sample law school admission essay

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• Sample Essays

You are a thoughtful, intelligent, and unique individual. You already know that—now you just need to convince top law school adcoms that you're a cut above the rest. To do so you need to write a powerful personal statement for law school. Let's first discuss what that personal statement should be and then examine examples and what made them powerful.

A law school personal statement tells the part of your story that reveals your motivation for attending law school and the reasons you will make a great lawyer (or whatever career you want to pursue after law school). 

By reading the sample law school essays provided below, you should get a clear idea of how to translate your qualifications, passions, and individual experiences into words. You will see that the samples here employ a creative voice, use detailed examples, and draw the reader in with a clear writing style. Most importantly, these personal statements are compelling—each one does a fine job of convincing you that the author of the essay is a human being worth getting to know, or better yet, worth having in your next top law school class.

These sample law school personal statement essays are here to stimulate your writing juices, not to shut them down or persuade you to think that these essays represent templates that you must follow. The writers of these essays, who were all once law school applicants just like you, sat down, thought about their stories, and crafted these essays. However, their first step, significant self-reflection and thought, you can’t see. They didn’t use a template or try to shoehorn their story into someone else’s story. You shouldn’t either. But you should take the same first step that they took: Think about your life, the influences upon it, and why you want to obtain a legal education. 

Your story will be different from these author’s stories, but as you review all four of the sample essays you will see commonalities among them, which are highlighted below. You will also see that they are very different essays written by individuals reflecting their different life experiences and dreams. The authors of each of these essays were all accepted to law school, in some cases to elite U.S. law schools. 

Now let’s explore what you can learn from each of these outstanding sample law school essays.

Lessons from Law School Sample Essay #1: The Archaeologist Enthusiast  

• Attention-grabbing opening - The author of the essay immediately grabs the readers’ attention by placing them in the midst of the scene and vividly conveying what the author felt and saw as well as the excitement she felt. 
• Vivid, visual opening and consistent use of opening imagery - You can practically feel the dripping sweat and the heat at the opening of this essay because the applicant used vivid, sensory language that we can all relate to. She also quickly develops a metaphor comparing archaeological excavation with research in general and legal research specifically. She uses the imagery of archaeology (“finding the shard of glass,” “reconstructing the pot”) consistently throughout the personal statement to convey not only the unusual experiences she’s had in the past, but to show her love of research and analysis. 
• A clear theme that ties the essay together-  Her essay has a clear theme, which she states at the end of the first paragraph and in her conclusion. (You may not need to state it twice; that depends on your essay.) The applicant also relates every experience in the essay to her theme of research, analysis, and discovery. 
• Solid structure - Because her theme is so strong, the essay is easy to follow even though she has diverse experiences that aren’t obviously related to each other – archaeology in Spain, research on Colombian environmental policy, working for an online real estate company considering entry into the art market, and her travels.
• Good use of transitions - Transitions help your reader move from one topic to the next as you connect the topic in the preceding paragraph to the topic in the next. They can consist of a few words or a phrase or simply repetition of the topic by name as opposed to using a pronoun. The first paragraph in this sample essay ends with “research and analysis” and the next paragraph begins with “The challenge of researching and analyzing an unknown subject” as she turns from her introduction to her enjoyment of academic life and the research she had done in college. 

While one could argue that perhaps she has too many subtopics in this essay, because of the strong theme and excellent use of transitions, the essay holds together and highlights her diversity of experience, curiosity, and sense of adventure. 

Most importantly this law school personal statement earned its author a seat at an elite T10 law school.

Click here to read the essay >>  

Lessons from Law School Sample Essay #2: Returning to School 

This sample law school personal statement is about half the length of Essay 1 and concentrates on the author’s post-college work experience. In its brevity and focus it’s the mirror image of Law School Essay 1. The contrast between the two highlights the diversity that can work in law school essays.

This applicant writes about the impact of his work experience on his law school goals – with no discussion of extracurricular activities, hobbies, or travels. He had a tight word limit on his personal statement and simply had to be concise. Regardless of the narrower focus and shorter length, this essay also shares certain elements with Essay 1 and in both cases it leads to an engaging personal statement and acceptance. Let’s review them:

• Engaging, vivid opening that grabs attention - The applicant plops the reader right into his story and challenge: how to persuade the tired, grouchy doctors that the product he’s selling is better than the one they have been prescribing.
• A detailed story of his developing interest in law and relevant experience - Using just enough details, he tells his story starting with research that led to evidence-based persuasion. He also highlights his success, which led him to be named Rookie of the Year. He then goes on to explain that he now seeks new, more-lasting intellectual challenge than he currently has as a pharmaceutical sales rep because the industry, or at least his segment of it, changes slowly.
• Direction within law - Based on his background in science and his work in Big Pharma, he has direction in law. He clearly states that he wants to go into medical law. Given his background and work experience, that goal builds logically on his past, and is distinctive. 
• Ties the essay back to the opening - At the end of his essay, he references “his grumpy physicians” and “staring at his professor…” Sometimes applicants will start an essay with a catchy opening that grabs attention, but has little or nothing to do with the rest of the essay. When reading that kind of essay, the opening feels like a tease or a gimmick. In this essay, the applicant paints a picture of what he faces on a typical workday at the beginning, refers back to the opening scene in his conclusion, and contrasts that experience with what he hopes to face when in law school. It’s not a gimmick. It unifies the story.

This applicant was accepted at several T14 law schools.

Click here to read the essay >>

Law School Sample Essay #3: The Twilight Zone

There is a story behind this law school personal statement. This applicant, a very early Accepted client, during her first meeting said that she wanted to write about a trip to Country X. When asked about the trip, she said, “Oh, I’ve never been to Country X, but I know many people who have visited, and I haven’t done anything interesting.” 

Surprised at this unexpected approach, her consultant asked if she had any creative writing experience. The client said she didn’t. The consultant said that she too lacked creative writing experience and suggested they discuss what the client had done as opposed to what she hadn’t. This essay is the result of that (and other) conversations. It is an oldie but goodie.

Let’s take a look at the lessons in this sample law school essay:

• Don’t ever feel you don’t have a story to tell. Every single one of us has a story, and you don’t have to make one up or borrow someone else’s. Tell yours proudly and authentically.
• Launch with a vivid, engaging opening.  While her opening is a more frightening than the other openings, it definitely grips the reader’s attention and starts her story.
• Always have a clear theme.  Everything in this essay relates to the impact of the earthquake on her and specifically her decision to become a public interest lawyer. 
• Tell a story.  This personal statement tells the story of the earthquake’s impact on the applicant. In telling her story, she highlights her community service, her internship, and the evolution of her goals. 
• Use effective transitions.  As she moves from topic to topic, the author effectively carries the reader along. Look at the end of one paragraph and the beginning of the next one throughout the essay. You’ll see that in every case, there is either a word, phrase, or concept that ties one to the other. 
• Write a conclusion that really brings the essay to a close and contributes to the sense of unity while still looking forward. The applicant repeats her thesis that her career direction was shaped by the earthquake and its aftermath. She touches on key experiences (and achievements) that she wants the reader to remember, looks briefly forward, and ties back to the Twilight Zone opening.

This client was accepted to her top choice law school.

Lessons from Law School Sample Essay #4: Change 

This essay takes a different approach than the other three essays. The theme opens the essay followed by images and sounds that make the change she is experienced something the reader can also experience or at least imagine because the applicant uses sensory language. The writer also takes a chronological approach to tell her story of change and how it shaped her. 

The author in this essay chooses not to directly address her reasons for wanting to attend law school. However, the essay still works. The essay highlights her communications skills, research, international exposure, bilingual language skills, and initiative.

However here, too, there are lessons to be learned and some may sound familiar.

• Clear theme - Yes, this takeaway is in this essay as well as the preceding three. In fact, for any effective essay, you need a clear theme.
• Effective use of specifics and anecdote - Whether referencing the “bleak Wisconsin winter,” the fact her mother added “barbecued brisket” to her menu in Texas, or the cultural challenges she faced in Bolivia, she effectively illustrates her ability to deal with change and adapt throughout her life. 
• A conclusion that shows her evolution and growth - She subtly, but clearly reveals an evolution in her adaptability from complete adoption of the mores of her surroundings in New Jersey to more nuanced adaptability where she chooses what she wants to adopt and reject as she deals with change as an adult. Finally, while change is something she has to deal with throughout most of the essay by the conclusion she views it as an opportunity for growth.

Takeaways from These Law School Statement Samples

• There are an infinite number of ways to write a law school personal statement that will help you get accepted. 
• Begin your essay with an opening that grabs your reader’s attention. In today’s age of short attention spans and very busy people, there should be no long, slow warm ups. Put your reader in the scene as soon as they start reading.
• Use sensory language to engage your reader and help them imagine experiencing what you were going through. Reference scenes, sounds, smells, textures, and tastes as appropriate.
• Have a clear theme. Unless you are James Joyce, a stream of consciousness will not work. Know the core idea you want your essay to convey and ruthlessly ensure that every subtopic supports that idea. If it doesn’t, either make the connection clear or delete.
• Use transitions to take your reader with you through your story.
• Use specifics and anecdotes to support your theme in a distinctive way while highlighting your achievements.
• Write a conclusion that contributes to the unity of your essay. Highlight key points in your conclusion. While you can take your theme into the future in your conclusion, it still must relate to your core idea and build on what preceded it. If you can tie your ending back to your opening, your essay will have a stronger sense of coherence. 

How would I like to see these essays improved? I would like to see them, with the exception of Essay 2, address why they are applying to a given school. Essay 2 didn’t have room for that. 

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The University of Chicago The Law School

In their own words: admissions essays that worked.

Throughout this issue, countless examples show why we are so proud of the students at the law school. One might think that we get lucky that the students the admissions office chose for their academic accomplishments also turn out to be incredible members of our community, but it’s really all by design. Our students show us a great deal more in their applications than just academics—and we care about a lot more than their numbers. In these pages, meet five of our students in the way we first met them: through the personal statements they wrote for their law school applications. And through their photos, meet a sixth: Andreas Baum, ’12, the talented student photographer who took these pictures for us.

Tammy Wang, ’12

EDUCATION: Johns Hopkins University, BA in International Relations, concentration East Asian Studies, with honors (2007) WORK EXPERIENCE: AsianFanatics.net LAW SCHOOL ACTIVITIES: University of Chicago Law Review, Immigrant Child Advocacy Project Clinic, APALSA, Admissions Committee, Law School Film Festival I fell in love for the first time when I was four. That was the year my mother signed me up for piano lessons. I can still remember touching those bright, ivory keys with reverence, feeling happy and excited that soon I would be playing those tinkling, familiar melodies (which my mother played every day on our boombox) myself. To my rather naïve surprise, however, instead of setting the score for Für Elise on the piano stand before me, my piano teacher handed me a set of Beginner’s Books. I was to read through the Book of Theory, learn to read the basic notes of the treble and bass clefs, and practice, my palm arched as though an imaginary apple were cupped between my fingers, playing one note at a time. After I had mastered the note of “C,” she promised, I could move on to “D.” It took a few years of theory and repetition before I was presented with my very first full-length classical piece: a sonatina by Muzio Clementi. I practiced the new piece daily, diligently following the written directives of the composer. I hit each staccato note crisply and played each crescendo and every decrescendo dutifully. I performed the piece triumphantly for my teacher and lifted my hands with a flourish as I finished. Instead of clapping, however, my teacher gave me a serious look and took both my hands in hers. “Music,” she said sincerely, “is not just technique. It’s not just fingers or memorization. It comes from the heart.” That was how I discovered passion. Beethoven, Mozart, Mendelssohn: the arcs and passages of intricate notes are lines of genius printed on paper, but ultimately, it is the musician who coaxes them to life. They are open to artistic and emotional interpretation, and even eight simple bars can inspire well over a dozen different variations. I poured my happiness and my angst into the keys, loving every minute of it. I pictured things, events, and people (some real, some entirely imagined— but all intensely personal) in my mind as I played, and the feelings and melodies flowed easily: frustration into Beethoven’s Sonata Pathétique, wistfulness into Chopin’s nocturnes and waltzes, and sheer joy into Schubert. Practice was no longer a chore; it was a privilege and a delight. In high school, I began playing the piano for church services. The music director gave me a binder full of 1-2-3 sheet music, in which melodies are written as numbers instead of as notes on a music staff. To make things a bit more interesting for myself—and for the congregation—I took to experimenting, pairing the written melodies with chords and harmonies of my own creation. I rarely played a song the same way twice; the beauty of improvisation, of songwriting, is that it is as much “feeling” as it is logic and theory. Different occasions and different moods yielded different results: sometimes, “Listen Quietly” was clean and beautiful in its simplicity; other times, it became elaborate and nearly classical in its passages. The basic melody and musical key, however, remained the same, even as the embellishments changed. The foundation of good improvisation and songwriting is simple: understanding the musical key in which a song is played—knowing the scale, the chords, the harmonies, and how well (or unwell) they work together—is essential. Songs can be rewritten and reinterpreted as situation permits, but missteps are obvious because the fundamental laws of music and harmony do not change. Although my formal music education ended when I entered college, the lessons I have learned over the years have remained close and relevant to my life. I have acquired a lifestyle of discipline and internalized the drive for self-improvement. I have gained an appreciation for the complexities and the subtleties of interpretation. I understand the importance of having both a sound foundation and a dedication to constant study. I understand that to possess a passion and personal interest in something, to think for myself, is just as important.

Josh Mahoney, ’13

EDUCATION: University of Northern Iowa, BA in Economics and English, magna cum laude (2009) LAW SCHOOL ACTIVITIES: Student Admissions Committee, flag football, Tony Patiño Fellow The turning point of my college football career came early in my third year. At the end of the second practice of the season, in ninety-five-degree heat, our head coach decided to condition the entire team. Sharp, excruciating pain shot down my legs as he summoned us repeatedly to the line to run wind sprints. I collapsed as I turned the corner on the final sprint. Muscle spasms spread throughout my body, and I briefly passed out. Severely dehydrated, I was rushed to the hospital and quickly given more than three liters of fluids intravenously. As I rested in a hospital recovery room, I realized my collapse on the field symbolized broader frustrations I felt playing college football. I was mentally and physically defeated. In South Dakota I was a dominant football player in high school, but at the Division I level my talent was less conspicuous. In my first three years, I was convinced that obsessively training my body to run faster and be stronger would earn me a starting position. The conditioning drill that afternoon revealed the futility of my approach. I had thrust my energies into becoming a player I could never be. As a result, I lost confidence in my identity. I considered other aspects of my life where my intellect, work ethic, and determination had produced positive results. I chose to study economics and English because processing abstract concepts and ideas in diverse disciplines was intuitively rewarding. Despite the exhaustion of studying late into the night after grueling football practices, I developed an affinity for academia that culminated in two undergraduate research projects in economics. Gathering data, reviewing previous literature, and ultimately offering my own contribution to economic knowledge was exhilarating. Indeed, undergraduate research affirmed my desire to attend law school, where I could more thoroughly satisfy my intellectual curiosity. In English classes, I enjoyed writing critically about literary works while adding my own voice to academic discussions. My efforts generated high marks and praise from professors, but this success made my disappointment with football more pronounced. The challenge of collegiate athletics felt insurmountable. However, I reminded myself that at the Division I level I was able to compete with and against some of the best players in the country.While I might never start a game, the opportunity to discover and test my abilities had initially compelled me to choose a Division I football program. After the hospital visit, my football position coach—sensing my mounting frustrations—offered some advice. Instead of devoting my energies almost exclusively to physical preparation, he said, I should approach college football with the same mental focus I brought to my academic studies. I began to devour scouting reports and to analyze the complex reasoning behind defensive philosophies and schemes. I studied film and discovered ways to anticipate plays from the offense and become a more effective player. Armed with renewed confidence, I finally earned a starting position in the beginning of my fourth year. My team opened the season against Brigham Young University (BYU). I performed well despite the pressures of starting my first game in front of a hostile crowd of 65,000 people. The next day, my head coach announced the grade of every starting player’s efforts in the BYU game at a team meeting: “Mahoney—94 percent.” I had received the highest grade on the team. After three years of A’s in the classroom, I finally earned my first ‘A’ in football. I used mental preparation to maintain my competitive edge for the rest of the season. Through a combination of film study and will power, I led my team and conference in tackles. I became one of the best players in the conference and a leader on a team that reached the semi-finals of the Division I football playoffs. The most rewarding part of the season, though, was what I learned about myself in the process. When I finally stopped struggling to become the player I thought I needed to be, I developed self-awareness and confidence in the person I was. The image of me writhing in pain on the practice field sometimes slips back into my thoughts as I decide where to apply to law school. College football taught me to recognize my weaknesses and look for ways to overcome them. I will enter law school a much stronger person and student because of my experiences on the football field and in the classroom. My decision where to attend law school mirrors my decision where to play college football. I want to study law at the University of Chicago Law School because it provides the best combination of professors, students, and resources in the country. In Division I college football, I succeeded when I took advantage of my opportunities. I hope the University of Chicago will give me an opportunity to succeed again.

Osama Hamdy, '13

EDUCATION: University of California, Berkeley, BA in Legal Studies, AB in Media Studies (2010) LAW SCHOOL ACTIVITES: BLSA, Intramural Basketball I was a shy thirteen-year-old who had already lived in six locations and attended five schools. Having recently moved, I was relieved when I finally began to develop a new group of friends. However, the days following September 11, 2001, were marked with change. People began to stare at me. Many conversations came to a nervous stop when I walked by. However, it wasn’t until one of my peers asked if I was a terrorist that it really hit me. Osama, my name is Osama. I went from having a unique name that served as a conversation starter to having the same name as the most wanted man in America. The stares and the comments were just the beginning. Eventually I received a death threat at school. I remember crying alone in my room, afraid to tell my parents in fear that they might not let me go to school anymore. My experience opened my eyes up to racial and religious dynamics in the United States. I started to see how these dynamics drove people’s actions, even if some were not aware of the reasons. The more I looked at my surroundings with a critical eye, the more I realized that my classmates had not threatened me because of hate, but because of fear and ignorance. This realization was extremely empowering. I knew that mirroring their hostility would only reinforce the fear and prejudice they held. Instead, I reached out to my peers with an open mind and respect. My acceptance of others served as a powerful counter example to many negative stereotypes I had to face.With this approach, I was often able to transform fear into acceptance, and acceptance into appreciation. I chose not to hide my heritage or myself, despite the fear of judgment or violence. As a result, I developed a new sense of self-reliance and self-confidence. However, I wasn’t satisfied with the change that I had brought about in my own life. I wanted to empower others as well. My passion for equality and social justice grew because I was determined to use my skills and viewpoint to unite multiple marginalized communities and help foster understanding and appreciation for our differences and similarities alike. The years following September 11th were a true test of character for me. I learned how to feel comfortable in uncomfortable situations. This allowed me to become a dynamic and outgoing individual. This newfound confidence fueled a passion to become a leader and help uplift multiple minority communities. During the last two summers I made this passion a reality when I took the opportunity to work with underprivileged minority students. All of the students I worked with came from difficult backgrounds and many didn’t feel as though college was an option for them. I learned these students’ goals and aspirations, as well as their obstacles and hardships. I believed in them, and I constantly told them that they would make it. I worked relentlessly to make sure my actions matched my words of encouragement. I went well above the expectations of my job and took the initiative to plan several additional workshops on topics such as public speaking, time management, and confidence building. My extra efforts helped give these students the tools they needed to succeed. One hundred percent of the twenty-one high school juniors I worked with my first summer are now freshmen at four-year universities. I feel great pride in having helped these students achieve this important goal. I know that they will be able to use these tools to continue to succeed. Inspired by my summer experience, I jumped at the opportunity to take on the position of Diversity Outreach Ambassador for the San Francisco Bar Association Diversity Pipeline Program. In this position, I was responsible for helping organize a campus event that brought educational material and a panel of lawyers to UC Berkeley in order to empower and inform minority students about their opportunities in law school. In this position I was able to unite a diverse group of organizations, including the Black Pre-Law Association, the Latino Pre-Law Society, and the Haas Undergraduate Black Business Association. Working in this position was instrumental in solidifying my desire to attend law school. The lawyers who volunteered their time had a significant impact on me. I learned that they used their legal education to assist causes and organizations they felt passionate about. One of the lawyers told me that she volunteered her legal services to a Latino advocacy association. Another lawyer explained to me how he donated his legal expertise to advise minority youth on how to overcome legal difficulties. Collaborating with these lawyers gave me a better understanding of how my passion for law could interact with my interest in social justice issues. My experiences leading minority groups taught me that I need to stand out to lead others and myself to success. I need to be proud of my culture and myself. My experiences after September 11th have taught me to defeat the difficulties in life instead of allowing them to defeat me. Now, whether I am hit with a racial slur or I encounter any obstacles in life, I no longer retreat, but I confront it fearlessly and directly. I expect law school will help give me the tools to continue to unite and work with a diverse group of people. I hope to continue to empower and lead minority communities as we strive towards legal and social equality.

