Login to your account

Remember Me

Register for a Free Account

Access sample lessons, a free LSAT PrepTest, and 100 question explanations today!

Password (twice) * password strength indicator

⭐️How to Format Your Law School Personal Statement

Check the application of every school to which you’re applying, but in general, you should follow these guidelines.

I prefer a one-line header. Put your name on the left, your LSAC number in the middle, and the words “Personal Statement,” followed by a page number, on the right. It looks like this:

Essay with One-Line Header

In case you’re not comfortable with Word headers, I’ve made a correctly formatted .docx file with a one-line header.  Click here to download the sample text, then substitute your information for the placeholders.

You can also put all the information on the right-hand side, in three lines, like this:

Essay with Three-Line Header

If you use a three-line header on the first page, you may want to use a shorter header—name, page number—on subsequent pages.

The Essay Body

  • Don’t give your essay a title.
  • Use twelve-point, Times New Roman font (an eleven-point font is fine too if the application doesn't specify)
  • Use one-inch margins all around.
  • Double-space your essay.
  • Left-align or justify your essay.
  • Add half-inch indentations to each paragraph.
  • Don’t add an extra return between paragraphs.
  • Use one space after periods.

I’ve implemented this formatting in the personal statement format sample .

Learn about our admissions consulting and editing services .

Lesson Note

No note. Click here to write note.

Click here to reset

Leave a Reply Cancel

You must be logged in to post a comment. You can get a free account here .

18 Law School Personal Statement Examples That Got Accepted!

sample-law-school-personal-statement-and-tips

This blog contains law school personal statement examples written by applicants who were successfully accepted to multiple law schools after working with our admissions experts as part of our  application review programs . Your  law school personal statement  is one of the most important parts of your application and is your best opportunity to show admissions officers who you are behind your numbers and third-party assessments. Because of its importance, many students find the personal statement to be daunting and demanding of the full scope of their skills as writers. Today we're going to review these excellent law school personal statement examples from past successful applicants and provide some proven strategies from a former admissions officer that can help you prepare your own stellar essay. 

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

Article Contents 44 min read

Law school personal statement example #1.

When I was a child, my neighbors, who had arrived in America from Nepal, often seemed stressed. They argued a lot, struggled for money, and seemed to work all hours of the day. One day, I woke early in the morning to a commotion outside my apartment. Police officers were accompanying my neighbors out of the building. They were being deported. In my teens, I was shocked to see that our kind, friendly neighbors had exhausted their last chance to stay in America as they lost a court appeal. 

Since that time, I have worked closely with the many immigrant families in my neighborhood, and now university town. I began by volunteering at a local community center. Together with social workers, I served food and gave out clothes to new arrivals. My diligent work ethic led to more responsibility, and I received training in basic counseling techniques, first aid skills and community services. Soon, I was tasked with welcoming new community members and assessing their health and social needs. I heard the many difficult stories of those who had traveled thousands of miles, often through several countries, risking everything to reach a safe, welcoming country. I was proud to contribute in some small way to making America welcoming for these individuals.

The community center is where I had my first formal contact with legal aid lawyers, who were a constant source of knowledge and support for those who needed assistance. I was struck by the lawyers’ ability to explain complex legal processes to nervous and exhausted incomers: law, I realized, was about more than procedure. I decided that I, too, would strive to balance a wealth of technical knowledge with my caring, compassionate personality.

As soon as I enrolled in university, I knew I had the chance to do so. In my very first week, I signed up to volunteer at the university’s legal aid center, where I worked closely with law professors and students on a range of cases. Academically, I have focused on courses, such as a fourth-year Ethics seminar, that would help me develop rigorous critical reasoning skills. More importantly, I knew that, given my experience, I could be a leader on campus. I decided to found a refugee campaign group, Students4Refugees. Together with a group of volunteers, we campaigned to make our campus a refugee-friendly space. I organized a series of events: international student mixers, an art installation in our student commons, and concerts that raised over $5,000 for the charity Refugee Aid. I am proud to say that my contributions were recognized with a university medal for campus leadership.

I have seen time and again how immigrants to the United States struggle with bureaucracy, with complex legal procedures, and with the demands of living in a foreign and sometimes hostile climate. As I plan to enter law school, I look back to my neighbors’ experiences: they needed someone who knew the law, who could negotiate with the authorities on their behalf, who could inform them of their rights—but they also needed someone who would provide a caring and compassionate outlet for their stresses. I know that Townsville University’s combination of academic rigor, legal aid services, and history of graduates entering labor and non-profit sectors will allow me to develop these skills and continue making contributions to my community by advocating for those in need.

  • Thematic consistency: It focuses on just one theme: justice for immigrants. Each paragraph is designed to show off how enthusiastic the student is about this area of law. Personal statements—including those for law school—often begin with a personal anecdote. This one is short, memorable, and relevant. It establishes the overall theme quickly. By constraining their essay’s focus to a single general theme, the writer can go into great depth and weave in emotional and psychological weight through careful and vivid description. The personal statement isn’t a standard 3-paragraph college essay with a spotlight thesis statement, but it conveys similar impact through presenting a central focus organically, without resorting to simply blurting out “the point” of the piece.   
  • Shows, rather than tells: Connected to this, this statement focuses on showing rather than telling. Rather than simply telling the reader about their commitment to law, the applicant describes specific situations they were involved in that demonstrate their commitment to law. “Show don’t tell” means you want to paint a vivid picture of actions or experiences that demonstrate a given quality or skill, and not simply say "I can do X." Make it an experience for your reader, don't just give them a fact. 
  • Confident, but not arrogant: Additionally, this personal statement is confident without being boastful—leadership qualities, grades, and an award are all mentioned in context, rather than appearing as a simple list of successes. 
  • Specific to the school: It ends with a conclusion that alludes to why the applicant is suitable for the specific school to which they’re applying and points to their future career plans. Thoroughly researching the law school to which you’re applying is incredibly important so that you can tailor your remarks to the specific qualities and values they’re looking for. A law essay writing service is really something that can help you integrate this aspect effectively. 

What Should a Law School Personal Statement Do?

1.      be unique to the school you’re applying to.

Students are always asking how to write a personal statement for law school, particularly one that stands out from all the rest. After all, advice from most universities can often be quite vague. Take this zinger from the  University of Chicago : “Write about something personal, relevant, and completely individual to you… Just be yourself.” Every school will have different requirements or content they want to see in a personal statement. This is why it’s a good idea to review specific guidelines for the school to which you’re applying. For example, you can read Yale Law School personal statement examples , Stanford Law personal statement examples , and an NYU personal statement to get an idea of what these schools look for.

2.      Demonstrate your skills and capabilities

For motivated students with the world at their fingertips, it’s a tough ask to narrow your character down into a few hundred words! But this is exactly the point of such generic guidelines—to challenge aspiring law students to produce something unique and convincing with minimal direction by the university. Law is, after all, a profession that demands your language to be persuasive, and the personal statement is merely one of many exercises where you can demonstrate your language skills. 

3.      Meet basic requirements

While the law school personal statement is about far more than just following essay directions, you still need to keep basic formatting and length restrictions in mind. Most law schools ask for a 2-page personal statement, but lengths can range from 2-4 pages. Georgetown Law School , for instance, recommends a 2-page personal statement but explicitly states that there is no official minimum or maximum. In general, length does not make a personal statement better. Rambling, meandering sentences and tiresome descriptions will only hurt the impact of your ideas, especially considering how many thousands of pages admissions committees have to churn through each year.  

In short, keep to 2 double-spaced pages, and only go below or above this is if you absolutely have to, and if the school to which you're applying allows it. You want to keep things as widely applicable as possible while drafting your personal statement, meaning that you don't want to draft a 4 page letter for the one school that allows it, and then have to significantly rewrite this for your other schools. Stick to 2 pages. 

4.      Embody what the school is looking for

Lastly, many law schools won’t offer hyper-specific prompts, but will give you general law school admissions essay topics to follow. For instance, the University of Washington’s law school provides a number of topics to follow, including “Describe a personal challenge you faced” or “Describe your passions and involvement in a project or pursuit and the ways in which it has contributed to your personal growth and goals.” These topics may feel specific at first, but as you begin drafting, you’ll likely realize you have dozens of memories to choose from, and numerous ways of describing their impact. While drafting, try to explore as many of these options as possible, and select the best or most impactful to use in your final draft.  

Want to write the perfect law school personal statement? Watch this video:

Law School Personal Statement Example #2

In my home community, the belief is that the law is against us. The law oppresses and victimizes. I must admit that as a child and young person I had this opinion based on my environment and the conversations around me. I did not understand that the law could be a vehicle for social change, and I certainly did not imagine I had the ability and talents to be a voice for this change. I regularly attended my high school classes because I enjoyed the discussions and reading for English and history, and writing came easily to me, but I wasn’t committed to getting good grades because I felt I had no purpose. My mindset changed as I spent time with Mark Russell, a law student who agreed to mentor and tutor me as part of a “high school to law school” mentorship program. Every week, for three years, Mark and I would meet. At first, Mark tutored me, but I quickly became an “A” student, not only because of the tutoring, but because my ambitions were uncorked by what Mark shared with me about university, the law, and his life. I learned grades were the currency I needed to succeed. I attended mock trials, court hearings, and law lectures with Mark and developed a fresh understanding of the law that piqued an interest in law school. My outlook has changed because my mentor, my teachers, and my self-advocacy facilitated my growth. Still, injustices do occur. The difference is that I now believe the law can be an instrument for social change, but voices like mine must give direction to policy and resources in order to fight those injustices.

Early in my mentorship, I realized it was necessary to be “in the world” differently if I were to truly consider a law career. With Mark’s help and the support of my high school teachers, I learned to advocate for myself and explore opportunities that would expand my worldview as well as my academic skills. I joined a Model UN club at a neighboring high school, because my own school did not have enough student interest to have a club. By discussing global issues and writing decisions, I began to feel powerful and confident with my ability to gather evidence and make meaningful decisions about real global issues. As I built my leadership, writing, and public speaking skills, I noticed a rift developing with some of my friends. I wanted them to begin to think about larger systemic issues outside of our immediate experience, as I was learning to, and to build confidence in new ways. I petitioned my school to start a Model UN and recruited enough students to populate the club. My friends did not join the club as I’d hoped, but before I graduated, we had 2 successful years with the students who did join. I began to understand that I cannot force change based on my own mandate, but I must listen attentively to the needs and desires of others in order to support them as they require.

While I learned to advocate for myself throughout high school, I also learned to advocate for others. My neighbors, knowing my desire to be a lawyer, would often ask me to advocate on their behalf with small grievances. I would make phone calls, stand in line with them at government offices, and deal with difficult landlords. A woman, Elsa, asked me to review her rental agreement to help her understand why her landlord had rented it to someone else, rather than renewing her lease. I scoured the rental agreement, highlighted questionable sections, read the Residential Tenancies Act, and developed a strategy for approaching the landlord. Elsa and I sat down with the landlord and, upon seeing my binder complete with indices, he quickly conceded before I could even speak. That day, I understood evidence is the way to justice. My interest in justice grew, and while in university, I sought experiences to solidify my decision to pursue law.

Last summer, I had the good fortune to work as a summer intern in the Crown Attorney’s Office responsible for criminal trial prosecutions. As the only pre-law intern, I was given tasks such as reviewing court tapes, verifying documents, and creating a binder with indices. I often went to court with the prosecutors where I learned a great deal about legal proceedings, and was at times horrified by human behavior. This made the atmosphere in the Crown Attorney’s office even more surprising. I worked with happy and passionate lawyers whose motivations were pubic service, the safety and well-being of communities, and justice. The moment I realized justice was their true objective, not the number of convictions, was the moment I decided to become a lawyer.

I broke from the belief systems I was born into. I did this through education, mentorship, and self-advocacy. There is sadness because in this transition I left people behind, especially as I entered university. However, I am devoted to my home community. I understand the barriers that stand between youth and their success. As a law student, I will mentor as I was mentored, and as a lawyer, I will be a voice for change.

What’s Great about this Second Law School Personal Statement?

  • It tells a complete and compelling story: Although the applicant expressed initial reservations about the law generally, the statement tells a compelling story of how the applicant's opinions began to shift and their interest in law began. They use real examples and show how that initial interest, once seeded, grew into dedication and passion. This introduction implies an answer to the " why do you want to study law? ” interview question.
  • It shows adaptability: Receptiveness to new information and the ability to change both thought and behavior based on this new information. The writer describes realizing that they needed to be "in the world" differently! It's hard to convey such a grandiose idea without sounding cliché, but through their captivating and chronological narrative, the writer successfully convinces the reader that this is the case with copious examples, including law school extracurriculars . It’s a fantastic case of showing rather than telling, describing specific causes they were involved with which demonstrate that the applicant is genuinely committed to a career in the law. 
  • Includes challenges the subject faced and overcame: This law school personal statement also discusses weighty, relatable challenges that they faced, such as the applicant's original feeling toward law, and the fact that they lost some friends along the way. However, the applicant shows determination to move past these hurdles without self-pity or other forms of navel-gazing.  Additionally, this personal statement ends with a conclusion that alludes to why the applicant is suitable for the specific school to which they’re applying and points to their future career plans. The writer manages to craft an extremely immersive and believable story about their path to the present, while also managing to curate the details of this narrative to fit the specific values and mission of the school to which they’re applying.

What’s Great About This Third Law School Personal Statement? 

  • Description is concise and effective: This writer opens with rich, vivid description and seamlessly guides the reader into a compelling first-person narrative. Using punchy, attention-grabbing descriptions like these make events immersive, placing readers in the writer's shoes and creating a sense of immediacy. 
  • Achievements are the focus: They also do a fantastic job of talking about their achievements, such as interview team lead, program design, etc., without simply bragging. Instead, they deliver this information within a cohesive narrative that includes details, anecdotes, and information that shows their perspective in a natural way. Lastly, they invoke their passion for law with humility, discussing their momentary setbacks and frustrations as ultimately positive experiences leading to further growth. 

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

Law School Personal Statement #4

What’s great about this fourth law school personal statement.

