UNM Personal Statement Forum

[Anonymous User]

My family has experienced the horror and unjust cruelty of a wrongful conviction. When I was 7 years old, my father was taken away from my mother and I because he was falsely convicted on a politically motivated charge. My father was a victim of many of the leading causes of wrongful conviction common to our judicial system today, such as: government misconduct, false testimony, altered evidence, improper jury instructions and bad lawyering. The federal judge in my father’s case recently plead guilty to multiple federal charges and is largely suspected of bias against minorities (my mother, the first Hispanic to run for state-wide office in Georgia, is Inca Indian and Hispanic and was present during my father’s trial), the two witnesses against my father have both plead guilty to bribery felonies and the head of the FBI’s political corruption unit resigned to go into business with one of the two convicted witnesses. Too young to understand and comprehend the grave injustices that had been carried out against my father at the time, I now realize that my father’s predicament is sadly a testament to an imperfect system; people have been and continue to be wrongfully convicted within our judicial system.

My life was profoundly affected by my father’s wrongful conviction. Our financial situation has been strained, to say the least. I vividly remember being a child and asking my mother where her wedding ring was, and she told me that she had to sell it. I became accustomed to staying at school until 7 or 8 PM every day because my mother had to work overtime to provide for us. When my father returned, we would have to drive along highways and throughout various areas of town searching for old hubcaps lost along the road that we could collect and sell for gas money or food for tomorrow. By the time I was of high school age, we lived without running water in our home. The main road we lived adjacent to averaged one killing per month. Occurrences like these were common during my adolescent years.

Nevertheless, I used these experiences as motivation for succeeding. I ultimately ended up going to a prestigious New England boarding school after testing well on the SSAT, and then to ** University. I work two jobs at ** University in both the Admissions Office and Recreational Department while maintaining a triple major, yet I’ve never been happier because I’m able to pursue my interests and study in a vigorous learning environment.

As a triple major in Theater, Legal Studies, and Spanish, I have experienced a wide variety of disciplines within the liberal arts spectrum. My majors weave intricately through one another in a complementary fashion; for example, the vocal annunciation and emphasis, confidence, correct posture and stage presence acquired through my acting classes have been an invaluable asset in my Trial Advocacy class, for which I had to argue a mock trial at the Chicago Federal Courthouse, while a Spanish Translation class afforded me the opportunity to translate documents as a volunteer at the National Immigrant Justice Center (NIJC) for my International Human Rights and Refugee Law class. My Theater, Legal Studies, and Spanish majors have given me confidence and oratorical skill, proficiency in critical reading and analysis, and a broadened cultural understanding and linguistic ability, all of which I will rely on heavily to fulfill my dream of becoming a civil rights and criminal defense attorney.

My former professor, **, awarded me an internship this past summer which taught me a very important lesson in light of my father’s case: justice is alive. Fighting for constitutionally guaranteed rights and protections can alter laws, exonerate the innocent, and help the less fortunate. It is my dream in life to someday become a lawyer and help ensure that the judicial system operates properly within our constitutional framework so that wrongful convictions are minimized and able to be rectified.

I believe my background and upbringing makes me sensitive to the plights of others. I am thankful for running water and the Bill Of Rights. Freedom and education should never be taken for granted. Faith and persistence are as necessary to the practice of law as is specific legal knowledge. New Mexico’s institutes such as the Community Lawyering Clinic should afford me the opportunities to practice what I preach

My impression is that New Mexico’s Law School offers a variety of well tailored options in the study of law in a collegial environment. My unique perspective has been fashioned from a background of a financially challenged upbringing while attending academically acclaimed schools ranging from one of the world’s most prestigious and exclusive boarding schools to summer programs at Harvard University, West Point, the U.S. Naval Academy and the U.S. Air Force Academy followed by four years at Northwestern University. This economic and educational dichotomy is further flavored by my Inca Indian/Peruvian Hispanic/Caucasian heritage. Just as New Mexico Law School has a lot to offer a motivated law student, I believe that I have much to offer in return.

[qlinault]

Maybe don't out yourself

[Flokkness]

It's a good story, but halfway through turns into a resume dump.

[sundontshine]

Getting three liberal arts degrees should be illegal.

[ilovesf]

I could really relate to this essay. I too am thankful for running water and the Bill Of Rights.

[sparty99]

My family has experienced the horror and unjust cruelty of a wrongful conviction. When I was 7 years old, my father was taken away from my mother and I because he was falsely convicted on a politically motivated charge. My father was a victim of many of the leading causes of wrongful conviction common to our judicial system today, such as: government misconduct, false testimony, altered evidence, improper jury instructions and bad lawyering. The federal judge in my father’s case recently plead guilty to multiple federal charges and is largely suspected of bias against minorities (my mother, the first Hispanic to run for state-wide office in Georgia, is Inca Indian and Hispanic and was present during my father’s trial), the two witnesses against my father have both plead guilty to bribery felonies and the head of the FBI’s political corruption unit resigned to go into business with one of the two convicted witnesses. Too young to understand and comprehend the grave injustices that had been carried out against my father at the time, I now realize that my father’s predicament is sadly a testament to an imperfect system; people have been and continue to be wrongfully convicted within our judicial system.