Eliza Riffe, '13

EDUCATION: University of Chicago, AB in Anthropology, with honors (2006) WORK EXPERIENCE: Sarbanes-Oxley coordinator and financial analyst, ABM Industries Harper Library, situated at the center of the main quadrangle at the University of Chicago, resembles a converted abbey, with its vaulted ceilings and arched windows. The library was completed in 1912, before Enrico Fermi built the world’s first nuclear reactor, before Milton Friedman devised the permanent income hypothesis, and well before Barack Obama taught Constitutional Law. Generations of scholars have pored over Adam Smith and Karl Marx in the main reading room, penned world-class treatises at the long wooden tables, and worn their coats indoors against the drafts in the spacious Gothic hall. Abiding over all of these scholars, and over me when I was among them, is an inscription under the library’s west window that has served as my guiding intellectual principle: “Read not to believe or contradict, but to weigh and consider.” Per this inscription, which is an abridgement of a passage by Sir Francis Bacon, we readers ought to approach knowledge as a means of enhancing our judgment and not as fodder for proclamations or discord. The generations of scholars poring over Marx, for example, should seek to observe his theories of economic determinism in the world, not immediately begin to foment a riot in the drafty reading room at Harper. The reader may contend, though, that too much weighing and considering could lead to inertia, or worse, to a total lack of conviction. The Harper inscription, however, does not tell its readers to believe in nothing, nor does it instruct them never to contradict a false claim. Instead it prescribes a way to read. The inscription warns us to use knowledge not as a rhetorical weapon, but as a tool for making balanced and informed decisions. On the cruelest days in February during my undergraduate years, when I asked myself why I had not chosen to pursue my studies someplace warmer, I would head to Harper, find a seat from which I would have a clear view of the inscription, and say to myself: “That is why.” On such a day in February, seated at a long Harper table with my coat still buttoned all the way up, I discovered how much I appreciated Carl Schmitt’s clarity and argumentation. I marveled at the way his Concept of the Political progressed incrementally, beginning at the most fundamental, linguistic level. As an anthropology student, I wrongfully assumed that, because Schmitt was often positioned in a neo-conservative tradition, I could not acknowledge him. That day in February, I took the Bacon inscription to heart, modeled its discipline, and was able to transcend that academic tribalism. I added the kernel of The Concept of the Political , Schmitt’s “friend-enemy” dichotomy, to an ever-growing array of images and ideas that I had accumulated, among them Marx’s alienation, C. S. Peirce’s indexicality, and Pierre Bourdieu’s graphical depiction of social space. This patchwork of theories and descriptive models, when weighed and considered, informs my understanding of new ideas I encounter. The academic dons who decided to place the Bacon quote under the western window intended that the idea would transcend the scholastic realm of its readers. Indeed, in my work as a financial analyst for a publicly traded company, it is often a professional touchstone. Though each day in the world of corporate finance is punctuated with deadlines and requests for instantaneous information, I am at my best as an analyst when I consider all of the data thoroughly and weigh the competing agendas. Like emulsified oil and vinegar that separate over time when left undisturbed, the right answer will emerge from among all of the wrong answers when I take the time to consider all of the possibilities. An extra hour spent analyzing an income statement can reveal even more trends than could a cursory glance. Moreover, the more I weigh and consider when I have the opportunity, the more I enhance the judgment I will need to make quick decisions and pronouncements when I do not have time.With inner vision sharpened by years of consideration, I am able to “see into the life of things,” as Wordsworth described in writing of “Tintern Abbey.” Wordsworth’s memory of the abbey provided him much-needed transcendence in moments of loneliness or boredom. The memory of the inscription under the west window at Harper—“Read not to believe or contradict, but to weigh and consider”—has a similar function. For Wordsworth, Tintern alleviated emotional anguish; for me, the Bacon inscription reaffirms a sense of intellectual purpose. The words under the window, their meaning, and the very curvature of the letters in the stone are fixed in my mind and will continue to be as I enter the life of the law. What intrigues me most about legal education is the opportunity to engage simultaneously in the two complementary processes the Harper inscription inspires in me—building a foundation of theories and descriptive models while enhancing my judgment with practice and patience.

Evan Rose, '13

EDUCATION: University of Otago (New Zealand), BA in Philosophy (1999) WORK EXPERIENCE: Ski and Snowboard Schools of Aspen/Snowmass, Eurospecs Limited (NZ) LAW SCHOOL ACTIVITIES: LSA 1L Representative, BLSA, Student Admissions Committee As I tumble through the air, time seems to slow. I have fallen hard many times before, but even before I hit the ground I can tell this fall is different. I complete one and a half back flips and slam shoulders-first into the slope. As I lie on the hill, the snow jammed into the hood of my jacket begins to melt, and icy water runs down my back. I do not yet know that the impact has broken my neck. I grew up only a short drive from some of New Zealand’s best ski resorts, but my family could never afford ski vacations. My first opportunity to try snowboarding came on a trip with my university flatmate.With expectations shaped purely by the media, I left for the trip assuming snowboarding was a sport for adrenaline junkies, troublemakers, and delinquents. Much to my surprise, I instead found that it provided me with a sense of peace that defied these preconceptions. Anxiety had been a constant companion throughout much of my childhood. I had not always been this way, but years of physical and psychological abuse at the hands of my stepfather had taken their toll. My once carefree demeanor had changed, leaving me fearful, panicky, and timid. On a snowboard these feelings faded into the background for the first time in years, and the difference was profound. I never truly realized the pain I had endured until riding gave me the opportunity to escape it. I sought out every possible opportunity to go riding, and through the sport I pushed the limits of both my physical and mental courage. Snowboarding became a vehicle for regaining the confidence and self-worth that had been taken from me through the injustice of abuse. Even as I began to ride competitively in boardercross racing and halfpipe, launching myself into the air over sixty-foot jumps, the sense of peace I gained during my first day on a snowboard stayed with me. It did, at least, until that April afternoon. As I lay in a hospital bed a few hours after my accident, an overwhelming sense of fear replaced any confidence that snowboarding had instilled in me. I faced the prospect of a lengthy and complicated surgery, with no certainty about the outcome. I knew my shattered vertebrae could easily leave me paralyzed. I was lucky to be alive, but any sense of luck eluded me as pain sent me in and out of consciousness. Two days later, surgeons worked for seven hours to rebuild my neck. I awoke to learn that I had escaped any serious nerve damage. However, I would need to be immobilized by a brace twenty-four hours a day, and for over three months, before I could even contemplate rehabilitation. Those months passed slowly. When I was finally able to start the process of rehabilitation, I made recovery my full-time job. I quickly learned that pain was to become the central reality of that year. The first day I could walk to my mailbox marked a significant achievement. Determined to return to full health, and even hoping to eventually return to riding, I gritted my teeth through the daily therapy sessions. At each subsequent visit, my doctor expressed his surprise at the progress of my recovery. Only twelve months after my injury, he cleared me to make a few careful runs on an easy, groomed slope. While I made it through those first few runs safely, they left me shaking with fear. Since then, I have again found joy in riding, but no amount of determination will allow me to ride the way I had before. I won’t be attempting double back flips again any time soon. Rather than focusing on my own riding, I now direct my energy into coaching. My experiences showed me the transformative power of courage and self-confidence, and taught me to build these qualities in others. At the Aspen Skiing Company, I develop and implement teaching curricula for more than two hundred snowboard instructors. My goal is for my fellow coaches to recognize that snowboarding can offer much more than just a diversion. It has the potential to have a profound and inspiring impact on their students’ lives. In the ample time my recovery allowed for reflection, I found solace in the fact that the abuse in my childhood fostered in me not bitterness, but an enduring dedication to fairness and justice. As a college student, this dedication led me to seek out classes in ethics and morality. As a manager and leader, I strive to display both courage and enduring fairness. My interest in the legal profession stems from my belief that laws represent the concrete expressions of justice and fairness in our society. After discovering the salvation it held for me, I believed that I was reliant on snowboarding. Yet, being forced to face the grueling process of rehabilitation without it allowed me to take the final step to recovery from the trauma of my childhood. I realized I am much stronger and more resilient than I had previously believed. I realized that courage is not something that snowboarding gave me but something that has always been within me. These realizations have prepared me to broaden the scope of my dedication to justice. Secure in the knowledge that the courage and determination I have shown will help shape my future success, I am now ready to take on this new challenge: the study and practice of law.  

[2024] 4 Law School Personal Statement Examples from Top Programs

by Talha Omer, MBA, M.Eng., Harvard & Cornell Grad

In personal statement samples by field.

In this article, I will discuss 4 law school personal statement samples. These statements have been written by successful applicants who gained admission to prestigious US Law schools like Yale, Harvard, and Stanford. The purpose of these examples is to demonstrate how prospective applicants like yourself can artfully integrate their passion, skills, and pertinent experiences into a captivating narrative.

* To further guide you on your law school application journey, I will not only present these personal statement samples but will also provide my expert review after each one. This includes an analytical feedback, a graded evaluation, and a detailed discussion of any identified weaknesses and strengths within the personal statement. Through this comprehensive analysis, I aim to provide a clearer understanding of what makes a compelling law school personal statement.

In the process of composing these personal statements, the applicants have drawn upon valuable insights from several of my previous writings on the subject. Furthermore, you are encouraged to utilize my prior works as a resource to aid you in crafting your own personal statement.

In those posts I’ve discussed the  art of constructing a captivating personal statement , and I’ve highlighted the  pitfalls to avoid  to ensure your law school essay leaves a positive impression.

I’ve also shared valuable tips on  structuring your personal statement for clarity and readability, not to mention  how to create a powerful opening  that grabs attention from the start. And let’s not forget about maintaining brevity while effectively telling your story, as well as offering a vast range of  personal statement examples  from different fields for reference.

And yes, do not forget to explore my  8-point framework  that anyone can use to self-evaluate their law school personal statement. Complementing this, I’ve also created a  7-point guide  to help you steer clear of potential traps and missteps in your personal statement.

I encourage you to explore these topics in depth, as they will be useful while we explore the sample personal statement for law schools.

In this Article

1) Research the Law School

2) outline your law school personal statement, 3) write a compelling introduction, 4) showcase your achievements and interests in law, 5) articulate your motivations for pursuing law, 6) highlight unique qualities for the legal field, 7) addressing potential weaknesses or gaps, 8) craft a persuasive conclusion, my in-depth feedback on sample 1, my in-depth feedback on sample 2, my in-depth feedback on sample 3, my in-depth feedback on sample 4, why do law schools require a personal statement, does every law school require a personal statement, what should you avoid in a law school personal statement, can i use the same personal statement for all law schools, should i put my name on my law school personal statement, should you brainstorm your law school personal statement, how to write a personal statement for law school.

Writing a personal statement for law school requires thorough research, a well-structured outline, and a captivating introduction. The following steps will guide you in crafting a coherent and compelling narrative that effectively showcases your journey and aspirations in the field of law. For a more detailed post, follow this ultimate guide on how to write a personal statement .

Begin by immersing yourself in extensive research about the law school you are applying to. Explore the institution’s website, paying close attention to its mission, curriculum, faculty expertise, and any unique offerings such as clinical programs or specialized courses. Familiarize yourself with the admission requirements and tailor your personal statement to highlight relevant qualifications.

Immerse yourself in the law school’s culture and gain insights from faculty members, current students, or alumni. Attend informational sessions or open houses to gather additional details. Reflect on how the law school aligns with your career goals in the legal field and incorporate this understanding into your personal statement, showcasing your dedication and suitability.

Before delving into writing your personal statement, create a comprehensive outline of its content. Begin with a captivating introduction , which could include a compelling anecdote, an impactful quote, or a statement that highlights your passion for the law.

For example: “Ever since I witnessed the transformative power of the law in securing justice for the vulnerable, I have been driven to pursue a legal career that upholds the principles of equity and fairness.”

Next, outline your academic achievements and relevant experiences, such as internships, research projects, or extracurricular activities that demonstrate your commitment to the field of law. Emphasize the skills you have developed and the honors you have received.

Articulate your motivations for pursuing a legal education, sharing your aspirations and long-term goals. Highlight unique strengths, such as critical thinking, analytical abilities, or effective communication skills. If necessary, address any potential concerns or gaps in your application, explaining the situation and showcasing your ability to overcome challenges.

Conclude by reiterating your passion and qualifications for the legal profession and express your enthusiasm for joining the law school. This structured approach will ensure a coherent and persuasive personal statement.

Begin your personal statement with a captivating introduction that immediately grabs the reader’s attention. Consider starting with an engaging anecdote, a thought-provoking quote, or a personal experience that sparked your interest in the law.

For instance: “In a world where justice often hangs in the balance, I recall the moment I witnessed a courtroom’s transformative power. The eloquence of the attorneys, the weight of their arguments, and the profound impact on the lives of those involved compelled me to pursue a legal career.”

Briefly introduce the central theme of your personal statement, whether it’s your passion for advocating for others, your commitment to upholding justice, or your desire to make a positive impact through the law. A compelling introduction sets the tone for the rest of your personal statement.

In your personal statement, focus on highlighting your academic and professional accomplishments that showcase your preparedness for law school. Discuss relevant internships, research projects, or academic achievements that demonstrate your commitment to the field.

For example: “During my internship at XYZ Law Firm, I had the privilege of working alongside experienced attorneys, analyzing complex legal cases and conducting in-depth legal research. This experience solidified my passion for legal advocacy and honed my ability to navigate intricate legal frameworks.”

Illustrate key achievements, such as publications, successful legal cases, or leadership roles within legal organizations. Explain how these experiences have shaped your interest in law and contributed to your growth and expertise in the field.

Clearly articulate your motivations for pursuing a legal education. Share personal experiences, challenges, or encounters that have fueled your desire to make a difference through the law.

For example: “Growing up in a community where access to justice was limited, I witnessed firsthand the disparities in legal representation. These experiences instilled in me a deep sense of responsibility to advocate for those who have been marginalized by the legal system.”

Outline your career goals and aspirations, illustrating how obtaining a legal education aligns with your vision. Discuss how the law school’s program, faculty, and resources will contribute to your growth and help you achieve your professional objectives.

Highlight personal qualities and attributes that make you well-suited for a legal career. Emphasize traits such as critical thinking, problem-solving abilities, research skills, or effective communication.

For instance: “My ability to analyze complex legal issues, combined with my unwavering commitment to pursuing justice, has enabled me to approach legal challenges with both empathy and determination.

Provide concrete examples that demonstrate how these qualities have positively impacted your academic or professional experiences. Showcase how these qualities align with the values and expectations of the law school, presenting a strong case for your fit within the legal community.

Address any weaknesses or gaps in your application candidly. If you encountered obstacles or faced academic challenges, briefly mention them, focusing on what you have learned and how you have grown as a result.

Demonstrate resilience and determination by highlighting subsequent achievements or steps you have taken to overcome difficulties. Showcase how these experiences have strengthened your commitment and prepared you for the rigors of law school.

Your conclusion should effectively summarize the key points of your personal statement. Recap your passion for the law, the skills you have acquired, and your future ambitions within the legal field.

For example: “Driven by an unwavering commitment to justice and armed with a solid foundation in legal research and advocacy, I am ready to embark on this transformative journey in law school.”

Express your enthusiasm for contributing to the legal profession, emphasizing how your unique perspective and experiences will enrich the law school community. Conclude with a confident and concise statement that demonstrates your readiness to excel in their program and make a meaningful impact in the field of law.

Sample 1: NYU, UCLA, and Duke

Variations of this personal statement got accepted at nyu, ucla, and duke..

One day, I decided to quit home, leave my parents behind and move to a small rural town called Leiah after being inconsiderately and incessantly forced to marry a cousin. It was a bold step, but I did not want to be like other women in my country who do not fight for their rights. While living in solicitude in Leiah, I stumbled upon a poor old man sitting beside a piece of furniture that would define his existence. Lying limply on a street corner, the old man had only one helping hand – the crippled furniture.

Coming from a privileged background, I saw for the first time the disparity between the haves and have-nots. Nothing, however, seemed more unlikely when I first arrived. Constrained by their poverty, these rural people took what jobs they could find, working for long hours in the field and finally retrieving their broken houses and furniture for respite. They were outrageously overworked and underpaid but never brought any bitterness home. At that time, I realized how blessed I was, and they were not.

Inspired by these experiences, I decided to use my education and connections to bring change to the lives of these people of Leiah. By collaborating with an NGO for money and resources, I started giving out basic amenities and finances to set up cheap livable houses for these people. I didn’t stop there – I joined a maternity home in Leiah as a public liaison officer and helped the clinic with legal and administrative issues. By understanding the numerous Federal and State laws regarding Health Care, I better equipped myself at work. After tireless efforts, I handled several cases of women and children who suffered abuse, violence, and neglect.

I wanted to discuss these experiences because I believe that, as an ever-present factor during many of these four formative years, these incidents played a significant role in shaping the adult I have become. Ten years ago, I would never have foreseen that I could become a powerful vehicle for others’ growth by living in a village. The experience has helped me develop a heightened sensitivity for those who have struggled to fit into our society. As a result, I decided to move back to the city after several years and pursue further education in law and political science. During these academic years, I was actively involved with various community service projects and as an investigator in law firms, allowing me to interact with troubled and disadvantaged youth and the mentally disabled.

I have long been interested in law as an academic discipline, and working in rural areas has confirmed that my academic interests would extend to the real-world application of legal principles. To this end, I purposefully chose jobs that provided very distinct perspectives on law practice. As a legal assistant, I became acquainted with both the advantages and disadvantages of private practice. As a member of the human rights commission, I investigated how non-profits worked at a larger scale to improve the lives of the underprivileged. Moreover, helping in DIL (development in literacy) has offered me a glimpse of how the law may be used constructively in the public sector. I am currently working as a member of the Michigan chapter on fundraising that will take place next year in LA. All these positions have equally impressed upon me the unique potential of the law to make a direct, positive impact on people’s lives.

Working as a legal consultant, I was initially turned off by the formal language, which permeated all writing and discourse (“Aforementioned • legalese had heretofore proven incomprehensible”). As one unfamiliar with the jargon, I found the law to be pretentious and distant. Gradually, however, I began to sort out the shades of difference between a “motion in limine” and a “56(f) motion.” Finally, I understood the law as a vast set of rules which could, with intelligence and creativity, genuinely be used on behalf of values such as fairness and justice.