  • Engaging description: Like the third example above, this fourth law school personal statement opens with engaging description and first-person narrative. However, the writer of this personal statement chooses to engage a traumatic aspect of their childhood and discuss how this adversity led them to develop their desire to pursue a career in law.  
  • Strong theme of overcoming adversity: Overcoming adversity is a frequent theme in personal statements for all specialties, but with law school personal statements students are often able to utilize uniquely dramatic, difficult, and pivotal experiences that involved interacting with the law. It may be hard to discuss such emotionally weighty experiences in a short letter but, as this personal statement shows, with care and focus it's possible to sincerely demonstrate how your early struggles paved the way for you to become the person you are now. It's important to avoid sensationalism, but you shouldn't shy away from opening up to your readers about adverse experiences that have ultimately pointed you in a positive direction. 

Why "show, don't tell" is the #1 rule for personal statements:

Law School Personal Statement Example #5

What’s great about this fifth law school personal statement  .

  • Highlights achievements effectively: This writer does a fantastic job of incorporating their accomplishments and impact they had on their community without any sense of bragging or conceit. Rather, these accomplishments are related in terms of deep personal investment and a general drive to have a positive impact on those around them—without resorting to the cliches of simply stating "I want to help people." They show themselves helping others, and how these early experiences of doing so are a fundamental part of their drive to succeed with a career in law.   
  • Shows originality: Additionally, they do a great job of explaining the uniqueness of their identity. The writer doesn't simply list their personal/cultural characteristics, but contextualizes them to show how they've shaped their path to law school. Being the child of a Buddhist mother and a Hindu father doesn’t imply anything about a person’s ability to study/practice law on its own, but explaining how this unique aspect of their childhood encouraged a passion for “discussion, active debate, and compromise” is profoundly meaningful to an admissions panel. Being able to express how fundamental aspects of law practice are an integral part of yourself is a hugely helpful tactic in a law school personal statement. 

If you\u2019re heading North of the border, check out list of  law schools in Canada  that includes requirements and stats on acceptance. ","label":"Tip","title":"Tip"}]" code="tab2" template="BlogArticle">

Law School Personal Statement Example #6

What’s great about this sixth law school personal statement .

  • Weaves in cultural background: Similar to the writer of personal statement #5, this student utilizes the cultural uniqueness of their childhood to show how their path to law school was both deeply personal and rooted in ideas pervasive in their early years. Unlike the writer of statement #5, this student doesn't shy away from explaining how this distinctiveness was often a source of alienation and difficulty. Yet this adversity is, as they note, ultimately what helped them be an adaptable and driven student, with a clear desire to make a positive impact on the kinds of situations that they witnessed affect their parents.  
  • Describes setbacks while remaining positive: This writer also doesn't shy away from describing their temporary setbacks as both learning experiences and, crucially, springboards for positively informing their plans for the future. 

What’s Great About This Seventh Law School Personal Statement? 

  • The writer takes accountability: One of the hardest things to accomplish in a personal statement is describing not just early setbacks that are out of your control but early mistakes for which you must take responsibility. The writer of this personal statement opens with descriptions of characteristics that most law schools would find problematic at best. But at the end of this introduction, they successfully utilize an epiphany, a game-changing moment in which they saw something beyond their early pathological aimlessness, to clearly mark the point at which they became focused on law.  
  • The narrative structure is clear: They clearly describe the path forward from this moment on, showing how they remained focused on earning a law degree, and how they were able to work through successive experiences of confusion to persist in finishing their undergraduate education at a prestigious university. Of course, you shouldn't brag about such things for their own sake, but this writer makes the point of opening up about the unique feelings of inadequacy that come along with being the first person in their family to attend such a school, and how these feelings were—like their initial aimlessness—mobilized in service of their goal and the well-being of others. Their statement balances discussion of achievement with humility, which is a difficult but impactful tactic when done well. 

Law School Personal Statement Example #8

What’s great about this eighth law school personal statement .

  • Shows commitment to the community: Commitment to one’s community is a prized value in both law students and law professionals. This writer successfully describes not only how they navigated the challenges in their group environments, such as their internship, the debate team, etc., but how these challenges strengthened their commitment to being a positive part of their communities. They don’t simply describe the skills and lessons they learned from these challenging environments, but also how these challenges ultimately made them even more committed to and appreciative of these kinds of dynamic, evolutionary settings.  
  • Avoids negative description: They also avoid placing blame or negatively describing the people in these situations, instead choosing to characterize inherent difficulties in terms neutral to the people around them. In this way, you can describe extremely challenging environments without coming off as resentful, and identify difficulties without being accusatory or, worse yet, accidentally or indirectly seeming like part of the problem. This writer manages to convey the difficulty and complexity of these experiences while continually returning to their positive long-term impact, and though you shouldn’t seek to “bright-side” the troubles in your life you should absolutely point out how these experiences have made you a more capable and mature student. 

Watch this for more law school personal statement examples!

Law School Personal Statement Example #9

What’s great about this ninth law school personal statement  .

  • The writer effectively describes how their background shaped their decision to pursue law: Expressing privilege as adversity is something that very few students should even attempt, and fewer still can actually pull it off. But the writer of this personal statement does just that in their second paragraph, describing how the ease and comfort of their upbringing could have been a source of laziness or detachment, and often is for particularly well-off students, but instead served as a basis for their ongoing commitment to addressing the inequalities and difficulties of those less comfortable. Describing how you’ve developed into an empathic and engaged person, worked selflessly in any volunteer experiences, and generally aimed your academic life at a career in law for the aid of others—all this is incredibly moving for an admissions board, and can help you discuss your determination and understanding of exactly why you desire a career in law.  
  • The student shows adaptability, flexibility, and commitment: Additionally, this writer is able to show adaptability while describing their more prestigious appointments in a way that’s neither self-aggrandizing nor unappreciative. One of the big takeaways from this statement is the student’s commitment and flexibility, and these are both vitally important qualities to convey in your law school personal statement.  

Law School Personal Statement Example #10

What’s great about this tenth law school personal statement .

Shows passion: If you’re one of the rare students for whom service to others has always been a core belief, by all means find a novel and engaging way of making this the guiding principle of your personal statement. Don’t overdo it—don’t veer into poetry or lofty philosophizing—but by all means let your passion guide your pen (well…keyboard). Every step of the way, this student relates their highs and lows, their challenges and successes, to an extremely earnest and sincere set of altruistic values invoked at the very beginning of their statement. Law school admissions boards don’t exactly prize monomania, but they do value intense and sustained commitment.  

Shows maturity: This student also successfully elaborates this passion in relation to mature understanding. That is, they make repeated points about their developing understanding of law that sustains their hopefulness and emotional intensity while also incorporating knowledge of the sometimes troubling day-to-day challenges of the profession. Law schools aren’t looking for starry-eyed naivete, but they do value optimism and the ability to stay positive in a profession often defined by its difficulties and unpredictability. 

Every pre-law student blames their lack of success on the large number of applicants, the heartless admissions committee members, or the high GPA and LSAT score cut offs. Check out our blog on  law school acceptance rates  to find out more about the law school admission statistics for law schools in the US . Having taught more than a thousand students every year, I can tell you the REAL truth about why most students get rejected: 

Need tips on your law school resume?

8 Additional Law School Personal Statement Examples

Now that you have a better idea of what your law school personal statement should include, and how you can make it stand out, here are five additional law school personal statements for you to review and get some inspiration:

Law school personal statement example #11

According to the business wire, 51 percent of students are not confident in their career path when they enroll in college. I was one of those students for a long time. My parents had always stressed the importance of education and going to college, so I knew that I wanted to get a tertiary education, I just didn’t know in what field. So, like many other students, I matriculated undecided and started taking introductory courses in the subjects that interest me. I took classes from the department of literature, philosophy, science, statistics, business, and so many others but nothing really called out to me.

I figured that maybe if I got some practical experience, I might get more excited about different fields. I remembered that my high school counselor had told me that medicine would be a good fit for me, and I liked the idea of a career that involved constant learning. So, I applied for an observership at my local hospital. I had to cross “doctor” off my list of post-graduate career options when I fainted in the middle of a consultation in the ER.

I had to go back to the drawing board and reflect on my choices. I decided to stop trying to make an emotional decision and focus on the data. So, I looked at my transcript thus far, and it quickly became clear to me that I had both an interest and an aptitude for business and technology. I had taken more courses in those two fields than in any others, and I was doing very well in them. My decision was reaffirmed when I spent the summer interning at a digital marketing firm during my senior year in college and absolutely loved my experience. 

Since graduating, I have been working at that same firm and I am glad that I decided to major in business. I first started as a digital advertising assistant, and I quickly learned that the world of digital marketing is an incredibly fast-paced sink-or-swim environment. I didn’t mind it at all. I wanted to swim with the best of them and succeed. So far, my career in advertising has been challenging and rewarding in ways that I never could have imagined. 

I remember the first potential client that I handled on my own. Everything had been going great until they changed their mind about an important detail a day before we were supposed to present our pitch. . I had a day to research and re-do a presentation that I’d been preparing for weeks. I was sure that I’d be next on the chopping block, but once again all I had to was take a step back and look at the information that I had. Focusing on the big picture helped me come up with a new pitch, and after a long night, lots of coffee, and laser-like focus, I delivered a presentation that I was not only proud of, but that landed us the client. 

Three years and numerous client emergencies later, I have learned how to work under pressure, how to push myself, and how to think critically. I also have a much better understanding of who I am and what skills I possess. One of the many things that I have learned about myself over the course of my career is that I am a fan of the law. Over the past three years, I have worked with many lawyers to navigate the muddy waters of user privacy and digital media. I often find myself looking forward to working with our legal team, whereas my coworkers actively avoid them. I have even become friends with my colleagues on the legal team who also enjoy comparing things like data protection laws in the US and the EU and speculating about the future of digital technology regulation. 

These experiences and conversations have led me to a point where I am interested in various aspects of the law. I now know that I have the skills required to pursue a legal education and that this time around, I am very sure about what I wish to study. Digital technology has evolved rapidly over the last decade, and it is just now starting to become regulated. I believe that this shift is going to open up a more prominent role for those who understand both digital technology and its laws, especially in the corporate world. My goal is to build a career at the intersection of these worlds.

Law school personal statement example #12

The first weekend I spent on my undergrad college campus was simultaneously one of the best and worst of my life. I was so excited to be away from home, on my own, making new friends and trying new things. One of those things was a party at a sorority house with my friend and roommate, where I thought we both had a great time. Both of us came from small towns, and we had decided to look out for one another. So, when it was time to go home, and I couldn't find her, I started to worry. I spent nearly an hour looking for her before I got her message saying she was already back in our dorm. 

It took her three months to tell me that she had been raped that night. Her rapist didn't hold a knife to her throat, jump out of a dark alleyway, or slip her a roofie. Her rapist was her long-term boyfriend, with whom she'd been in a long-distance relationship for just over a year. He assaulted her in a stranger's bedroom while her peers, myself included, danced the night away just a few feet away. 

I remember feeling overwhelmed when she first told me. I was sad for my friend, angry on her behalf, and disgusted by her rapist's actions. I also felt incredibly guilty because I had been there when it happened. I told myself that I should have stayed with her all night and that I should have seen the abuse - verbal and physical harassment- that he was inflicting on her before it turned sexual. But eventually, I realized that thinking about what could, should, or would've happened doesn't help anyone. 

I watched my friend go through counseling, attend support groups, and still, she seemed to be hanging on by a thread. I couldn't begin to imagine what she was going through, and unfortunately, there was very little I could do to help her. So, I decided to get involved with the Sexual Assault Responders Group on campus, where I would actually be able to help another survivor. 

My experience with the Sexual Assault Responders Group on campus was eye-opening. I mostly worked on the peer-to-peer hotline, where I spoke to survivors from all walks of life. I was confronted by the fact that rape is not a surreal unfortunate thing that happens to a certain type of person. I learned that it happens daily to mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, and friends. I also learned that most survivors try to manage this burden on their own, afraid of judgment and repercussions and fearful of a he-said-she-said court battle.

I am proud to say that I used my time in college to not only earn an education, but also to advocate for survivors of sexual assault. I protested the university's cover-up of a gang rape that took place in one of the fraternity houses on campus. I spearheaded a 'no means no' campaign to raise awareness about consent on campus. I also led several fundraising campaigns for the Sexual Assault Responders Group that allowed us to pay for legal and mental health counselors for the survivors who came to us for support. 

One of the things that this experience helped me realize is that sexual assault survivors often do not know where to turn when the system tries to tell them that it'd be best to just keep quiet and suffer in silence. My goal is to become one of those people that they can turn to for counsel and support. I believe that a law degree would give me the knowledge and tools that I need to advocate for survivors on a more significant scale. 

Need tips for your law school optional essays? Check out this infographic:

Law school personal statement example #13

I grew up in two different worlds. My world at home was full of people of various skin tones and accents. It was small, loud, and often chaotic in the best ways. I remember walking home and getting to experience music from across the world before I got to my apartment building. Loud reggaeton and afrobeat were always playing somewhere in the distance. Aunties and uncles usually stopped by unannounced and slipped money in your palm when they hugged you goodbye. And the smell of fried plantains was almost always present. 

My other world was in school. It was a much quieter, more organized world with white hallways, navy blazers, and plaid skirts. It was full of people who did not look or sound like me and teachers who thought my hair was "interesting." It was also full of great books and engaging debates about everything from foreign policy to the influence of Jazz on hip hop. 

I lived in these two worlds because I was born and raised in Xtown, but I went to a private school in a much richer neighborhood. I loved both of my worlds, but I hated that I had to act differently in both of them. When in school, I had to "code switch" to sound like I belonged there. When I was at home, all the people who shared the interests I was developing in school were either working or in college, so I had no one to talk to about them. 

My words never felt more divided until I started considering a career in law. I remember telling one of my uncles that I wanted to become a lawyer and his response was, "So you want to become the man, huh?" 

I wasn't surprised by his response, or at least I shouldn't have been. One of the things that I know for sure about the first world I lived in is that many of its inhabitants do not trust the law. I had believed this for so long simply because of the conversations that I would hear around me. However, in my second world, I was learning about all of these great freedoms and rights that the law was designed to give all Americans, and I wanted to bring those to my community. 

I started working on this during the summer before my final year of high school. I got an internship with the legal aid office in my neighborhood and spent three months learning from people who, like me, had grown up in Xtown and wanted to help people. During my time in the legal aid office, I understood that the people in my community did not trust the law for two main reasons: 1. They did not understand a lot of it, and 2. It had been used against people like us many times. 

