Thanks again for the help everyone has given.Revised and reworked:I am particularly worried about discussing the arrest. Don't hold back. All criticism and opinions are welcomed. Thanks in advance.
Living life for the sake of living – or, going through the motions, as we say – proved an inadequate method for success and happiness in my life. Different inflection points, through various experiences, changed my outlook on what living means and how to channel that energy into positive ends. Despite never having many friends in high school, I only earned mediocre grades with the free time this left me. My first turning point came while eating lunch and reading a book in my car by myself senior year. At this moment, after years of disdainful, complacent living, I vowed with every ounce of fight in my soul to change how I lived.
With a fresh start at college, I soon began to enjoy a confidence I always longed to exude. A new-found sense of adventurousness permeated all areas of my life. I engaged different groups on campus and even me, a person who in the past always shied away from speaking up on any issue, led and founded a political organization on campus and won two debate tournaments. I will never forget the day I strolled back from class knowing everyone I crossed, giving high fives and shouting out tentative arrangements for later that evening. During this time, I began to rethink how I related to people and the vast opportunities for personal happiness that could result from these experiences; and indeed, they have done just that for my life. Despite the gains I had been making to improve myself, a more serious experience needed to happen to truly illuminate my current path.
I had the misfortune of being charged with a misdemeanor for hosting a house party. As I was detained, handcuffed to a chair, I felt my personal accomplishments dissipating like the morning dew of that early morning. At my hearing, my public defender immediately advised me to plead guilty after skimming my case for a few minutes. Thankfully, I had the absolute good fortune to call a criminal lawyer my father met only one month before the hearing – the second lawyer I ever spoke to after my public defender. She spoke to my public defender on the phone in the courtroom and told him what to do. To my amazement, the judge reduced the charge to an infraction. While in the courtroom, in awe of the grandeur of the surroundings, I had an epiphany. People, charged with even more serious crimes than mine, have to use under-resourced lawyers and many times are incarcerated as a result. Before this incident my naiveté assumed that all people have equal justice under the law; and I experienced first-hand that this is not the case. I made a commitment to learn and improve a profession that has such a profound impact on the lives of people. Now, looking back at this experience, I understand what “falling forward” really means.
This commitment transformed the ways I approached my intellectual development, which had been nothing short of a complete letdown to this point. In my studies up to this point, I did the work only to complete the assignment – nothing more, nothing less. After weeks of self-reflection, I came to a conclusion: learn all you can and never stop growing. Although this might seem like an obvious principle, standards of this sort were never in high regard growing up. I began to read everything I could get my hands on: newspapers, scholarly magazines and journals, history books, and literature; most especially essays by R.W. Emerson. In my classes I immersed myself in my work, trying to learn the concepts and information as best as I could, which consequently improved my grades. I even voluntarily undertook a yearlong thesis and competed and won a school-wide competition for it. Through this process I developed my mind to critically think about different political and philosophical issues; though, I now generally differ from the ideologies of my entire family. Nevertheless, I highly value my freedom and range of thought.
Indeed, this range of thought led me to become interested in international law. Although I originally became interested criminal law, I grew to be engrossed with international matters through my major and internships by harnessing a voracious curiosity for learning I only recently discovered. My new way of thinking enhanced my studies to a level of gratification I never experienced in school. Currently, I am continuously fascinated as I begin to engage the internationalization of our world and a new epoch of modern history through my studies in Spanish and law and law internship in México. ______school__________ strength in international law will allow me to utilize and enrich the university’s established reputation and working-knowledge in this area of law with my first-hand knowledge of many aspects of Mexican society. If afforded the opportunity, I would undoubtedly take advantage of and contribute to_________int. program________. My liberal arts education and personal experience living in a Spanish-speaking society, combined with a legal education, will provide a solid formula to pursue my academic and professional interests.
Undeniably, I am fortunate to have had the tribulations in my life that, although difficult in the moment, have led me to you, an admissions committee member at one of the most elite academic institutions in the country. My journey of self-transformation beginning in high school and then redirected towards a path in law is probably not the normal route to this profession – but, to each his own. I cannot help but think of what Louis D. Brandeis once said, “Happiness includes…that satisfaction which can only come through the full development and utilization of ones’ faculties,” and pondering it in the context of my life. Though I have made great strides in becoming the man I want to grow to be, I have yet to reach the consummation of this maxim. Accordingly, I wish to continue pursuing my happiness and the development of my faculties at __________school__________.
