include intended specialty? Forum

[Geneva]

i'm wondering if it's good/bad/neutral to have a couple lines abt ur career goal of pursuing ____ kind of law? e.g. if i mention my desire to study health law/work in that field, is there any way it will be detrimental to my app? this is of course assuming that i am able to weave it in nicely so that it doesnt interrupt the flow of statement.

thanks!!!

[tmon]

Unless you mention something that indicates serious misunderstanding of law/law school I don't see how it'd be detrimental. However, if you're just throwing it in because you think it'll sound nice it also probably wont help you either.

[Kronk]

I wouldn't put it in unless your past work experience indicates an interest in that type of law.

[Geneva]

i have the work experience to support it, but am concerned that it might be held against me at schools that do not have a well-developed program in that area and might either 1)yp me or 2)reject me if i am a borderline candidate.
is it possible that expressing an interest in a specialty that is weak at a particular school might somehow make the school think i'm not a good fit?
signed,
ms. paranoid

[swc65]

Unless you mention something that indicates serious misunderstanding of law/law school I don't see how it'd be detrimental. However, if you're just throwing it in because you think it'll sound nice it also probably wont help you either.

Ha @ admissions people having any understanding of the practice of law (just kidding)


What specialty? Just curious.

[Geneva]

health law

[yankeedoodle]

After asking around about this same concern, I decided against mentioning my intended specialty- seems like it can only hurt you, and not really help. It can't save a bad app, and if you have decent numbers and essays, it doesn't seem that adcomms care so much about your career intentions, especially if just mentioned as a side point and not central to your PS

[theadvancededit]

... it doesn't seem that adcomms care so much about your career intentions, especially if just mentioned as a side point and not central to your PS

It's not so much that they don't care about your career intentions; it's just that their M.O. is to determine an applicant to be a mature, effective writer. So, if your intended specialty adds to your personal statement in terms of its thematic qualities or its flow, then definitely add it. If it sticks out oddly and has little to no relevance to the overall arc of your statement, then no.

So, tl;dr: Include if it is relevant and enhances your statement; don't if it's just for the hell of it, and clearly a haphazard add-on.

[Geneva]

Thanks guys. What does this mean: tl;dr

[theadvancededit]

Thanks guys. What does this mean: tl;dr

"Too long; didn't read."