Personal Statement- Do I need to go back to square one?
Posted: Wed Apr 16, 2014 10:22 am
So this cycle has been really bad for me. I've been waitlisted at every t-14 school and I'm trying to figure out why. I'm guessing part of it may be my personal statement. Constructive criticism only please. I know it is bad, I'm looking for help fixing it or telling me that I need a different topic.
During one of the last days of my internship with the Office of the Public Defender in Baltimore, another intern nudged me and whispered, “This is going to be hilarious.” Two men were standing in front of the judge’s bench. One was a young man charged with possession of marijuana. The other was the State’s Attorney. The young man had rejected a nolle prosequi and had decided to represent himself at a bench trial. He had refused a public defender. Like many Defendants I had seen, he misunderstood how the legal system worked and had no faith in the quality of representation he would receive from a Public Defender. This event was the capstone to a summer that confirmed my decision to become a lawyer.
From the beginning, I knew he stood no chance. I had seen plenty of people embarrass themselves in a courtroom without an attorney and receive a harsher sentence. It was clear the State’s Attorney had not expected much, and only had one of the two arresting officers in court. The first officer testified that the Defendant dropped the drugs and ran. The Defendant interrupted and protested that he did no such thing. He asked why he would drop the drugs and run if he knew the officers were there. Earlier in the summer, I naively asked one of the attorneys the same question. He laughed and told me that things do not always happen as neatly as described in police reports.
As the Defendant protested, the judge politely told him that he was speaking out of turn. The intern next to me whispered, “This guy is so stupid.” But it seemed to me that the Defendant was a victim. He was given instructions in legal jargon that he did not understand, and was in a trial where the odds were stacked against him. After the first officer testified, the Defendant spoke. He had difficulty understanding the trial rules. When he mentioned how the other officer would support his story, the judge allowed him to call the second officer as a witness. The State’s Attorney was shocked. The first officer quickly volunteered to call his partner. He had almost rushed out of the courtroom when the Defendant protested again. He understood this much: no one who had testified in the trial could speak to another witness. The courtroom fell silent and the judge agreed with the Defendant. The State’s Attorney froze, then ran and brought the first officer back into the courtroom.
This was a trial I would remember for a long time. I no longer saw this young man as another case, but as an example of what was wrong with our legal system. I wondered how this case would proceed as a jury trial, and why the officer was so quick to try to call his partner.
As the second officer entered, he seemed unprepared. The State’s Attorney looked rattled as well. The second officer testified by reading directly from the police report. Not once did he look the Defendant in the eye. As the Defendant cross-examined the officer, I could tell that the two knew each other. I heard pain in the Defendant’s voice as he asked each question. He felt betrayed by the testimony.
The judge sentenced the Defendant to probation before judgment. While he avoided a more severe penalty, the difference for the Defendant between a nolle prosequi and probation before judgment was significant. One of my duties as an intern was, after a nolle prosequi, to help the Defendant expunge their record. In Maryland, a nolle prosequi can be expunged immediately. However, you must wait until after the probation is finished or three years before a probation before judgment can be expunged. Furthermore, a conviction prevents all prior dispositions from being expunged. If he were convicted of another offense, he would be unable to expunge all his prior dispositions. This man’s job prospects and educational opportunities were altered by his decision not to accept a better resolution he did not understand.
Later, I had the opportunity to speak with the judge after her docket was finished. I asked her about the case. She shook her head and sighed. She told me that she knew the officers were lying, but based on the evidence presented, she had to give the Defendant probation before judgment.
This case was the defining moment of my summer internship. I want to work in the legal field because I have a passion for justice. Even as a child, when I saw inequality, it made me want to do something to correct it. In high school, I worked on church mission trips in inner city Baltimore. As an undergraduate, I served as my fraternity’s Philanthropy Chair and raised the most money in chapter history for people with disabilities. Empathy fuels my passion for justice. As the Defendant faced the judge, I realized that under different socio-economic circumstances, our positions could have been reversed. People like this man deserve a fair trial. I want to bring some aspect of social justice to my work as a lawyer. My experience at the Office of the Public Defender taught me that there is still more to be done. As a lawyer, I can use my law school education to make a fair trial available to more people.