I remember one particular case that Ms. Sharma - the lawyer I was learning from then and who still mentors me today - handled that summer. It was the case of a young mother who had received a notice of eviction from her landlord two days after refusing his advances. The man claimed that she violated her contract because she made homemade shea butter that she sold on Etsy. Ms. Sharma had me look through her rental agreement. After she confirmed that I was right in determining that the young mother had not violated her contract, she contacted the landlord to advise him that what he was doing was intimidation and sexual harassment. 

My experiences in the legal aid office with Ms. Sharma opened my eyes to the disgusting behavior of human beings, but it also gave me the opportunity to see that the law was my opportunity to use what I learned in my second world to help the community that I was raised in. I returned to school with a new motivation that followed me to college. In addition to completing my bachelor's degree in sociology and African American studies, I spent most of my college years participating in legal internships and community outreach programs. 

I believe that these experiences have given me the foundation I need to be a successful law student and, eventually, a lawyer who can truly be an advocate for members of his community. 

Law school personal statement example #14

One day, my parents noticed that the other children in my age group had been speaking and communicating, but I had not. At first, they thought that my lack of speech was just me being shy, but eventually, they realized that on the rare occasions that I did speak, my words were practically incomprehensible. It wasn't long before they took me to a specialist who diagnosed me with a severe phonological disorder that hindered my ability to verbalize the basic sounds that make up words.

I started going to speech therapy when I was three years old. I saw numerous speech therapists, many of whom believed that I would never be able to communicate effectively with others. Lucky for me, my parents did not give up on me. I went to speech therapy thrice a week until the 8th grade, and I gave every single session my all. I also spent a lot of time in my room practicing my speech by myself. My efforts paid off, and even though I didn't become a chatterbox overnight, I could at least communicate effectively. 

This was a short-lived victory, though. A year later, my speech impediment was back, and my ability to articulate words was once again severely limited. This complicated matters because it was my freshman year of high school, and I was in a brand-new school where I did not know anyone. Having been bullied in middle school, I knew first-hand how vicious kids can be, and I didn't want to be the butt of any more jokes, so I didn't try to speak at school. I knew that this was preventing me from making new friends or participating in class and that it was probably not helping my impediment, but I was not ready to face the fact that I needed to go back to speech therapy. 

Eventually, I stopped resisting and went back to speech therapy. At the time, I saw it as accepting defeat, and even though my speech improved significantly, my self-confidence was lower than it had ever been. If you ask any of my high school classmates about me, they will likely tell you that I am very quiet or timid – both of which are not true, but they have no way of knowing otherwise. I barely spoke or interacted with my peers for most of high school. Instead, I focused on my studies and extracurricular activities that didn't involve much collaboration, like yearbook club and photography. 

It was only when I was getting ready for college that I realized that I was only hurting myself with my behavior. I knew I needed to become more confident about my speech to make friends and be the student I wanted to be in college. So, I used the summer after my high school graduation to get some help. I started seeing a new speech therapist who was also trained as a counselor, and she helped me understand my impediment better. For example, I now know that I tend to stutter when stressed, but I also know that taking a few deep breaths helps me get back on track. 

Using the confidence that I built in therapy that summer, I went to college with a new pep in my step. I pushed myself to meet new people, try new things, and join extracurricular organizations when I entered college. I applied to and was accepted into a competitive freshman leadership program called XYZ. Most of XYZ's other members were outgoing and highly involved in their high school communities. In other words, they were the complete opposite of me. I didn't let that intimidate me. Instead, I made a concerted effort to learn from them. If you ask any of my teammates or other classmates in college, they will tell you that I was an active participant in discussions during meetings and that I utilized my unique background to share a different perspective.

My experience with XYZ made it clear to me that my speech disorder wouldn't hold me back as long as I did not stand in my own way. Once I understood this, I kept pushing past the boundaries I had set for myself. I began taking on leadership roles in the program and looking for ways to contribute to my campus community outside of XYZ. For example, I started a community outreach initiative that connected school alumni willing to provide pro bono services to different members of the community who were in need. 

Now, when I look back at my decision to go back to speech therapy, I see it as a victory. I understand that my speech impediment has shaped me in many ways, many of which are positive. My struggles have made me more compassionate. My inability to speak has made me a better listener. Not being able to ask questions or ask for help has made me a more independent critical thinker. 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 am ready and eager for the day when I can speak up for others who are temporarily unable to. 

“ You talk too much; you should be a lawyer.” 

I heard that sentence often while growing up because Congolese people always tell children who talk a lot that they should be lawyers. Sometimes I wonder if those comments did not subconsciously trigger my interest in politics and then the law. If they did, I am grateful for it. I am thankful for all the experiences that have brought me to this point where I am seeking an education that will allow me to speak for those who don’t always know how to, and, more importantly, those who are unable to. 

For context, I am the child of Congolese immigrants, and my parents have a fascinating story that I will summarize for you: 

A 14-year-old girl watches in confusion as a swarm of parents rush through the classroom, grabbing their children, and other students start running from the class. Soon she realizes that she and one other student are the only ones left, but when they both hear the first round of gunshots, no one has to tell them that it is time to run home. On the way home, she hears more gunshots and bombs. She fears for her survival and that of her family, and she starts to wonder what this war means for her and her family. Within a few months, her mother and father are selling everything they own so that they can board a plane to the US.

On the other side of the town, a 17-year-old boy is being forced to board a plane to the US because his mother, a member of parliament and the person who taught him about the importance of integrity, has been executed by the same group of soldiers who are taking over the region. 

They met a year later, outside the principal’s office at a high school in XXY. They bonded over the many things they have in common and laughed at the fact that their paths probably never would have crossed in Bukavu. Fast forward to today, they have been married for almost two decades and have raised three children, including me. 

Growing up in a Congolese household in the US presented was very interesting. On the one hand, I am very proud of the fact that I get to share my heritage with others. I speak French, Lingala, and Swahili – the main languages of Congo – fluently. I often dress in traditional clothing; I performed a traditional Congolese dance at my high school’s heritage night and even joined the Congolese Student Union at Almamatter University. 

On the other hand, being Congolese presented its challenges growing up. At a young age, I looked, dressed, and sounded different from my classmates. Even though I was born in the US, I had picked up a lot of my parents’ accents, and kids loved to tease me about it. Ignorant comments and questions were not uncommon. “Do you speak African?” “You’re not American! How did you get here?” “You don’t look African” “My mom says I can’t play with you because your parents came here to steal our jobs”. These are some of the polite comments that I heard often, and they made me incredibly sad, especially when classmates I considered my friends made them. 

My parents did not make assimilating any easier. My mother especially always feared I would lose my Congolese identity if they did not make it a point to remind me of it. She often said, “Just because you were born in America doesn’t mean that you are not Congolese anymore.” On one occasion, I argued that she always let me experience my Congolese side, but not my American side. That was the first time she told me I should be a lawyer. 

Having few friends and getting teased in school helped me learn to be comfortable on my own. I Often found refuge and excitement in books. I even started blogging about the books I read and interacting with other readers online. As my following grew, I started to use my platform to raise awareness about issues that I am passionate about, like climate change, the war in Congo, and the homeless crisis here in XXY. I was able to start a fundraising campaign through my blog that raised just under $5000 for the United Way – a local charity that helps the homeless in my city. 

This experience helped me understand that I could use my skills and the few tools at my disposal to help people, both here in America and one day, maybe even in Congo. I realized that I am lucky enough to have the option of expanding that skillset through education in order to do more for the community that welcomed my grandparents, uncles, aunties, and parents when they had nowhere else to go. 

The journey was not easy because while I received immense support and love from my family for continuing my education, I had to teach myself how to prepare and apply to college. Once there I had to learn on my own what my professors expected of me, how to study, how to network, and so much more. I am grateful for those experiences too, because they taught me how to be resourceful, research thoroughly, listen carefully, and seek help when I need it. 

All of these experiences have crafted me into who I am today, and I believe that with the right training, they will help me become a great attorney.

Law School Personal Statement Example #16

During my undergraduate studies, in the first two years, I wasn’t entirely sure what I wanted to do with my career. I enjoyed doing research, but I found that I became more interested in presenting the research than the process of contributing to it. I spoke to most of my science professors to ask if I could participate in their research. I worked in biology labs, chemistry labs, and in psychology classrooms working on a variety of projects that seemed meaningful and interesting. I gained new perspectives on study habits and mental health; the influence of music on the human mind; and applications of surface tension. I noticed that I was always taking the lead when we were presenting our findings to peers and research groups. I enjoyed yielding questions and addressing the captivating the audience with engaging gestures and speech. This was what led me to consider a career in law.

I always thought that I would become a scientist, so when I discovered that there were aspects of law that could be considered “scientific”, I was all ears. Still during my second year of undergraduate studies, I wanted to join an environmental awareness group, but noticed there weren’t any active. So, I took it upon myself to create my own. I wanted to do cleanup projects across the city, so I mapped out parks and areas that we could walk or drive to. I advertised my project to other students and eventually gained approximately fifteen students eager to help out. I was struck by the pollution in the water, the negligence of park maintenance. I drafted a letter to the municipal government and petitioned for a stricter environmental compliance approach. I wanted to advertise fines to hold polluters accountable, as there were hardly any to enforce the rules. A letter was returned to me stating that the government would consider my request. I felt a sense of gratification, of purpose; I discovered that I had the ability to enact change through policy. This drew me closer to the prospect of building a future in law, so I looked at other avenues to learn more.

I still wanted to find a way to bring together my love of science and discourse/communication. As a science student, I had the privilege of learning from professors who emphasized critical thinking; and they gave me a chance to learn that on my own. I took an internship as an environmental planner. There, I helped present project ideas to various groups, updating demographic/development information, and managing planning processes. I engaged in analytical thinking by looking at maps and demographic information to develop potential plans for land use. It was also the experience I was looking for in terms of a balance between science and oral communication. Using data analysis, I spoke to other planners and review boards to bring ideas together and execute a plan.

Through science, I learned how to channel my curiosity and logical thinking; as an advocate, I learned how to be creative and resourceful. Presenting research findings and being questioned in front of a group of qualified researchers, having to be sharp and ready for anything, taught me how to be more concise in speech. Developing an advocacy group dedicated to improving my community showed me what it lacked; it opened my eyes to the impact of initiative and focused collaboration. I was eager to begin another science project, this time with the environment in mind. It was titled “determining and defining the role of sociodemographic factors in air pollution health disparities”. I compiled and summarized relevant research and sent it over to a representative of the municipal government. In a couple of weeks, my request to increase advertising of fines in public areas was agreed to.

This Juris Doctor/Master in Environmental Studies program will allow me to continue deepening my knowledge of environmental law. With my goal of developing a career in environmental affairs, overseeing policies that influence land protection/use, I know that this program will give me the tools I need to succeed. With my experience working with large groups, I also believe I will fit into the larger class sizes at your institution. I understand the value of working together and how to engage in healthy discourse. With your Global Sustainability Certification, I will equip myself the expertise I need to produce meaningful change in environmental policy.

Here's how a law school advisor can help you with your application:

Law School Personal Statement #17

Growing up in a poor neighborhood, what my friends used to call “the ghetto”, I was always looking for my way out. I tried running away, but I always ended up back home in that tiny complex, barely enough room to fit all my brothers and sisters with my parents. My dad was disabled and couldn’t work, and my mother was doing her best working full-time as a personal-support worker. There was nothing we could do to get out of our situation, or so it seemed. It wasn’t until years later when I started my undergraduate degree that ironically, after I found my way out, that I began looking for a way to come back. I wanted to be a voice for people living in those bleak conditions; hungry, without work. Helpless.

Getting my degree in social work was one of the best decisions of my life. It gave me the tools to lobby for solutions to problems in poor communities. I knew my neighborhood better than anyone because I grew up there. I had the lived experience. I started working with the local government to develop programs for my clients; the people living in those same neighborhoods. We worked to provide financial assistance, legal aid, housing, and medical treatment—all things sorely lacking. My proudest moment was securing the funds and arranging surgery for my father’s bad hip and knees. I’m currently working on a large project with one of the community legislators to lobby for a harm reduction model addressing addiction in our communities.

With five years of experience as a social worker, I knew it was time for a career change when I learned that I could have more influence on public opinion and legislative decisions as a social-security disability lawyer. I knew firsthand that people victimized from racism, poverty, and injury needed more help than they were currently allotted. I knew that, from becoming and advocate and communicating with influential members of the local government, that I could do more with a law degree helping people attain basic needs like disability benefits, which are often denied outright.

This desire to help people get the help they need from local programs and government resources brought me to Scarborough, a small town outside of Toronto. I was aware of some of the issues afflicting this community, since I’d handled a few clients from there as a children’s disability social worker. Addiction and homelessness were the two main ones. I worked with children with ADHD or other physical/mental disabilities impairing their ability to attend school and function normally. I helped many of them get an IEP with the details of the special services they require, long overdue. I made sure each child got the care they needed, including special attention in school. Also noticing that so many of these families lacked proper nutrition, I organized a report detailing this finding. In it, I argued that the community needed more funds targeting lowest income families. I spoke directly with a legislator, which eventually got the city on board with developing a program more specifically for the lowest income families with residents under 18.

My goal has always been to be a voice for the inaudible, the ignored, who’ve been victimized by inadequate oversight from the ground up. Many of these groups, as I’ve witnessed firsthand, don’t have the luxury of being their own advocates. They are too busy trying to support their families, to put food on the table for their children. I’ve realized that it isn’t quite enough to work directly with these families to connect them with resources and ensure they get the support they need. Sometimes the support simply doesn’t exist, or it isn’t good enough. This is why I’m motivated to add a law degree to my credentials so I can better serve these people and communities. As a future social-security disability lawyer, I want to work with local governments to assist clients in navigating an assistance system and improving it as much as possible. This program will give me the access to a learning environment in which I can thrive and develop as an advocate.

Law School Personal Statement #18

“You’re worthy and loved”, I said to a twelve-year-old boy, Connor, whom I was supervising and spending time with during the Big Brother program at which we met. A few tears touched my shoulder as I pulled him into me, comforting him. He was a foster child. He didn’t know his parents and never stayed in one place longer than a few months; a year if he was lucky. I joined the program not expecting much. I was doing it for extra credit, because I wanted to give back to the community somehow and I thought it would be interesting to meet people. He confided in me; he told me that his foster parents often yelled at each other, and him. He told me he needed to escape. I called Child Protective Services and after a thorough investigation, they determined that Connor’s foster parents weren’t fit for fostering. He was moved, yet again, to a different home.

