experiences so far. What kinds of learning environments, teaching methods, student cultures, and/or evaluation processes lead you to thrive, or contrariwise, thwart your success?
Northwestern
PS: Recommended 1-3 pages double spaced
Other essays: Optional “Why Northwestern,” optional diversity statement — choose neither, one, or both. Length should be one or two paragraphs.
PS: Maximum 2 pages 11pt font double spaced
Other essays: Optional diversity statement. Short answer (2-3 sentences) “Why Cornell” in app
Other essays: Optional diversity statement, optional 250 word response from four prompts: (1) One of the core values of Georgetown Law is that students and faculty learn from each other. As you imagine yourself as a member of the Georgetown Law community, what is one lesson that you have learned in your life that you will want to share with others? (2) What do you regret not doing? (3) What is the biggest ethical challenge you have ever faced and how did you handle it? (4) Fill a 5 1/2″ long by 2 1/2″ wide box in any way you’d like. (See online paper form for an example.) (5) Prepare a one-minute video that says something about you. Upload it to an easily accessible website and provide us the URL. (If you are using YouTube, we strongly suggest that you make your video unlisted so it will not appear in any of YouTube’s public spaces.) What you do or say is entirely up to you. Please note that we are unable to watch videos that come in any form other than a URL link.
Other essays: Optional diversity statement, maximum 3 pages 11pt font double spaced
PS: Maximum 2 pages 12pt font
Other essays: Optional diversity statement, optional “programmatic contribution” essay about specializations/joint degrees, optional public interest essay
PS: Maximum 2 pages
PS: Approximately 1-3 pages
Other essays: N/A
PS: Maximum 2 pages double spaced
Other essays: Optional diversity statement (maximum 300 words)
PS: 2-5 pages double spaced
PS: 2-4 pages 12pt font double spaced
PS: Approximately 2 pages
William & Mary
PS: No stated page limit (“brief”)
Other essays: Optional essays for applicants that have a special interest in the Institute of Bill of Rights Law, Center for Legal and Court Technology, Election Law Program, Law Library, Public Service Admission Ambassador, Special Education Advocacy, Veterans Benefits, and Virginia Coastal Policy Fellowships
U Washington
PS: 700 word maximum
Other essays: 500 words maximum on one of three prompts: (1) If you were asked to create a non-profit organization, what would be the organization, its mission, and its purpose; (2) How would you define “global common good”? Provide an example of how you have contributed to the “global common good”; or (3) What life events or experiences have had the greatest influence in shaping your character and why?
Other essays: Optional “Why Notre Dame” essay, optional diversity essay
PS: Approximately 2 pages double spaced
PS: 2-3 pages
Indiana U Bloomington
PS: Suggested length of 500 words
Arizona State
PS: Generally 2-3 pages
Other essays: Optional diversity statement, optional essay on leadership, optional essay on public interest dedication
PS: Maximum 4 pages 10pt font double spaced. MUST include why you want to enter the legal profession and why you want to attend UNC specifically
U Wisconsin Madison
PS: 2-3 pages 12pt font double spaced 1” margins
Wake Forest
Boston College
PS: 2-3 pages double spaced
PS: Maximum 2 pages 12pt font double spaced
PS: 2-4 pages double spaced
PS: Approximately 2-3 pages double spaced
Other essays: Required “Why SMU” (1 page double spaced), diversity statement (2-3 pages double spaced) optional but required for scholarship consideration
U Colorado Boulder
PS: Maximum 1,000 words
Other essays: Optional diversity statement (maximum 500 words)
Washington & Lee
PS: Maximum 3 pages 12pt font double spaced
Other essays: Optional diversity statement, optional ethical dilemma essay (500 words maximum)
PS: Maximum 500 words
Other essays: Optional diversity statement (maximum two pages 12pt font double spaced)
George Mason
Other essays: Required “Why George Mason” (maximum 250 words), optional diversity statement
PS: Suggested 2-3 pages double spaced
Other essays: Required “Why Tulane,” optional diversity statement
PS: Maximum 750 words
Other essays: Optional diversity statement – approximately 250 words
PS: NO personal statement — “Academic Admissions Statement” that focuses on academic interests and experiences. Maximum 4 pages 12pt font double spaced
Other essays: Optional diversity statement, maximum 2 pages 12pt font double spaced
Law School Personal Statement Dos and Don’ts
The personal statement, one of the most important parts of your law school application, is an opportunity to highlight your writing ability, your personality, and your experience. Think of it as a written interview during which you get to choose the question. What one thing do you wish the admissions evaluators knew about you?