In addition to my primary assignment on an antitrust case, some exposure to pro bono work further convinced me that law has a vital role in our society. I am also avidly involved in extra-curricular activities. For example, I went to India to attend my father’s book launch (a writer) organized by Ghalib Council, Delhi. By collaborating and bonding with the people of India, I could impart brotherhood and literacy since I found Indian people more educated than us. My society needs education and health, and I want to work in these areas when I return.

As with my experience at a law firm, I soon realized the practical application of the laws written here. Unlike most of the public, who see only the final version of a bill, being part of the health legislative process has forced me to examine all sides of any given issue. Although politics can make this process agonizingly slow and inefficient, my work here has given me a greater appreciation for how laws affect our constituents back home.

Given my skills, I am convinced that health law presents the single greatest chance for me to make a difference, both in the lives of individuals and in terms of influencing the broader fabric of society. Moreover, I am confident that my insistence on looking beyond those first impressions has provided me with an exciting opportunity to apply and study at UCLA Law.

The woman in my society is an artisan and a tradesperson. She’s an economist and a doctor. She is also a fisherwoman and a craftsperson. She’s a mentor, nurturer, parliamentarian, and cultivator. She’s brimming with life and capability, but she waits for what justly belongs to her: the right to a superior life.

Here is a brief review and rating of this personal statement based on different aspects:

• Hook and Introduction (4.5/5): Your introduction is powerful and immediately hooks the reader. It shows strength, courage, and determination.
• Background and Motivation (4.5/5): You’ve done a great job of illustrating your background and motivation, which stem from your experiences in Leiah. You could add more about how these experiences triggered your interest in law.
• Relevance and Competency (4/5): You have demonstrated a clear path from your experiences to your interest in law, but a more explicit discussion about the legal skills you have developed and how you applied them would make this section stronger.
• Passion and Personal Drive (5/5): Your passion for law, social justice, and helping others is palpable and will make a strong impression on the admission committee.
• Program Fit and Future Goals (3/5): Your statement is currently lacking in specific references to the law school you’re applying to, making it difficult to assess fit. Discussing how the program aligns with your career goals and what aspects of the program particularly attract you would strengthen your application.
• Conclusion (4/5): Your conclusion is effective in tying together your experiences and your desire to study law. However, a clearer expression of your readiness for law school and how you plan to contribute to the law school community would enhance this section.

Now, let’s delve deeper into each part of your statement:

• Introduction: Your introduction is powerful and impactful. The raw honesty about your decision to leave home and confront societal norms hooks the reader immediately. It tells us you are strong, independent, and willing to make hard choices. One suggestion would be to more directly link this bold decision to your interest in law—did it spark a desire for justice, or a passion for advocating for others who are oppressed?
• Background and Challenges: You effectively depict the stark contrast between your privileged upbringing and the poverty-stricken lives of the people in Leiah. Your empathy is palpable, and it showcases your character and capacity for understanding others’ situations. To provide more context, you could elaborate on the societal and cultural norms that were challenged by your experiences in Leiah and how these experiences shaped your view of law and justice.
• Transferable Skills: You talk about your role as a public liaison officer and how it familiarized you with Federal and State healthcare laws. This shows you’ve already been using legal skills in a practical environment, a strong point in your favor. Perhaps expand on the specific skills or competencies you gained during this period, such as negotiation, critical thinking, or public speaking, and how they will be beneficial in a law school environment.
• Passion and Goals: Your experiences, such as working with NGOs and maternity homes, indicate a strong passion for social justice. The goal of using law to improve the lives of the underprivileged is noble and will resonate with law schools. It might be beneficial to discuss specific areas of law you are interested in (e.g., human rights, public interest law) and how you see yourself contributing in these areas in the future.
• Relevant Experiences: Your varied experiences, from community service to law firm investigation work, provide you with a wealth of practical experiences, all very relevant to your law school journey. Perhaps you could add more detail about how these experiences solidified your desire to study law and how they shaped your perspective on legal practice.
• Specific Interest in the School: The personal statement does not mention a specific law school or its program. Including a paragraph detailing why you are interested in the specific school you are applying to, and how its program aligns with your career goals, could strengthen your application. Discuss the school’s specific courses, faculty, or values that attract you.
• Conclusion: While your conclusion effectively ties together your experiences and future law goals, it could be more direct in expressing your readiness to face the challenges of law school and contribute to the school community.

Your personal statement is already compelling, but adding more context to your experiences and making clear links between your past, present, and future in the context of law could further enhance it. Remember, specificity is key—whether it’s about the skills you’ve gained, the experiences that shaped your interest in law, or the specific school you’re applying to.

Sample 2: Northwestern, Vanderbilt, and UC Berkeley

Variations of this personal statement got accepted at northwestern, vanderbilt, and uc berkeley..

Unlike many, my passion for acquiring a law degree is neither a childhood fantasy of fighting a case in a courtroom nor a preconceived notion of myself as a lawyer. Instead, I recognize that a law degree would enable me to advance my career as a taxation lawyer.

I had to skip schooling during 4th and 5th grade and instead studied at home. This was due to the financial difficulties stemming from my mother’s cancer treatment, which put a significant financial burden on us. Additionally, as a female from an agricultural and rural family, I faced family pressure to attend a public school instead of a private one. But I did not succumb to these pressures. Instead, I persevered in studying and investing in getting myself private education through partial financial support from my older brother and by working part-time as a writer and content curator. Six months before my high-school graduation, my mother succumbed to her illness and passed away. She spent the last eight years of her life bedridden. The loss was immeasurable, but life had to move on.

I first set my sights on becoming a lawyer when I interned at a law firm during the summer break following my high school graduation. Throughout this internship, I annoyed my supervisors by writing long-winded legal documents even when they asked for a few sentences – this was because of the writing habits I had developed as a content writer. With time, I started to write better legal reports, but my attention was increasingly turned toward tax law. With the guidance and counseling of my supervisors, I applied to an undergrad law program. I spent the next several years understanding the Federal Reserve’s proposed Income Tax Ordinance, including exemptions from income tax and withholding tax.

Throughout this time, I continued to work part-time with various firms, hospitals, and non-profits as a volunteer, legal advisor, and editor. Upon graduation, I applied for the position of legal advisor at the Monthly Atlantic. My current job entails researching and reporting for the newspaper on appropriations bills and export legislation. I also write daily summaries of major contracts awarded by the Federal Government. I am also primarily responsible for supporting discrete legal issues by advising the organization, drafting undertakings, and structuring remedies for the relevant issues.

I am excited but also apprehensive as I try to explain legal jargon to an informed general audience, some of whom may know more about these policies than I do. For example, recently, I had a significant challenge in understanding and decoding the budget proposals of the Federal Reserve, by section 42 of the MOPA Act, 1956 (the Act), in which the entire income of the Federal Reserve and its subsidiaries is remitted to the federal government. After thoroughly going through the provisions, I learned there are still some provisions in the Income Tax Ordinance 2001, Sales Tax Act 1990, and Federal Excise Act 2005, attracting the application of taxes and duties.

Too often, I need more legal knowledge to fully grasp bills that control how companies do business overseas, the limits to which government agencies can go to collect covert intelligence, or the amount of funding an agency can receive in a given time. On the one hand, these limitations have yet to do much to impair me in my current position. I am called to turn out several short stories daily on various topics without going into significant detail. However, I would like to advance to more complex and challenging assignments one day. I fear I will be able to do so if I acquire more expertise than I can within the confines of my deadline-driven job. It is a belief shared by several of my colleagues and many of the senior legal consultants at the newspaper that those who hold advanced degrees in law, business, and related disciplines are at an edge. A law degree would put me in a better position to join their ranks, mainly if I could attend school while continuing to work as a legal advisor in taxation-related instances.

Given my circumstances and interests, a graduate degree in taxation law from UC Berkeley is my ideal choice. In addition, I have an acquaintance that is currently enrolled at Berkeley Law school. His generous feedback has convinced me that this program would also fit my needs considering its flexible schedule and emphasis on tax law.

• Hook and Introduction (5/5): The hook and introduction effectively capture the reader’s attention and provide a clear understanding of your unique motivation for pursuing a law degree. The personal anecdote about your internship and your writing habits adds interest to the narrative and sets the stage for the rest of the personal statement.
• Background and Motivation (4.5/5): The background section effectively outlines the challenges you faced during your education and personal life, showcasing your resilience and determination. It helps the reader understand the context in which your passion for law developed. The motivation behind your interest in taxation law is well-explained, highlighting how your experiences and skills have guided you towards this specific field.
• Relevance and Competency (4/5): You effectively demonstrate your competence by discussing your experiences as a legal advisor, writer, and content curator. The mention of your work with firms, hospitals, and non-profits further strengthens your case. However, it would be beneficial to provide more specific examples or achievements that highlight your skills and expertise in taxation law.
• Passion and Personal Drive (4.5/5): Your passion for taxation law shines through in your personal statement. The enthusiasm you express for writing legal reports and your desire to tackle more complex assignments demonstrate your genuine interest in the field. The mention of your colleagues and senior legal consultants’ belief in the value of advanced degrees in law further emphasizes your commitment to continuous learning and professional growth.
• Program Fit and Future Goals (3/5): While you express your interest in pursuing a graduate degree in taxation law from UC Berkeley, the personal statement lacks specific details about why this program is a perfect fit for your goals. Providing more information about the program’s strengths and how they align with your aspirations would strengthen this section.
• Conclusion (4/5): The conclusion effectively wraps up your personal statement and reinforces your commitment to pursuing a law degree. It restates your interest in UC Berkeley and highlights the feedback you received from an acquaintance at the institution. However, it could be enhanced by briefly summarizing your key strengths and accomplishments and how they will contribute to your success in the program.
• Introduction: The introduction of the personal statement effectively hooks the reader by highlighting your unique motivation for pursuing a law degree with a focus on taxation law. The mention of it not being a childhood fantasy and instead recognizing the degree as a means to advance your career sets the tone for the rest of the statement.
• Background and Challenges: The section detailing your background and the challenges you faced is compelling. The explanation of having to skip schooling due to financial difficulties resulting from your mother’s cancer treatment adds depth to your personal story. It showcases your resilience in overcoming obstacles and your determination to pursue education despite the circumstances. The mention of facing family pressure to attend a public school instead of a private one further emphasizes your determination and ability to make your own choices.
• Transferable Skills: While you mention working part-time as a writer and content curator, the transferable skills gained from this experience could be further elaborated upon. Explaining how your writing skills, attention to detail, and ability to analyze information have prepared you for the demands of the legal field would strengthen this section.
• Passion and Goals: Your passion for law and taxation law is effectively conveyed throughout the personal statement. The explanation of your interest developing during your internship at a law firm, where you consistently wrote legal documents, showcases your dedication and enthusiasm. The mention of your desire to tackle more complex assignments and the belief shared by colleagues and senior legal consultants that advanced degrees are advantageous demonstrate your long-term goals and commitment to professional growth.
• Relevant Experiences: The inclusion of your various volunteer and advisory roles, as well as your current position as a legal advisor at the Monthly Atlantic, highlights your practical experience in the field. However, providing more specific examples or accomplishments from these experiences would enhance this section and further illustrate your competence and expertise.
• Specific Interest in the School: While you express an interest in pursuing a graduate degree in taxation law from UC Berkeley, the personal statement lacks specific details about why this program is a perfect fit for your goals. Adding more information about the program’s strengths, faculty, or specific courses that align with your interests would strengthen this section.
• Conclusion: The conclusion effectively wraps up the personal statement by restating your commitment to pursuing a law degree and emphasizing your interest in UC Berkeley. However, it could be strengthened by summarizing your key strengths, experiences, and goals and how they align with the school’s offerings.

Overall, your personal statement effectively conveys your passion for taxation law, your determination to overcome challenges, and your commitment to professional growth. Strengthening the sections on transferable skills, providing more specific examples of relevant experiences, and including more specific details about the school’s fit would enhance the overall impact of the statement.

Sample 3: Georgetown

Variations of this personal statement got accepted at georgetown..

My desire to apply to law school is not rooted in a childhood fantasy of arguing a case before a packed courtroom. I have never seen myself as a trial attorney, ala Perry Mason or Nora Lewin on Law & Order. However, a legal education would enable me to advance my career as a writer and analyst specializing in national security and global trade issues.

I first set my sights on becoming a writer when I learned my letters. But, of course, mastering the ABCs may have been a long way from winning the Pulitzer. Nevertheless, this minor detail did not prevent me from completing three “novels” and my version of Genesis before the age of seven. Throughout elementary and junior high school, I annoyed my teachers by writing 10-page themes whenever they asked for a few sentences. Later, as a high school and college student, I continued writing, though my attention was increasingly turned toward other subjects. Ultimately, one of my professors directed me on a path that would combine my background in writing with government and policymaking. With her help, I secured an internship with a government contractor. As a result, I spent the spring and summer writing copy for websites that the company managed for the government while taking additional classes at university.

In February, I accepted a full-time job as a researcher at Washington Post, where I am now an assistant editor. My current job entails researching and reporting on defense appropriations bills and export legislation, as well as writing daily summaries of major contracts awarded by the Department of Defense and other defense ministries worldwide. With enthusiasm but some trepidation, I attempt to decode pages of legal jargon for an educated lay readership, many of whom I suspect know more than I about such policies. But, too often, I lack the legal knowledge to fully grasp bills that control how companies do business overseas, the limits to which government agencies can go to collect covert intelligence, or the amount of funding an agency can receive in a given length of time.

On the one hand, these limitations have yet to do much to impair me in my current position. I am called to turn out several short stories daily on various topics without going into significant detail. However, I would like to advance to more difficult reporting assignments one day. I fear I will be able to do so if I acquire more expertise than I can within the confines of my deadline-driven job. I also would like to It is a belief shared by several of my colleagues, as well as many of the senior writers and editors at my company who hold advanced degrees in law, business, and related disciplines. A law degree would put me in a better position to join their ranks, mainly if I could attend school while continuing to work as a journalist.

Given my circumstances and interests, Georgetown University Law Center, with its top-ranked intellectual property and international law programs, is my ideal choice. In addition, I have a colleague that is currently enrolled in the Georgetown evening law program. His generous feedback has convinced me that this program would also fit my needs considering its flexible schedule and emphasis on legal writing.

Your personal statement presents a compelling narrative that effectively communicates your passion for writing, your current profession, and your interest in furthering your education in law to augment your skills and understanding. Here are a few suggestions to improve it further:

• Specifics: While you mention you would like to join the ranks of your colleagues who hold advanced degrees in law and related disciplines, it would be beneficial to include specific examples of how having a law degree could have or will benefit you in your current role.
• Motivation: You’ve done a great job discussing your professional path and how you hope a legal education will benefit your career. Still, it would help if you were to discuss any personal reasons or experiences that have led you to want to study law. Personal narratives often make an applicant more relatable and can help the reader understand your motivation better.
• Intention: You may want to further discuss how you plan to apply your law degree to your current career or future aspirations.
• Completion: Towards the end, it seems there is a sentence that is not completed: “I also would like to It is a belief shared by several of my colleagues…”. You might want to revise this sentence to make your statement clearer.
• Why Georgetown: While you have discussed that Georgetown University Law Center is your top choice, consider elaborating on why Georgetown, in particular, is the perfect fit for your career goals, apart from its flexible schedule and the fact that your colleague is enrolled there. You could mention specific courses, professors, or the university’s ethos, for example.

Your personal statement is already quite strong, and these suggestions are only meant to fine-tune your narrative further.

Sample 4: Harvard Law

Variations of this llm personal statement got accepted at university of pennsylvania, oxford university, and harvard law school..

I grew up in a middle-class family in Malaysia, where discipline and responsible behavior were the only doctrines taught. At school, I maintained 100% attendance without exception – a feat that my parents and I take pride in. My parents’ utmost involvement throughout my growing years always made me outshine my peers. Though my school grades were average, I represented my school in many activities ranging from debates and dramatics to being a soccer team captain for the entire house.

I have always had complete freedom from my parents until I had to choose a career. A STEM career was my parents’ priority, but for the first time, I differed from my family and chose Social Sciences. I was told that career prospects were bleak and that I was making the wrong decision, but I persisted. While majoring in social sciences, I met a mentor, Dr. Anonymous, a top economist. He challenged me intellectually, which helped me become a better thinker.

Subsequently, I secured the second position in college. My life turned around as people started to value my opinions, and at that time, I discovered my passion, “to speak.” I was chosen as the Coordinator for a Student Leadership Program, where I was mainly responsible for teaching empathy to hundreds of students from elite schools.

At the same time, at age 17, I met the chief editor of the New York Times, who invited me to host the “Youth Forum,” a program to highlight young people’s perspectives on existing social issues. With 55 episodes spanning over 2.5 years, I questioned youth’s role in our turbulent political, social, and economic system. The show gained popularity and performed exceptionally on TRP scores, with viewership growing to over 500,000.

At college, I met another mentor, Justice Anonymous of the Federal Court of Malaysia, who allowed me to attend court sessions as an observer of cross-questioning sessions. In addition, I socialized with lawyers at many forums, including the Court’s Cafeteria, where all appreciated my love for the field. In my 5th semester, I took a course on U.K. Constitutional Law, where I learned about the history of the U.K. Constitution. In the session on “Parliamentary Sovereignty” and “Britain’s relationship with the European Union,” the professor gave me new energy to research further about the steps in forming its Constitution. The more I read, the more I appreciated the perseverance of the founding fathers and the strong foundation England and Wales is built on.

A few years back, I attended the Oxford University Experience-Summer Course for Teens, Summerfuel. The program helped me with experiential learning about what college life is like. During my stay, I had plenty of opportunities to experience English life outside the classroom. Here, in a session, I narrated the first paragraph of the declaration of independence and asked, “whether all men are equal?”. To this, the professor appreciated my enthusiasm for constitutional law.

On my return to Malaysia, I had new energy to question the existing constitutional norms of Malaysia and kept comparing the constitutions of both countries and analyzing the factors that led to present-day turbulence in Malaysia. It is evident through the literature and historical precedence that the Constitution of Malaysia has been used maliciously to favor the powermongers. This indicates the lack of sincerity and dedication of the leaders who have formed this country.

Sadly, very few competent constitutional lawyers exist in the country that also happened to have played in the hands of powerful politicians who manipulated the Constitution to favor their vested interests. Therefore, I decided to take a career in this area as I aspire to be one of the few upright constitutional lawyers. I want to be amongst those who have shaped law and politics in Malaysia. Not amongst those who played in the hands of the powerful.

I want to choose Oxford Law for several reasons. Its tradition for excellence, the unique constitutional law curriculum, the summer program, and the excellent opportunity to meet and network with individuals from different parts of the world. I believe that Oxford law school’s vibrant and diverse community actively affirms my personality of maintaining lifelong relations. These different connections serve as a general resource for the campus community and a source of empowerment for students like me. The diverse setting at Oxford will enable me to investigate and engage in current issues and more profound societal questions. As a result, I will be able to discover how I can positively impact the world around me.

I am looking for an environment that promotes lively debates to complement my active speaking and reasoning traits. I can access well-known professors and discuss legal issues with exceptional young lawyers from more than 35 countries. Oxford offers a culture of collegiality and collaboration, where international students feel comfortable. At Oxford, professors like Dr. Anonymous, who specialize in constitutional law, and courses such as Democracy, Judicial Law-Making, & Constitutional Law can help nurture my skills and move forward in my career.