I wrote an op-ed detailing my experience as a Big Brother. I kept names anonymous. I wanted people to know how hard it was for children in the welfare system. Many of them, like Connor, were trapped in a perpetual cycle of re-homing, neglect, and even abuse. He and other children deserve stability and unconditional love. That should go without saying. I sent the op-ed to a local magazine and had it published. In it, I described not only the experience of one unfortunate kid, but many others as well who saw their own stories being told through Connor. I joined a non-profit organization dedicated to improving access to quality education for young people. I started learning about disparities in access; students excluded by racial or financial barriers. I was learning, one step at a time, how powerful words can be.

With the non-profit organization, I reached out to a few public schools in the area to represent some of our main concerns with quality of education disparities. Our goal was to bring resources together and promote the rights of children in education. We emphasized that collaboration between welfare agencies and schools was critical for education stability. Together, we created a report of recommendations to facilitate this collaboration. We outlined a variety of provisions, including more mechanisms for child participation, better recruitment of social service workers in schools, risk management and identification strategies, and better support for students with child protection concerns.

The highlight of that experience was talking to an assembly of parents and school faculty to present our findings and recommendations. The title of the presentation was “The Power of Words”. I opened with the story I wrote about in the op-ed. I wanted to emphasize that children are individuals; those trapped in the welfare system are not a monolith. They each have unique experiences, needs, and desires they want to fulfill in life. But our tools to help them can be improved, more individualized. I spoke about improving the quality of residential care for children and the need to promote their long-term development into further education and employment. Finally, I presented a list of tools we created to help support a more financially sustainable and effective child welfare system. The talk was received with applause and a tenuous commitment from a few influential members of the crowd. It was a start.

Although I lost contact with Connor, I think about him almost every day. I can only hope that the programs we worked on to improve were helping him, wherever he was. I want to continue to work on the ground level of child welfare amelioration, but I realize I will need an education in law to become a more effective advocate for this cause. There are still many problems in the child welfare system that will need to be addressed: limited privacy/anonymity for children, service frameworks that don’t address racism adequately, limited transportation in remote communities, and many more. I’ve gained valuable experience working with the community and learning about what the welfare system lacks and does well. I’m ready to take the next step for myself, my community, and those beyond it.

Assuredly, but this length varies from school to school. As with all important details of your law school application, thoroughly research your specific schools’ requirements and guidelines before both writing and editing your personal statement to ensure it fits their specifics. The average length is about 2 pages, but don’t bother drafting your statement until you have specific numbers from your schools of choice. It’s also a good idea to avoid hitting the maximum length unless absolutely necessary. Be concise, keep economy of language in mind, and remain direct, without rambling or exhaustive over-explanation of your ideas or experiences.

You should keep any words that aren’t your own to a minimum. Admissions committees don’t want to read a citation-heavy academic paper, nor do they respond well to overused famous quotes as themes in personal statements. If you absolutely must include a quote from elsewhere, be sure to clearly indicate your quote’s source. But in general, it’s best to keep the personal statement restricted to your own words and thoughts. They’re evaluating you, not Plato! It’s a personal statement. Give them an engaging narrative in your own voice. 

Admissions committees will already have a strong sense of your academic performance through your transcripts and test scores, so discussing these in your personal statement is generally best avoided. You can contextualize these things, though—if you have an illuminating or meaningful story about how you came to receive an award, or how you enjoyed or learned from the work that won you the award, then consider discussing it. Overall though, it’s best to let admissions committees evaluate your academic qualifications and accomplishments from your transcripts and official documents, and give them something new in the personal statement. 

When you first sit down to begin, cast a wide net. Consider all the many influences and experiences that have led you to where you are. You’ll eventually (through editing and rewriting) explain how these shape your relationship to a career in law, but one of the best things you can give yourself during the initial drafting phase is a vast collection of observations and potential points for development. As the New England School of Law points out in their, “just write!” Let the initial draft be as messy as it needs to be, and refine it from there. It’s a lot easier to condense and sharpen a big draft than it is to try to tensely craft a perfect personal statement from nothing.  

Incredibly important, as should be clear by now! Unlike other specialties, law schools don’t usually conduct interviews with applicants, so your personal statement is in effect your one opportunity to speak with the admissions committee directly. Don’t let that gravity overwhelm you when you write, but keep it in mind as you edit and dedicate time to improving your initial drafts. Be mindful of your audience as you speak with them, and treat writing your personal statement as a kind of initial address in what, hopefully, will eventually turn into an ongoing dialogue.  

There are a variety of factors that can make or break a law school personal statement. You should aim to achieve at least a few of the following: a strong opening hook; a compelling personal narrative; your skills and competencies related to law; meaningful experiences; why you’re the right fit for the school and program.

Often, they do. It’s best for you to go to the schools you’re interesting in applying to so you can find out if they have any specific formatting or content requirements. For example, if you wanted to look at NYU law or Osgoode Hall Law School , you would find their admissions requirements pages and look for information on the personal statement.

There are lots of reasons why a personal statement might not work. Usually, applicants who don’t get accepted didn’t come up with a good strategy for this essay. Remember, you need to target the specific school and program. Other reasons are that the applicant doesn’t plan or proofread their essay. Both are essential for submitting materials that convince the admissions committee that you’re a strong candidate. You can always use law school admissions consulting application review to help you develop your strategy and make your essay stand out.

Want more free tips? Subscribe to our channels for more free and useful content!

Apple Podcasts

Like our blog? Write for us ! >>

Have a question ask our admissions experts below and we'll answer your questions.

How long should a Personal Statement be? Is there any rule on that?

BeMo Academic Consulting

Hello V! Thanks for your question. Some schools will gave very specific word limits, while some will not. If you do not have a limit indicated, try to stick to no more than a page, 600-800 words. 

Get Started Now

Talk to one of our admissions experts

Our site uses cookies. By using our website, you agree with our cookie policy .

FREE Training Webinar:

How to make your law school application stand out, (and avoid the top 5 mistakes that get most rejected).

Time Sensitive. Limited Spots Available:

We guarantee you'll get into law school or you don't pay.

Swipe up to see a great offer!

law school essay outline

ACCEPTED

Which program are you applying to?

Sample law school personal statement essays, get accepted speak with an admissions expert today.

  • 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 >>  

Start your journey to law school acceptance

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. 

Get Expert Help From Our World Class Consultants

Do you need guidance ensuring that your law school personal statement essay reflects you authentically and incorporates the lessons from these sample law school essays? Work one-on-one with an Accepted  law school admissions consultant  with years of experience in law school admissions. Your advisor looks forward to  helping you tell your compelling story .  

Get Expert Help With Your Law School Application

Our world-class team helps you stand out from the competition and get accepted.

APPLICATION STRATEGY / ESSAY REVIEW / INTERVIEW PREP

accepted

Accepted has been helping law school applicants gain acceptance to top programs since 1994.

  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer

Law School Toolbox®

All the tools you need for law school success

Exam Writing 101

Law School Exam Tips

Below, you’ll find general drafting tips for law school essay exams, advice on IRAC and IRAC-alternatives , and strategies for spending your exam-writing time wisely and turning out really great answers .

Best of luck!

Alison & Lee

General Drafting Tips for Law School Exams

  • Two Ways Your Law School Exam Answers Went Wrong Getting your first law school grades can be shocking. And what can be even more confusing is trying to figure out what you did wrong. Mostly, the answer is “the curve,” of course, but there are two fundamental ways that things can go off the rails.
  • 4 Ways to Improve Your Legal Writing If you're wondering how to improve your legal writing, you're not alone! Here are four things you can do to make your legal writing assignments better.
  • A Handy Template for Answering “Hard” Law School Exam Questions What not to do: cry and start drawing conclusions. What to do: embrace ambiguity and think it through. Oh, and read this post.
  • How to Deal With a Really Long Fact Pattern on Exam Day What if you open your exam to find the longest essay you've ever seen? Don't panic! Just remember the following steps and attack the test like a pro.
  • From Bare Bones to Meaty Analysis: How to Skeleton Outline Your Essay We here at the Law School Toolbox put a lot of weight in pre-planning essays and front-loading the work so the actual writing is more of a breeze. If you’re not sure what I mean by “scratch paper outlining” or “pre-planning” your essay, think of it as making a blueprint for the answer you’re about to write. Here are some steps to keep in mind.
  • Top Three Mistakes on Final Exams and How to Fix Them Now! While it is not constructive to rehash your mistakes, it is constructive to identify weaknesses in your exam-writing skills — and to make a plan to improve those skills starting now.
  • How to Use the Facts on Law School Exams Factual Analysis is an important lawyering skill. Here are some strategies to use the facts to your advantage on your law school exams!
  • How to Move From Outline to Exam Answer Here are some tips for using your outline to prepare for exams – even if you haven’t finished your outlines yet.

IRAC and Organizational Alternatives

  • How to Organize Your Law School Exam Answers Although it depends on the preference of the professor (which you’ll suss out by examining their sample answers and asking questions), there are some generally accepted organizational strategies that you’ll want to consider.
  • The Elusive Mini-IRAC: A Key to Law School Exam Success IRAC, the notorious structural underpinning of many a law school final exam is a relatively straightforward concept. But how do you handle an exam or practice essay when it isn’t that simple? The Mini-IRAC is the key.
  • Help! My Professor Said Not To IRAC IRAC is so well established, and so useful, that it comes as a shock when a professor says, “I don’t want you to IRAC the exam.” What is a student to do?

How to Spend Your Time While Writing an Exam Answer

  • Copy and Paste: Your Worst Enemy on a Law School Exam? When Lee is grading exams, she always has her eyes out for habits law students pick up that can negatively affect their grades. One of them is using copy and paste .
  • Use This To Save Time on Essay Exams Most students think their course outline is just there to help them organize the material they learned in class. Not so. A good course outline can also help you pre-draft portions of your essay exams, which will save you time on the exam and help you produce a comprehensive, organized answer.
  • Should You Proofread Your Law School Exams? Many law students struggle with time management during the law school exam period. One culprit of this can be spending too much time trying to make your essay perfect for the grader. News flash — under timed conditions, your professor does not expect perfection.
  • Are You Wasting Time on Your Law School Exams? Almost every student I work with feels like they are running low on time when it comes to finishing an exam. So how do you work more efficiently? Here are two suggestions that I typically give to students to help them write more efficiently on law school exams.
  • Pacing Yourself Through Finals, Part 2: Test Taking Time Management So, you know your material, but do you know how to budget your time during an exam? Read here for some suggestions on how to pace yourself when you're taking your finals.

Strategies for Great Law School Exam Answers

  • The Single Most Important Word in a Law School Exam Answer If you remember nothing else, remember this! There is — I kid you not — one single word that can radically transform your law school grades for the better. What is it?
  • What Makes a Law School Exam Answer “Good”? Seems like a no-brainier: Before you can write a successful law school exam answer, you need to know what makes an answer “good.” Check out our list here.
  • How to Write a Law School Exam: Deal With the Ambiguity To write a great law school exam answer, you’ve got to do one critical thing: Deal with the ambiguity. Why is ambiguity important? Because the points are in the debate.
  • The Most Important Thing You Can Do on a Law School Exam What’s the single most important thing you can do on a law school exam? This one’s easy! Answer the question!  Here's how to answer a question the right way.
  • Could You Explain This Legal Concept to a 5-Year-Old? The next time you encounter a super-confusing legal topic, ask yourself one question: could I explain this concept to a reasonably intelligent 5-year-old? If the answer’s no, it’s time to simplify! Here's how.

Want some help preparing for exams? Check out our law school tutoring options , and set yourself up to do your very best!

Want Better Law School Grades?

Sign Up for Our Exam Tips!

  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms & Conditions

Copyright 2024 Law School Toolbox®™

2 Law School Personal Statements That Succeeded

These examples of law school essays were critical components of successful law school applications.

High angle shot of a businessman working on his laptop at the bar in a cafe

Getty Images

Sincerity is an essential ingredient of a compelling law school admissions essay, one J.D. admissions expert says.

Deciding what to say in the law school personal statement is the most challenging part of the admissions process for some applicants.

"Even people who are good writers often have a hard time writing about themselves," says Jessica Pishko, a former admissions consultant and writing tutor at Accepted, a Los Angeles-based admissions consulting firm. "That is perfectly normal."

Pishko, who coached law school applicants on how to overcome writer's block, says, "If you can find the thing that you really care about, that is who you are, and talking about that is a great way to write about yourself."

Why Law Schools Ask for Personal Statements

Personal statements can offer J.D. admissions committees "a narrative" about the applicant, which is important because it is rare for law schools to conduct admissions interviews, says Christine Carr, a law school admissions consultant with Accepted who previously was an associate director of admissions at Boston University School of Law .

The statement can help explain an applicant's reasons for wanting to attend law school , Carr adds.

"It can then add 'color' to a one-dimensional process," Carr wrote in an email. "The personal statement also allows the applicant to showcase writing ability. Law school and the legal profession require a clear and concise writing style that can be displayed by the applicant in the personal statement."

Personal statements often help admissions committees make difficult decisions, Carr says. "Given a relatively robust applicant pool, institutions often have more 'numerically' qualified applicants – LSAT and GPA – than they can admit," she explains.

Qualitative admissions factors, including not only personal statements but also resumes and recommendation letters , help to humanize applicants and "allow committees to build a community of law students not solely based on the quantifiable measures of test scores and transcripts," Carr says.

"Law schools are looking to fill classrooms with engaging and qualified students. The personal statement can provide insight into an applicant's personality and potential as a member of the school's community," she says.

What a Great Personal Statement Accomplishes

Excellent law school personal statements convey the essence of who an applicant is, experts say.

"The personal statement is the quickest way to get an overview, not only of the applicant's professional life and background, but in terms of what they emphasize, a clear indication of what the applicant themself, values," Jillian Ivy, CEO and founder of IvyCollegeEssay.com, a company that provides guidance on admissions essays, wrote in an email.

The statement "also gives admissions a snapshot of how well each applicant writes, if they understand how to brand or market their best traits, and thereby demonstrate that they know where their own strengths lie," Ivy adds.

