Many applicants miss their opportunity to provide admissions committees with insight into who they are by trying too hard or writing too little in their personal statements. By trying too much, they end up writing nothing at all!
As an example, they may discuss too many activities without making connections between them in an intuitive fashion or using language that seems pompous. Furthermore, they might relay all their life details or repeat information already provided in their resume and recommendation letters.
Page Length
Personal statements provide applicants with a valuable opportunity to reveal more about themselves, their experiences, motivations and writing abilities. Though students may initially struggle with how to write a personal statement, many find the experience rewarding once they master its writing process.
Your law school personal statement length depends on its prompt and guidelines set by each school; however, most will recommend two pages double-spaced as a minimum requirement. Therefore, make sure that your essay is well structured and concise while meeting this length requirement without including unnecessary details or information.
Personal statements provide an opportunity to showcase your most impressive experiences, as well as any qualities that would enhance a legal career, in an appealing fashion. Be sure to connect these qualities to why you wish to attend law school and the specific field you wish to study; admissions committee members reviewing your application will want to know about any hobbies or passions that tie in to this area of law.
Word Count
Your personal statement provides the chance for you to tell a compelling narrative. Use it to provide additional details about yourself that law school admissions committee members cannot gather from your transcript, resume and other application components. Avoid filling up space with unnecessary words that do not enhance the narrative arc; lengthy digressions and side notes about general issues should also be avoided as they will divert the reader away from your story.
Your personal statement should end by connecting your experience, interests and personality to the field of law you are applying to. This demonstrates to the admissions committee how your goals, values and skills will benefit their institution while at the same time showing that you can handle academic challenges and demands of legal careers.
Topics
Personal statements allow you to reflect on who you are and what matters to you, while also showcasing what sets you apart as a candidate for law school. If someone inspired your interest in law, feel free to mention them briefly as part of your story or journey leading up to applying; but make sure your focus remains on yourself and your motivations for law.
Stay away from using colloquial language; admissions committee members could find such phrases off-putting, making your statement seem unprofessional.
Avoid recreating your resume or repeating every experience you’ve ever had – your personal statement should be an original piece that showcases your potential as an attorney in the future.
Writing Style
Personal statements require two key components: writing style and subject matter. Overly flowery language or jargon may obscure your main point and leave readers bored or confused, so aim for concision by cutting down unnecessary words and shortening sentences wherever possible. Aim for two to three double-spaced pages when writing a personal statement; avoid cliches and stereotypes as these will only serve to offend while failing to make you look unique or interesting.
As part of each law school application, it’s crucial that you follow its formatting requirements. Some schools require applicants to answer a particular question while others have word or page limits for your answer. When listing experiences relevant to law, only include relevant experiences – don’t rehash what has already been covered elsewhere on your resume or make reference to events covered elsewhere in other parts of the application – instead focus on events that most influenced your passions for legal education and how these will help shape its development further.