Professor Dr. Anonymous, a former Lord Justice in Wales, will teach me the value of strategy in litigation. Next, professor Dr. Anonymous and Dr. Anonymous will introduce me to the fabulous world of copyright. Finally, professor Dr. Anonymous will show me the foundations of the England and Wales litigation system. My long-term goal is to teach and practice constitutional law and eventually join politics on the path to becoming a leading politician. I have been inspired by high-achieving lawyers in Malaysia, such as Justice Anonymous, who have shaped Malaysia’s media, politics, and legal practice. I aspire to be the next in line.

Oxford offers a vast clinical & pro bono program via externships ranging from civil practice clinic to Wales Human Relations Commission. These externships indicate that Oxford wants to help all, a notion uncommon in Malaysia. Oxford is a lab for innovation and opportunities, as seen from the example of hundreds of Alumni that Oxford Law has catered to. I firmly believe that Oxford will genuinely appreciate my leadership at every scale and will polish my raw qualities and channel them so that I can apply them in Malaysia. Actual change on the grass root comes through education, and Oxford Law School is the ideal medium to achieve the highest standards.

Overall, your personal statement is impressive and well-articulated, illustrating a journey of personal and academic growth that highlights your passion, determination, and ambition. You make a compelling case for why you are interested in studying law, and specifically constitutional law, at Oxford. The narrative is well structured, and your argument about the need for constitutional reform in Malaysia is compelling and novel. Your professional experiences and extracurricular activities are quite impressive, providing evidence of your initiative and leadership abilities.

However, there are a few areas where your personal statement could be improved.

• Language & Tone: There are some areas where the tone may come off as overly self-congratulatory, which could potentially turn off some admissions officers. For instance, you could soften the phrase “My parents’ utmost involvement throughout my growing years always made me outshine my peers.”
• Coherence: The transitions between paragraphs are sometimes abrupt. For example, the transition from your second to third paragraph, where you switch from discussing your choice of Social Sciences to your achievement of securing second position in college, lacks a clear connecting link.
• Specificity: You could provide more specifics to demonstrate the impact of your work. For example, instead of mentioning that you taught empathy to hundreds of students, it would be helpful to illustrate what this entailed and what results it achieved.
• Mention of Oxford: The reasons for choosing Oxford Law seem generic and could apply to any top law school. To make your statement more compelling, research more about what is specific to Oxford Law – perhaps a unique program or course, or a faculty member’s work you admire, and express why that appeals to you.
• Criticizing Home Country: The criticism of Malaysia and its leaders seems a bit harsh, which may not resonate well with some readers. While it’s important to be honest about the issues you see, try to express these thoughts in a more constructive manner, focusing more on potential solutions rather than just pointing out problems.
• Ending: The statement ends abruptly. It would be great if you could end on a strong note, summarising your aspirations, and how Oxford fits into that journey.

Here is how I would grade your personal statement:

Content: B+ (The content is strong, but it could benefit from more specific examples and better transitions)

Structure: B (The narrative is coherent but could benefit from smoother transitions and a stronger conclusion)

Language & Tone: B (The tone sometimes comes off as self-congratulatory, and the language could be more nuanced in places)

Alignment with Purpose: B+ (Your statement makes a compelling case for why you want to study law at Oxford, but reasons specific to Oxford could be made more clear)

Overall Grade: B+ 

Your personal statement has a lot of strengths, and with a few tweaks, it could be even stronger. I hope this feedback helps you in refining it further!

Law schools typically require a personal statement for several reasons:

• Understanding You Better: The personal statement provides insights into who you are beyond your academic credentials and achievements. It helps the admissions committee understand your values, personal growth, and unique experiences that might not be evident from your GPA or LSAT scores.
• Assessing Your Communication Skills: Law is a field that requires excellent written communication skills. A well-written personal statement allows the admissions committee to gauge your ability to articulate complex thoughts, express ideas clearly, and construct logical arguments.
• Determining Your Commitment: A thoughtful personal statement can demonstrate your dedication to pursuing a legal career. It’s a way for you to express why you want to study law and how you perceive your future in the field.
• Identifying Diverse Perspectives: Law schools aim to create a diverse and dynamic learning environment. Your personal statement allows you to highlight unique experiences or perspectives that you can bring to the school, thereby contributing to this diversity.
• Evaluating Your Potential Fit: The personal statement gives the law school an opportunity to determine whether you’ll be a good fit for their institution. This isn’t just about you meeting their requirements, but also about whether the school can meet your academic and career aspirations.
• Demonstrating Resilience: Personal statements often include narratives that reveal challenges and obstacles you’ve overcome. These stories can demonstrate your resilience and problem-solving skills, traits that are highly valued in the legal profession.

In summary, a personal statement is a tool that allows law schools to evaluate you holistically. It goes beyond objective measurements of academic potential and provides a more comprehensive view of you as an individual.

Almost all law schools in the United States require a personal statement as part of the application process. The personal statement serves as a critical component of your law school application, allowing admissions committees to understand your motivations, experiences, and skills beyond what is reflected in your academic records and LSAT scores.

However, the specific requirements for law school applications can vary from one institution to another. Some schools may have specific prompts or topics they want you to address in your personal statement, while others may offer more freedom in choosing what to discuss. Certain schools might even ask for additional essays or statements to supplement your application.

If you are applying to law schools outside of the U.S., it’s always a good idea to check the specific admissions guidelines for each law school you’re interested in. Remember that meeting all of the application requirements can demonstrate your commitment and attention to detail, which are valuable traits in the legal field.

What is a Good Length for a Law School Personal Statement?

The length of a personal statement for law school can vary depending on the specific instructions provided by each law school.

A common guideline is typically around two to three double-spaced pages, or approximately 500-750 words.

This length is usually sufficient to provide a detailed narrative without overwhelming the reader with too much information. Remember, admissions committees review many applications, so they appreciate concise and compelling personal statements.

It’s very important to adhere to the instructions provided by each law school you apply to. If a specific word or page count is given, make sure you comply with that limit. Failure to do so could give the impression that you either cannot follow instructions or that you lack the ability to express yourself concisely, neither of which will help your application.

Above all, make sure that every word you write is meaningful and contributes to your overall narrative or argument. A well-crafted, succinct personal statement can often be more powerful than a longer one that lacks focus.

Writing a personal statement for law school can be a challenging task. It’s equally important to know what to avoid as it is to know what to include . Here are some common pitfalls to avoid:

• Vague and Cliché Statements: Avoid clichés and general statements that could apply to anyone. Be specific, personal, and honest in your writing. For example, instead of saying “I want to be a lawyer to fight for justice,” show through your experiences and reflections why and how you’re committed to justice.
• Repeating Your Resume: Your personal statement should not be a recitation of your resume or transcript. It’s an opportunity to share your personal journey, perspectives, and insights that aren’t reflected in other parts of your application.
• Being Overly Emotional or Dramatic: While it’s important to show passion, avoid being excessively emotional or dramatic. Aim to strike a balance between personal storytelling and professional tone.
• Off-topic Content: Stay focused on what the prompt is asking, and tie everything back to your interest in law school and your future career. Avoid irrelevant details or anecdotes.
• Poor Structure and Flow: A disjointed or confusing statement can be difficult to read and may give a negative impression. Plan your statement carefully to ensure it has a clear structure and logical flow.
• Typos and Grammar Errors: These can give the impression of carelessness. Proofread your statement carefully, and consider having others review it as well.
• Negativity or Excuses: If discussing challenges or setbacks, focus on what you learned and how you grew from the experience rather than blaming others or making excuses.
• Making Unsupported Claims: If you claim a particular trait, back it up with concrete examples. For example, instead of just stating that you’re empathetic, share an experience that demonstrates this quality.
• Controversial Topics: Be cautious when discussing potentially divisive subjects, as you don’t want to alienate the reader. If you do choose to address a controversial issue, be sure to do so respectfully and thoughtfully.

Remember, your personal statement is a chance to present an authentic and engaging narrative about your journey towards law school. It should showcase your unique qualities, motivations, and experiences, demonstrating why you would be an excellent addition to the law school’s incoming class.

While it’s possible to use the same base personal statement for all law schools, it is not generally recommended. This is because each law school may have different prompts or expectations for what they want to see in a personal statement. If you don’t tailor your statement to each school, you might miss an opportunity to show how well you align with that specific program or fail to answer the prompt properly.

Additionally, tailoring your personal statement to each school can demonstrate your genuine interest in that particular institution. For example, you might discuss how a specific program, course, or faculty member at that school aligns with your career goals or academic interests. Showing that you’ve done your research and understand what makes each law school unique can make your application more compelling.

That said, it’s also important to maintain consistency and honesty across your applications. You might have a central narrative or theme in your personal statement that remains the same across all versions, while adjusting specific details or sections to better fit each school.

Remember to carefully review the application guidelines for each law school you apply to, paying special attention to any specific prompts or instructions for the personal statement. It’s crucial to ensure that each statement you submit not only meets all requirements, but also clearly conveys why you are a strong fit for each particular law school. 

In general, it’s good practice to include your name and sometimes your LSAC (Law School Admission Council) number on every page of your personal statement, usually in the header or footer. This ensures that if the pages get separated for any reason, the admissions committee can easily match them back up.

However, each law school might have specific guidelines regarding formatting and what information to include. Always follow the specific directions provided by the school to which you’re applying. If the application instructions don’t specify whether or not to include your name, it’s generally safe to include it to ensure your personal statement is easily identifiable.

Also, it’s always a good idea to include a title for your personal statement, even if it’s just “Personal Statement,” so it’s immediately clear what the document is. If you are sending more than one essay or document (like a diversity statement or addendum), this will ensure that each one is clearly identified.

Prior to initiating the writing process, it is vital to set aside some time to formulate your thoughts. Given that the prompts for law school personal statements are usually quite generic—such as, “Why are you interested in studying law?”—candidates often face uncertainty about the best way to approach their response.

You may find yourself overwhelmed with numerous ideas, or conversely, completely devoid of inspiration. To start off, let’s consider a practical approach you can adopt if you’re grappling with where to begin.

Take a writing pad and respond to the subsequent questions:

• Why do I want to go to law school? This question helps to clarify your motivation and passion for pursuing law as a career. It can be grounded in an event, an experience, or a specific interest you’ve cultivated over time .
• What experiences have prepared me for a career in law? These could be academic, work, or extracurricular experiences, where you’ve developed skills that are relevant to a legal career, such as critical thinking, negotiation, or public speaking.
• How have my past experiences influenced my world view? This can provide context about how you approach problems, deal with adversity, or interact with diverse groups, which are all relevant to a legal career.
• How does a law degree fit into my long-term career goals? Here, you’re demonstrating an understanding of how a law degree can contribute to your aspirations, showing a commitment to the field.
• Can I discuss a specific area of law I’m interested in? It’s a bonus if you’re able to tie your experiences and interests to a particular field of law. This shows a depth of understanding and dedication to the subject.
• Is there a unique perspective or diverse background that I can bring to the law school? Schools value diversity in their student body, as it contributes to the richness of classroom discussions and the overall community.
• Have I overcome any significant obstacles or challenges in my life that have shaped who I am? This might provide insight into your resilience, determination, and adaptability, which are valuable traits in a lawyer.
• How have I demonstrated leadership or initiative in the past? Law schools are looking for leaders and self-starters, so any evidence of this will be useful in your personal statement.
• Can I articulate the values and qualities that will make me a good lawyer? You might think about empathy, integrity, diligence, advocacy, or the desire to serve others and uphold justice.
• Why am I a good fit for the specific law school I’m applying to? Consider the school’s mission statement, values, programs, faculty, etc. This can show that you’ve done your research and are committed to attending that particular school.

Formulating a compelling law school personal statement requires thoughtful introspection and strategic planning. By answering these guiding questions, you can navigate the broad prompts and articulate your experiences, motivations, and unique attributes effectively.

Remember, the goal is not to present a list of accomplishments but to paint a vivid picture of your journey towards the legal profession. So, use these questions as your starting point, and craft a narrative that stands out in the sea of applicants and resonates with the admissions committee. The journey towards a career in law starts with this crucial step, and you have the power to shape it.

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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.

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
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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.

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.

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Six Law School Personal Statements That Got Into Harvard By David Busis Published Feb 10, 2021 Updated Feb 10, 2021

The essays below, which were all part of successful applications to Harvard Law, rely on humble reckonings followed by reflections. Some reckonings are political: an applicant grapples with the 2008 financial crisis; another grapples with her political party’s embrace of populism. Others are personal: a student struggles to sprint up a hill; another struggles to speak clearly. The writers have different ideologies, different ambitions, and different levels of engagement with the law. Yet all of them come across as thoughtful, open to change, and ready to serve.

Jump to a personal statement:

Essay 1: Sea Turtles

I stood over the dead loggerhead, blood crusting my surgical gloves and dark green streaks of bile from its punctured gallbladder drying on my khaki shorts. It was the fifth day of a five-week summer scholarship at the University of Chicago’s Marine Biological Laboratory (MBL), and as I shuffled downwind of the massive creature, the pungent scent of its decomposition wafted toward me in the hot summer breeze. Aggressive flies buzzed around my head, occasionally pausing to land on the wad of plastic we had extracted from the loggerhead’s stomach. The plastic had likely caused a blockage somewhere, and the sea turtle had died of malnutrition. When the necropsy was finished, we discarded the remains in a shallow hole under a thicket of trees, and with the last shovel of sand over its permanent resting place, its death became just another data point among myriad others. Would it make a difference in the long, arduous battle against environmental pollution? Probably not. But that dead loggerhead was something of a personal tipping point for me.

I have always loved the clean, carefully objective nature of scientific research, but when I returned to the US from my native XXXX to study biology, I began to understand that because of this objectivity, scientific data rarely produces an emotional effect. It is difficult to initiate change based on such a passive approach. My ecology professor used to lament that it was not science that would determine the fate of the environment, but politics. The deeper I delved into research, the more I agreed with her. Almost every day, I came across pieces of published research that were incorrectly cited as evidence for exaggerated conclusions and used, for example, as a rebuttal against climate change. Reality meant nothing when pitted against a provocative narrative. It was rather disillusioning at first, but I was never one to favor passivity. In an effort to better understand the issues, I began to look into the policy side of biological conservation. The opportunity at the MBL came at this juncture in my academic journey, and it was there that I received my final push to the path of law.

After weeks of sea turtle biology and policy debates at the MBL, we held a mock symposium on fishing and bycatch regulations. Participants were exclusively STEM majors, so before the debate even began, everyone in the room was already heavily in favor of reducing commercial fishing. I was assigned the role of the Chair of the New Bedford Division of Marine Fisheries, and my objective was clear: to represent the wishes of my constituents, and my constituents wanted more time out on the sea. However, that meant an increase in accidental bycatch, which could hurt endangered marine populations and fill up the bycatch quota for commercial fishermen before the season ended.

There were hundreds of pages of research data on novel technological innovations for bycatch reduction that I had to wade through, but with the help of my group, I was able to piece together a net replacement plan that just barely satisfied my constituents, the scientists, and the industry reps. Although the issue of widespread net replacement incentives for the commercial fishermen remained, there was no doubt that I enjoyed the mental stimulus of tackling this hypothetical challenge. I was able to use my science background to aid in brokering a compromise that would reduce the amount of damage done to the environment without endangering the livelihood of the people involved in the industry.

By the end of the symposium, I knew that I wanted to bridge the gap between presenting scientific data correctly and effecting change in the policy world. Although there are many ways for me to advocate for change, I believe that only legal and legislative enforcements will have a widespread and lasting effect on the heavy polluters of the world. I want to combine my legal education and a solid foundation in the biological sciences to tackle the ever-growing slew of environmental challenges facing us in the twenty-first century.

The night the symposium ended, we patrolled the beach for nesting females. As I walked beneath the stars, I thought of that sea turtle and of the repeating migration of my own life, from my birthplace in XXXX to my childhood in the US, back to XXXX and now the US again. With the guidance of the Earth’s magnetic fields, sea turtles are able to accurately return to their birthplace no matter how far they deviate, but I like to imagine that they, like me, do need to occasionally chart another course to get there. Standing on a beach in Woods Hole, thousands of miles from home, I knew that I was on the right path and ready to embark on a career in law.

Essay 2: Joining the Arsonists To Become a Fireman

On the morning of the 2004 presidential election, my sixth-grade teacher told me to watch out for John Kerry voters in the hallways because our school was a polling station. I nodded and went to the water fountain, thinking to myself that my parents were voting for John Kerry, and that as far as I could tell, they posed no risk to students. It was a familiar juxtaposition—the ideas at my dinner table in conflict with the dogmas I encountered elsewhere in my conservative Missourian community. This dissonance fostered my curiosity about issues of policy and politics. I wanted to figure out why the adults in my life couldn’t seem to agree.

Earlier in 2004, Barack Obama’s now famous DNC keynote had inspired me to turn my interests into actions. Even at age twelve, I was moved by his ideas and motivated to work in public service. When Obama ran for president four years later, I heeded his call to get involved. I gave money I had made mowing lawns to my parents to donate to his campaign and taped Obama-Biden yard signs to my old Corolla, which earned it an egging and a run-in with silly string in my high school parking lot.

While I knew in high school that I wanted to involve myself in public service, I wasn’t sure what shape that involvement would take until signs of the financial crisis—deserted strip malls and foreclosed homes—cropped up in my hometown. I was amazed by the disaster and shaken by the toll it took on my community. As I saw it, the crisis wasn’t about Wall Street, but about people losing their jobs, homes, and savings. I didn’t understand what Lehman Brothers had to do with the fact that my neighbor’s appliance store had to lay off most of its employees.

Intent on understanding what had happened, I started reading up, inhaling books about financial crises and articles on mortgage-backed securities and rating agencies. Along the way, I also developed an affinity for the policymakers fighting the crisis. I admired how time and again these unknown bureaucrats struggled to choose the best among bad options, served as Congressional piñatas on Capitol Hill, and went back across the street to face the next disaster. I decided that I too wanted to work in financial regulation. I thought then and believe today that if I can help protect consumers and mitigate the downturns that force people from their jobs and homes, I will have done something worthwhile.

Strange though it may seem, this decision led me to join Barclays as an investment banking analyst after college. While in a sense I was “joining the arsonists to become a fireman,” as one skeptical friend put it, banking gave me immediate experience working with the firms and people who had played key roles in the response to the financial crisis years before. I was initially worried that I would discover financial rules and regulations to be impotent platitudes, without the power to change the financial system, but my experience taught me the opposite. New regulations catalyzed many of the transactions on which I worked, from bank capital raises to divestitures aimed at de-risking. Ironically, becoming a banker made me even more of an idealist about the power of policy.

I envisioned spending years in the industry before moving to a government role, and I left banking for private equity investing with that track in mind. When I began making get-out-the-vote calls on behalf of the Clinton presidential campaign, however, I realized that I needed to change my plans. I cared more about contacting voters, about the result of the election, and about its policy implications than anything I did at work. Although I’m grateful for what I’ve learned in the private sector, I don’t want to spend more time on the sidelines of the policy debates and decisions that matter to me.

That’s why I am pursuing a J.D. I want to help shape the policies that will make the financial system more resilient and equitable, and to do so effectively, I need to understand the foundation upon which the financial system is built: the law. The post-crisis regulatory landscape is already in need of recalibration; large banks still pose systemic risks, and regulation lags even further behind in the non-bank world. Advances in financial technology, from online lending platforms to blockchain technology, are raising new questions about everything from capital and liquidity to smart contracts and financial privacy. Policymakers need to confront these issues proactively and pursue legal and regulatory frameworks that foster public trust while encouraging innovation. A J.D. will give me the training I need to be involved in this process. I don’t claim to have a revolutionary theory of financial crisis, but I do hope to be a part of preventing the next one.