A strong personal statement will articulate an applicant's vision for his or her future, including an explanation of short-term and long-term goals, and it will delineate how a J.D. degree will help an applicant get to where he or she wants to go, Ivy says.

"The more competitive the law school, the more admissions wants to see a level of understanding, drive and ambition within the personal statement," she explains, adding that applicants should clarify why they want to attend a particular law school and how that school can assist them on their career journey. "The schools want to see that the applicant has taken the time to understand what their particular program offers, and what makes it different."

How to Structure a Law School Personal Statement

The beginning of a solid law school personal statement ought to be intriguing, experts say.

"The statement should begin with a strong intro sentence, that summarizes the applicant's goal or tone," Ivy says. "For example, 'I have always been interested in international finance.' From there, the applicant would go on to describe 'why' they are interested in this area of financial law, and what in their unique background and experience has led them to pursue this path."

A personal statement provides context for the experiences that have prepared the applicant for law school and led him or her to pursue a legal career, experts say. It's also ideal to have a thoughtful ending "that ties the statement up," Ivy says.

An important point to address in a law school personal statement is what "sparked" the applicant's interest in law, Ivy says. She adds that law school admissions readers are aware that J.D. hopefuls' career goals may change between the time they apply to law school and the day they graduate.

Nevertheless, it can still be useful for an applicant to provide an explanation of what particular area of law he or she wants to learn more about and what type of lawyer he or she would like to become, if that is something the applicant is clear about, Ivy says.

An effective personal statement will also explain an applicant's background and how it has shaped him or her, Ivy adds. "It's connecting the dots back to anything at all that can be relevant ... to your new interest and what you want to pursue professionally."

Applicants should tailor their personal statement to each law school where they submit an application, Ivy adds. " Harvard Law School is very different than Columbia Law School even though both of them are excellent schools," she explains. "So each has their own approach to learning and to learning about law in particular."

Law school admissions committees appreciate when applicants make it clear that they have done thorough research on the school and its J.D. program . This reassures admissions officers that an applicant will be a good fit and make a valuable contribution to his or her law school class, Ivy explains.

Experts advise that a law school personal statement should align with the content in the rest of the law school application . Ideally, the essay will emphasize a selling point that is conveyed elsewhere in the application, but not simply repeat information.

In order for a personal statement to be effective and stand out, experts say, it needs to be both representative of who the applicant is and distinctive from personal essays that others have written.

How to Start Writing a Law School Personal Statement

Carr notes that writing a law school personal statement can be intimidating because it isn't easy to convey the essence of decades of events "into two pages double-spaced." She says law school hopefuls are often unsure about which portions of their life would be most meaningful and interesting to an admissions committee.

"Some applicants have a tendency to throw the 'kitchen sink' at committees and write about everything," Carr explains. But that's a mistake, Carr says, adding that J.D. personal statements should be "clear and concise."

Carr suggests that J.D. applicants concentrate on answering the central question of a law school personal statement, "Why law school?" Once they have brainstormed answers to that question, they should focus on a specific aspect or theme that explains their rationale for pursuing a career as an attorney, Carr says.

Ivy suggests that law school hopefuls who are struggling to decide what to write about in their law school personal statement should make a bullet-point list of the various topics they could focus on alongside brief one-sentence descriptions of each topic. The process of recording ideas on a piece of paper can clarify which ideas are most promising, she says.

"The strong ones will rise to the surface," she says, adding that once an applicant has narrowed down his or her list of essay ideas to only a few, it can be valuable to solicit feedback from trusted individuals about which of the remaining essay concepts is the very best.

Law school admissions experts suggest that applicants recall the various pivotal moments in their lives that shaped their identity, and then consider whether there is any idea or thesis that ties these events together.

Focusing on a central concept can help ensure that a law school personal statement does not simply list accomplishments in the way that a resume or cover letter might, experts say. Plus, an idea-driven essay can give law school admissions officers insight into the way a J.D. applicant's mind works.

A personal statement should illustrate the positive attributes the applicant has that would make him or her successful as a law student and lawyer. Sometimes the best way for an applicant to show his or her character strengths is to recount a moment when he or she was challenged and overcame adversity, experts say.

Experts advise law school hopefuls to write multiple drafts of their personal statement to ensure that the final product is top-notch.

They also recommend that applicants solicit feedback from people who understand the law school admissions process well, such as law school admissions consultants, and from people who know them well, such as close friends or family members. Getting input from friends and family can help ensure that an applicant's essay authentically conveys their personality, experts say.

Once the statement is finalized, Carr advises, the applicant should thoroughly proofread it more than once.

Mistakes to Avoid in Law School Personal Statements

A scatterbrained or disorganized approach in a law school personal statement is a major no-no, experts warn.

Ivy suggests that J.D. hopefuls avoid "rambling," adding that top law schools want to identify individuals who demonstrate that they are highly focused, ambitious, driven and persistent. "If you can hit those four things in your essay, then that's going to stand out, because most people don't know how to do that," she says.

Because it's important for a law school personal statement to be coherent and streamlined – like the law school resume – it's prudent to use an outline to plan the essay, Ivy says. The most common mistake she sees in J.D. personal statements is the lack of logical flow.

"Instead of a linear line, they're cycling around, and they'll touch on something, and then they'll come back to it again three paragraphs later," she says, adding that an unstructured essay is "just messy" and will not make a positive impression during the law school admissions process.

Experts warn that law school personal statements should not be vague, melodramatic and repetitive. The essay should not merely describe a person that the applicant met or recount an event – it needs to convey the applicant's personality.

Plus, language should be specific and clear. Absolutes like "never" or "always" are typically not the best words to use, experts warn, and it's important to not overshare personal information.

In addition, J.D. hopefuls should understand that they have a lot to learn about the law since they have not gone to law school. They should recognize that the individuals reading their essays probably know a great deal about the law, so they should not write essays that lecture readers about legal issues, experts warn.

Grammatical and spelling errors can tarnish an otherwise good personal statement, so it's important to avoid those, according to experts. It's also essential to follow any formatting rules that a law school outlines for personal statements.

Additionally, though many law school hopefuls are tempted to begin their personal statement with a dramatic anecdote, they should resist because doing so will most likely make a negative impression, experts warn. An aspiring attorney does not need to have suffered a tragedy in order to write a compelling law school personal statement, and describing something bad that has happened does not automatically lead to an effective essay.

Furthermore, when a J.D. applicant submits a generic law school personal statement that could go to any school, he or she is missing an opportunity to explain why a particular school is a great fit, experts suggest. Another common mistake, they say, is when applicants use a positive adjective to describe themselves rather than sharing an anecdote that demonstrates that they have this good quality.

Additionally, when a law school hopeful includes storytelling in his or her essay, it's best to focus on a single specific anecdote, because speaking in generalities is neither interesting nor convincing, experts say.

An applicant who writes a contrived essay based purely on what he or she believes a law school wants may come across as phony, experts say. It's essential, they say, for a personal statement to articulate what special perspective a prospective student could bring to a law school class.

Law School Personal Statement Examples

Below are two law school admissions essays whose authors were accepted to their top-choice law schools. The first is written by Waukeshia Jackson, an intellectual property attorney who earned her J.D. from the Paul M. Herbert Law Center at Louisiana State University—Baton Rouge . The second essay is written by Cameron Dare Clark, a Harvard Law School graduate.

Pishko says these two personal statements demonstrate the necessity of sincerity in an admissions essay. "It has to be sincere, and it has to be you and what you want to write about and why you want to go to law school.”

Both essays are annotated with comments from the authors about how the essays were written as well as comments from Pishko about passages that resonated best and how the essays could be improved.

Searching for a law school? Get our complete rankings of Best Law Schools.

Getting Into Law School

  • 2 Law School Admissions Essays That Succeeded
  • How to Write a Law School Resume
  • A Law School Resume That Made the Cut
  • Work Experience and Law School Admission
  • What Is a Good LSAT Score?

Tags: law school , law , graduate schools , education , students

Popular Stories

The Short List: Online Programs

law school essay outline

Best Global Universities

law school essay outline

The Short List: Grad School

law school essay outline

Medical School Admissions Doctor

law school essay outline

Best Colleges

law school essay outline

You May Also Like

6 traits of successful mba candidates.

Anayat Durrani Feb. 15, 2024

Med Schools With Low Acceptance Rates

Sarah Wood Feb. 14, 2024

Deciding Where to Attend Med School

Kathleen Franco, M.D., M.S. Feb. 13, 2024

Law School and a STEM Background

Gabriel Kuris Feb. 12, 2024

law school essay outline

Law School Applicant Personal Qualities

Sammy Allen Feb. 9, 2024

law school essay outline

Top Online MBAs With No GMAT, GRE

Cole Claybourn Feb. 8, 2024

law school essay outline

How to Select an Online College

Cole Claybourn Feb. 7, 2024

law school essay outline

U.S. News Ranks Best Online Programs

Sarah Wood Feb. 7, 2024

law school essay outline

Team Activities Build Med School Skills

Kathleen Franco, M.D., M.S. Feb. 6, 2024

law school essay outline

How to Do Your Best on LSAT Test Day

Gabriel Kuris Feb. 5, 2024

law school essay outline

Search form

  • Browse All Lessons
  • First Year 1L
  • Upper Level 2L & 3L
  • Subject Outlines
  • New Lessons
  • Updated Lessons
  • Removed Lessons
  • Browse All Books
  • About our Books
  • Print Books
  • Permissions
  • Become an Author
  • Coming Soon
  • Browse All Resources
  • CALI Podcasts
  • CALI Forums
  • Online Teaching Tips & Techniques
  • Webinars & Online Courses
  • The 2023 CALI® Summer Challenge
  • Awards Listing
  • About Awards
  • CALIcon - CALI Conference for Law School Computing
  • Event Calendar
  • Register for the CALI Tech Briefing
  • CALI Spotlight Blog
  • Board of Directors
  • Help & FAQs

Top 10 Tips for Successfully Writing a Law School Essay

  • Martin_CommomEssayMistakes.mp3

In this podcast, Prof. Jennifer Martin discusses the top ten mistakes law students make in law school examinations. These are poor issue spotting, poor knowledge and understanding of the law, poor application of the law to the facts, giving only conclusory answers, lack of organization, errors in the facts, failure to understand the role you are given in the examination, padding, fact inventing, and question begging. Included in this discussion is guidance on spotting the issues, avoiding being bottom line oriented, how to use the facts, how to approach a question, and using words efficiently. Prof. Martin also discusses the hallmarks of a good essay answer. These answers are lawyerlike, responsive to the question asked, logical, thought out, well organized, fact and issue centered, and use cogent reasoning and good rule application.

Podcast Running Time

Cali topics.

  • 1L - First Year Lesson Topics
  • Legal Concepts and Skills
  • Legal Writing

Runs in past 30 days

Lesson authors.

law school essay outline

More like this

  • Types of Law School Exams: Discussions in Law School Success Podcast
  • Introduction to Basic Legal Citation
  • Lessons by Subject Outline- Law School Success
  • Legal Writing v. Exam Writing
  • Metacognition
  • EssayBasics.com
  • Pay For Essay
  • Write My Essay
  • Homework Writing Help
  • Essay Editing Service
  • Thesis Writing Help
  • Write My College Essay
  • Do My Essay
  • Term Paper Writing Service
  • Coursework Writing Service
  • Write My Research Paper
  • Assignment Writing Help
  • Essay Writing Help
  • Call Now! (USA) Login Order now
  • EssayBasics.com Call Now! (USA) Order now
  • Writing Guides

How To Write Law School Personal Statement

Table of Contents

Law School Personal Statement Guide

  • Introduction writing
  • Body paragraphs writing
  • Conclusion writing
  • Do/Dont`s for a personal essay

Whenever student is applying for a scholarship, there are three main aspects that are considered by the selection committee.

  • a recommendation letter,
  • GPA scores of a student
  • the personal statement.

In quite a number of cases, the personal statement counts for the winning criteria than the other two. It helps bridge between the student and the committee members. The personal statement prompt may simply ask the student to write something about themselves or write about their academic and personal interests in an essay that does not exceed one thousand. Given the personal statement is a personal paper, there is not a set-out mode that the students should use whenever they are required to write one.

It is important to note, that the purpose of the personal statement remains the same across the board. This is regardless of the level at which applicant is requested to write a personal statement, looking for a job or looking forward to join an international competition for a scholarship. In this case, the personal statement is directed towards winning a scholarship at the law school .

The purposes of a personal statement are:

  • to provide the panel with a picture of self as a potential candidate for the position in the scholarship program.
  • it also invites the reader to know more about the student on a personal level and bridges the assumed gap between strangers.

Using a personal statement, the student is able to indicate their judgment and priorities. The choice of what is mentioned in the essay gives the panel a glimpse into what it is that the student values and helps them make a decision on whether the student is the right candidate for the position.

The personal statement is a platform for the student to tell their story to the panel.

The student is supposed to harness their storytelling skills so that the information that is offered in the personal statement does not sound generic. The idea, in this case, is to make sure that the story told is unique to the student and speaks to the panel from an individual point of view now from a rehearsed schematic that commonly found online. It is important that the panel feels they have actually connected with the student rather than a piece of text that is well-written and could have been written by anyone. The student has to make their life story for the panel is convincing enough, so that they have met the student who they are likely to give the chance to study at the law school.

Law School Personal Statement Outlining

The law school essay outline takes on the format of a personal statement. This means, the main parts are the introduction, thesis statement, body paragraphs and a conclusion. This is the most crucial part of the law school essay, given that it acts as a guide for the content that is to be presented in the essay.

Tips concerning law school personal statement introduction writing:

  • When writing a law school essay introduction, it is easy for the student to get tempted to jump right into the narrative about the accomplishments they have made in the past. This is, however, not a recommended approach.
  • Instead, the student should concentrate on expressing what it is that attracted them to gain interest in Law studies and more specifically, an interest in the position at the Law School. This is a key to writing a good introduction and to make sure it is not too extensive for the panel to lose interest in reading it further.
  • It should have just the right amount of information to keep the panel interested. This means that the student should try and highlight their confidence, maturity, abilities, skills, values and the talents they have, which fit for the position. The panel should be drawn to why the student feels that they are the best candidate for the position.