As I was detained, handcuffed to a chair of the early morning, I felt my personal gains dissipating like the morning dew. I was charged with a misdemeanor for hosting a house party. At my hearing, my public defender immediately advised me to plead guilty after skimming my case for a few minutes. It didn’t even seem like my lawyer was on my side, but rather, only trying to keep the flow of court unimpeded. Thankfully, I had the absolute good fortune to call a criminal lawyer my father met only one month before the hearing – the second lawyer I ever spoke to after my public defender. She spoke to my public defender on the phone in the courtroom and told him what to do. To my amazement, the judge reduced the charge to an infraction. While waiting in the courtroom after receiving my verdict, in awe of the grandeur of the surroundings, I knew something didn’t feel right. My feeling stemmed from a realization that people, charged with even more serious crimes than mine, have to use under-resourced lawyers and many times are incarcerated as a result. Before this incident my naivete assumed that all people have equal justice under the law; and I experienced first-hand that this is not the case. I made a commitment to learn and improve a profession that has such a profound impact on the lives of people.
This commitment transformed the direction of my life and how I lived it. After weeks of self-reflection, I came to a conclusion: learn all you can and never stop growing. I knew in order to become an attorney I would have to change myself for the better, and for good. This commitment radically changed my approach to my intellectual development, spurred me to live in another country, and ultimately focused my attention on a specific area of law.
Although this conclusion might seem obvious, I was never held to high standards growing up. In my studies up to this point, throughout high school and the beginning of college, I did the work only to complete the assignment – nothing more, nothing less. I finally shook off a mental-straitjacket of sorts. I began to read everything I could get my hands on: newspapers, scholarly magazines and journals, history books, and literature; most especially essays by R.W. Emerson. In my classes, I immersed myself in my work, trying to learn the concepts and information as best as I could, which consequently improved my grades. I began to intellectually spar on the debate team with a newly developed mind that could critically think about different political and philosophical issues; though, I now generally differ from the ideologies of my entire family. Nevertheless, I highly value my freedom and range of thought. I will never forget while walking across the stage, accepting an award after competing amongst Masters and Ph.D. students for a thesis I voluntarily undertook, knowing my future promise and past letdowns parted for good.
My new way of thinking enhanced my studies to a level of gratification I never experienced in school. Although I originally became interested criminal law, I grew to be engrossed with international matters through my major and internships, one being at a boutique international law firm, by allowing my curiosity go where it may. The strength of this curiosity has led me to continue my studies in Spanish and law and another law internship in Mexico. Specifically, through this internship, which mainly deals with agrarian law – a unique type of law in Mexico –, I am getting a crash course in Mexican law and international comparative law. I am identifying similarities and differences in our different legal systems and observing ways to improve them. I am truly taking advantage of an once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to understand Mexico by speaking with other Mexicans through my studies and tutoring service in addition to my family. I am learning about issues that very few Americans understand: how drug traffickers or “narcos” operate, how and why corruption reigns, and the vast business opportunities awaiting for those willing to take a chance on a wonderful, yet developing country. Indeed, these new and old experiences have led me to become interested in studying international law. I am particularly interested in energy markets, foreign direct investment, and the rule of law in Latin America.
______school__________ strength in international law will allow me to utilize and enrich the university’s established reputation and working-knowledge in this area of law with my first-hand knowledge of many aspects of Mexican society. If afforded the opportunity, I would undoubtedly take advantage of and contribute to_________int. program________. (1 or 2 sentences related to a specific program at a school). My liberal arts education and personal experience living in a Spanish-speaking society, combined with a legal education, will provide a solid formula to pursue my academic and professional interests.
Undeniably, I am fortunate to have had certain experiences in my life that, although difficult in the moment, have led me to you, an admissions committee member at one of the most elite academic institutions in the country. My journey of self-transformation is probably not the normal route to this profession – but, to each his own. I cannot help but think of what Louis D. Brandeis once said, “Happiness includes…that satisfaction which can only come through the full development and utilization of ones’ faculties,” and pondering it in the context of my life. Though I have made great strides in becoming the man I want to grow to be, I have yet to reach the consummation of this maxim. Accordingly, I wish to continue pursuing my happiness and the development of my faculties at __________school__________.
I will never forget while walking across the stage to accept an award after competing amongst graduate students for a thesis I voluntarily undertook, knowing my future promise and past letdowns parted for good. After an incident with the law*, I made a commitment to change the direction of my life and how I lived it. After weeks of self-reflection, I came to a conclusion: learn all you can and never stop growing. This commitment transformed my approach to my intellectual development and ultimately focused my attention on a specific area of law.