Essay 3: Populism

Growing up, I felt that I existed in two different worlds. At home, I was influenced by my large, conservative Arizonan family, who shaped my values and understanding of the world. During middle school, my family moved, and I enrolled in a small, left-leaning school with an intense focus on globalism and diversity. I enjoyed being surrounded by people who challenged my beliefs, and I prided myself on my ability to dwell comfortably in both spaces.

In 2015, American political reality disrupted the happy balance between my two worlds. The Republican presidential primary, in a gust of populism, was proposing ideas that I didn’t recognize and wouldn’t condone, like a hardline immigration stance, opposition to free trade, and a tolerance for harassment. I resented this populist wave for hijacking the party, and the voters who created it. I didn’t understand them, and I didn’t think I could.

Despite my skepticism, I decided to make an attempt. As the founder of the Bowdoin College Political Union, a program that promotes substantive, inclusive conversations about policy and politics among students, I brought speakers with diverse ideologies to campus and hosted small group discussions with members of the College Democrats, the College Republicans, and students somewhere in between. In the winter of my senior year, I helped organize a summit that brought together students with a broad spectrum of views from dozens of universities throughout the eastern United States.

As a resident assistant during the 2016 presidential election, I held open-door discussions for individuals from across the political spectrum and around the globe. Facilitating these discussions felt like a natural extension of my role on campus, and I learned not only that having space for open dialogue can ease tensions, but also that the absence of that space does not erase political difference. Instead, it creates feelings of isolation and fosters ignorance.

But it was the death of a family member in early 2016 that helped me understand another perspective, namely the populist views beginning to overwhelm the Republican Party. After the death of my mother’s cousin from cancer, I called my second cousins, all three of whom are around my age, to offer my condolences. I was surprised to learn that none of them had finished high school. Instead, they had worked to help pay for their mother’s treatment. While I had been worrying about which summer internships to apply for, they were worried about maintaining their family home. In the past, I’d thought that their views on economic policy and immigration came from a place of ignorance or spite. I realized over the course of our conversation that I had no idea what it was like to not have a high school degree and compete for employment in a rural area where wages are low. For the first time, I was engaging with people in the demographic that was generating the populist wave that was sweeping the country. This conversation led me to expand my studies in politics and to think beyond the left-right spectrum to consider class and urban-rural divides within my own party. Ultimately, reconnecting with my extended family informed my decision to write my senior thesis on populist movements and why economics drives them. It also changed the way I thought about politics and its effect on people like my second cousins.

After my college graduation, I took a job with a political and opposition research firm called XYZ in Washington, because I felt that my understanding of 2016’s populism was still lacking. XYZ gave me the opportunity to work with people from different parts of the Republican Party: both establishment operatives and grassroots operations. This enabled me to work within the framework of Republican politics that resembles my own, while being exposed to the perspectives of people working to represent people like my second cousins. My time at XYZ helped me see the power of the populist movement, but also understand the limitations of its proposed solutions, like a resurgence of manufacturing. Now that I have interacted with populist groups, I see that ultimately, the valid frustrations of many working-class Americans need to be addressed by empathetic leadership and challenging but necessary evaluations of policy in the areas of economics, education, and culture.

I want to apply my passion for political discourse in law school and in my career as a lawyer. My passion for engaging with others will serve me well in the classroom and in a career at the intersection of law and politics. I hope to continue to make connections between people of diverse backgrounds and viewpoints and to engage in meaningful, bipartisan discourse.

Essay 4: Pop Warner

One summer, when I was eight years old, I signed up to play Pop Warner Football for my hometown. After the calisthenics, scrimmages, and the rest of practice concluded in the midst of the sweltering early August sun, I would sprint thirty yards up a hill steep enough to go sledding down. I had to lose nine pounds in order to make weight for my junior pee-wee football team. I wanted nothing more than to be on the team, so it didn’t faze me that I was the only one running up and down the hill. A dirt path marked the grassy knoll from my countless trips up and down. I usually managed to hold back the tears just long enough until I got home. As an eight-year-old, this was the most difficult challenge I had ever been tasked with. But the next day, I would get down in a three-point stance and sprint up the hill under the red sky of the setting sun.

When I finally made the team, I was elated; I had achieved a goal I often felt impossible in those moments of sweat and tears. The excitement was, nonetheless, short-lived. The other kids still called me “Corey the Cupcake,” a nickname I thought I’d left behind with the extra pounds. In every game of the season, my first playing football, I received my eight minimum plays and rode the bench the rest of the game. It was an unusually wet September, and I caught a cold a few times from standing there for two and a half hours in the nippy morning rain. I hated it, but I kept playing.

I continued to play every fall through high school. My freshman year, during a varsity practice, I broke both the radius and ulna bones in my left arm and simultaneously dislocated my wrist, which required a plate and four screws to repair. To this day, I can’t help but flash back to that frigid November afternoon when I look at the five-inch scar on my left arm or when the breaking point is hit precisely. Sophomore year, I was introduced to a coach who frequently criticized me for “not being black enough,” or sometimes, contradictorily, for acting “too black.” I was even benched for my entire junior year for being unable to attend football camp over the summer.

Why did I play football for eleven years? It might have been for the Friday nights in front of the school, as there was nothing more thrilling than making a crucial catch and hearing the whole town cheer. It might have been because I wanted to fit in with my athletic classmates. It might have been because I felt that I was improving after each catch, each hit, and each drill. But I believe, above all else, it was because I just don’t like to give up.

My first job as a project assistant at a large law firm was somewhat similar to my experiences as a young football player; both required grit and determination to push through difficult circumstances. Late one evening, two days before Thanksgiving, my supervisor asked me to complete and organize the service of eighteen subpoenas for the following day. The partners and associates were so busy with internal politics—one of the head partners was leaving the firm—that no one was available to walk me through the process. I felt ridiculous when I Googled “How to fill out and serve a subpoena,” but it was important to me that I complete the project properly.

I am appreciative of the challenges that I faced as a project assistant. If it weren’t for those experiences, it is unlikely that I would have been fortunate enough to be hired by the Delaware Office of the Attorney General, where I work today. My job here has confirmed that law is exactly what I want to do. I realized this through several opportunities to draft written discovery. I loved fashioning objections to each individual request in a given set. Developing legitimate grounds for disputing discovery on its merits and intent was inspiring to me. I can’t wait to do this more and on a larger scale as an attorney.

The steadfastness that I obtained as a young athlete defines who I am. I couldn’t see it at the time, but every day on which I gave something my best effort, whether it was on the practice field or in my tiny office on the twenty-seventh floor, I became a little bit stronger, a little bit wiser. I am confident that my perseverance and dedication will facilitate my future success, both in law school and afterwards.

Essay 5: Speech Therapy

When I was very young, I was diagnosed with a severe phonological disorder that hindered my ability to verbalize the most basic sounds that make up words. It didn’t take my parents long to notice that as other children my age began speaking and communicating with each other, I remained quiet. When I did speak, my words were mostly incomprehensible and seemed to lack any repetition. I was taken to numerous speech therapists, many of whom believed that I would never be able to communicate effectively with others.

From the age of three until I was in seventh grade, I went to speech therapy twice a week. I also regularly practiced my speech outside of therapy, eventually improving to such an extent that I thought I was done with therapy forever. This, however, was short-lived. By tenth grade, I realized my impediment was back and was once again severely limiting my ability to articulate words. That was also the year my family moved from Vancouver, Canada to Little Rock, Arkansas, which complicated matters for me.

I knew that my speech was preventing me from making new friends and participating in classroom discussions, but I resisted going back into therapy. I thought that a renewal of speech therapy would be like accepting defeat. It was a part of my life that had long passed. With college approaching, though, I was desperate not to continue stuttering words and slurring sentences. I knew that I would have to become more confident about my speech to make friends and to be the student I wanted to be. During the summer before my freshman year, I reluctantly decided to reenter speech therapy.

I see now that this decision was anything but an acceptance of defeat. In fact, refusing to reenter therapy would have been a defeat. With my new therapist, I made significant strides and the quality of my speech improved greatly. Using the confidence that I built in therapy that summer, I pushed myself to meet new people and join extracurricular organizations when I entered college. In particular, I applied to and was accepted into a competitive freshman service leadership organization called Forward.

The other members of Forward were incredibly outgoing, and many of them had been highly involved in their high school communities—two things I was not. I made a concerted effort to learn from those who were different from me. I was an active participant in discussions during meetings, utilizing my unique background to provide a different perspective. My peers not only understood me, but also cared about what I had to say. I even began taking on leadership roles in the program, such as directing a community service project to help the elderly. My time in Forward made it clear to me that my speech disorder wouldn’t be what held me back in college; as long as I made the effort, I could succeed. The confidence I gained led me to continue to push past the boundaries I had set for myself in high school, and has guided the bold approach I have taken to new challenges in college.

When I first finished therapy in seventh grade, I pretended that I had never had a speech disorder in the first place. Having recently finished therapy again, I can accept that my speech disorder has shaped the person I am today. In many ways, it has had a positive effect on me. My struggle to communicate, for example, has made me a better listener. My inability to ask questions has forced me to engage with problems on a deeper level, which has led me to develop a methodical approach to reasoning. I believe these skills will help me succeed in law school, and they are part of what motivates me to apply in the first place. Having struggled for so long to speak up for myself, I look forward to the day when I can speak up for others.

Essay 6: Ting Hua

“Ting hua!” I heard it when I scalded my fingers reaching above the kitchen counter to grab at a steaming slice of pork belly before it was served; I heard it when I hid little Twix bars underneath the bags of Chinese broccoli in the grocery store shopping cart; I heard it when I brought sticks back home to swing perilously close to the ceiling fan. Literally translated, “ting hua” means “hear my words.” Its true meaning, though, is closer to “listen to what I mean.” Although the phrase was nearly ubiquitous in my childhood, that distinction—between hearing and listening—did not become clear for me until much later in life.

That childhood began in Shanghai, where I was born, and continued in Southern California, where we moved shortly after I turned four. Some things stayed the same in the US. We still ate my mom’s chive dumplings at the dinner table. On New Year’s, I could still look forward to a red envelope with a few dollars’ worth of pocket money. But other things changed. I stopped learning Chinese, and my parents never became proficient in English. Slowly, so slowly I almost didn’t realize, it became harder and harder for me to communicate with them.

Because I didn’t feel like I could talk to them, I could never resist opening my mouth with others. I talked to good friends about Yu-Gi-Oh, to not-so-good friends about Pokemon, and to absolute strangers about PB&J, the Simpsons, and why golden retriever puppies were the best dogs ever. Even alone, I talked to my pet turtle Snorkel and tried out different war cries—you know, in case I woke up one morning as a mouse in Brian Jacques’s Redwall .

The way I communicated with my parents didn’t change until I came back for Thanksgiving my freshman year of college. I was writing for the school newspaper—a weekly column on politics. I had written an article in support of gay marriage. My parents had asked me about it, and in the way I was wont to do, I answered briefly before moving on to talk about my friends and my floor and my classes.

While I was brushing my teeth that night, my dad came into the restroom. He stood in the doorway and said, “Hey. I read the article you wrote about gay marriage… you should be careful saying things like that.”

His words—you should be careful saying things like that— sounded to me like homophobia. I knew that in China, same-sex relationships were illegal, stigmatized, banned, so I thought I understood where my dad was coming from, even though I also thought it was bigotry. I was about to brush him off, to accept that we had different views, but when I looked up, I didn’t see the judgment I was expecting. In the way he stood slightly hunched in the doorway, in the way he touched his chin, in the way his eyebrows drew together, I saw love. So I swallowed down “don’t worry about it” and asked what he meant. He told me about a cousin of his, someone I would have called Uncle, who was expelled from his school and sent to the countryside for his political comments. In that moment, I realized that my dad wasn’t concerned about my politics—he was concerned about me. Had I not stopped to listen , rather than just to hear, I would not have understood that. I would not have known why he told me to be careful.

Although I still enjoy talking to other people about PB&J sandwiches, I have learned to listen, to actively engage with my parents when we communicate. More importantly, whether I’m interviewing witnesses on the stand in mock trial, resolving disagreements between friends, or sitting in a chair while teachers and professors give me advice, I’ve made an effort to remember those words my mom has spoken since I was a toddler: “ting hua.”

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How to Write a 'Why This Law School' Essay

Here's how to respond when a law school asks about your specific interest in them.

Writing a 'Why This Law School' Essay

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Law schools value applicants who show they have done their research about where they are applying, because the investment of time and energy shows genuine interest and because research is a core legal skill.

Strong law applicants tend to have carefully considered why they are applying to law school , and they understand that their application essays need to express their interest in a legal career.

However, many are stumped when law school applications ask them a narrower question: Why are you applying to this law school?

Most commonly, law schools may ask this question through a supplemental application essay , sometimes called a “Why X School” or “Why This School” essay.

For example, the University of Notre Dame Law School offers applicants an optional statement of no more than two double-spaced pages “to express a specific interest in Notre Dame Law School.” The School of Law at the University of California—Irvine has a mandatory essay of up to 750 words about why you are interested in their school.

Other schools may ask applicants to address this question within their personal statement with a short-answer prompt. It is also a common interview question.

By asking applicants about their specific interest in a school, admissions officers turn the table on applicants. After all, applicants take pains to distinguish themselves by showing that their grades and test scores don’t reveal other factors that set them apart. With a “Why This School” question, law schools say: We’re unique, too. Why are you choosing us?

Ironically, many applicants have given little thought to what separates one law school from another! As you can imagine, admissions offices are not thrilled about this. They certainly don’t see themselves as gatekeepers to a generic, interchangeable institution.  

Answering a “Why This School” essay can be frustrating. How do you articulate your interest without resorting to boilerplate flattery about a school’s prestigious faculty and beautiful campus?

Learn About a Law School Through an Event, Interview or Visit

Since many applicants apply to a wide range of law schools, they may not know much about each one.

One of the best ways to learn about a law school is at a law school forum or information session. Many schools host online events, which can be convenient for applicants unable to visit the law school in person.

Look for these things

If you have a chance to speak with an admissions officer, you can ask good questions to learn more about how the school sets itself apart from others.

You may also learn about a law school by talking to current or former students about their experience on campus. 

Research What a Law School Offers

Use search engines like Google News or LexisNexis to find any mentions of the school in the press. Did the law school recently open a new building or center, or announce a new policy that might affect your interest?

Most importantly, carefully review the law school’s website . Law school websites are one of the best ways to learn about a school: how it sees itself, what it offers and what’s going on. While law school websites might look unremarkable at first, close reading can reveal valuable details.

Compare multiple law school websites and notice the differences between them in style and content. Often, the words and images they use are meticulously crafted to present and promote a distinct identity. Without copying their phrasing word for word, reference these ideas in your essays to reflect an understanding of a school’s unique character while avoiding cliches and generalities. 

Find Areas of Overlap

Law schools differ in their size, geography , culture, curricula, special programs, campus activities and many other ways. These distinctions provide perspectives on how each law school stands out.

Based on your research, make a list of strengths for each of your target schools that are relevant to your interests as a candidate. For example, if your personal statement is about your dream of becoming a prosecutor, look for clinics, research centers, programs, professors or distinguished alumni in the criminal law field.

Focus on a Few Specific Points

When elaborating on the reason you are interested in a school, don’t try to “flood the zone.” Broad compliments may sound insincere.

In a “Why This School” essay or interview response, center your answer on a few concrete reasons.

Try to keep the reasons varied. For example, rather than mention three clinics you find interesting, think about other potential points of intersection, like a personal connection or a geographic interest.

Think realistically about your plans for law school and beyond . It would be more effective to thoughtfully explain why a professor’s research interests align with your own than to rattle off every relevant course in the catalog.

Ultimately, “why” questions are about connecting a law school to yourself. Answer with confidence by researching and identifying a few specific ways in which a school’s unique offerings match with what sets you apart.

Tips to Boost a Law School Application

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About Law Admissions Lowdown

Law Admissions Lowdown provides advice to prospective students about the law school application process, LSAT prep and potential career paths. Previously authored by contributors from Stratus Admissions Counseling, the blog is currently authored by Gabriel Kuris, founder of Top Law Coach , an admissions consultancy. Kuris is a graduate of Harvard Law School and has helped hundreds of applicants navigate the law school application process since 2003. Got a question? Email [email protected] .

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Law School Essay Prompts: What to Expect

Law school essay prompts are questions, instructions, or statements to which an applicant must respond in their admissions essays. These prompts indicate which direction your law school personal statement , law school letter of intent , law school diversity statement , or law school optional essay should take. Some form of essay is required as part of the application package in virtually all law schools. A well-formulated response to the prompt can make your application stand out and help you get into your chosen law school. In this blog, we’ll look at the different types of essays, their essential features, and common themes for prompts. We’ll also see some examples of how one applicant created and adapted their essay to respond to different requirements.

>> Want us to help you get accepted? Schedule a free strategy call here . <<

Article Contents 18 min read

What is a law school essay prompt.

As you likely already know, law schools require the submission of an essay with your application. Law school admissions statistics may be daunting but rest assured that a well-prepared essay can significantly influence your chances! A writing prompt is the suggested question to answer in your essay. In researching law school application requirements, you will notice that they often provide similar prompts; however, it is important not to assume that all law schools will use a standard structure. For example, Stanford Law School asks for a proposal and explanation of three pieces of music that could be playing while the admissions committee reviews the student’s application.

What is the Purpose of Law School Essays?

Regardless of the prompt structure, these essays share certain features. Importantly, they are intended to complete your application package. In these essays, the admissions committee is seeking information that will round out and complement your application, not repeat what they already know based on your academic record, LSAT score, or other supporting documents you were required to submit. For example, if the law school’s application required that you detail any employment or volunteer positions you have occupied, it would not make sense to focus your essay on those experiences, as they have already been covered. Rather, you should seek to balance what the prompt suggests with what is missing from your application that you think the admissions committee should know.

These essays also serve the important purpose of demonstrating your writing skills. As the field of law requires strong and persuasive writing, the application essay is one of the first and essential ways to showcase your skills. Think of the last time you read a book or an article that truly impressed you. Did the author’s name stick with you? Were you tempted to read more by that author or find out more about them? In addition to improving your admission chances, a well-crafted application essay is an early opportunity to stand out or “make a name for yourself” at your chosen law school. Take advantage of it!

The key point is to answer the prompt; otherwise, your essay will be dismissed. In so doing, use all the tools at your disposal to ensure that your writing:

have someone else read it who is not afraid to be critical "}]" code="timeline1">

It is essential to note and respect the formatting requirements of each school you apply to. A basic guideline is to provide the most significant information in as concise a form as possible , but details may vary. If the essay requirements for a particular law school seem vague, first, ensure that you are consulting the full requirements page or document. For example, some requirements may be posted as a summary on a web page to introduce the overall process, while the full list of specifications is detailed elsewhere on the law school\u2019s website or in a PDF or other form. Don\u2019t assume that brief requirements are the only requirements. When in doubt, contact the admissions office to clarify the requirements, the prompt, or both. "}]">

The following essay examples are written from the point of view of a single applicant who has adapted their narratives to emphasize the specific requirements for different essay prompts. 

1. Why Law?

In surveying the top 100 law schools in North America, the most common principal essay type, by far, is the personal statement, and its most common prompt will ask you why you are pursuing law as a career. The intent of the prompt may be veiled by the prompt’s phrasing, but most law school personal statement prompts seek to assess what steps you took and what experiences you had that led you to apply to law school. 

In a survey of about 35 of the top law schools in Canada and the United States, the following were the most frequently mentioned themes among the prompts for the personal statement:

While the prompt may not be as obvious as “tell us why you are pursuing law as a career”—though some schools may ask this bluntly—you should remember that this is the question you must answer in your personal statement. So, what can you focus on when answering this prompt?