To help you write a law school personal statement that best reflects your abilities as a potential law student, we have some recommendations below.
- Discuss possible personal statement topics with your pre-law advisor (or someone else) before you invest a lot of time writing.
- Choose a narrow topic. Offer details about a small topic rather than generalities about a broad topic. Focus on a concrete experience and the impact it has had upon you.
- Be yourself. Do not tell law schools what you think they want to hear — tell them the truth.
- Pay special attention to your first paragraph. It should immediately grab a reader’s attention. Reviewers are pressed for time and may not read beyond an uninteresting opener.
- Keep it interesting. Write with energy and use the active voice. You do not have to explain how your experience relates to your desire to attend law school. Tell a story. Paint a vivid picture. The most interesting personal statements create visuals for the reader, which make your personal statement more memorable.
- Keep it simple and brief. Big words do not denote big minds, just big egos. Choose your words with economy and clarity in mind, and remember that your reader has a huge stack of applications to read. A personal statement generally should be two to three double-spaced pages.
- Proofread. Ask several people to proofread your essay. Grammatical or mechanical errors are inexcusable.
- Include information from your background that sets you apart. If your ethnicity, family, religion, socioeconomic background, or similar factors are motivating you to succeed in law school, be sure to highlight them. You can do this in the personal statement itself or in a separate diversity statement. If you are writing a personal statement and a diversity statement, make sure the two essays address different topics.
- Consider your audience. Most admissions evaluators are professors, third-year law students, or admissions professionals not long out of law school. Therefore, you want to come across as an attentive student, interesting classmate, and accomplished person. Again, consider what you most want them to know, beyond the information provided in the rest of your application.
- Read the application carefully. Most law schools allow you to choose a topic, but some will require you to address a specific question. Follow whatever instructions are provided.
- Do not play a role, especially that of a lawyer or judge. And stay away from legal concepts and jargon. You run the risk of misusing them, and even if you use them properly, legal language may make you appear pompous.
- Do not tell your life story in chronological order or merely re-state your resume. Furthermore, resist the urge to tie together all of your life experiences. The essays that try to say too much end up saying nothing at all.
- Do not become a cliché. You may genuinely want to save the world. Maybe your study abroad experience transformed the way you look at the world. But these topics are overused. Before writing your essay, consider how your story is unique and highlight your individuality.
- Do not use a personal statement to explain discrepancies in your application. If your academic record is weak in comparison to your LSAT scores, or vice versa, address that issue in an addendum. Emphasize the positive in the personal statement.
- Do not offend your reader. Lawyers rarely shy away from controversial topics, but you should think twice before advocating a controversial view. You do not want to appear to be close-minded.
- If you are in the bottom of an applicant pool, do not play it safe. You have nothing to lose by making a novel statement.
Application Toolkit: Written Statements
On this webpage, you will find our advice and guidance for approaching the two written statements in the application.
Beginning with the application for Fall Term 2024 enrollment, we now require that all applicants submit a Statement of Purpose and a Statement of Perspective. Although it is no longer an application component, much of the advice we shared about the personal statement may still be useful to applicants as they develop their Written Statements. We have preserved that information on this toolkit for your reference.
Changes to the J.D. Application Components
Instructions
Every applicant must submit both a Statement of Purpose and a Statement of Perspective, responding to the prompts below.
Each Statement must be one to two pages in length, using double-spacing, one-inch margins, and a font size that is comfortable to read (no smaller than 11 point). We expect every applicant to use at least one full page for each Statement. Please place (a) the name of your Written Statement (i.e., either “Statement of Perspective” or “Statement of Purpose”) in the document’s header, left-aligned, and (b) your full name in the document’s header, right-aligned.
