PERSONAL STATEMENT

ONE INTERNSHIP INFINITE OPPORTUNITIES

PERSONAL STATEMENT

The personal statement is a key component of your law school application. Your personal statement is your only

chance to communicate your personality to the admissions committee.

A well written personal statement will enable admissions officers to see you as an actual human being rather than a collection of documents.

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RULES There are a few general rules to follow

when writing your personal statement: Your personal statement must be personal,

about YOU! Your writing must be clear, concise and well

organized. It should answer the question, “why law

school?” Narrowly focused. It should be positive. Follow all applicable rules. No typos!

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ABOUT YOU Your personal statement must be about

YOU! You need to be the star of your personal

statement. Another person’s struggles or challenges may

have inspired you to attend law school, but admissions committees care about you, so minimize any discussion of another person.

This is your time to navel gaze and be a bit of a narcissist.

Speak about you, what makes you unique, and make a compelling case for why an admissions officer should admit you to law school.

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ABOUT YOU CONT’D Write a statement that shows you at

your best or highlights your best qualities.

Do not use this as an opportunity to review accomplishments on your resume – let your resume speak for itself. Exception: there is something on your

resume that is the catalyst for your decision to attend law school.

Do not write about a legal issue. Exception: if a specific legal issue has

directly affected you and your decision to attend law school (e.g., DACA legislation)

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WELL WRITTEN Your statement must be the best piece of

writing you have done to date. Concise – get to the point, don’t waste

words. Clear – the reader has to know what you

are trying to convey. Well-organized – your personal statement

must be a tightly constructed piece of writing, no extraneous thoughts, no superfluous words. You must have a beginning, middle and end. And nothing more.

No legalese.

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WHY LAW SCHOOL? You need to explain to the

admissions committee why you want to go to law school.

Whatever story you choose to tell, it must illuminate your decision to attend law school.

This is not a chance for you share a piece of fiction or to take a creative risk – if it backfires, you won’t have another shot.

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POSITIVE Your personal statement must be

positive. Not the platform for rants against

injustices, wrongs or slights. If there is something negative you

had to overcome to achieve a goal, that’s okay. Ultimately it’s positive.

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OBEY ALL APPLICABLE RULES

If there is a page or word limit, do not exceed it.

If you must make a specific mention in your personal statement, do so.

Whatever they ask for, give them exactly that.

Do not include typos, grammatical errors or other evidence of shoddy work. You run the risk of your application being

rejected because someone found a typo.

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ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS Addendum

Use an addendum to explain any issues with respect to your application. Low Test Scores Low GPA Any significant gaps in your resume.

Diversity Statement Write one if given the opportunity to do so. Must be different from your personal

statement and should speak specifically to what makes you diverse.

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FINAL PRODUCT Tweak your personal statement slightly

for each school to which you’re applying. E.g., “As a recent immigrant to this country,

I am particularly interested in attending Columbia so that I can participate in the Immigrants’ Rights Clinic.”

Ask one or more people to read your personal statement to check for typos and to give you feedback on content.

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PROMPTS If you’re having trouble writing, try a

prompt. Pick one of these topics, set a timer for twenty minutes and write. The day I accepted my own mortality I

changed… Instead of playing it safe, I decided to take a

risk and… The biggest challenge I have faced to date… I rarely tell people about my… The most influential person in my life…

Once you finish writing, review your work to see if you have anything that can help you with your personal statement.

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WRAP UP Dos

Write about YOU. Answer the question, “why law

school?” Create a focused, error free, well-

organized piece. Follow all rules. Be positive.

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WRAP UP

Don’t Use legalese or jargon. Discuss a legal issue, unless it’s directly relevant to you.

Rehash your resume.

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