Although this conclusion might seem obvious, I was never held to high standards growing up, nor did I hold myself to them. In my studies up to this realization, throughout high school and the beginning of college, I did the work only to complete assignments – nothing more, nothing less. I finally shook off a mental-straitjacket of sorts. With my newfound curiosity about the world I began to read everything I could get my hands on: newspapers, scholarly magazines and journals, history books, and literature; most especially essays by R.W. Emerson. In my classes, I immersed myself in my work, trying to learn the concepts and information as best as I could, which consequently improved my grades. I began to intellectually spar on the debate team with a newly developed mind that could critically think about different political and philosophical issues; though, I now generally differ from the ideologies of my entire family. Nevertheless, I highly value my freedom and range of thought.
Indeed, this new way of thinking enhanced my studies to a level of gratification I never experienced in school. By acting on my curiosity I grew to be engrossed with international matters through my major and internships, one being at a boutique international law firm. By sheer luck, the Chair of the International Law section of the San Diego Bar responded to a general inquiry for a law internship I made in Hispanic magazine. Through my daily seminars on international law at the office, ranging from discussions of the “ins-and-outs” of the business to theoretical topics and participating in high-level meetings, I found a career that truly interests me and one I know I can do well. The strength of this curiosity led me to continue my studies in Spanish and law and another law internship in Mexico. Through this internship, which mainly deals with agrarian law – a unique type of law in Mexico –, I am receiving a crash course in Mexican and international comparative law. I see underlying threads that connect common problems of the two law firms and relate them to public policy and laws in the U.S. and Mexico. I specifically remember at the San Diego office when a Mexican attorney solved a problem in a project that only he – a person on the Mexican side of the project – could handle. I realized from my first day at the office in Mexico that I would be learning about how to solve the same type of problem that the Mexican lawyer did. Although the lawyer at the San Diego office is an expert in this area of law, he didn’t know exactly what was happening with this problem involving Mexican law. It is exciting to think I understand a problem better than my mentor, a recognized expert in the field, because I am acting on my desire to learn. Instances like this, where I observe the interaction of distinct legal systems operating together and how they can complement one another, enhance my already-started legal education to a level that brings a unique perspective to my studies and classes at your school.
I am truly taking advantage of an once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to grow by speaking with other Mexicans through my studies and tutoring service in addition to my family about Mexico. I am learning about topics that very few Americans understand: how drug traffickers or “narcos” operate, how and why corruption reigns, and the vast business opportunities awaiting for those willing to take a chance on a wonderful, yet still developing country. Indeed, these new and old experiences have led me to become interested in studying international law. I am particularly interested in energy markets, foreign direct investment, and the rule of law in Latin America – a main source of problems in this region. I want to utilize my unique type of understanding for the continual development of this area of the world. If accepted, I would definitely take advantage of and enrich ___X program________ to further my knowledge and help enrich the school's scholarship on these issues. (1 more specific sentence about a school). My liberal arts education and personal experience living in a Spanish-speaking society, combined with a legal education, will provide a solid formula to pursue (specific degree program)/my academic and professional interests.
My journey of self-transformation is probably not the normal route to this profession – but, to each his own. I cannot help but think of what Louis D. Brandeis once said, “Happiness includes…that satisfaction which can only come through the full development and utilization of ones’ faculties,” and pondering it in the context of my life. Though I have made great strides in becoming the man I want to grow to be, I have yet to reach the consummation of this maxim. Accordingly, I wish to continue pursuing my happiness and the development of my faculties at __________school__________.
*A footnote will be added here noting that a description of what occurred is in the a conduct addendum, which is:
The last incident was when the police charged me with a misdemeanor for serving alcohol to minors at a party a few days after my 19th birthday. I paid a fine for the final charge of an infraction.
At my hearing, my public defender immediately advised me to plead guilty after skimming my case for a few minutes. Thankfully, I had the absolute good fortune to call a criminal lawyer my father met only one month before the hearing – the second lawyer I ever spoke to after my public defender. She spoke to my public defender on the phone in the courtroom and told him what to do. To my amazement, the judge reduced the charge to an infraction. While waiting in the courtroom after receiving my verdict, I knew something didn’t feel right. My feeling stemmed from a realization that people, charged with even more serious crimes than mine, have to use under-resourced lawyers and many times are incarcerated as a result. Before this incident my naiveté assumed that all people have equal justice under the law; and I experienced first-hand that this is not the case. I made a commitment to become and attorney and to learn and improve a profession that has such a profound impact on the lives of people. This commitment enabled me to turn the page on this part of my life and to pursue a career in a type of law in which I am truly interested.