Statement of Purpose : What motivates you to pursue law? How does attending law school align with your ambitions, goals, and vision for your future?
Statement of Perspective : The Admissions Committee makes every effort to understand who you are as an individual and potential Harvard Law School student and graduate. Please share how your experiences, background, and/or interests have shaped you and will shape your engagement in the HLS community and the legal profession.
Blog Advice
- Visit the Admissions Blog
- View All Written Statements Blog Posts
Changes to the J.D. Program Application Components
August is here, and that means the J.D. Admissions Office is finalizing our application for the 2023–2024 cycle before it opens on September 15. One exciting change for this year: we have reworked our essay requirements and prompts.
August 4, 2023
Should you include a “why Harvard” statement in your application?
Each year at this time, we receive questions about how applicants should express interest in Harvard Law School. Include a “Why Harvard” essay? Talk about HLS in the personal statement? Maybe an addendum on this topic? The answer to all these questions is the same: no, that’s not necessary. Let’s start with the separate “why
December 2, 2022
Overrated/Underrated Part 3
Continuing our Overrated/Underrated series, this week, we shift our focus to highlight some of the overrated approaches that we recommend applicants avoid as they craft their applications.
November 17, 2021
Overrated/Underrated Part 1
The J.D. Admissions team recently came together to offer their thoughts on some underrated and overrated approaches that applicants might take towards their HLS application. We hope you’ll find some of these nuggets useful.
September 9, 2021
Real Talk: The Personal Statement
For our first entry in the Real Talk series, Associate Director Nefyn Meissner shares advice on approaching the personal statement.
August 6, 2020
Personal Statement Advice
The personal statement is “an opportunity to give the Admissions Committee a better sense of who you are as a person and as a potential student and graduate of Harvard Law School.” But what does that mean to us?
November 6, 2018
Podcast Advice
Navigating law school admissions with miriam & kristi.
Miriam Ingber (Associate Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid at Yale Law School) and Kristi Jobson (Assistant Dean for Admissions at Harvard Law School) provide candid, accurate, and straightforward advice about law school admissions — direct from the source. They will be joined by guest stars from other law schools to discuss application timing, letters of recommendation, personal statements, and more.
- View All Episodes
Written Statements Workshop
Our Statement Workshop provides applicants with straightforward advice on how to craft essays with a reflective activity and guiding questions to consider.
Please rest assured that there is no secret formula for creating an outstanding Written Statement. Instead, compelling Written Statements typically share similar qualities. They are well-written, polished, and free of grammar or spelling errors. Additionally, they directly address the prompt and demonstrate a clear sense of purpose. It’s not necessary for the content of the essay to be groundbreaking. Each candidate brings something unique to the table, and the Written Statements provide students with the opportunity to express their own perspectives.
We do understand mistakes happen. You are more than welcome to upload an updated document through your status checker. We will review the new material alongside what has been previously received.
Note that when you complete your application and hit “submit”, the information contained in your application may not be altered or deleted in any way by you as an applicant or by us as an admissions team.
Yes. Reapplicants will need to submit new written statements with their application.
We ask that transfer candidates also address the reason(s) for applying for transfer enrollment. Please visit our Transfer Applications Components for more information.
Modal Gallery
Gallery block modal gallery.
Login to your account
Remember Me
Register for a Free Account
Access sample lessons, a free LSAT PrepTest, and 100 question explanations today!
Password (twice) * password strength indicator
⭐️How to Format Your Law School Personal Statement
Check the application of every school to which you’re applying, but in general, you should follow these guidelines.
I prefer a one-line header. Put your name on the left, your LSAC number in the middle, and the words “Personal Statement,” followed by a page number, on the right. It looks like this:
In case you’re not comfortable with Word headers, I’ve made a correctly formatted .docx file with a one-line header. Click here to download the sample text, then substitute your information for the placeholders.