Tips on body paragraphs of a law school essay writing:

Paragraph One

  • The first paragraph is an introduction, where the student highlights who they are as a person.
  • Ideally, this is a paragraph that students use to identify themselves, who they are in their family and basic information that helps the panel to understand the background of the student better.
  • The key to this section is to give enough information in order to help the panel form a picture of who the student is, but not too much information. The student should maintain this balance, otherwise the panel will easily lose interest in a person who gives too much information about themselves, as it points to an egotistical character.
  • In this paragraph, the student also highlights their key values.

Paragraph Two

  • In the second paragraph, the student gives their educational and career goals. In this paragraph, the candidate is allowed to mention their past achievements, what they are currently doing and what they plan to do in the future.
  • The student should mention their current academic achievements and engagements that are directly connected to their ambitions in the law field.
  • Their career goals should all be connected to what they are doing at the moment to prepare them for the Legal field. This further indicates to the panel what are the ambitions and the values the student has placed in their goals.
  • The key here is to show the panel that all the efforts the student has been putting in are directed at achieving their career goals in Law.

Paragraph Three

  • The last paragraph of the law school essay is associated with the program.
  • In this paragraph, the student explains what  has drawn them to the program.
  • The writer may make references to the other existing programs in the country or even internationally.
  • The reference is geared towards showing the panel that the candidate has done their research and not just taking chances with the program in a way to try their luck.
  • By showing the panel why they chose the program, the students indicate how the program is going to help them achieve their goals academically and even professionally as they grow in their career.
  • Compared to the other programs, the student should indicate why they feel this program is going to boost their career and academic goals , in a way indicating how they will fit in the program.

Law School Personal Statement Conclusion

In the conclusion, the student should summarize all the main points about their goals in education and career, and why they want to join the program in relation to how this will help them achieve the aforementioned aspirations.

After completing the essay, the student should make sure they proofread their work. Grammatical errors and typos among other mistakes reduce the integrity of the essay, whereby they make the essay look unprofessional and will be enough ground to disqualify the candidate.

Dos and Don’ts of a law school essay

  • Do your research before writing the essay
  • Tell only what you know
  • Concentrate on the opening paragraphs
  • Be specific
  • Tell your own story, not a generic reproduction
  • Do not include sensitive information
  • Do not make mistakes
  • Avoid clichés and jargons
  • Do not tell lies
  • Do not start every sentence with ‘I’

law school essay outline

https://www.barbri.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/cropped-logo.jpg

Note-taking & law school outlines

Tips for developing your law school note-taking and outlining system.

1. Law school vs undergrad 2. Your note-taking system 3. What goes into law school notes? 4. Tips to get started note-taking 5. Going from notes to outlines 6. What goes into law school outlines? 7. Create your law school outline

Law school is very different than undergrad

Your first year of law school will be unlike any previous educational experience. You may be surprised to learn that, instead of working assignments and exams throughout the semester and earning grades, your entire grade for most law school classes will be based on your final exam score. Additionally, you will prepare and learn the rules of the law outside of the classroom, on your own time, and come to class prepared to apply what you have learned.

Quickly developing a system to take notes in law school, and then translating your notes into law school outlines, will help ensure your study time is productive and reduce frustration. The habits and systems you put in place for yourself early matter greatly to your final grades, eventual class ranking and employment opportunities.

Everything starts with a good law school note-taking strategy.

A group of law students studying with guides in the law library

Develop your law school note-taking system

There are as many note-taking strategies and systems as there are note-takers. Your system may evolve from semester to semester and maybe even from course to course. What’s important is that you find a note-taking system that works well enough for you quickly, and stick with it. These notes will help you develop your law school outlines.

Decide what goes into your law school notes

Writing, re-writing and applying key concepts and takeaways in your own words is critical to truly understanding and retaining the information you are consuming. When taking notes, remember that full transcription or regurgitation is not helping you process, apply and learn the material.

Here are some specific things that you should consider including in your law school notes:

The black-letter law

These are the specific rules of law and the elements that comprise those rules. Much of the time, you’ll be expected to learn the rules outside of class and then apply them during class discussions.

Note any exceptions or areas that are not as clear cut, whether it’s because the facts are more ambiguous and subject to interpretation or because the outcome might be different based on which rules apply to the situation.

Write out stories or scenarios (hypotheticals) to apply the law

Write out a story or a scenario to apply the rules and the elements. Applying the rules and elements to real-life context helps you truly learn and understand beyond regurgitating bullets on a page. It can also help identify areas on which you need to get more clarification. Be sure to capture any hypos your professor covers in class.

Rule evolution and changes

Note why, how and where the rule changed as well as any considerations that drove the change.

Nuances your professor focuses on (especially if she repeats something)

Even if the “why” is not apparent to you quite yet, take note if your professor repeats a phrase, topic or area of interest. Recognize recurring themes throughout the professor’s lectures. They are being repeated for a reason, and you’ll likely encounter them on midterms or final exams.

Two barbri students take notes and creating study guides together

Tips to get started note-taking

Take your time.

Everyone going into law school knows how to read but not everyone knows the nuances of critically reading an assigned case and thinking like a lawyer. It’s a skill that you will develop quickly, but one that needs to be learned and cultivated. Speed reading and note-taking may have worked in other aspects of your education, but it won’t do you any favors in law school.

Law is a technical language with technical meanings. When you’re reading cases and taking notes, slow down and keep a law dictionary at hand. If you don’t understand a word, stop and look up its meaning. It could make the difference in your ability to properly grasp and interpret the information you are consuming.

Go beyond writing down what your casebook or professor says to think about overarching legal concepts. Connect new topics you learn to the subjects and information you’ve already covered in the past, mentally and on paper.

Put pen to paper...or not

In general, studies show that handwriting your notes helps you better understand and retain legal concepts than typing your notes on a computer. Handwriting slows you down just enough to force you to engage more methodically with the material. If you choose this approach, make sure to find a pen that you like as well as an assortment of highlighters. You may also want to keep a separate notebook or binder for each class.

Today, many students prefer to take notes on a computer. If that’s you and you are a fast typist, resist the temptation to transcribe what your professor is saying. Instead, take time to listen and synthesize the key points raised in class. Also, make sure to turn off all of your notifications and close other windows and distractions. When it comes to note-taking software, many students use Microsoft Word or OneNote and create folders and sub-folders to organize documents by class and topic. Make sure to set up Autosave to avoid losing all of your work in the middle of class.

Develop a grouping system

Some students find that activities such as developing a color-coding system makes it easier to identify and group like information across their notes — things like cases, rules and vocab. Also, many visual learners benefit from creating a flow chart or a tree diagram to organize processes or ideas.

Many find a case nicknaming system helpful so that it’s obvious which notes are related to the same case without having to re-write the entire case out each time. Writing frequently used words and terms out fully once and then abbreviating in future uses also saves space and time.

A male barbri student studying

Transition your notes to law school outlines

Effectively using your subject notes to create law school outlines is a time-honored law school tradition. Outlining is an active learning process that will pay huge dividends at final exam time. Simply put, outlining is synthesizing and meshing notes into an organized structure that is meaningful and understandable to you and that, ultimately, helps you study for law school final exams.

Law professors, law school academic support professionals and most experienced law students wholeheartedly agree that you want to start outlining early in the semester. You should be outlining no later than midway through each semester, so by October, for example, in the fall semester. This will give you a few weeks to develop your outlines and use them to study for your final exams.

Decide what goes into your law school outline

Generally, your law school outline should consist of:

  • the rules from the cases you study,
  • your summarized class notes,
  • the professor’s hypotheticals and
  • any other material that the professor has brought into discussions or alluded to in lectures.

A female barbri student sits in the library and takes notes

Create your law school outline

Creating your own outline, rather than borrowing, is highly recommended. It may be time-consuming, but expressing the relevant principles of the law in your own words will help your comprehension and understanding.

As with most things, there is no one right way to create a law school outline. Here are some recommended steps to get started.

Gather information

First, gather all your foundational information into one place — case briefs, class notes, casebook and maybe a study aid like a BARBRI outline or handed-down outline. For help acquiring law school outlines that make the most sense for your classes, you can start by reaching out to your professors or to upperclassmen to share their old outline for the same course. You can work with both to build your own robust outline.

Cover all your options. BARBRI provides great first-year and upper-level outlines with BARBRI 1L Mastery Package and 2L/3L Mastery Package study aids.

Create a framework

The table of contents in your casebook already has the makings of an outline. Use it as a map for yours. It clearly lays out the major area of law, the related subtopics and where all the cases fit into the discussion. If your professor teaches to a course syllabus rather than following a table of contents, lay out your outline using the syllabus in a similar manner.

State the rule thoroughly

Add a clear and complete statement defining the rule of law (i.e., “Battery is ….”). Do this for each rule based on what has been laid out by your professor, a case you read, information from a commercial outline or hornbook, or some other source (i.e., the Socratic Method in the classroom). It’s critical that you understand and can clearly state the rule.

Break down the rule into its elements

Next, break down the rule itself into its component parts, or elements. Each element then needs to be defined (i.e., list out all four elements of battery and what they entail). The order should follow the way in which the elements were laid out in class by your professor, or how they track in your casebook. It will serve you well on the final exam to take the time to dissect each rule in this way. You’ll likely be asked to write about element(s) of battery, for example, on the essay exam rather than the rule itself.

Follow each element with hypos

Law school exams are based around hypothetical situations. The more practice you have, the more comfortable you’ll be in applying law from cases to new hypos when you encounter them. You’ll have to grapple with unusual fact patterns and be able to determine which rule should be used to solve the problem created. The practice of illustrating how the rule works is helpful to truly understand and learn the rules of law.

An example of a law school outline by BARBRI

Unless you believe your professor will expect you to know them, you can leave case names or citations out of your outline.

Remember, your objective is to summarize the law you have learned in one cohesive review tool that will enable you to be successful on final exam day.

BARBRI 1L Mastery

The most complete and effective 1L resource available.

Case briefing 101

What to do, and not to do, when briefing cases in law school.

Final exam tips

High-level tips to help you prepare for law school final exams.

How To Write Law Essay?

23 October, 2020

8 minutes read

Author:  Elizabeth Brown

If you are a law student, you have probably already faced the question of how to write an essay on this discipline. This is not an easy task because the requirements for a law essay often differ. In addition, you need to state your position and back it up with arguments clearly for others to understand. And to help you facilitate this process, we offer some preparation tips and tricks so that you could craft a decent work.

Law Essay

First things first, let’s discuss the legal essay scheme. It is rightly similar to the social science essay scheme. In both papers, it is necessary to explain a position on a particular issue or comment on a statement. For university law essay, especially in cases of specialties, it’s more complicated. There are several legal essay types :

  • essay on quote explanation . Like in a school essay, the task here is to reveal the meaning of the expression and give a reasoned agreement or disagreement with it.
  • essay on legal theory. The essence of this task is to describe one of the theories of law or any jurisprudence. This can be anything – for example, the theory that touches the Fifth Amendment.
  • jurisprudence essay. In this assignment, you should review a specific case study or analyze the given document. Here, it’s important to adhere to special structure: first read the case, comprehend it, and only then give a critical account of this or that piece.

3 Types of Law Essay

Law Essay Outline

The outline is one of the essential parts of law essay writing. At the point of creating it, you should jot down the structure of the main argument for each and every statement you deem appropriate for a text. This way, it’ll be much easier for you to organize the legal paper and facilitate its readability . 

For example, if you need to comment on the quotation, it’s better to start an essay with brief information about the author. Then, consider the meaning of the citation in the context of his time and compare it to current conditions, as well as note whether you agree with the statement or not. Remember – the main task is to have a solid opinion in which you’re 100% confident. If not, switch the quote.

In the essay on legal theory, state the history of the issue, highlight the advantages and disadvantages of the case you are analyzing. Try to draw a parallel with the present, to indicate how relevant it is now for contemporary law students.

While reviewing a specific legal case or document, you should not be distracted by elements irrelevant or unrelated to the subject and give descriptions of similar situations. Consistently assess the actions of subjects or conduct an in-depth analysis of the provided regulation.

Write all of the crucial points in a short plan and shorten the above information into a couple of sentences. Afterward, you’ll be ready to use the crafted outline and write a law essay according to its key points . 

Law Essay Structure

Structure of the Law Essay

1. Introduction

Like any other type of writing, law essays start with introduction. A successful lead in is the one that captures attention instantly and forces readers to become interested in the law topic. In the beginning, you’ll need to clearly and precisely formulate a thesis statement of the entire piece, which you will then reveal in the following text. A great way to elaborate mediocre introduction with engaging filling is to state a concrete problem, controversy or issue that needs to be resolved.  

2. Main part

This is the main element of the whole legal essay. It should contain an analysis of the quotation, legal theory, specific case, or document. Plus, your opinions about this or that aspect should be argued: for example, by references to other papers or practices. Another beneficial way to develop the main body of your essay is to use specific examples from law classes, including activities and important discussions , if applicable. Also, don’t forget that your law essay should always follow the thesis and develop it throughout the legal paper. This is a critical point to consider, as any departure from the established scheme will distort your work’s content.

3. Conclusion

Your finishing remarks should formulate the outcome of what was written above. A reasonable conclusion should be brief and powerful , as well as connected to the introduction. Besides, a good ending should contain a thesis of the whole law essay. However, don’t try to repeat your thesis word by word. Consider rephrasing it instead of mentioning the same statements so that the information is more easily digested for readers. Plus, you’ll need to provide a critical analysis of your work. For this, explain why your main argument backed up by primary and secondary sources is the highest point of conviction. Hence, your readers will see explicit reasoning and be more inclined to believe the truth you outlined in the paper. 

4. Bibliography

A bibliography is a mandatory part of the work, and also the last one. At the end of your essay, you should list the documents (laws and other regulations) and books that were used in preparation for the article. Works cited page will help you validate the credibility of work and show readers that all statements and opinions are proven with relevant evidence. However, it doesn’t mean that your bibliography ought to be inserted just after you’ve written the entire text. To have a better vision of what source to pick for citing, include the list of used materials before writing the final version of your law essay. Accordingly, you’ll see sources in their entirety and easily cite them whenever needed. 

The sayings of influential and famous people imbue any work with an air of authority . This is especially true for essays on law: professors appreciate it when students reinforce their considerations with the opinion of leaders and experts in their field.

Quotes for an essay on law are quite easy to find on the Internet or specialized digests.