First, the admissions committee is looking to get a better idea of you as a person, your background, experiences, and interests that led you to pursue law. They want to know what makes you unique and how an academic and professional career in law will be significant in your life. To understand this, they need you to provide detailed information. Use examples of your activities, accomplishments, and behavior to make specific points. Avoid being vague or using clichés, such as “I believe in being the change you wish to see in the world.” Law schools will be looking for original thinking in your essay, the “ring of truth” as it pertains to you as an individual, and realistic objectives. They will also be attempting to gauge whether you match their ideal student profile, which you can learn more about by thoroughly researching the law school and citing (only those) aspects that truly reflect you: authenticity should shine through in every line of your essay.

Second, they want to understand how you intend to contribute to the law community in general but also—specifically, and importantly—to the school’s law community. Regardless of any other information suggested by the prompt or what you choose to include in your essay, it should always conclude with a clear sense of the contribution you envision making as a law student. As it may not always be possible to single out a particular law school in your application, for example, if you are applying to law schools which use a unified application system, simply highlight how your personal experiences, skills, and perspective will complement their existing high standards and meet their expectations. Remember, if a letter of intent is a required application component for your chosen schools, you may be faced with prompts asking you to demonstrate why you are the perfect candidate for their school or what you can contribute to their program. 

Third, most remarkable law school personal statements are written in the form of a narrative: after all, it is your “story.” Within this narrative structure, you can insert illustrations of your experiences, knowledge, and skills. It may even be helpful to think of your personal statement as a “picture book.” There is text to tell the story and imagery you suggest through your words to create a picture in the minds of the admissions committee members. You may also wish to describe any challenges, pitfalls, or struggles you have faced along the way and how you chose to address and rise above them, but that will depend on whether you have an opportunity to discuss these in another law school essay prompt. Read on to learn more!!!

Prompt: We would like to know how your background and experiences influenced your decision to apply to law school.

As the self-appointed legal advisor for my friends on the military base where my parents were stationed, I was not prepared for the news that arrived on X day. It went so far beyond what my 14-year-old mind could fathom, even after living in four different countries or being exposed to so many accounts of death and injury as a military child. This was not one of my pals getting caught shoplifting and then turning to me for advice. We had read of this crime in the local paper— the copy they translated and distributed to us at the base. While the punishment for the crime was unimaginable, it was not unheard of. What struck me most was that the accused was the same age as me.

We called ourselves “army brats,” yet I wouldn’t say I felt stigmatized as a child due to my status. After all, most of my time was spent on the base, with kids in the same situation, who didn’t have much else to compare the experience to. Nevertheless, we knew we were different— from civilian peers in our home country, from the residents of the country where we were stationed, and even from each other, as we had all come from different places before arriving there. Sometimes, we were reminded that our difference had value. Sitting there that day, reading the local news to kill time, my two best friends and I realized just how protected we were from our own mistakes. Only a few miles away, another 14-year-old, just like us, would not get a second chance.

Military life is governed by rules and regulations, and even as a child, you’re expected to follow them. To keep everything straight in my mind, I kept a spiral-bound notebook with different chapters for school rules, base rules, military rules, and rules for trips into town. When the context changed, I reorganized my notes, added to them, or crossed out passages. It was an unserious pursuit, which earned me the nickname of “the lawyer,” but after that day, my legal research began in earnest. With guidance from various cherished teachers, mentors, and my parents, I began to educate myself on human rights issues and international law. I felt that if I could understand how things worked, I might one day be in a position to change someone else’s life for the better— someone who, if not for where they were born, could have been me.

Having been obliged to grow up fast, I slowed the pace somewhat when I finally returned to Canada. It was my decision. After being exposed to so many different cultures, I felt a calling to experience my birth country more directly. I initially landed in Toronto, but I did not feel connected to the place. With new friends, I set out on a road trip, travelling as far as Vancouver on the west coast. While passing through Winnipeg, however, I met some students from the University of Manitoba, who inspired me to retrace my steps and settle there. My aim was clear: to complete the four-year Bachelor of Arts in Political Studies and ultimately apply to the interdisciplinary Master of Human Rights.

My personal experience of witnessing political strife in the world, through various lenses, made the BA in Political Studies, with its focus on civil liberties and distributive justice, the perfect introduction to this country and the diverse nations it contains. Further, it helped illuminate my past, which certainly had its dark moments. Courses such as War, Politics, and Culture and the Arab-Israeli Conflict contained themes which resonated deeply; International Relations provided me with a strong foundation in key literature; and Canadian Public Management and Indigenous Governance lit a flame of interest in the history and workings of my own country.

In addition to the intellectual stimulus I crave, I feel like I have found my next home in this university town. Early in my undergraduate career, I began part-time work at the Canadian Museum for Human Rights and have since become deeply involved as a researcher and volunteer with the Centre for Human Rights Research (CHRR). These activities, coupled with my academic achievements, have only confirmed my commitment to this area of law. I know it will define my future just as certainly as it shaped my past. Since completing the Master of Human Rights at the University of Manitoba, I now see the Juris Doctor degree as an essential next step in advancing my planned advocacy work, and I can hardly wait to extend and expand my contribution to the thriving legal community in Winnipeg.

Want more law school personal statement examples from top law schools?

• Harvard law school personal statement examples
• Columbia law school personal statement examples
• Cornell law school personal statement examples
• Yale law school personal statement examples
• UPenn law school personal statement examples
• Cambridge law school personal statement examples

Writing your optional essay? Check this out:

2. Why Our Law School?

As previously noted, a law school letter of intent is different from a personal statement. Most importantly, it should explain why you wish to attend a specific law school and what you hope to contribute. A law school letter of intent would be sent to only one or two schools and would emphasize why you are perfect for their program. For this reason, a generic draft will not work as well in crafting your letter of intent as it would for your personal statement, as the letter should demonstrate that you have done your research. Reading some well-written examples can guide you toward producing a professional, polished letter that will improve your chances of being admitted.

* As with all other essay types, check the specific length and formatting requirements for your chosen law school. In fact, given the focused nature of this essay, it is even more important to be absolutely certain of the requirements.

Prompt: Please explain what motivated you to apply to (our law school).

Dear Admissions Committee,

After completing the Master of Human Rights at UM Law, I am now hoping to pursue the prestigious Juris Doctor degree. I believe my educational and professional background, much of which has been anchored in the Winnipeg academic and legal community, is ideally suited to success in this program.

My goal is to perform human rights advocacy, and for the past four years, I have been honing my skills in this area. As an undergraduate, various initiatives I joined enabled me to build my professional network. For example, I became deeply involved as a volunteer researcher with the Centre for Human Rights Research. During my master’s degree, I contributed to two studies addressing domestic procedural protections affecting refugee claimants, and as a result, I was recommended to a research position with the Manitoba Council for International Cooperation.

Having deepened my knowledge of human rights law, I am now seeking to further my clinical experience and skills as a lawyer and polish my scholarly writing abilities. These objectives seem perfectly aligned with your program’s emphasis on experiential learning, writing, and critical analysis. Furthermore, I see an advanced understanding of ethics and diverse perspectives as an essential aspect of human rights law.

In addition to the intellectual stimulus I crave, I feel like I have found my next home in this university town, and acceptance to the Juris Doctor would allow me to both continue my current work and expand my contribution to the thriving legal community at the University and in Winnipeg.

Claude Madden

3. What Can You Contribute to Our Campus/Incoming Class?

This is a very common prompt/theme in law school diversity statements and optional essays. As a diversity statement is often optional, you may question whether you should submit one. Perhaps you have made some assumptions concerning what constitutes “diversity,” but not everyone is raised in a single-parent household; not everyone has been an Olympic athlete; not everyone had to work throughout undergrad to get that bachelor’s degree; not everyone in your class will have an intercultural marriage. Everyone has a unique story to tell, and yours does not have to be in accordance with a traditional understanding of diversity. While a diversity statement may be optional, we advise you to take every opportunity to make your application stand out. Tell the committee what experiences have formed you. What makes you different from your peers? The key here is to think of experiences that would broaden the horizon of your classmates and faculty. Think of what would make a great narrative. Once you have settled on a few key features that set you apart, describe their impact on your life and your decision to attend law school. Maybe you’re not sure what makes you unique. In this case, let law school admissions consulting services help you find your story!

* As with all other essay types, check the specific length and formatting requirements for your chosen law school. Note that stand-alone diversity statements are often shorter, typically 500 words or less.

Example of “What Can You Contribute to Our Campus/Incoming Class?” Essay

Prompt: Describe any unique qualities you feel will contribute to the diversity of (our law school).  

Growing up in a military family has its pros and cons. Being a member of a subculture does set you apart. We called ourselves “army brats,” yet I wouldn’t say I felt stigmatized as a child due to my status. After all, most of my time was spent on the base, with kids in the same situation, who didn’t have much else to compare the experience to.

From the military, I learned the importance of “seizing the day” and “making the most of things,” especially as I grew older and developed stronger attachments to places or people. One of the most difficult periods is when your parent is first deployed. There is the emotional turmoil, of course, and the constant worry, but there is also the need and expectation for you to be more independent than you are ready to be. I quickly understood how to stick to a schedule and take responsibility for myself, including meals, homework, and bedtime. Later, in my volunteering, I helped other young people take charge of their lives, for example, by teaching them how to find the necessary resources to address a range of legal issues, from misdemeanors to tenant conflicts. 

Military life is also governed by rules and regulations, and even as a child, you’re expected to learn them. You absorb “respect,” almost by osmosis, because you’re surrounded by this sense of order, sacrifice for the greater good, and dedication. It’s a demanding way of life, even for the families. In addition to the military rules, you need to know what to expect when you leave the base: what to wear, how to behave, how to speak. You need to understand what is culturally and legally accepted in each new country, and what is not. Through exposure to the pros and cons of diverse legal systems, I developed both an interest in international law as well as a pronounced desire to engage in advocacy.

From a young age, I kept a spiral-bound notebook to keep track of all the rules that governed my life. I associate those rules, written in the pencil scratch of my younger self, with certain challenges I faced and overcame. While my peers often found the rules oppressive, this pastime of mine made them more fun or interesting. To this day, researching precedents and authority associated with case law is one of my favorite tasks.

On the base, when we didn’t agree with or understand the rules in every situation or country, various cherished teachers, mentors, and our parents helped explain them. However, when I returned to Canada, it was up to me to acquire all the knowledge I needed about a place that, despite being my birth country, was completely unfamiliar. This personal quest, coupled with my ingrained appreciation for regulations, made me well qualified to help people I encountered in academic and daily life better understand the law and, perhaps more importantly, why it exists. My experiences have also highlighted areas where the right law, or even justice, is lacking. In my research on domestic procedural protections affecting refugee claimants, I had the opportunity to study recent literature on the topic but also work directly with clients. In addition to advising them on the law and training them to be independent in conducting their own information searches, I often assisted them in resolving school and housing issues. In this way, I expanded my knowledge of related fields, such as property and education law, and developed a deep respect for the Canadian legal system with its inherent sense of fairness and justice. I nurtured a love of advocacy and took real pleasure in successfully helping someone out of a tough spot. Perhaps most importantly, I confirmed what I believe I knew intuitively all along— that law will define my future just as certainly as it shaped my past. My enthusiasm, the practical tips I can offer my classmates, and my ability to work collaboratively as part of a team are qualities I believe will certainly contribute significantly to the school.

This is your cue to discuss anything else that has not been addressed in your application. Most often, with this prompt, the admissions committee is giving you a chance to discuss any setbacks you experienced. You might have discussed some of them in your other essays already, but you should know that there may be specific essays that are designated for such topics. The law school addendum , as the name implies, refer to additional information. During your research, care should be taken to discern how each law school defines this essay type.

For example, the term “addenda” might be used to refer to addenda to your LSAT score, that is, an explanation of your low grade, or it could indicate a more general optional essay to provide supplementary information that you think might be important when considering your application. But most often, addenda should address any red flags you may have in your academic and personal background. Even if you find no information indicating that they are looking for explanations of your low GPA or lack of professional experience, it is always best to address the issue.

Why? Because you do not want the committee to come up with their own reasons for these setbacks. Instead, explain that maybe you had to work throughout your undergrad to support yourself and that resulted in lower hours of legal experience, but that your job taught you x, y, z skills necessary for law school. Or maybe there was a death in your family in second year and your grades suffered. Remember the key to these essays: show what you learned from these experiences. Do not blame anyone else for your setbacks. These tend to happen to everyone! What the committee wants to see is your takeaway.

* As with all other essay types, check the specific length and formatting requirements for your chosen law school. Note that the length of the optional essay varies significantly between law schools.

Example of “Is There Anything Else Regarding your Academic or Personal Background We Should Know About?” Essay

Prompt: Describe any extenuating circumstances affecting your grades or other aspects of your academic performance that you think we should be aware of.

I wanted to take this opportunity to explain certain extenuating circumstances which influenced my academic career path and my performance during my first year of undergraduate studies.

As a military child, I had to grow up fast and learn to be independent. For the most part, this experience has been a positive one, as it instilled a sense of self-reliance and encouraged me to take responsibility for my own learning. I attended five different schools from kindergarten through high school, and my college-level education was conducted entirely online. This situation, while valuable in terms of the variety of instructional contexts and styles, nevertheless had its pitfalls. In the transition process between schools, I often found myself either ahead of or behind my peers, and I experienced some gaps in content that I only became aware of much later, as no one was formally monitoring the curriculum flow.

My return to Canada to register for university was delayed due to an injury in the family. As my parents were struggling to reconcile conflicting needs, I took a gap year— six months on the base and a subsequent six months when I returned to Canada. Although I was used to being without one or both of my parents for extended periods, I always had a stable place to live, and my needs were taken care of. In Canada, however, I felt truly alone and homeless, and I dealt with that by traveling extensively. While I believe this was initially a coping mechanism, it ultimately restored a sense of peace and my confidence. Importantly, I made friends who shared my interests, specifically in human rights issues and the law. I subsequently gained the information I needed to choose a higher education path and decided to apply to the Political Studies program at the University of Manitoba.

When I settled in Winnipeg, I found that while our family income basically covered my school tuition, it did not cover my living expenses. I was already exhausted when I started university and could not quite find my rhythm until after the winter break. You will note that once this stage passed and I found regular work that complemented my academics, my grades came up significantly. I have been able to maintain a high GPA since then, including during my master’s degree, but not as high as it might have been if the circumstances had been better in the beginning. I hope that you will consider this in your assessment of my application and see it not as a failing but as an indicator of my persistence and dedication to overcoming obstacles.

Looking for law school personal statement examples?

As you will note from all these essays, the applicant has developed a core narrative, which truly defines them as a person, as a student, and as an applicant to law school. In each essay, they return to the same key features, either mentioning them briefly or building on them in more detail. Consequently, if one or more essays were required or suggested by their preferred law school, they could easily edit these drafts to delete repetition and expand essential points. Note the importance of focusing on different topics and priorities in each essay for the same school.

Most importantly, all these essays show (rather than tell) that the applicant knows who they are and where they would like to go. Moreover, they are not afraid to embrace and integrate the more challenging aspects of where they have been. This paints a picture for the admissions committee of a lively, engaged, diligent, confident, and courageous individual who would likely be considered an asset to their law school.

Again, it is essential to check the requirements of each law school to discern which type of essay is required. Often, more than one type is required, suggested, or proposed as an “optional” essay. Sometimes, all three types are sort of rolled into one: for example, you may be expected in your personal statement to include responses to diversity prompts (e.g., cultural background) and/or addenda (e.g., gap year activities). In all cases, it is important to respect the precise requirements for each law school applied to.

Law school admission essays are intended to complete your application package and give the law school a better idea of who you are as a person and why you are a good candidate for admission. The purpose of these essays is to provide supplementary information about yourself and your motivation for applying to law school that is not reflected in your grades or other supporting documents. You might include volunteer, work, or research experience if you have not already covered them in other parts of your application. While it is not necessary for every activity to be specifically related to law, it is important to show how they might contribute to your law school and career plans.

You may be asked to discuss how your background and experiences influenced your decision to go to law school, why you are motivated to study law, or what made you decide to choose a specific law school. Virtually all law schools have criteria for the type of statement they require and provide some general guidelines, even if they don’t provide highly specific prompts. However, certain law schools do provide very unique and surprising prompts, so it is important to research your short list of law schools carefully to ensure that you identify the correct requirements.

Typically, law school essay prompts are “evergreen”; that is, they are always available for consultation on their web site. Most law schools do not require several rounds of essays or invite applicants individually to write on specific prompts, as some graduate schools do.

A letter of intent is not the same as a personal statement, but it may replace the personal statement. Typically, it is a more formal statement which emphasizes your experiences and skills that prepare you for a specific law program. Law schools that request a letter of intent usually provide more detailed criteria for their expectations; therefore, it is important to verify the requirements carefully.

Yes, as each person is unique, chances are they have something to contribute that is different from their peers. The diversity statement is a real opportunity to stand out from the crowd by highlighting your background, experiences, contributions, and ideas. Anyone should consider the benefits that writing a diversity statement may bring to the application process.

If the essay is categorized as “optional,” it is unlikely that you are obliged to provide one. Some law schools emphasize the optional essay for certain applicants, such as those who could benefit from diversity opportunities or who need to explain their grades. However, even if you don’t check such a box, it is advisable to write the optional essay to stand out and increase your chances of being accepted.

Many law schools provide the opportunity to explain lower grades, extenuating circumstances, gap years, and other issues in an “optional essay” or “addendum,” and this is therefore the proper channel to inform the law school of your situation. If only one essay is allowed as part of the application process, yes, it would certainly be appropriate to write a concise statement on this topic, while emphasizing how you addressed and overcame the problem. No one is perfect, and challenges can often allow other personal strengths to emerge.

If no prompts are provided, focus on answering the question “why do you want to be a lawyer?”

Always stick to the prompt, as this is the information the law school wishes to know. Moreover, it shows that you can follow instructions, are detail-oriented, and have tailored your response to a particular school’s requirements.

Follow the guidelines. If no guidelines are provided, try to stay within 600–800 words.

The number of essays varies, depending on the school. Carefully verify the requirements for each school to which you apply.

At BeMo, we have consultants who can help with many stages of your law school application process, including essay writing.

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ChatGPT, Law School Application Personal Statements, and the LSAT Writing Sample

By Troy Lowry

Worries about ChatGPT being used to write law school personal statements are growing. This generative AI program can easily craft high-quality personal statements, leading some schools to be concerned. Should they be?

Law school applicants have often sought help with their personal statements, and an industry has even grown from this need, with some consultants charging thousands of dollars per applicant. Some argue that ChatGPT and other generative AIs might simply level the playing field, aiding those who can’t afford these high-priced consultants.

In the end, efforts to stop applicants from using ChatGPT might prove futile. The same difficulties that make preventing applicants from using consultants nearly impossible — such as the challenge of determining if the writing is truly original — will likely make it extremely tough for schools to stop the use of AI like ChatGPT.

What Does “Using ChatGPT” Mean Anyway?

The question of how to define ChatGPT usage is riddled with complexity and ambiguity. Having ChatGPT write an entire personal statement, including fabricating facts, is clearly unethical. Yet a survey by Best Colleges revealed that 20% of respondents don’t believe that “using AI tools to complete assignments and exams constitutes cheating or plagiarism.”

Are one-in-five students sincerely convinced that submitting work generated by ChatGPT is permissible? Does this statistic suggest that one-in-five prospective lawyers are so unscrupulous as to claim someone else’s work as their own?

I believe that the issue is more nuanced, and the question itself is too broad.