You can also put all the information on the right-hand side, in three lines, like this:
If you use a three-line header on the first page, you may want to use a shorter header—name, page number—on subsequent pages.
The Essay Body
- Don’t give your essay a title.
- Use twelve-point, Times New Roman font (an eleven-point font is fine too if the application doesn't specify)
- Use one-inch margins all around.
- Double-space your essay.
- Left-align or justify your essay.
- Add half-inch indentations to each paragraph.
- Don’t add an extra return between paragraphs.
- Use one space after periods.
I’ve implemented this formatting in the personal statement format sample .
Learn about our admissions consulting and editing services .
Lesson Note
No note. Click here to write note.
Click here to reset
Leave a Reply Cancel
You must be logged in to post a comment. You can get a free account here .
- Board index Law School Admissions Law School Personal Statements
Ideal Personal Statement Length Forum
Ideal Personal Statement Length
Post by yikes0117 » Tue Sep 06, 2011 4:39 am
Re: Ideal Personal Statement Length
Post by Moomoo2u » Tue Sep 06, 2011 4:52 am
Post by rinkrat19 » Tue Sep 06, 2011 4:55 am
Post by Moomoo2u » Tue Sep 06, 2011 6:52 am
rinkrat19 wrote: Absolutely do not submit a 3-page essay to a school with a 2-page limit. It tells the adcomms two things: 1. I don't respect you (and by extension, your school) enough to follow your extremely simple instructions. 2. I'm not a good enough writer to cut my essay down.
Post by PDaddy » Tue Sep 06, 2011 7:32 am
Post by PDaddy » Tue Sep 06, 2011 7:34 am
Moomoo2u wrote: rinkrat19 wrote: Absolutely do not submit a 3-page essay to a school with a 2-page limit. It tells the adcomms two things: 1. I don't respect you (and by extension, your school) enough to follow your extremely simple instructions. 2. I'm not a good enough writer to cut my essay down.
Post by shoeshine » Tue Sep 06, 2011 7:56 am
Post by yikes0117 » Tue Sep 06, 2011 4:10 pm
Post by thederangedwang » Tue Sep 06, 2011 4:20 pm
yikes0117 wrote: What you all seem to be saying is that each of my essays should be two pages, even if the school website says 2-3 pages or "no limit per se" like Yale, Columbia, and Chicago. I will have to cut down my Harvard and Stanford essays, but surely there's not a penalty for a 3-pager when the specific admissions website okays it. Right?
Post by sangr » Tue Sep 06, 2011 5:01 pm
Post by rinkrat19 » Tue Sep 06, 2011 5:06 pm
sangr wrote: what size font is the golden standard?
Post by sangr » Tue Sep 06, 2011 5:12 pm
rinkrat19 wrote: sangr wrote: what size font is the golden standard?
Post by rinkrat19 » Tue Sep 06, 2011 5:19 pm
sangr wrote: rinkrat19 wrote: sangr wrote: what size font is the golden standard?
Post by MumofCad » Tue Sep 06, 2011 5:31 pm
Post by sangr » Tue Sep 06, 2011 5:59 pm
MumofCad wrote: Stanford does not require 2 pages: "Enclose a statement of about two pages describing important or unusual aspects of yourself not otherwise apparent in your application." Shoot for 2 pages, if you need to go over a line here or there, so be it (except at Harvard and I know nothing about UT since its not on my list). From what I have seen from successful applicants in the T-14, most chose to expand (usually an added paragraph or 2) on their Harvard PS for other schools with less restrictive page limits. Namely, I've seen PS of 2 page for Harvard go into a 3rd full page at NYU, Stanford, and Chicago without any apparent consequences (they got $$$ at the NYU and Chicago, 2 respective candidates). If you are writing a bunch of additional essays though, I would strictly stick to the 2 pages. Mine is exactly 2 pages, but I chose to tailor it to specific universities in lieu of a "why" x statements, especially where YP could be an issue. Those go into a third page to accomplish the task. It happened to fit with my PS, but obviously this wouldn't work for everyone. Just be sure that everything is relevant to accomplishing your task and that it is well-edited. Get alot of feedback before you assume that a 3 pager is a finished product. Almost every PS posted on here has serious points where it can be sliced down and its often difficult to see it in your own writing.