Law essays

If you choose to close the paper with a quote, it’ll be a great hook which will keep readers impressed by the essay long after they digest it. But feel free to add meaningful sayings also in the introduction or in the middle of a paper. Either way, quotes are a tool that helps make your reading highly impactful and appreciated.  

law topics for essays

These were the top advice on how to create a distinct law paper. We hope our advice will help you prepare an interesting and informative essay for college or university studies that’ll be graded with the highest mark. Once you manage to operate on the subtle art of legal essay writing, you’ll adjust to the complexities of its realization without difficulties. If you’re in doubt questioning your writing abilities, use custom essay writer service – we will create the best law essay tailored specifically for you.

A life lesson in Romeo and Juliet taught by death

A life lesson in Romeo and Juliet taught by death

Due to human nature, we draw conclusions only when life gives us a lesson since the experience of others is not so effective and powerful. Therefore, when analyzing and sorting out common problems we face, we may trace a parallel with well-known book characters or real historical figures. Moreover, we often compare our situations with […]

Ethical Research Paper Topics

Ethical Research Paper Topics

Writing a research paper on ethics is not an easy task, especially if you do not possess excellent writing skills and do not like to contemplate controversial questions. But an ethics course is obligatory in all higher education institutions, and students have to look for a way out and be creative. When you find an […]

Art Research Paper Topics

Art Research Paper Topics

Students obtaining degrees in fine art and art & design programs most commonly need to write a paper on art topics. However, this subject is becoming more popular in educational institutions for expanding students’ horizons. Thus, both groups of receivers of education: those who are into arts and those who only get acquainted with art […]

  • 0 Shopping Cart $ 0.00 -->

JD Advising

With the bar exam fast approaching, our FREE MEE Highly Tested Topics guide and our FREE February 2024 UBE Study Guide can help you use your remaining study time wisely!

Calling all 1Ls: Exclusive VIP networking events Skadden and Kirkland & Ellis in Feb. and March. Apply here !

Looking for the perfect study tool for your last minute bar exam review? Check out our MEE , MBE , and MPT One-Sheets! Plus, our Bar Exam Crash Course is your on-the-go overview of what you need to know!

conflicts of law on the mee

Law School Outline Tips and Template

Law school has begun – you are meeting new people, taking new classes, and learning a different approach to studying. You’ve most likely been told to create an outline for each of your classes to help you synthesize everything you are learning. This can be a daunting task in the beginning. Below are some tips for creating a useful law school outline. We also have a law school outline template for you to review, pictured below.

Law School Outline Template

Law school outline tips, 1. organize the outline based on your professor’s syllabus..

When your professor distributes the syllabus for the class use it to create the skeleton of your outline. The syllabus will probably be divided into topics and subtopics. This will help you to see the larger roadmap that all the details fit into. Once you have created the skeleton outline, turn to your class notes and start adding information under the appropriate topics. Remember that your outline should be a consolidated version of what you learned in class (i.e., your outline should not be as long as your class notes!).

If you notice the template above, (d) and (e) were both sections in the syllabus. Many times, students use the syllabus headings as headings in their law school outlines.

2. Do not include full case briefs in your outline.

Many students make the mistake of including too much information about the cases they read in their outlines. Unless your professor tells you differently , do not place emphasis on the detailed facts of the cases. Do not include lengthy quotations or copy and paste your case briefs into your outline. You want to prioritize the holdings of cases and any nuances or exceptions to the general rule. You can see a sample of our Constitutional law school outline below . It contains a brief snippet of the  Defunis  case. This is probably about the longest snippet you’d want to include in your outline. You can often summarize a case even more quickly using your own words.

Constitutional law outline sample 1

In most classes, you can excel on the law school final exams without citing one case (or with being familiar with a very minimal number of cases—like four or five). 99.9% of law school exams do not test cases!!

3. Make sure you correctly state the black letter law and any areas of ambiguity.

State the black letter law in a way that you will be able to memorize it. Do not spend time including lengthy passages from cases. If you find that you did not understand a particular concept, it is worth it to consult commercial study aids.

We recommend bolding the elements. (If you purchase our law school study aids, you can also see how we include visually appealing images to illustrate the elements of law! This can help you understand and memorize the elements! You can try them for free at the link or, instead of using ours, simply incorporate this practice into your own outline routine! See an example below.)

torts law school outline

It is equally important to clearly state when jurisdictions follow multiple approaches that lead to differing outcomes (e.g., common law versus the modern rule). Keep in mind that the purpose of the outline is to help you understand and memorize information. Use your outline as you begin to do practice tests and see whether the outline helps you with issue spotting a fact pattern and leads you to the correct answer.

4. Include hypotheticals that your professor uses to explain difficult concepts.

If your professor gives you hypotheticals to explain an issue you should include them in your outline. It will help you to see how the law is applied to a particular set of facts. Additionally, professors often draw upon variations of these hypotheticals when they create facts patterns for law school exams.

Similarly, pay attention to whether your professor has any particular area of interest or whether she uses certain phrases regularly. Include these in your outline because it is highly likely that they will show up on an exam.

5. Include issue checklists and flowcharts to help you distill complex areas of law (if it helps you).

Some areas of law are quite complex. If you are better able to process information by creating tables, checklists or flowcharts, then take the time to do so! These techniques will help you map out the connections between ideas. Flowcharts are particularly useful if you are able to pose questions with “yes” or “no” answers to reach a particular conclusion. Issue checklists are useful if, for example, a court uses a multi-factor balancing test to reach its decision. Turn these factors into a list of questions to help you approach similar fact patterns.

See an example of a flowchart form our law school study aids below.

law school essay outline

If you are wondering how to incorporate law school diagrams into your outline , please check out this post!

Seeking Success in Law School?

  • Benefit from personalized one-on-one tutoring by our seasoned law school tutors.
  • Explore our NEW and highly acclaimed law school study aids , available for a free trial.

Related posts

What to Do After Submitting Your Law School Applications

  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Public Interest

Mee one sheets

By using this site, you allow the use of cookies, and you acknowledge that you have read and understand our Privacy Policy and Terms of Service .

Cookie and Privacy Settings

We may request cookies to be set on your device. We use cookies to let us know when you visit our websites, how you interact with us, to enrich your user experience, and to customize your relationship with our website.

Click on the different category headings to find out more. You can also change some of your preferences. Note that blocking some types of cookies may impact your experience on our websites and the services we are able to offer.

These cookies are strictly necessary to provide you with services available through our website and to use some of its features.

Because these cookies are strictly necessary to deliver the website, refusing them will have impact how our site functions. You always can block or delete cookies by changing your browser settings and force blocking all cookies on this website. But this will always prompt you to accept/refuse cookies when revisiting our site.

We fully respect if you want to refuse cookies but to avoid asking you again and again kindly allow us to store a cookie for that. You are free to opt out any time or opt in for other cookies to get a better experience. If you refuse cookies we will remove all set cookies in our domain.

We provide you with a list of stored cookies on your computer in our domain so you can check what we stored. Due to security reasons we are not able to show or modify cookies from other domains. You can check these in your browser security settings.

We also use different external services like Google Webfonts, Google Maps, and external Video providers. Since these providers may collect personal data like your IP address we allow you to block them here. Please be aware that this might heavily reduce the functionality and appearance of our site. Changes will take effect once you reload the page.

Google Webfont Settings:

Google Map Settings:

Google reCaptcha Settings:

Vimeo and Youtube video embeds:

You can read about our cookies and privacy settings in detail on our Privacy Policy Page.

LSAC - Law School Admission Council

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.  

Share this /

Troy Lowry Headshot

Troy Lowry is senior vice president of technology products, chief information officer, and chief information security officer at the Law School Admission Council. He earned his BA from Northeastern University and his MBA from New York University.

  • Baby Bar Review
  • Law School Success
  • Performance MPT
  • Practice to Pass
  • Our Products
  • Law School Philosophy
  • The Way From Law Student To Professional Lawyer
  • CA and UBE Bar Exam
  • Baby Bar FYLSE
  • Exam Writing
  • MBE/MPRE Courses
  • Student Reviews
  • Practice to Pass!

Your 1st Year of Law School Outlines

You are in law school and your success depends on your ability to learn the law and apply it on your law school exams..

Fleming's Fundamentals of Law shows you how to develop and perfect your legal skills with its substantive law lectures and outlines, exam writing workshops, law school exam tips, and many other first-year law school outlines and supplements.

Fleming's + L = Vision

Fleming's Edge law school study guides take the guesswork out of what to study, how to study, and how to demonstrate legal reasoning skills. When using Fleming's Edge 1L study resources, you quickly learn the law, how to prepare for law school exams, and how to develop and perfect the skills you need to succeed in law school.

Resources Include

  • First-year law school outlines , that streamline the time it takes to learn the law;
  • Substantive law reviews combined with test-taking approaches and checklists that give you the methods, strategies, and techniques to learn and apply the law to facts;
  • Essay Exam Writing Workshops that teach you how to analyze and apply the law to law school exams;
  • Essay and Multiple-Choice Exam Books that provide you with opportunities to practice and perfect the reasoning skills you must demonstrate on law school exams;
  • Private tutorial services with law school professor attorneys, who maximize your learning experience through tutoring sessions customized to your particular needs.

1st Year of Law School: Successful Beginnings

After 40 years as a legal education provider, Fleming's Edge knows you must not only study hard - you must study smart. You do not have unlimited time to spend figuring out how to get the most from your study process.

Fleming's Edge materials are the best law school exam prep books and resources anywhere because they eliminate your need to reinvent the wheel. They offer you substantive law reviews , substantive law outlines , exam writing workshops , exam workbooks , private tutorial services, and other resources that maximize your learning and minimize the time it takes you to accomplish your objectives.

Benefits As A 1L

Success is your first-year goal. Fleming's substantive law reviews , substantive law outlines , exam writing workshops , exam workbooks , and private tutorial services teach you how to learn the law, develop your analytical skills, and study smart to get the most out of your study time. The sooner you learn the law and develop the critical reasoning skills you need, the greater your success will be. Fleming's Fundamentals of Law shows you how.

1L Survival Bundle

Congratulations, 1L! You have worked hard to get into law school and are smartly considering Fleming's Fundamentals of Law to guide you along the w...

Baby Bar Bundle

Fleming's Baby Bar Bundle includes four important components to your success on the Baby Bar Examination: Baby Bar Review (self-paced or cohort-pa...

Baby Bar Review - FYLSX

Maximize your potential with Fleming's Fundamentals of Law and a comprehensive learning experience designed to give you the skills, knowledge, and...

Baby Bar Review Workshop Materials

(Note: Digital materials already accompany Fleming's Baby Bar Review Workshop.) Fleming's Three-Volume Set of printed companion materials are avail...

Essay or Performance Test - Exam Critique

Our Exam Critique Package offers you the perfect opportunity to practice and get feedback on law school and bar exam essays. Experienced bar-licens...

Exam Workbook, Multistate Vol. 1

Fleming's Multistate Volume 1 contains detailed methods and strategies you need to succeed on multiple-choice exams, together with 540 multiple cho...

Exam Writing Workbook: Essay Examinations, Vol. 1

The Essay Exam Writing Workbook, Volume 1, contains 15 bar exam practice tests with sample answers in the subjects of Torts, Contracts/U.C.C., and ...

Exam Writing Workbook: Essay Examinations, Vol. 2

The Essay Exam Writing Workbook, Volume 2, contains 15 bar exam practice tests with sample answers in the subjects of Evidence, Property, and Civil...

Exam Writing Workbook: Essay Examinations, Vol. 3

The Essay Exam Writing Workbook, Volume 3, contains 15 bar exam practice tests with sample answers in the subjects of Constitutional Law, Criminal ...

Exam Writing Workbook: Essay Examinations, Vol. 4

The Essay Exam Writing Workbook, Volume 4, contains 16 bar exam practice tests with sample answers in the subjects of Community Property, Remedies,...

Exam Writing Workshop

The Original Legal Exam Writing Workshop Law School, Baby Bar, Bar Exam Learn how to craft an organized, effective Bar Exam and Law School essay r...

Fleming's Edge Gift Card

For the law student or bar examinee who has everything. Get your Fleming's Edge Gift Card today.

Law School Exam Solution: Civil Procedure I

The Civil Procedure I Substantive Law Final Exam Solution is part of the Exam Solution® series, and is a recorded, 4-hour lecture covering the subs...

Law School Exam Solution: Civil Procedure II

The Civil Procedure II Substantive Law Final Exam Solution is part of the Exam Solution™ series, and is a recorded, 4-hour lecture covering the sub...

Law School Exam Solution: Constitutional Law I

The Constitutional Law I Substantive Law Final Exam Solution is part of the Exam Solution® series, and is a recorded, 4-hour lecture covering the s...

Law School Exam Solution: Constitutional Law II

The Constitutional Law II Substantive Law Final Exam Solution is part of the Exam Solution® series, and is a recorded, 4-hour lecture covering the ...

Law School Exam Solution: Contracts I

The Contracts I Substantive Law Final Exam Solution is part of the Exam Solution® series, and is a recorded, 4-hour lecture covering the substantiv...

Law School Exam Solution: Contracts II

The Contracts II Substantive Law Final Exam Solution is part of the Exam Solution® series, and is a recorded, 4-hour lecture covering the substanti...

Law School Exam Solution: Criminal Law

The Criminal Law Substantive Law Final Exam Solution is part of the Exam Solution® series, and is a recorded, 4-hour lecture covering the substanti...

Law School Exam Solution: Real Property I

The Real Property I Substantive Law Final Exam Solution is part of the Exam Solution® series, and is a recorded, 4-hour lecture covering the substa...

Law School Exam Solution: Real Property II

The Real Property II Substantive Law Final Exam Solution is part of the Exam Solution® series, and is a recorded, 4-hour lecture covering the subst...

Law School Exam Solution: Torts I

The Torts I Substantive Law Final Exam Solution is part of the Exam Solution® series, and is a recorded, 4-hour lecture covering the substantive la...

Law School Exam Solution: Torts II

The Torts II Substantive Law Final Exam Solution is part of the Exam Solution® series, and is a recorded, 4-hour lecture covering the substantive l...

MBE Multistate Workshop (eLearning 24-hour Online Delivery)

The Science of the Multistate™ is a state of the art, online workshop created exclusively for bar examinees and law students (no matter what year) ...

