Law schools typically provide very little guidance about the content of the essay. The personal statement should tell your unique story, highlighting experiences that are foundational to your pursuit of an advanced degree. Use your statement to persuade reviewers of your strengths as an applicant and potential to succeed in a challenging program. An authentic personal narrative will enable a reader to understand who you are and what has motivated your professional choices.
1. Selecting a Statement Topic
Choose a topic that reveals that best parts of your character, accomplishments and aspirations. A well-chosen topic provides a meaningful context for your accomplishments, skills, or experiences. Here are some potential topics, but don’t feel constrained by these suggestions:
- An event or issue of particular importance in your life (e.g. family background, engagement with activism, community service, personally important hobbies, etc.).
- What makes you unique or what truly interests and excites you.
- Coursework, experiences, or research, such as completing your thesis, working with a professor, or volunteering for legal aid, a clinic, or a nonprofit organization.
- A time when you had to overcome a significant difficulty or adversity in your life. This may include personal, academic or social difficulties. Explain how facing and overcoming adversity helped you developing qualities needed to succeed.
2. Things to Do and Not Do
Do:
- Anchor each paragraph by writing a clear topic sentence.
- Write in the first person. This is your statement, and it should be told from your perspective.
- Show, rather than tell, by providing persuasive, accurate, and concrete examples, details, and explanations for the statements that you make.
- Recognize that ideas and sentences do not need to be complex. Sometimes it is best to keep language simple.
- Also try altering the lengths, styles, and rhythms of your sentences for variety, ease, and enjoyability of reading.
- Use active verbs (led, facilitated, mentored, chose, learned, etc.). Vivid, active language is crucial for keeping the attention of the reader.
- Keep your tone confident and positive. Communicate self-assurance in an effective, professional manner without arrogance.
- Be prepared to write several drafts of your statement, setting aside enough time to revise multiple drafts prior to submission.
- Proofread carefully. Check for clear syntax, correct grammar, and spelling. Do not rely only on spell check!
- Follow application instructions explicitly on required length, format, and topic. If the law school does not provide guidelines, it is best to limit the length of your essay to roughly three pages, double spaced, with one-inch margins in an 11-12 inch standard font.
- Remember: Lawyers value succinct, precise writing!
Don’t:
- Write an overly emotional or sentimental essay without connecting to a larger theme. Personal tragedy is a strong motivator, but you must express what you learned and how you grew.
- Simply summarize your résumé. Your personal statement is not a list of your accomplishments. Rather than fixating on what you did, tell the reader why you made the choices you made and how they impacted you and/or others.
- Overuse quotes, questions, poems, or cliches. This is a sample of your writing and your thoughts, not those of others.
- Overuse adverbs and adjectives.
- Forget that there is a fine line between humor and annoyance, confidence and arrogance. Gimmicky or excessively self-congratulatory statements are not always well received.
