Need serious advice on potential topic Forum

[noleknight16]

This is the short version of the story I want to write about. It was the first time I realized that law school was right for me:

When I was 16 years old, I was issued a traffic citation on a technicality even though my intent was not to violate the speeding law. I saw a speed limit increase sign like 75 yards ahead and increased my speed before passing the sign. Cop was camped out ready to strike on someone who didn't wait to accelerate till after the sign, which is when the speed actually changes. He issues me a ticket and told me I had the chance to go to court and challenge the ticket. I went home and did research on the statute he cited me for and it turns out he wrote the wrong subsection of the speeding statue, which was for a speeding school bus violation. I ended up going to court and completely baffling the judge and officer when I read the statute word for word and won the case.

My only issue is that it is insignificant in the fact that I was in traffic court, but it truly was the first time I knew I wanted to be a lawyer. I loved the rush of winning a case in court, finding a weakness in someone's argument and attacking it, etc. It also shows the committee that I had the drive to do legal research and I enjoyed it. It just felt right. I just don't know if it's a proper topic for a personal statement.

[kitmitzi]

I just don't know if it's a proper topic for a personal statement.

It's a cute anecdote for why you love law. But as a PS it would come out as kind of lame and very insignificant. Especially because it was minor ticket, you were so young, and you got off not for fighting for your innocence but just showing he filled out a form wrong.

[zeke18]

Sounds like this could be a solid introduction, but I wouldn't base your entire essay on it, especially since it occurred when you were only 16. If you knew at 16 you wanted to go to law school, what things did you do to expand on that interest? If you can tie it in with your academic, extracurricular, or work history it could be useful, but I would focus on something more recent.

[noleknight16]

Sounds like this could be a solid introduction, but I wouldn't base your entire essay on it, especially since it occurred when you were only 16. If you knew at 16 you wanted to go to law school, what things did you do to expand on that interest? If you can tie it in with your academic, extracurricular, or work history it could be useful, but I would focus on something more recent.

hmmm an intro may work! I think it's something unique and certainly a funny story.

[verklempt]

So you were in the wrong and you won on a technicality? Great!

I have been hanging out in this PS forum for maybe a week or so, and in that time I've seen a lot of people write about their personal experiences with the legal system. Based on that unscientific sampling, I'm betting that this is a topic that appears regularly in PS, and that adcomms tend to roll their eyes whenever another "I fought the law" PS appears. This sort of brush with the system is naturally a big deal when it happens to you, but if the purpose of recounting the anecdote is to show what a dynamite lawyer you'd make, it feels kind of thin. (Traffic courts are full of great stories -- you could probably sit in one for a day and produce a hilarious book or at least an article from your observations.)

I'd explore another topic.