Sample Personal Statement for Law School
Last summer, on a blistering August afternoon, I sat beside two lawyers at the Bakersfield Homeless Center. During this summer of 2014, I interned for Greater Bakersfield Legal Assistance, a non-profit law firm that offers free legal services in civil matters such as homelessness, domestic violence, guardianship, children and family services, and much more. On this particular August day, we sat with our client Gary (who’s real name has been changed to protect lawyer/client confidentiality). The two lawyers and I were sitting with Gary going over his statement for his upcoming Homeless Court case. Eight months prior to this meeting, Gary had received a ticket for sleeping in a public place. He was currently looking for work at the time and could not appear in court or pay for his ticket. This resulted in a warrant for his arrest. With this warrant and ticket on his record, it was even more impossible for Gary to find work. Gary had completed a 90-day rehabilitation program and had been free from any new violations for that past eight months.
That Friday I sat in the courtroom and watched the lawyers tell Gary’s story to the judge. After an hour or two of the hearing had gone by, the judge finally ruled that the fine for the ticket was waved and the ticket and warrant would be removed from Gary’s record. The look of pure joy in Gary’s eyes that day truly changed my life. Before seeing Gary’s reaction, I was not certain that I wanted to go to law school; however, after seeing what a monumental impact a lawyer can have on a person’s life, I knew without a doubt that is what my future needed to consist of.
When I came back to school in the fall, I signed up for two law related classes. I took American Legal History, and Legal Writing. Both classes were of great interest to me; there was never a time I wasn’t fascinated by lecture, or the readings. In the Legal Writing class I had the opportunity to write case briefs, law essays, letters, short office memoranda, and appellate briefs. I literally loved every aspect of these courses, from the extensive research on past cases and case law, to the legal jargon required when writing, it was all fantastic. After the completion of these legal courses, as well as all my experience with Greater Bakersfield Legal Assistance, I am determined to become a lawyer because I am truly passionate about the law and because I want to be able to have a positive impact on peoples’ lives.
Once I put my mind to something, I never stop giving one hundred percent. I think that I would thrive in law school and as an attorney because I am hard working, driven, dedicated, and organized. When I was four years old, riding in the back seat of my dad’s car, a truck transporting cows drove past us. I asked my parents where the driver was taking those cows. My parents informed me that some of those cows would help make milk we drink in our cereal and a few of those cows would help make the hamburgers I loved so much. After several questions of what animals “helped” make which foods, at four years old, I made the decision to stop eating animals. And to this day I still have not eaten anything with a face that had to be killed for me. While this may not seem like a big deal, I grew up in Bakersfield, CA which is about as country as a town can get west of Texas. The majority of people from my town were “good ‘ol boys” who hunted, fished, and chewed tobacco as their major pastimes. Many trucks that drove around the town were covered with bumper stickers with slogans such as “EAT BEEF, The West wasn’t won on salad”. With this little background on my town, you can imagine all the harassment I received for being a vegetarian, especially at such a young age. Regardless of this harassment, I never let it stop me from following my heart.
My hard-working, driven, dedicated, and organized state of mind is also presented in my daily life; the more activities and tasks I can be doing, the better. When I was in high school I was a 3-sport varsity athlete, I was on student government, I was on the board of a community service organization, and I had a job all while maintaining a 4.3 GPA. Now in college at UCSB I am on the board of my sorority, I complete at least 8 hours of community service through organizations such as adopt-a-block, and challengers each quarter, I have a job taking notes for the University, all while completing a major in Political Science, a major in Communication, and a minor in Professional Writing in four years with a 3.6 GPA.
I hope this personal statement has demonstrated to you my true passion and love for the practice of law and the law itself. Through my dedication and work ethic, I know that I could succeed as a law student and lawyer, and I would be honored to do so with a juris doctorate from your incredible institution.
Last summer, on a blistering August afternoon, I sat beside two lawyers at the Bakersfield Homeless Center. During this summer of 2014, I interned for Greater Bakersfield Legal Assistance, a non-profit law firm that offers free legal services in civil matters such as homelessness, domestic violence, guardianship, children and family services, and much more. On this particular August day, we sat with our client Gary (who’s real name has been changed to protect lawyer/client confidentiality). The two lawyers and I were sitting with Gary going over his statement for his upcoming Homeless Court case. Eight months prior to this meeting, Gary had received a ticket for sleeping in a public place. He was currently looking for work at the time and could not appear in court or pay for his ticket. This resulted in a warrant for his arrest. With this warrant and ticket on his record, it was even more impossible for Gary to find work. Gary had completed a 90-day rehabilitation program and had been free from any new violations for that past eight months.
That Friday I sat in the courtroom and watched the lawyers tell Gary’s story to the judge. After an hour or two of the hearing had gone by, the judge finally ruled that the fine for the ticket was waved and the ticket and warrant would be removed from Gary’s record. The look of pure joy in Gary’s eyes that day truly changed my life. Before seeing Gary’s reaction, I was not certain that I wanted to go to law school; however, after seeing what a monumental impact a lawyer can have on a person’s life, I knew without a doubt that is what my future needed to consist of.
When I came back to school in the fall, I signed up for two law related classes. I took American Legal History, and Legal Writing. Both classes were of great interest to me; there was never a time I wasn’t fascinated by lecture, or the readings. In the Legal Writing class I had the opportunity to write case briefs, law essays, letters, short office memoranda, and appellate briefs. I literally loved every aspect of these courses, from the extensive research on past cases and case law, to the legal jargon required when writing, it was all fantastic. After the completion of these legal courses, as well as all my experience with Greater Bakersfield Legal Assistance, I am determined to become a lawyer because I am truly passionate about the law and because I want to be able to have a positive impact on peoples’ lives.
Once I put my mind to something, I never stop giving one hundred percent. I think that I would thrive in law school and as an attorney because I am hard working, driven, dedicated, and organized. When I was four years old, riding in the back seat of my dad’s car, a truck transporting cows drove past us. I asked my parents where the driver was taking those cows. My parents informed me that some of those cows would help make milk we drink in our cereal and a few of those cows would help make the hamburgers I loved so much. After several questions of what animals “helped” make which foods, at four years old, I made the decision to stop eating animals. And to this day I still have not eaten anything with a face that had to be killed for me. While this may not seem like a big deal, I grew up in Bakersfield, CA which is about as country as a town can get west of Texas. The majority of people from my town were “good ‘ol boys” who hunted, fished, and chewed tobacco as their major pastimes. Many trucks that drove around the town were covered with bumper stickers with slogans such as “EAT BEEF, The West wasn’t won on salad”. With this little background on my town, you can imagine all the harassment I received for being a vegetarian, especially at such a young age. Regardless of this harassment, I never let it stop me from following my heart.
My hard-working, driven, dedicated, and organized state of mind is also presented in my daily life; the more activities and tasks I can be doing, the better. When I was in high school I was a 3-sport varsity athlete, I was on student government, I was on the board of a community service organization, and I had a job all while maintaining a 4.3 GPA. Now in college at UCSB I am on the board of my sorority, I complete at least 8 hours of community service through organizations such as adopt-a-block, and challengers each quarter, I have a job taking notes for the University, all while completing a major in Political Science, a major in Communication, and a minor in Professional Writing in four years with a 3.6 GPA.
I hope this personal statement has demonstrated to you my true passion and love for the practice of law and the law itself. Through my dedication and work ethic, I know that I could succeed as a law student and lawyer, and I would be honored to do so with a juris doctorate from your incredible institution.