ChatGPT’s functionality is vast. It can not only draft an entire personal statement but also:

• Generate a range of ideas suitable for your personal statement
• Evaluate a list of ideas you’ve created, highlighting the strongest ones
• Analyze your personal statement and suggest improvements
• Identify logical inconsistencies in the personal statement
• Proofread the personal statement, correcting punctuation and grammar errors

While preparing this blog post, I inquired of ChatGPT how it might assist me, aside from writing my personal statement. The AI suggested it could aid applicants in understanding their own motivations for pursuing legal studies and identifying long-term goals, forming a robust foundation for the personal statement. Anything that helps people understand their own motivations, even a computer program, counts as a benefit in my book.

To many, these uses of ChatGPT seem entirely reasonable. If friends can review your personal statement and provide feedback, why not employ ChatGPT? While a (hopefully extremely small) segment of the applicant population is unethical, the majority of the one-in-five respondents who disagreed with the statement about ChatGPT and cheating likely have a more nuanced understanding of the tool. They recognize legitimate uses that most would not consider dishonest.

However, what if a law school decided to ban all use of ChatGPT for personal statements? Would they be able to tell who used ChatGPT?

Can ChatGPT-Generated Content Be Detected?

Many products in today’s competitive market profess the ability to detect whether text was written by ChatGPT. My personal exploration of these tools has yielded results that are unreliable.

On the positive side, they were quite proficient at identifying texts generated by ChatGPT without alterations, marking them with a high rate of accuracy.

Curiosity led me to task ChatGPT with mimicking particular styles, such as those of Maya Angelou, Ernest Hemingway, and Yosemite Sam. Surprisingly, most of the detection products maintained a high rate of accuracy.

However, a comprehensive test should not only flag texts authored by ChatGPT but also accurately identify those that were NOT. I found myself scandalized when one tool repeatedly and erroneously identified my own work as likely written by ChatGPT. While I admit my writing may not be flawless, I like to believe it’s far from robotic! (Of course, the ultimate judgment lies with you, the reader.)

Taking the experiment further, I used a process known as fine-tuning , in which I trained ChatGPT with 100 paragraphs of my writing style. After running it through the training, I instructed ChatGPT to “write like Troy” for a law school personal statement. The result? A well-crafted statement that evaded all ChatGPT detectors. This process required significant expertise, work, and some expense, so it’s unlikely the average applicant would endure such an ordeal. But tools are already appearing on the web to do similar training at less cost and with no expertise in generative AI needed.

This experiment revealed a crucial insight: the development of AI tools is accelerating at a pace that outstrips the advancement of detection tools.

Ultimately, I halted my testing prior to completing the entire planned examination. While the majority of results were correct, the inconsistency was alarming. I grew concerned that even one false positive could lead to unwarranted consequences.

I pondered ways to render this technology useful for law school decision-making. LSAC prides itself on being the “gold standard” and only delivering to schools products used to evaluate applicants that we can verify are of the highest quality. While they have their uses, these detection tools did not appear to meet that high standard.

Then I came across an article detailing how OpenAI had discontinued their product designed to detect AI-written text, citing “low accuracy.” If even the experts behind ChatGPT can’t reliably discern what was written by their creation, then the possibility that anyone else can seems a distant hope. It seems to me that the implications of this realization extend beyond mere curiosity, touching on broader questions about the evolving relationship between technology and authenticity.

LSAC’s Writing Sample: A Proctored Way to See How the Applicant Writes

All is not lost in this quest for authenticity, however! As part of the LSAT, every applicant is required to complete the LSAT Writing sample. This unscored essay, given under timed, proctored conditions, presents an ideal opportunity to assess an applicant’s writing ability.

Recognizing the inherent value of the LSAT Writing sample in assessing an applicant’s writing skill, I became intrigued at how AI might further contribute to this assessment. Could the power of artificial intelligence be harnessed to compare and contrast different writing samples? This sparked an experiment using ChatGPT’s ability to evaluate the authenticity of authorship between two different pieces of writing.

ChatGPT can take two pieces of writing, compare them, and give a confidence level as to whether they were written by the same author. As an interesting bit of research, I used this method to compare personal statements and writing samples from the same author and from different authors to see if AI could accurately tell the ones written by the same author.

The results? Not so hot. One major issue is that these are written under very different conditions. The LSAT Writing sample demands quick thinking within a 35-minute timeframe, requiring the applicant to read a prompt and then rapidly organize and articulate their thoughts. Conversely, the personal statement is typically crafted over weeks or even months and often undergoes numerous revisions.

Moreover, the tone between these two pieces is strikingly different, with the personal statement being intimate and reflective, while the writing sample is a more detached and analytical argument.

Despite these challenges, the AI managed to predict correctly better than two-thirds of the time whether the author was the same or not and provided reasons to support its predictions.

However, while impressive, this is not good enough when evaluating applicants. Both law schools and applicants depend on our products to be extremely precise. Mere “impressive” falls short when stakes as high as admissions are in play. Consequently, while this was an enlightening experiment and the insights may contribute to the development of future products, the technology is not yet accurate enough to be integrated into LSAC’s current offerings. This experience serves as a sobering reminder that even the most advanced AI tools must be approached with caution and clear understanding of their limitations.

Conclusion: Might the Carrot Work Better Than the Stick?

As we’ve seen, ChatGPT can be utilized in various ways, some more controversial than others. The reliability of detecting items penned by ChatGPT, without mistakenly identifying an applicant’s work as machine-generated, remains dubious. Even a detection system that is 100% accurate today could soon be rendered obsolete by the rapid advancements in AI, making it unreliable.

In short, a complete ban of ChatGPT would be challenging to enforce and justify.

Might schools find more success with a different approach instead of attempting to ban ChatGPT? They could state that while applicants are free to use ChatGPT or other generative AI, personal statements written without such assistance tend to feel more authentic, and this authenticity could influence admissions decisions.

Applicants, always eager for an edge, would then have a compelling reason to use their own voice. This approach not only offers a practical solution but also has the advantage of being true.  

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The easiest way to organize a 250-word essay is to use a standard 5-paragraph structure. The paper should start with an introduction: a hook, some background data, and a thesis statement. Then come three body paragraphs, each focused on one argument. The concluding paragraph is to contain a summary and a restated thesis.

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In modern times, the property is no longer strictly bound to any physical representation since it can also be intellectual and intangible. In the meantime, its tangibility does not influence the possible price – there are certain brands, such as Coca-cola, that are worth approximately half of the company’s market...

Curating a Successful Professional Electronic Presence

Creating a professional online presence is key to a successful career. It is crucial to find the balance between personal beliefs, social activities, professional skills, and online persona seen by companies. Digital presence includes various parts that create one consistent professional online persona. Building an electronic presence requires a social...

The Treatment of Juvenile Crimes in the Legal Justice System

Introduction One of the severe challenges that most countries face today is juvenile crimes. Juvenile crimes affect not only the person who commits the crime but also the social order in any country. Currently, the world is witnessing an increasing trend in juvenile delinquencies. Therefore, this paper seeks to support...

The APRN as Entrepreneur: Issues in Nursing

Introduction Demand for healthcare grows; Hospitals cannot provide services to all people; Nurse practitioners can help; Independent nursing practice is the solution Business Plan and Budget Plan The goal is to pay off a 200 000$ bank loan at 8% interest rate within 10 years The projected monthly income is...

Revenue Sources for States and Local Governments

Introduction Fiscal management is just as crucial to the region’s prosperity as the resources and people living there. According to Simon et al. (2018), one can judge the quality of a local public administration by the nearest infrastructure. This paper explores the fundamentals of regional economies, namely how states and...

Social Determinants of Health: What Affects People’s Health

Social determinants of health (SDOH) have a great impact on healthcare reform due to the possibility of SDOH to affect health risks and outcomes (“Social determinants of health,” 2017). Organizations may use SDOH to reduce healthcare costs through providing the most suitable conditions for people to live, work, play, and...

Grant Woods American Gothic “American Couple” Painting

An “American couple” is very beautifully portrayed in the painting. The background of their home is a very striking factor in the painting. The man is holding a pitchfork with a stern look on his face. The woman in the painting is very reluctant to make any eye contact whatsoever....

Osteoporosis: The Metabolic Bone Disease

The post discusses such metabolic bone disease as osteoporosis. Generally, older adults are at high risk of suffering from osteoporosis. Nonetheless, in rare cases, young people might also have this disease. The occurrence of osteoporosis at a young age is mainly associated with chronic diseases and the prescribed medications (Choong,...

Anti-War Activism and Its Importance

The United States is known for its aggressive politics that played a crucial part in its history up to the modern days. Nowadays, these intentions are covered under the guise of national security and the safety of its citizens. However, this notion led to the creation of numerous anti-war movements,...

• Social Media
• Environment
• Advertising

Omar Nelson Bradley in American Military History

In this paper, I am going to talk about Omar Nelson Bradley, one of the most influential military people in the history of the United States. First, I am going to give brief background information about Omar Bradley. Then, his role and achievements during World War II will be discussed....

“Eating Christmas in the Kalahari”

In his paper “Eating Christmas in the Kalahari,” Richard Lee recounts his close acquaintance with traditions of one African tribe, namely, the Kung Bushman. The story is built on the Kung Bushmen’s annual custom of haunting and slaughtering an ox for the commune during Christmas, in which the author had...

The Nestle Company’s Sales Stagnation in China

Target change is vital for organizations that seek to maintain a favorable market position. Firms usually decide what changes to make in reaction to a market change. The Nestle Company considers China as its second-largest market following the United States. In 2015, the company experienced slow sales and stagnant revenue...

Evaluation and Control Procedures

Planning is a mental process that requires the use of intellectual faculties, foresight, and sound judgment. Strategic planning entails putting forward ideas that form a comprehensive and integrated plan that gives an advantage to the company against environmental challenges. The process of planning consists of various procedures. The first step...

The Precession of Simulacra

Abstract People in the 21st century perceive the world in a significantly different way from their counterparts from the 14th century. Jean Baudrillard argues that a considerable shift has occurred, and human beings can no longer determine what reality is. He states that individuals are surrounded by “models of real...

Reality in Drug Addiction Research: Ethnography

Ethnography as a research method is, indeed, the most suitable for the study on drug use and related issues. This method has already become a classic and has established itself as the most effective in studies of closed groups (Ferguson, 2017; Turner, 2019). Moreover, the research of such phenomena is...

The Aging in Place Model: Role and Importance

Considering the situation, it is possible to refer to Marek and Rantz (2000) who state that the Aging in Place model should be used as the basis for health care delivery for elderly people. The main idea of this model is the creation of the health care management department which...

Non-Governmental Organization Committee on the Status of Women

The committee’s foundation was in 1972 under the auspices of the Conference of NGOs. It was formed in preparation for the International Women’s Year, 1975, and the UN Decade of women, 1975-1985, including the Initial World Conference on Women held in Mexico City in 1975 (UN Women, 2021). I support...

The Treatment of the Patient with Exacerbation of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

Vincent Brody  67 years old. Has a 50-year history of smoking 2 packs a day. Admitted with exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Related to stress and pain experienced as a result of COPD exacerbation Priority Nsg Diagnosis # 1 Risk for respiratory distress symptoms: Subjective data: “This cough...

The Battle of Thermopylae: Herodotus’ and Miller’s Depiction

The Greek historian Herodotus is one of the main sources of historical narrators of those events that took place many centuries ago. Therefore, the writer was able to describe the Battle of Thermopile, but the reliability of this account is questionable. Research shows that “Herodotus frequently finds the answer to...

• Performance

“The Mysterious Stranger” Novel by Mark Twain

“The Mysterious Stranger” by Mark Twain is a novel revolving around humanity and its greatest sins. Introducing Satan as one of the main characters, the author reveals the lack of morals as one of the main shortcomings affecting everyone. Through his words, Twain describes the sins and problems the majority...

Tracking the Air Cargo Industry’s Response to Russia’s War on Ukraine

Russia’s war in Ukraine is one of the most devastating events in the XXI century. Besides causing thousands of human tragedies and destroying local infrastructure, it is changing the global economy forever. The global supply chain of goods is one of the spheres deeply affected by the war. Due to...

Water Scarcity Issue and Environment

The concept of the hydrologic cycle is, perhaps, known by everyone over the age of eight. The fact that the three states of H2O, i.e., the solid (an ice cube), the liquid (water) and the gaseous ones (vapor) can be observed daily in the everyday environment makes the hydrologic cycle...

Note-Taking Styles of College Students

There is a variety of note-taking styles, out of which every learner can pick the most suitable one. The overall aim of the note-taking process is to grasp the main ideas of what one hears so that one could restore the information later. Structuring one’s writing may be enhanced via...

Health Outcomes and Factors in Miami-Dade County

Health Rankings in Miami-Dade Miami-Dade (DA) County is ranked the second out of 67 counties of Florida regarding the length of life (mortality) and the fifth in the list of morbidity in 2019. The primary causes of premature death are cardiovascular issues, malignant neoplasms, type 2 diabetes, and cerebrovascular diseases...

Medicare and Medicaid Role in Meeting Health Care Needs

Medicare and Medicaid are health insurance programs for US citizens. Medicare offers health coverage for people over 65, people with disabilities, and end-stage renal disease. Medicare services include hospital coverage – Medicare Part A, health insurance – Medicare Part B, and prescription drug coverage – Medicare Part D (Medicare program,...

The Use of Data Collection: Personal Experiences

Nowadays, the collection and application of data by big companies is a well-known fact everybody has to face. This common corporate practice, however, has its pros and cons. On one hand, the usage of data can help to significantly improve the user experience and make operations more efficient, on the...

Sin of Betrayal in Alighieri’s “Divine Comedy”

Canto 34 of Dante’s Inferno part of Divine Comedy describes Dante and Vergil meeting the three ultimate sinners: Judas, the traitor of Christ, and Brutus and Cassius, who betrayed Caesar. The pass that Dante is talking about is the gateway to Hell – the Underworld, where the sinners go after...

DIscussion of Aldo Leopold’s Land Ethic

Aldo Leopold advocates for land ethics and not environmental laws due to experiences with legal restrictions whereby individuals find means of evading surveillance and arrest. Thus, he calls for values and a moral sense of right and wrong regarding environmental conservation (Millstein, p. 394). Ethics are distinct from human legislation...

Surveillance for Coccidioidomycosis, Histoplasmosis, and Blastomycosis

Outbreak There are endemic areas in the United States for coccidioidomycosis, histoplasmosis, and blastomycosis, so the disease pattern varies. Endemic cases are predominantly in males, attributed to outdoor work and low protective equipment. In addition, hospitalization often occurs in the late stages of disease progression, and patients with early symptoms...

• Historical Figures

The Consensus Model and the Advanced Practice Nurse’ Role

There are several population focused roles authorized by the Nurse Practice Act. In Florida, the Nurse Practice Act considers the following roles: certified nurse midwives, clinical nurse specialists, certified nurse practitioners, psychiatric nurses, and certified registered nurse anesthetists (Nurse Practice Act, 2018). An advanced practice registered nurse may prescribe and...

Animal Research and Ethical Treatment

It sounds cruel if we take into consideration only the part of research involving keeping animals in cages and doing experiments on them without their consent. Surely, the positive outcomes of such research in most cases outnumber the disadvantages (Brody, 2012). Still, we should keep in mind that when we...

US Corporate Executive’s Cultural Shock in China

The case under consideration investigates the situation in which Rick, an American corporate executive, experiences culture shock when he finds himself assigned to the company’s China branch. The problem is that Rick is unfamiliar with the country’s cultural norms and traditions. Thus, this case study aims to investigate how the...

American Psychological Association’s View on Court Judgments

Many times courts indulge in passing critical judgments that lead to lose of individuals lives without paying much attention to human rights. Such courts claim that, the evidence provided against the convicts, to be more than enough to ticket an individual into death sentence. However, it is necessary for the...

On the Benefits of a Private Social Security System

Although the current social security system has been used for decades in the U.S., it has gained quite a lot of notoriety due to the scarce amounts of financial support that it offers people after they retire. Therefore, the development of a new system has been overdue (Bridgen and Meyer...

Review of the Essay “Lifeboat Ethics” by Garrett Hardin

Garrett Hardin wrote an essay in which he explained his ideas about the global distribution of resources and inequality between countries. This work is quite radical since Hardin talks about decisions that can be too harsh for certain states and people. The main idea of ​​the essay is the need...

Contribution of Prisons to US Racial Disparities

Summary The American prison system has a high incarceration rate, with most of the individuals in reformatory facilities. However, it is impaired by discrimination and disproportionation, with Blacks and Latinos being the most affected groups. The statistics described in the article “The Contribution of Prisons and Jails to US Racial...

Apple Inc.’s Products and Factors of Demand

Price Price is commonly considered one of the factors strongly affecting demand for specific products. For Apple Inc., whose goods are sold worldwide, this parameter is critical to take into account, as shown in Figure 1. As the results in India demonstrate, a decrease in price is directly related to...

Senior Management Teams and Their Purpose

The senior management teams are composed of the executive members of an organization having the top-most rank in the organization. They have the role of leadership and management within the organization. The role of management is achieved when the team plans, organizes, directs, controls, and staffs all the resources of...

Characteristics or Elements of Self-Control

Self-control is an inhibitory control element, which underscores the capacity to regulate or control one’s behavior, thoughts, and emotions when triggered and tempted. Mamayek et al. (2016) distinguish this conceptualization as a cognitive process deemed essential in modulating a person’s deportment to attain specific objectives. Furthermore, Mamayek et al. (2016)...

• Globalization
• Ancient History

LPN and RN; Standards of Practice

The main difference between licensed practical nurses (LPN) and registered nurses (RN) is the education required. RN course takes two or three years to get a degree or diploma, while the LPN standard only demands a year of studies and a certificate (Wisconsin Administrative Code, 2018). Education determines the set...

Criminological Conflict Theory by Sykes

Sykes identified three important elements, which he used to elucidate the criminological conflict theory. First, Sykes highlighted the existence of profound skepticism towards any theory associated with crimes and is not connected to any biological or psychological approach. He also argued that sociological theories have insufficient communization (Bystrova & Petter,...

Probiotics Use by a Patient on Antibiotics

Within the digestive system, there are about 100 trillion bacteria, both good and harmful, which are referred to as the gut microbiota (Harvard Health Publishing). Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) is a type of harmful bacteria that can cause anything from diarrhea to life-threatening colon inflammation. Jane became among the unlucky...

Wrongful Death Lawsuit: Case Study

A wrongful death claim permits the patient’s family to file a case against the nurse liable for the patient’s death. A circumstance such as medical malpractice can give rise to a wrongful death lawsuit. The suit allows the surviving family members to sue the nurse for damages when the patient...

The Work of a Journalist During Investigation

Nowadays, journalists are no longer regarded as neutral entities; hence, it is not a wonder that respondents are unwilling to provide information. Moreover, grabbing the attention of the editor Zach was not easy; I pitched five times before I could receive his response though Collins’ advice was helpful. Even though...

Hawaiian Mythology and Genealogy of Gods

Genealogy is considerably more than that for native Hawaiians; it is how they communicate with one another. According to traditional views, Native Hawaiians are particularly bonded to the land, or ‘o ka pae ‘aina Hawai’i, as the ancestral lands and the older cousin of Hawaiians. Native Hawaiians have traditionally educated...

Thompson’s Lamp Paradox as a Philosophical Puzzle

Since the beginning of time, paradoxes have fascinated both scientists and laypeople, igniting debate. Some have not yet been resolved or cannot be resolved in general, while others appear paradoxical because the solutions defy logic. In science, the emergence of any new field of understanding often starts with discovering previously...

Visual Learning and Ways to Apply It

The test What is Your Learning Style? gave me the following scores: Auditory: 25%; Visual: 40%; Tactile: 35%. It means that I am predominantly a visual learner. I have known before that I remember things better when I visualize them. I can memorize the position of a text fragment in...

