FINALLY DONE. Im about to send this in, any mistakes?
Posted: Mon Jan 09, 2012 7:37 pm
As I looked around at the sea of unfamiliar faces, I anxiously awaited the professor of my first law course to address the class. The professor began, “this class will be different from the classes you have taken, as you will be required to think critically, form your own opinions, and be required to defend your position.” Upon hearing that, I knew I had ventured into uncharted waters, a realm of academia that would press me to exercise skills I had not previously utilized.
After the first week of Constitutional Law and Criminal Procedure, I felt that I had finally found my place. I had previously struggled with motivation and direction early in my academic career. However, I was quickly pulled out of this vacillation through my enrollment in this class, forming the foundation to my goal of practicing law.
The course and the concepts it included were demanding, yet I was able to understand and successfully apply them in their entirety. I especially enjoyed the exams, which were composed of fact patterns in which the students were required to identify violations, indicate possible defenses, and hypothesize the best way to ensure convictions. Objectively analyzing situations in combination with the application of legal consideration was completely new to me, but I greatly enjoyed the intellectual freedom it provided. I became so proficient with the material that I was often sought out by my fellow classmates to lead study groups and review sessions. As the class ended I continued to seek a strong foundation in legal education, enrolling myself in as many law classes as possible. Scholarly life became incredibly rewarding, and in my final two years as an undergraduate, I earned a cumulative GPA of 3.7 and a place on the Dean’s List honor roll. I had found where I belong through a calling in law.
After graduating from University, ready to take on new challenges, I ventured out into the professional world in hopes of expanding my foundation in law even further. I volunteered for an unpaid internship position at the FIRM, a local law firm that specializes in several areas including business law, family law, bankruptcy, immigration and DUI. The wide range of specialties the firm worked within gave me the opportunity to sharpen the skills necessary to successfully operate in vastly diverse and high stress environments. Each attorney at the firm took individual time with me to explain the intricacies of practicing law and the finesse required to excel in such a profession. Maneuvering through the different legal niches, I enhanced my ability to adapt to new situations, increase my attention to detail, apply an objective approach to each situation, and view each case from beginning to end, including hypothesizing potential outcomes a case may generate in court.
Aside from the skills I developed behind the phones and desks, working in such a diverse firm gave me the opportunity to interact with many different types of people. Through such interactions, I was able to witness the complexities inherent in the problems they faced on a deeply personal level. Specifically, I can remember speaking with a prospective client who, in tears, had told me that her spouse was physically abusive and she quickly needed a divorce. After her initial consultation with our legal team, I distinctly remember ATTORNEY NAME, the senior attorney and my chief mentor, looking her in the eyes and saying, “don’t worry, we can help you.” I felt proud in knowing that I had been a part of the instrument that would grant her freedom. It was from this challenging scenario, and others like it, that I became completely cognizant of the fact that people need attorneys to help them through troubling circumstances.
I now know, with no doubt in my mind, that the calling I felt in my undergraduate law classes is genuine. My experiences up to this point make me fully confident that I will be able to excel in law school and contribute to the education environment. Not only do I have a passion for law, I understand the importance of practicing law and the extent to which it could improve the wellbeing of others, reinforcing my goal of law school and the life I want to lead.
After the first week of Constitutional Law and Criminal Procedure, I felt that I had finally found my place. I had previously struggled with motivation and direction early in my academic career. However, I was quickly pulled out of this vacillation through my enrollment in this class, forming the foundation to my goal of practicing law.
The course and the concepts it included were demanding, yet I was able to understand and successfully apply them in their entirety. I especially enjoyed the exams, which were composed of fact patterns in which the students were required to identify violations, indicate possible defenses, and hypothesize the best way to ensure convictions. Objectively analyzing situations in combination with the application of legal consideration was completely new to me, but I greatly enjoyed the intellectual freedom it provided. I became so proficient with the material that I was often sought out by my fellow classmates to lead study groups and review sessions. As the class ended I continued to seek a strong foundation in legal education, enrolling myself in as many law classes as possible. Scholarly life became incredibly rewarding, and in my final two years as an undergraduate, I earned a cumulative GPA of 3.7 and a place on the Dean’s List honor roll. I had found where I belong through a calling in law.
After graduating from University, ready to take on new challenges, I ventured out into the professional world in hopes of expanding my foundation in law even further. I volunteered for an unpaid internship position at the FIRM, a local law firm that specializes in several areas including business law, family law, bankruptcy, immigration and DUI. The wide range of specialties the firm worked within gave me the opportunity to sharpen the skills necessary to successfully operate in vastly diverse and high stress environments. Each attorney at the firm took individual time with me to explain the intricacies of practicing law and the finesse required to excel in such a profession. Maneuvering through the different legal niches, I enhanced my ability to adapt to new situations, increase my attention to detail, apply an objective approach to each situation, and view each case from beginning to end, including hypothesizing potential outcomes a case may generate in court.
Aside from the skills I developed behind the phones and desks, working in such a diverse firm gave me the opportunity to interact with many different types of people. Through such interactions, I was able to witness the complexities inherent in the problems they faced on a deeply personal level. Specifically, I can remember speaking with a prospective client who, in tears, had told me that her spouse was physically abusive and she quickly needed a divorce. After her initial consultation with our legal team, I distinctly remember ATTORNEY NAME, the senior attorney and my chief mentor, looking her in the eyes and saying, “don’t worry, we can help you.” I felt proud in knowing that I had been a part of the instrument that would grant her freedom. It was from this challenging scenario, and others like it, that I became completely cognizant of the fact that people need attorneys to help them through troubling circumstances.
I now know, with no doubt in my mind, that the calling I felt in my undergraduate law classes is genuine. My experiences up to this point make me fully confident that I will be able to excel in law school and contribute to the education environment. Not only do I have a passion for law, I understand the importance of practicing law and the extent to which it could improve the wellbeing of others, reinforcing my goal of law school and the life I want to lead.