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I feel like both statements will just end up discussing a lot of the same information, so is there some distinct difference between the two that should cause me to separate them?

If a school specifically asks for a diversity statement you should write one. Your diversity statement is the opportunity to provide the admissions committee with a sense of how your racial, ethnic, disability, and/or socio-economic experiences have shaped you whereas your personal statement is a bit broader in it's content and can cover how some of your experiences have brought you to this current point of applying. You can mention how your racial/sociology-economic status has been an influence in your personal statement but a deep dive exploration of that side of you is needed in a diversity statement.

Some schools don't ask for one, some schools ask it to be combined (UofC), some schools ask for it

I'm having this same debate and am leaning towards writing a combined statement. I feel that as long as the PS is about me, its ok if it overlaps with diversity. There is no need to be repetitive I think

soca_dancer wrote:If a school specifically asks for a diversity statement you should write one. Your diversity statement is the opportunity to provide the admissions committee with a sense of how your racial, ethnic, disability, and/or socio-economic experiences have shaped you whereas your personal statement is a bit broader in it's content and can cover how some of your experiences have brought you to this current point of applying. You can mention how your racial/sociology-economic status has been an influence in your personal statement but a deep dive exploration of that side of you is needed in a diversity statement.

Some schools don't ask for one, some schools ask it to be combined (UofC), some schools ask for it

If my PS talks about my racial identity and connects it to why law, would you think that a DS is still necessary?

Again it depends. If a school specifically asks for a diversity statement you should write one. If not a combined statement is fine. It's okay to write about diversity in your personal statement briefly and connect it to law but then write a diversity statement as well. As an example:

My personal statement discusses aspects of my socio economic and ethnic background and I connect it to part of my journey to deciding law school. It's in the statement but a full on discussion of me being black and Latina from the hood who happened to also go to wealthy predominantly white institutions and the dichotomy of living in two worlds was left for the diversity statement.

My diversity statement is solely about the pride I have for my ethnic background and the struggles I had with my socio economic status and being ethnically different growing up. How that affected me and caused me to be challenged whether internally or interacting with others, yet also how I overcame that and what qualities it enabled me to have to perservere, be mindful of others, etc and how I will bring those positive aspects to the law school I attend.

hotdog96 wrote:

soca_dancer wrote:If a school specifically asks for a diversity statement you should write one. Your diversity statement is the opportunity to provide the admissions committee with a sense of how your racial, ethnic, disability, and/or socio-economic experiences have shaped you whereas your personal statement is a bit broader in it's content and can cover how some of your experiences have brought you to this current point of applying. You can mention how your racial/sociology-economic status has been an influence in your personal statement but a deep dive exploration of that side of you is needed in a diversity statement.

Some schools don't ask for one, some schools ask it to be combined (UofC), some schools ask for it

If my PS talks about my racial identity and connects it to why law, would you think that a DS is still necessary?

Like others have said, it depends. But if you don't think that writing a diversity statement would add anything significantly different from PS, then maybe don't write one. I didn't write a DS for that reason and things worked out.

I don't think a DS is necessary if a PS deals with the same subject matter you would ordinarily address in a DS. I didn't write a separate DS for any school and my cycle went well. YMMV.

hotdog96 wrote:I'm having this same debate and am leaning towards writing a combined statement. I feel that as long as the PS is about me, its ok if it overlaps with diversity. There is no need to be repetitive I think

DONT DO THIS - take it from me.

Unless you have a 3.5/165+ combo - dont do it. Use my cycle and do better. Write them out- make sure their well written. Effort does really go a long way in admissions

Write both, in personal statement make sure it is about you says what kinda person you are, why law school is for you, a little about your life or what interest you. For example I talked about my love for Philosophy and how that introduce me to the law. Then with diversity statement talk about your background and how that would have a positive impact by bringing in a view point that might not be commonly discussed in that school. How your diversity could add to the schools community.

If you cover the same information in both then do not write a diversity statement. Some schools specifically allow you to make your PS a combination of a PS and DS (Texas) but otherwise just submit a PS.

If your DS does not add anything to your application then you will be wasting everyone's time, including your own.

There are many other ways to show effort like writing a Why X essay or tailoring your PS to the school you are submitting to. I didn't write a DS for any school last year and my cycle turned out fine.