My life was profoundly affected by my father’s wrongful conviction. Our financial situation has been strained, to say the least. I vividly remember being a child and asking my mother where her wedding ring was, and she told me that she had to sell it. I became accustomed to staying at school until 7 or 8 PM every day because my mother had to work overtime to provide for us. When my father returned, we would have to drive along highways and throughout various areas of town searching for old hubcaps lost along the road that we could collect and sell for gas money or food for tomorrow. By the time I was of high school age, we lived without running water in our home. The main road we lived adjacent to averaged one killing per month. Occurrences like these were common during my adolescent years.

Nevertheless, I used these experiences as motivation for succeeding. I ultimately ended up going to a prestigious New England boarding school after testing well on the SSAT, and then to ** University. I work two jobs at ** University in both the Admissions Office and Recreational Department while maintaining a triple major, yet I’ve never been happier because I’m able to pursue my interests and study in a vigorous learning environment.

As a triple major in Theater, Legal Studies, and Spanish, I have experienced a wide variety of disciplines within the liberal arts spectrum. My majors weave intricately through one another in a complementary fashion; for example, the vocal annunciation and emphasis, confidence, correct posture and stage presence acquired through my acting classes have been an invaluable asset in my Trial Advocacy class, for which I had to argue a mock trial at the Chicago Federal Courthouse, while a Spanish Translation class afforded me the opportunity to translate documents as a volunteer at the National Immigrant Justice Center (NIJC) for my International Human Rights and Refugee Law class. My Theater, Legal Studies, and Spanish majors have given me confidence and oratorical skill, proficiency in critical reading and analysis, and a broadened cultural understanding and linguistic ability, all of which I will rely on heavily to fulfill my dream of becoming a civil rights and criminal defense attorney.

My former professor, **, awarded me an internship this past summer which taught me a very important lesson in light of my father’s case: justice is alive. Fighting for constitutionally guaranteed rights and protections can alter laws, exonerate the innocent, and help the less fortunate. It is my dream in life to someday become a lawyer and help ensure that the judicial system operates properly within our constitutional framework so that wrongful convictions are minimized and able to be rectified.

I believe my background and upbringing makes me sensitive to the plights of others. I am thankful for running water and the Bill Of Rights. Freedom and education should never be taken for granted. Faith and persistence are as necessary to the practice of law as is specific legal knowledge. New Mexico’s institutes such as the Community Lawyering Clinic should afford me the opportunities to practice what I preach

My impression is that New Mexico’s Law School offers a variety of well tailored options in the study of law in a collegial environment. My unique perspective has been fashioned from a background of a financially challenged upbringing while attending academically acclaimed schools ranging from one of the world’s most prestigious and exclusive boarding schools to summer programs at Harvard University, West Point, the U.S. Naval Academy and the U.S. Air Force Academy followed by four years at Northwestern University. This economic and educational dichotomy is further flavored by my Inca Indian/Peruvian Hispanic/Caucasian heritage. Just as New Mexico Law School has a lot to offer a motivated law student, I believe that I have much to offer in return.

Your father was wrongfully convicted. If that's true, then you can talk more about what it actually was. You know, so I don't have to try and google the story. You also write, "My father was a victim of many of the leading causes of wrongful conviction common to our judicial system today, such as: government misconduct, false testimony, altered evidence, improper jury instructions and bad lawyering." I mean, goddamn, did this happen in your father's case? If not, then no need to state all of that. Why did the federal judge plead guilty? Was it because of your father's case? Damnit. You need to do a better job explaining this. "MY father is Juan Pedro. In 2006, he was convicted of XYZ." In 2o14, he was let go as the prosecution said he was wrongly convicted. The evidence showed that the judge was bias...Blah blah blah....

Anyway, that could be a good start. But the middle of the statement is a damn resume dump. And then you also say shit like this, "ackground of a financially challenged upbringing while attending academically acclaimed schools ranging from one of the world’s most prestigious and exclusive boarding schools to summer programs at Harvard University, West Point, the U.S. Naval Academy and the U.S. Air Force Academy followed by four years at Northwestern University" I JUST WANT TO THROW UP. Shutup. This is not the time to brag. All in all, I don't know what's the point of your personal statement. This is not the time for you to brag like its a resume. Your first paragraph CAN be compelling. But that experience needs to be combined with how it shaped you (which you talk about a little). But then you don't just talk about succeeding. You sound like an asshole. You need to SHOW not TELL. You were a triple major? Who gives a fuck. What have you actually done in your life? What do you do on the weekends? Where have travelled to? What have you actually done? No one gives a shit that you went to elite schools. You sound like a brat. Law schools want people who will contribute to the school. How will your background and experiences contribute to the school? You need to take your father's experience and show how that shaped you. What is yhour opinion on the law? Do you trust the law? How do you want to change the law?