Like I said, please be respectful and constructive with your criticism. But I would appreciate some help.
During one of the last days of my internship with the Office of the Public Defender in Baltimore, another intern nudged me and whispered, “This is going to be hilarious.” Two men were standing in front of the judge’s bench. One was a young man charged with possession of marijuana. The other was the State’s Attorney. The young man had rejected a nolle prosequi and had decided to represent himself at a bench trial. He had refused a public defender. Like many Defendants I had seen, he misunderstood how the legal system worked and had no faith in the quality of representation he would receive from a Public Defender. This event was the capstone to a summer that confirmed my decision to become a lawyer.
From the beginning, I knew he stood no chance. I had seen plenty of people embarrass themselves in a courtroom without an attorney and receive a harsher sentence. It was clear the State’s Attorney had not expected much, and only had one of the two arresting officers in court. The first officer testified that the Defendant dropped the drugs and ran. The Defendant interrupted and protested that he did no such thing. He asked why he would drop the drugs and run if he knew the officers were there. Earlier in the summer, I naively asked one of the attorneys the same question. He laughed and told me that things do not always happen as neatly as described in police reports.
As the Defendant protested, the judge politely told him that he was speaking out of turn. The intern next to me whispered, “This guy is so stupid.” But it seemed to me that the Defendant was a victim. He was given instructions in legal jargon that he did not understand, and was in a trial where the odds were stacked against him. After the first officer testified, the Defendant spoke. He had difficulty understanding the trial rules. When he mentioned how the other officer would support his story, the judge allowed him to call the second officer as a witness. The State’s Attorney was shocked. The first officer quickly volunteered to call his partner. He had almost rushed out of the courtroom when the Defendant protested again. He understood this much: no one who had testified in the trial could speak to another witness. The courtroom fell silent and the judge agreed with the Defendant. The State’s Attorney froze, then ran and brought the first officer back into the courtroom.
This was a trial I would remember for a long time. I no longer saw this young man as another case, but as an example of what was wrong with our legal system. I wondered how this case would proceed as a jury trial, and why the officer was so quick to try to call his partner.
As the second officer entered, he seemed unprepared. The State’s Attorney looked rattled as well. The second officer testified by reading directly from the police report. Not once did he look the Defendant in the eye. As the Defendant cross-examined the officer, I could tell that the two knew each other. I heard pain in the Defendant’s voice as he asked each question. He felt betrayed by the testimony.
The judge sentenced the Defendant to probation before judgment. While he avoided a more severe penalty, the difference for the Defendant between a nolle prosequi and probation before judgment was significant. One of my duties as an intern was, after a nolle prosequi, to help the Defendant expunge their record. In Maryland, a nolle prosequi can be expunged immediately. However, you must wait until after the probation is finished or three years before a probation before judgment can be expunged. Furthermore, a conviction prevents all prior dispositions from being expunged. If he were convicted of another offense, he would be unable to expunge all his prior dispositions. This man’s job prospects and educational opportunities were altered by his decision not to accept a better resolution he did not understand.
Later, I had the opportunity to speak with the judge after her docket was finished. I asked her about the case. She shook her head and sighed. She told me that she knew the officers were lying, but based on the evidence presented, she had to give the Defendant probation before judgment.
This case was the defining moment of my summer internship. I want to work in the legal field because I have a passion for justice. Even as a child, when I saw inequality, it made me want to do something to correct it. In high school, I worked on church mission trips in inner city Baltimore. As an undergraduate, I served as my fraternity’s Philanthropy Chair and raised the most money in chapter history for people with disabilities. Empathy fuels my passion for justice. As the Defendant faced the judge, I realized that under different socio-economic circumstances, our positions could have been reversed. People like this man deserve a fair trial. I want to bring some aspect of social justice to my work as a lawyer. My experience at the Office of the Public Defender taught me that there is still more to be done. As a lawyer, I can use my law school education to make a fair trial available to more people.
Like I said, please be respectful and constructive with your criticism. But I would appreciate some help.