Post by MumofCad » Tue Sep 06, 2011 6:17 pm
Post by pupshaw » Tue Sep 06, 2011 10:10 pm
Post by rinkrat19 » Tue Sep 06, 2011 10:11 pm
cerealdan wrote: Sorry if this is obvious or easy to find--I clearly fail at search--but when they say two pages, is that single-spaced or double-spaced? Thanks!
Post by Moomoo2u » Tue Sep 06, 2011 10:14 pm
rinkrat19 wrote: cerealdan wrote: Sorry if this is obvious or easy to find--I clearly fail at search--but when they say two pages, is that single-spaced or double-spaced? Thanks!
Return to “Law School Personal Statements”
- Law School Admissions
- ↳ Law School Admissions Forum
- ↳ Law School Personal Statements
- ↳ LSAT Prep and Discussion Forum
- ↳ Law School Acceptances, Denials, and Waitlists
- ↳ Law School Visits
- ↳ Choosing a Law School
- ↳ What are my chances?
- ↳ Financial Aid
- ↳ Ask a Law Student / Graduate
- ↳ Transfers
- ↳ Forum for Law School Students
- ↳ Ask a Law Student
- ↳ Non-US Law Schools Forum
- ↳ Bar Exam Prep and Discussion Forum
- ↳ Law School Courses
- Law School Class Forums
- ↳ TLS Class of 2025 Forum
- ↳ TLS Class of 2024 Forum
- ↳ TLS Class of 2023 Forum
- ↳ TLS Class of 2022 Forum
- ↳ TLS Class of 2021 Forum
- ↳ TLS Class of 2020 Forum
- ↳ TLS Class of 2019 Forum
- ↳ TLS Class of 2018 Forum
- ↳ TLS Class of 2017 Forum
- ↳ TLS Class of 2016 Forum
- Legal Employment/Careers
- ↳ Legal Employment
- ↳ Judicial Clerkships
- ↳ OCI
- ↳ In-House
- ↳ Small & Midsized Firms
- ↳ 1st Year and 2nd Year Summer
- ↳ Big Law/Private Practice Jobs
- ↳ Public Interest & Government
- ↳ Alternative Careers
- ↳ Lateral Moves
- ↳ Interview Tips
- ↳ Resume Tips
- Underrepresented Lawyers and Students
- ↳ Black Lawyers and Law Students
- ↳ Hispanic and Latino Lawyers and Law Students
- ↳ Asian Lawyers and Law Students
- ↳ American Indian Lawyers and Law Students
- ↳ Women Lawyers and Law Students
- ↳ LGBTQ+ Lawyers and Law Students
- ↳ Disabled Lawyers and Law Students
- ↳ First Generation Lawyers and Law Students
- ↳ Veteran Lawyers and Law Students
- ↳ Single Parent Lawyers and Law Students
- ↳ Underrepresented Law Students
- Legal Practice
- ↳ Forum for Law School Graduates Only
- ↳ Discussion of Practice Areas
- ↳ Legal News/Law Firm Gossip
- ↳ Firm Q&A by Region
- Legal Advice
- ↳ Free Help and Advice from Professionals
- ↳ Buy - Exchange - Giveaway - Sell
- ↳ TLS Content Competitions
- ↳ Other forums not on the main forum index page
- ↳ TLS Class of 2015 Forum
- ↳ TLS Class of 2014 Forum
- ↳ TLS Class of 2013 Forum
- ↳ TLS Class of 2012 Forum
- ↳ TLS Class of 2011 Forum
- ↳ TLS wiki forum
- ↳ TLS Web Logs (Blogs)
- Board index
- Law Firm Profiles
- Copyright Policy
- © Top Law Schools LLC 2003-2022 all rights reserved
- Terms of Service
- Privacy Policy
Privacy | Terms
IMAGES
VIDEO