MBE Multistate: Federal Civil Procedure Compendium

Fleming's Federal Civil Procedure Compendium contains a comprehensive Federal Civil Procedure substantive law outline containing the FRCP rules tes...

One-Hour Exam Review

Big Picture1-Hour Overview Per Subject Fleming's Edge Advanced Analysis is an online exam prep course that presents a big-picture overview of each ...

Private Tutoring | Bar Exam, Baby Bar, and Law School

Unlock the Potential of Personalized Tutoring (Available both in-person and via online platform.) Our Learning Education Specialists tailor your ...

  • Best selling
  • Alphabetically, A-Z
  • Alphabetically, Z-A
  • Price, low to high
  • Price, high to low
  • Date, old to new
  • Date, new to old

Download Your Free Sample Bar Exam Essay Q&A

Added to your cart:.

News from non-English countries

law school essay outline

"They fell to the ground with screams": Russian Guards fired at children single near Moscow - there is a casualty

2023-08-20T20:58:57.477Z

Highlights: In Russia, in the city of Elektrostal (Moscow region), during demonstrations, Rosgvardia soldiers began shooting at spectators with children from machine guns with blank cartridges. One child received serious damage from a rebounded cartridge case. In the video, a child can be heard crying and screaming violently. It is also interesting that Russia recently arranged a solemn farewell to Vladimir Shestakov, convicted for the murder of a child, who became a mercenary of PMC "Wagner" and was liquidated in the war in Ukraine.

law school essay outline

In Russia, in the city of Elektrostal (Moscow region), during demonstrations, Rosgvardia soldiers began shooting at spectators with children from machine guns with blank cartridges.

So far, one injured child is known.

This was reported by the local Telegram channel of the Cheka-OGPU.

"Small children were clutching their heads screaming and falling to the ground. Not without injuries. The child received serious damage from a rebounded cartridge case," the report said.

One of the witnesses to the incident posted a video. It was her child who was shot by the Russian Guards. In the video, a child can be heard crying and screaming violently.

After the woman realized that her child had been wounded, she called her husband and doctor.

Meanwhile, Russian occupier Ivan Alekseev in the war in Ukraine after a drunken quarrel killed his colleague and tried to cover up the crime, saying it was the work of "Ukrainian saboteurs."

It is also interesting that Russia recently arranged a solemn farewell to Vladimir Shestakov, convicted for the murder of a child, who became a mercenary of PMC "Wagner" and was liquidated in the war in Ukraine.

  • The suspect in the murder of a military volunteer was released from custody
  • They will teach "patriotism": Russians in the occupied territories launch cadet classes
  • Russia has created another training ground near Mariupol: how many soldiers are in the city

Source: tsn

All news articles on 2023-08-20

Republic Day Special: Tricolor will be hoisted for the first time in nine villages of Naxal affected Bastar region in Chhattisgarh. 2024-01-25T18:48:40.908Z

Mamta, Maan and now Nitish...: Are regional parties trying to break Congress' pride? 2024-01-25T18:48:35.045Z

Ukrainian aerial scouts hunted down a Russian sniper 2024-01-25T18:48:28.893Z

US economy grew 3.3% in the fourth quarter of 2023 2024-01-25T18:38:35.133Z

They left a drug dealer from Razgrad in custody - Court and Prosecutor's Office 2024-01-25T18:38:28.864Z

MP CM Mohan Yadav broke this tradition of Shivraj Singh Chouhan, said 2024-01-25T18:29:04.788Z

Biden will send the CIA director to negotiate a major deal to free the hostages in Gaza 2024-01-25T18:28:58.104Z

Putin has arrived: students in Kaliningrad were forbidden to get sick, do laundry and order food 2024-01-25T18:28:52.539Z

Ratlam Medical College is becoming a time for newborn children, 81 newborn children have died from October to January! 2024-01-25T18:28:46.586Z

Kolya Serga spoke sharply about the mobilization of bloggers: "They could show their consciousness" 2024-01-25T18:28:40.669Z

I am so upset about not getting married! Made himself bloody with iron cutting grinder machine... 2024-01-25T18:28:28.806Z

The fire in the metropolitan area "Slatina" was extinguished - Criminal 2024-01-25T18:18:40.154Z

Biden has a bridge to reelection, but he must rebuild it first (Analysis) 2024-01-25T18:18:34.749Z

Factor of intimidation: the expert named the reasons for transferring the war to the territory of the Russian Federation 2024-01-25T18:09:01.361Z

Tsikhanovskaya proposed to develop a road map for the accession of the future democratic Belarus to the Council of Europe 2024-01-25T18:08:55.485Z

Two drone aces died at the front, Zaluzhnyi did not remain silent: all the details of the terrible tragedy 2024-01-25T18:08:49.450Z

Padma Awards 2024: Padma Awards to 132 celebrities including Venkaiah Naidu, Mithun and the first woman judge, see full list 2024-01-25T18:08:42.351Z

Complete schedule of flag hoisting on Republic Day in Rajasthan, know where 2024-01-25T18:08:36.172Z

The new draft law on mobilization: why the people's deputies are "silent" and when will there be a decision 2024-01-25T18:08:30.074Z

Foot patrols will provide security in Kyustendil - Society 2024-01-25T17:58:51.623Z

"They fell to the ground with screams": Russian Guards fired at children single near Moscow - there is a casualty News/Politics 2023-08-20T20:58:57.477Z

Powerful explosion in Makhachkala could have caused the fall of a Russian missile – media (photos, video) News/Politics 2023-08-16T09:58:30.402Z

The moment of the explosion in Moscow was broadcast on the rowing championship: video News/Politics 2023-08-11T12:06:55.387Z

8-Year-Old Boy Killed in Russian Strike on Western Ukraine News/Politics 2023-08-11T14:26:57.994Z

They were going to reconnaissance the territory: border guards "landed" the occupiers' UAVs near Avdiivka News/Politics 2023-08-08T13:05:30.066Z

The hypermarket destroyed to the ground is still smoking: new details of Russia's powerful attack on Odesa (video) News/Politics 2023-08-14T11:38:57.345Z

In Crimea, the occupier shot a contract soldier from Moscow: details News/Politics 2023-08-13T09:17:01.858Z

Russia faces the biggest drone assault on its own territory since the start of the invasion of Ukraine News/Politics 2023-08-30T19:20:25.125Z

Mayor: Houses in Kharkiv survive Russian missile attack News/Politics 2024-01-08T04:35:43.208Z

Il-76 crash in Russia: all the details and what really happened - review News/Politics 2024-01-24T20:18:13.928Z

The Russians are playing with the lives of Ukrainian prisoners: Zelenskyi on the downfall of Il-76 News/Politics 2024-01-24T21:38:14.244Z

The lies of the propagandists are almost exposed: a recording of the conversation of the Russians after the fall of the IL-76 appeared on the Internet News/Politics 2024-01-24T20:58:13.898Z

Russia has brought enemy ships to the Black Sea: how many Calibers are ready to attack News/Politics 2024-01-25T06:38:26.196Z

Before the fall, the Russian Il-76 returned from Syria: what was on board the plane - the SBU general News/Politics 2024-01-24T21:48:20.600Z

Ukraine has found a new way to destroy Russian missiles News/Politics 2024-01-24T19:38:32.467Z

An overwhelming majority of Democrats in the US Senate support a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict News/Politics 2024-01-25T02:58:51.970Z

Which task is key for Putin before the March elections: British intelligence has named News/Politics 2024-01-25T11:19:09.001Z

Iran: The American-British aggression against Yemen is a strategic mistake that leads to the expansion of the scope of the war News/Politics 2024-01-25T09:18:28.870Z

The 5 things you should know this January 25 News/Politics 2024-01-25T11:08:50.190Z

© Communities 2021 - Privacy

IMAGES

  1. step four to making a law school outline

    law school essay outline

  2. 014 Essay Example Mla Format Outline Template Complete ~ Thatsnotus

    law school essay outline

  3. 011 Essay Example Law Uk Writing Legal Essays Structure Examples Of

    law school essay outline

  4. Law School Outlines

    law school essay outline

  5. Law school statement of purpose example

    law school essay outline

  6. How to Write A Law School Outline—An In-Depth Guide

    law school essay outline

VIDEO

  1. Legal Studies Essay Structure Tips from a State Ranker

  2. Study Aids: Selecting and Using Them in Law School

  3. Law School Exam Success

  4. Crafting Issue Statements

  5. "Why Our School?" Law Admissions Essay

  6. A Perfect Law School Outline

COMMENTS

  1. Law School Personal Statement: The Ultimate Guide (Examples Included

    Law schools are admitting the whole person. An artificial intelligence can handle legal research; only you can display the kind of narrative understanding of your own background and your own future that a good future attorney needs. Learn everything you need to know to get into T-14 law schools.

  2. How to Write A Law School Outline—An In-Depth Guide

    1. Outline early on in the semester If the class has begun and you haven't started outlining, start now! There is no reason to put it off. The sooner you have your outline, the sooner you can start to review it. 2. Your class notes are your most important resource Remember that your professor writes the exam.

  3. Law School Personal Statement Examples And Tips

    A law school personal statement is a multi-paragraph essay or narrative highlighting the reason you are pursuing a J.D. degree. This essay is an opportunity to share your identity with an...

  4. PDF Personal Statement T he Law School

    The Law School Personal Statement ATLS 2021 Writing Components of the Law School Application Personal statement Diversity statement Supplemental essay(s) Addendum (optional) What the personal statement is: A story: tell the admissions officer who you are What is a personal challenge you overcame?

  5. ⭐️How to Format Your Law School Personal Statement

    Put your name on the left, your LSAC number in the middle, and the words "Personal Statement," followed by a page number, on the right. It looks like this: In case you're not comfortable with Word headers, I've made a correctly formatted .docx file with a one-line header.

  6. 18 Law School Personal Statement Examples That Got Accepted!

    Law School Personal Statement Example #1. When I was a child, my neighbors, who had arrived in America from Nepal, often seemed stressed. They argued a lot, struggled for money, and seemed to work all hours of the day. One day, I woke early in the morning to a commotion outside my apartment.

  7. Sample Law School Personal Statement Essays

    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 ...

  8. How to Write a Law School Personal Statement

    Be Honest Admission committees are very experienced at reading personal statements. They can quickly sniff out when something rings false. Be Yourself Admission committees utilize the personal statement portion of the application to learn about you and why you want to go to law school. Tell your story, and do not try to hide who you are.

  9. Exam Writing 101

    Exam Writing 101 Law school exams are where the rubber meets the road. Your grade is based largely on what you get down on paper in those few hours, so be sure you're ready to go!

  10. How to Structure a Law Essay (Tips from a Former LLB Lecturer)

    Essay outline The final task when planning the introduction is to include an outline of the structure of your law paper. The outline should include key arguments which you will be making in the main body of the essay.

  11. 2 Law School Personal Statements That Succeeded

    Feb. 13, 2020, at 11:50 a.m. Getty Images Sincerity is an essential ingredient of a compelling law school admissions essay, one J.D. admissions expert says. Deciding what to say in the law...

  12. Top 10 Tips for Successfully Writing a Law School Essay

    Top 10 Tips for Successfully Writing a Law School Essay. In this podcast, Prof. Jennifer Martin discusses the top ten mistakes law students make in law school examinations. These are poor issue spotting, poor knowledge and understanding of the law, poor application of the law to the facts, giving only conclusory answers, lack of organization ...

  13. Law School Personal Statement, Writing Guide

    The law school essay outline takes on the format of a personal statement. This means, the main parts are the introduction, thesis statement, body paragraphs and a conclusion. This is the most crucial part of the law school essay, given that it acts as a guide for the content that is to be presented in the essay. Tips concerning law school ...

  14. Law Outlines

    1. Law school vs undergrad 2. Your note-taking system 3. What goes into law school notes? 4. Tips to get started note-taking 5. Going from notes to outlines 6. What goes into law school outlines? 7. Create your law school outline Law school is very different than undergrad

  15. Learn to Write With Our Great Law Essay Example

    Law Essay Outline Law Essay Structure 1. Introduction 2. Main part 3. Conclusion 4. Bibliography 5. Quotes First things first, let's discuss the legal essay scheme. It is rightly similar to the social science essay scheme. In both papers, it is necessary to explain a position on a particular issue or comment on a statement.

  16. Law School Outline Tips and Template

    Law School Outline Tips. 1. Organize the outline based on your professor's syllabus. When your professor distributes the syllabus for the class use it to create the skeleton of your outline. The syllabus will probably be divided into topics and subtopics. This will help you to see the larger roadmap that all the details fit into.

  17. ChatGPT, Law School Application Personal Statements, and the LSAT

    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. ... This unscored essay, given under timed, proctored conditions, presents an ideal opportunity to assess an applicant's writing ability.

  18. Law School Outlines: Your 1'st Year

    First-year law school outlines, that streamline the time it takes to learn the law; Substantive law reviews combined with test-taking approaches and checklists that give you the methods, strategies, and techniques to learn and apply the law to facts; Essay Exam Writing Workshops that teach you how to analyze and apply the law to law school ...

  19. Moscow

    Moscow, city, capital of Russia, located in the far western part of the country.Since it was first mentioned in the chronicles of 1147, Moscow has played a vital role in Russian history. It became the capital of Muscovy (the Grand Principality of Moscow) in the late 13th century; hence, the people of Moscow are known as Muscovites.Today Moscow is not only the political centre of Russia but ...

  20. ELLOGISTIK, OOO Company Profile

    Industry: General Freight Trucking , Urban Transit Systems , Warehousing and Storage , Other Support Activities for Transportation , Support Activities for Rail Transportation See All Industries, Motor Vehicle and Motor Vehicle Parts and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers , Trucking, except local, Local and suburban transit, General warehousing and storage, Transportation services, nec, Cargo ...

  21. "They fell to the ground with screams": Russian Guards fired at

    In Russia, in the city of Elektrostal (Moscow region), during demonstrations, Rosgvardia soldiers began shooting at spectators with children from machine guns with blank cartridges. One child received serious damage from a rebounded cartridge case. In the video, a child can be heard crying and screaming violently. It is also interesting that Russia recently arranged a solemn farewell to ...

  22. Moscow Metro: Atlantic photo essay

    A visit to Russia is my to-do list. Great people & culture. [ Reply To This Message ] [ Share Thread on Facebook ] [ Start a New Thread ] [ Back to Thread List ]