Nursing Role in Community Health Practice Settings

A community nurse may work in both clinical and non-clinical settings. For instance, in a hospital providing ambulatory care, they may play every role associated with the profession. As a clinician, they aim to promote health by applying their therapeutic skills and knowledge, striving to improve the overall community health...

WHO’s Global Campaign to Combat Ageism

Ageism is a highly prevalent worldwide issue that affects both younger and older people. For that reason, The World Health Organization (WHO) launched a broad campaign aimed at combating this problem with the primary goal of providing equal opportunities to the population across the world. WHO defines ageism as discriminative...

• Climate Change
• Christianity
• American Politics

Benefits of Genetic Engineering

Genetic engineering implies the scientific practice of adding DNA to living organisms to create new traits that do not exist naturally. In recent years, it has attracted particular attention as a substantive number of people believe that natural processes should not be interfered with. However, from a personal perspective, genetic...

Osteoporosis: Causes and Treatment

Osteoporosis is one of the most common chronic bone diseases of the metabolic system. It is characterized by the increased bone fragility. The development of osteoporosis is associated with age. Due to the aging of the general population, osteoporosis is becoming an important public health issue (Sozen et al., 2017)....

Factors That Caused Schizophrenia

Schizophrenia is a common mental disorder among the young males and females. Therefore, for this paper, I will be finding out the various effects of Schizophrenia on the young adults. Among the effects that will be further investigated include victims withdrawing from their peers and relatives, dropping out of school...

Standard of Care in Healthcare System

Standard of care regulates the extent of the caution that the medical provider should follow to ensure patients’ safety. In situations when the standard of care is breached, causing negative implications for the victim’s health, the case can be tried in court. In the first step of the discussions of...

Vaccination and Its Economic Implications

Vaccination is created to prevent the spread of various diseases. Child vaccination is an example of positive consumption externalities, as it not only protects the vaccinated child but also reduces the chances of the spread of infections in society (“Externality,” n.d.). Vaccination has become one of the most influential scientific...

British Colonization of America

Ronald Tanaki created the concept of two frontiers to describe the two places where Britain was actively acting during the colonization period – America and Ireland. Those places were crucial parts in the creation of the dichotomy between British “civilization” and the “savagery” of others (Tanaki 39). British colonizers considered...

From Medical Practice to Daily Life Study

The paper “From bio to NBIC – From medical practice to daily life” identifies three technical trends that point to major developments in nano-tech. First of all, breakthroughs in the medical field have been seen, ranging from neuromodulation techniques to molecular medicine. It is expected that machine intelligence (e.g., brain...

Strategies for Persuasiveness: “Letter From Birmingham Jail”

Introduction Analyzing Martin Luther King’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” it is possible to state that this work is highly credible, trustworthy, and persuasive. In this letter, using various strategies, Dr. King tries to convince his audience explaining to readers why Blacks’ non-violent demonstrations for civil right are essential (Marshall, 2016)....

Motorola: Absorption Costing and Variable Costing

Motorola is a manufacturer of smartphones, which it supplements with a unique system of accessories. As such, it uses cost-based pricing, with each unit costing a set amount of money to produce and selling at a fixed price. It can use either absorption or variable costing for its financial statements,...

COVID-19: Historical Lens and Wellness

Looking at events using historical lenses can be beneficial for gaining an in-depth understanding of issues. Currently, one of the central wellness problems discussed in the media is the COVID-19 pandemic. While the central problem today is to find a cure or a vaccine for the disease, it is also...

• Nursing Theory

Behavioral Disturbances in Dementia

Dementia can lead to a wide variety of psychological disorders, including depression and anxiety. The symptoms of depression are apathy, isolation, social withdrawal, impaired thinking, and concentration on the negative side of life (Kitching, 2015). The symptoms can be managed both pharmacologically and non-pharmacologically. The usual pharmacological treatments include anti-depressants;...

Urological Disorders in the Older Adult

One of the more common problems in older adults is urinary incontinence. Various etiologies can impact urinary incontinence, including bladder infection and urinary retention. Urinary retention is the inability to voluntarily void urine can both acute and chronic. Acute urinary retention is an emergency that requires decompression of the bladder...

Performance of Tesla Shares

Tesla, an American electric car manufacturer, hit record highs. According to Tesla, Inc. (TSLA) (2021), in 2020, the value of Tesla shares has grown almost tenfold – from $ 88.6 in early 2020 to $ 864.2 on January 27, 2021. Shead (2021) notes that much of this growth was driven...

Whirlpool in the Sea off the Coast of Scotland Near Ayrshire Due to Waste Water

Description: Stunning drone images near Lendalfoot in South Ayrshire captured a glimpse of a mammoth whirlpool off the Scottish west coast. According to the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA), the phenomenon is linked to recent rainwater that came into contact with wastewater, forming leachate (as cited in Parsons, 2021). The...

Demonstrating Intermodal Containerised Transport in North-West Europe

The video demonstrates intermodal transportation in North- West Europe by using two containers. The movie is about a multimodal experience comprising shipping two containers along the East-West corridor in North Europe using two different transport chains. The aim was to highlight the alternatives available to multimodal clients and show the...

Worker-Employer Relationship According to Bible

Introduction Job is an influential part of a person’s life, and employees and employers must build good relationships. The Bible refers to such relations as interactions between a slave and a master. It offers various guides and advice to improve their cooperation and make it beneficial to both sides. While...

Simón Bolívar, The Jamaica Letter

The selected primary source is The Jamaica Letter, written by Simón Bolívar. The document was written when he was exiled to Jamaica in 1815. The content of the letter focuses on the unification of Latin American colonies to form a republican form of government. The text makes me wonder and...

Business Life Cycle: Business Growth

Maturity is the stage in a company’s life cycle during which it reaches its prime form. Stability in all aspects of a business organization is another way to describe the discussed stage. All operations, processes, and initiatives happen as they should, and emergencies rarely happen (Ford, 2022). During this phase,...

Seamless Implementation of Electronic Medical Records

Meaningful Use Meaningful use is a program developed by Medicare and Medicaid designed to provide incentives for the use of electronic health records with the aim of improvement of patient care. It is implemented in three stages: promotion of electronic health record adoption, emphasis on care coordination and patient information...

Human Resource Planning and Return on Investment

There are many processes any organization has to consider when it tries to identify the goals and achieve them in a required period. Human resources planning is one of such processes. It is a kind of link that exists between HR management and strategic planning. People can use this process...

• Intelligence
• Evidence-Based Practice
• Mental Health

Arsen Petrosyan’s Live Duduk Concert in Yerevan

Arsen Petrosyan’s live duduk concert took place in 2016 in Yerevan, Armenia. His contribution to the popularization of Armenian folk music can hardly be overestimated. Perhaps that is why he is often called the keeper of his people’s musical heritage. Having once chosen one of the most mysterious musical instruments,...

Information Assurance and the Role of Time

Cyber security and information assurance refer to steps taken to protect networks and computer systems from being disrupted as well as preventing unauthorized access (Sara, 2008). Cyber security and information assurance aim at providing three things: integrity, confidentiality and availability (Knapp, 2009). Integrity is enhanced through ensuring that users are...

Public Health Interventions and Economics: Malaria

The case study advocated for the use of treated mosquito nets as an effective intervention for preventing malaria-related maternal deaths. An independent cost-effectiveness analysis of the intervention reveals that using treated mosquito nets is an effective intervention for reducing maternal deaths. The cost of a mosquito net is low, compared...

Meaningful Use Policy in Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services

Recovery audit contractors (RACs) and electronic health records (EHRs) include highly sensitive information that should be managed carefully to avoid adverse outcomes. Careless management of this information can lead to leaks of private data, which may lead to significant legal and image problems. Thus, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services...

Violent Crime, Its Forms and Patterns

Rape is a sexual assault characterized by penetration into a vagina, anus, or mouth with a penis without the consent of the person. The causes of rape were studied extensively by Lalumière and Lalumière (2005) based on human and non-human behavior. The researchers concluded that rapists are usually not deprived...

Aspects of IT Project Management

While analyzing this post, there is no doubt that the author successfully described the importance of IT project synergy with overall business aspects, such as strategy or categorization. Moreover, he clearly demonstrated the evolution of project selection methods, such as “focusing on broad organizational needs, categorizing the projects, using a...

Geopolitics, Land Use, and Environmental Impact

Land use refers to an economic practice of the natural environment’s transformation into the built environment through the management of semi-natural areas. The term, in general, includes people’s activities interacting with different terrestrial ecosystems. Various uses of land have different consequences for the environment, such as increased or lowered CO2...

Philosophical Thought and Its Levels in Nursing

Introduction In medicine, as well as in general philosophy, there are different levels of philosophical thought. Without structure, understanding, and comprehension of various philosophical thoughts would be extremely limited. In this brief summary, we shall go over the four levels of philosophical thought, which are Metaparadigms, Conceptual Models, Theories, and...

Ability-to-Pay Impact on Healthcare Level

The idea of delivering the services of the best quality possible is central to the philosophy of any healthcare facility. However, the Affordable Care Act (ACA) has set certain limitations concerning the quality of care for the U.S. citizen depending on their income. Although the idea of healthcare service quality...

Chapter 11 of Special Educator’s Guide to Collaboration

This article discusses the importance of connections between teachers and the families of their students. It explores the dynamics of relationships between teachers and family members, and offers insights on how to address the challenges encountered. The article explores the importance of teacher-family collaboration in education, comprehension of family diversity...

• Critical Thinking

Hospital Information Management Systems

Hospital information management systems (HIMSs) are vital for improving healthcare quality. Currently, healthcare organizations need to deal with a large amount of data that needs to be distributed among a wide variety of stakeholders. According to Ross and Venkatesh (2016), a HIMS is “an integrated information system which improves patient...

Wounded Veterans Do Not Receive Proper Care: News Release

BOSTON – American veterans put their lives on the line to save us from enemies. However, when they return to civilian life, they find the transition difficult due to psychological and financial restraints. Boston’s Annual Wounded Vet Bike Run is aimed to support wounded veterans, gathering money for housing modifications,...

Non-Profit Organization: Financial Sustainability

The financial sustainability of a non-profit organization refers to the ability to maintain financial capacity within the organization over a long time. The financial capacity consists of the financial resources within the organization that aid in the achievement of objectives (Francois & Francois, 2014, p. 118). Therefore, the organization’s financial...

Regulations and Facility Design

Introduction The United States has a complex and intricate system of federal, state, and local regulations that have a profound influence on facility design. All three levels of government are responsible for enacting and enforcing regulations that dictate how a facility must be designed and constructed, as well as the...

Gain and Loss of Contingencies

According to FACB Accounting Standards Codification (n.d.), ASC 450 “Contingencies” covers the three topics of gain contingencies, loss contingencies, and overall. Gain contingencies are claims for the reduction in a liability or rights to receive an asset. It is noted (450-30) that the codification provides “guidance for the recognition and...

Serving Vulnerable Populations: Meals on Wheels

When it comes to caring for vulnerable populations, considering such characteristics as ethnicity, age, gender, and other socioeconomic factors is imperative. In the case of 66-year-old African American woman, JK, with hypertension, asthma, and type 2 diabetes, the largest barrier is her being located in a food desert and being...

The Fourth Amendment and National Security

It is a widely known issue that the U.S. National Security Agency possesses too much power regarding the spying and monitoring process, which directly violates the Fourth Amendment. The dominant of the American legal system, which considers that such an approach justifies the general safety, is more aggressive and dismissive...

Negative Partisanship Increasing Reasons

Introduction Partisanship describes one’s devotion to a particular political party or movement, often based on the similarity of beliefs. This devotion can be both a positive and a negative force, informing one’s voting decisions in various ways. The problem arises when one’s vote is informed not by an agreement on...

Why Is Diversion Used in Juvenile Cases?

Diversion is a particular intervention practice of postponed prosecution under which youthful defendants or offenders are redirected to specific prevention and treatment programs supervised by private or public agencies. In such a way, young persons gain an opportunity to demonstrate that they are law-abiding. The central objective of these programs...

Social Capital Decline and Role of Digital Media

Social capital is a highly controversial topic due to its complexity of measurement and ambiguity in understanding. According to Putnam (1993), one of the most famous scholars on social capital, its three main components are trust and other social values, moral obligations and norms, and social networks of citizen activity....

Traditional Cultural Expressions in Africa

It is made from woven sisal fibers with decorations of different colors to signify social status and also purpose it is intended for. The item of expression is referred to as a ‘Kiondo’. A brightly colored Kiondo was used to attend dowry ceremonies, and the number of different colors used...

Will Artificial Intelligence Replace Humans?

Technology has taken a dramatic leap forward in the last 100 years, taking center stage in every industry. All the people in the world face technological advances: some are more affected by them, while others are confused by technology. Nevertheless, progress is happening almost every day, and the leading player...

How Color Affects the Desire to Buy

A number of factors, many of which interconnect, regulate consumer behaviors and change how people act. As a term, consumer behavior refers to the combination of actions, decisions, views a person holds when buying, using or disposing of products (Panaitescu). Depending on how products are presented, packaged, advertised or showcased,...

Strategic Planning in Airlines

Strategic planning and development in the airlines are crucial because it provides the structure and capacity to be flexible and adaptable in a dynamic environment that is constantly evolving. In the airline, the executive team is responsible for providing a strategic plan for creating guiding organizational principles, formulating the strategic...

The US Subprime Mortgage Crisis

The US subprime mortgage has not only had an affect in the USA but also has spread across the globe. Thus, the direct risk exposure has spread well beyond the USA to Asian and European market. It has become essential to adapt a dynamic risk management tool to contain credit...

Federal Budget Process and Its Stages

Operating vs. capital budget A budget is a quantitative plan or statement that gives the details of projected expenditures during a certain period (Rabin, 2003). A typical budget contains details such as costs, expenses, revenues, sales volumes, and cash flows. An operating budget is a detailed statement of estimated revenues...

Manifest Destiny and American Expansionism

The term “Manifest Destiny” was coined in 1845; however, it was only a concise expression which embodied the mindset of the society, evolving through years. The concept reflected both the pride of American Nationalism and the idealistic perception of the social structure, which was connected with the strong religious influence....

Socialism Ideology Benefiting the Public Good

Under the ideology of socialism, a ruling class of social planners, intellectuals, and bureaucrats decides what is right for people and what they want. The coercive power of the state is then used for regulating, redistributing, and taxing the wealth of individuals who work to sustain their living. In many...

African-American President’s Influence on Black Community

Barack Obama being elected as the first African-American US president became a symbolic event for the entire country. It was especially valuable because such a turn must further prove the development of racial equality in the USA. Thus, the African-American community faced the election most actively and with the highest...

The Guiding Principles of Restorative Justice

Restorative justice is an alternative view of the punishment of the offender and compensation for the harm of the victim, which rejects the classic criminal law approach to only punish the criminal. In other words, justice for the sake of justice is not the primary goal of law for the...

Philosophy of the Concept of Solipsism and How It Differs From Others

Throughout history, humans have tried to make sense of the world around them. Through observation, discussion, and theory crafting, individuals have managed to present specific ideas on the nature of broader concepts. Practices that study the fundamental aspects of human existence can be called philosophy. Many great minds have combined...

Identifying Health Care Fraud and Abuse

Health care fraud is a significant bother for all stakeholders, even though not everyone realizes it. On the one hand, fraud and abuse are associated with an increased cost of care. According to Drabiak and Wolfson (2020), up to 10% of all healthcare costs are associated with fraudulent reimbursement claims....

Two Genres of Music: Rap Music and Jazz Music

Works Cited Gioia, Ted. Music: A subversive history. Hachette UK, 2019. Finkelstein, Sidney Walter. Jazz: A people’s music. Pickle Partners Publishing, 2018.

The End-Of-Life Care Regarding Covid-19 Patients

During the COVID-19 pandemic, it is impossible to have end-of-life person-centric treatment at home and in care homes. Visors and facemasks users find it challenging to read or hear soft vocal sounds and crucial instruments for empathic communication. The pandemic has put a tremendous burden on the resources of treatment....

Relationship Between Poverty and Health People in 2020

Poverty affects the health of individuals in that it leads to limited access to income, making the poor socially isolated, experience a lot of stress and have few educational opportunities. In return, this causes poor health, which increases risk factors for diseases. The health outcome depends on environmental factors and...

Trends Prediction of Big and Fusion Data

The article gives an overview analysis of the trend of big data in terms of increasing storage. Tang, Ma, and Luo (2020) mention that the growth of the Internet of Things (IoT) is accelerating the creation of quintillion bytes of data. The article indicates that big data is generated by...

Panopticism and Michel Foucault on Education

Michel Foucault was a French philosopher, writer, and political activist whose theories mainly revolved around the relationship between power and knowledge. Foucault’s thoughts have significantly influenced people, particularly on cultural and communication studies, as well as sociology. Educational institutions, specifically schools, are understood as panoptic spaces by social researchers. They...

The Logic of a Systematic Approach

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Home — Essay Samples — Geography & Travel — Travel and Tourism Industry — The History of Moscow City

The History of Moscow City

• Categories: Russia Travel and Tourism Industry

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Published: Feb 12, 2019

Words: 614 | Page: 1 | 4 min read

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Sample essay on my favorite city Moscow

It was my first trip to Moscow and before going to Moscow I have consulted about this city with my advisor. He told me that Moscow is a very expensive city having hotel rooms for about $1000 and $12 coffees.

Moscow’s Airports:

There are three international airports in Moscow that are Domodedovo, Vnukovo and the third one is Sheremetyevo.  All of them are constructed outside the Moscow.

Accommodation:

The next thing after landing over the airport is the issue of accommodation. Where should I go to stay was the first question in my mind? But thanks to my advisor who was with me throughout the whole journey. He took me to the Godzilla’s Hostel which is the oldest and the largest hostel of the city. You will get this hostel in the historical center. I found this area with numerous cafes which were inexpensive and that was the good news for me. We both found this place quite good for us because it has also a metro located station at the roadside.

Transportation System:

This city has the best transport system in the whole world. This big town has a little bit cold weather in winter and I along with my advisor decided to walk through the streets in this chilly weather. But soon we got to know that Moscow metro is more likely to be traveled in the city. For one ride and two rides, Moscow’s metro cost $0.80 for 50 rubles and $1.60 for 100 rubles. There was also an option of 32 rubles in one ride for $0.50. This option is known as Troika card. But we both traveled into two rides of 100 rubles.

Free Tour of Sightseeing:

As you know that Moscow one of the most expensive world’s city, I and my advisor wanted to visit Moscow in as less budget as possible. So free tour to Moscow is a good choice for us. What does it offer? Walking free tours in the city center and daily we left our hostel room and depart from there 10:45 in the morning to visit the Moscow city in the metro. It took two and a half an hour to visit various landmarks etc.

Next amazing option you can get there is sightseeing bus of Moscow which charges $12.50 for one day route.

Moscow’s Culture:

To know about the culture of Moscow, we both entered into the museum. There are so many museums, exhibitions and different type of galleries in the city. Though the prices of the museums are different from one another but many museums has a free entry every month’s third Thursday.

Well, Moscow has many standard restaurants which are enough expensive to empty your pockets but it doesn’t mean that you can’t do fine dining within your budget. You will have hundreds of dishes in The Grable Chain restaurant’s buffet.

We both went to Grable restaurant and had marinated mushrooms, salted herring, and pork shashlik. We ate a delicious food within our budget.

We stayed in Moscow for about 3 days and then we are left with empty pockets except we have the money to come back to our city. So we decided that it is now the time to say goodbye to Moscow and come back to our home sweet home.

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