personal statement topic - sports law? Forum

[ariel_917]

I am having trouble deciding on a topic for my personal statement. I am thinking of writing about my interest in sports law. My brother has played in the NFL and I have witnessed the horrors of not understanding contracts with such young athletes. However, all school do not offer sports law so I don't think this would be smart.

I'm also thinking about writing on my interest in public interest law but I've heard that these are cliché but I have interned at a public interest firm, helped start a non profit organization (i'm on the exec board) and I am writing my honors thesis on public interest law.

This is so hard. Please help!

P.S is it good to even write on the specific field of law that you're interested in, I'm sure this will change upon arrival to law school.

[FOM]

Don't write your personal statement about law. The admissions office knows you are interested in law because you are applying to law school. Write about something you are passionate about or interested in that will give the admissions committee a reason to remember you and something that they can't find in your resume/transcript. I'm sure you could write a solid PS about being interested in law, but I think you would be better off writing about something more interesting. It's not so much about content, but more about quality of writing and what admissions is learning about you as a person.

[darth lulz]

if your reason for going to law school has anything at all to do with sports law then absolutely do not go to law school

this is a p terrible idea at any rate for a ps

[pancakes3]

Ultimately though it's LSAT/GPA + possible URM/military boosts so you could write about sports law if you wanted and it won't have much of an impact on where you get accepted.

Tangentially, I have to question if the horrors of young athletes result from not understanding contracts or not understanding money (and I'd assume the adcomms would as well).

[Ramius]

I believe firmly that you can make most topics into a workable topic if it does a few basic things for you.

1) Explains something important about you
2) Shows positive qualities about you
3) Effectively demonstrates why you'll be a valuable member in the incoming class

As mentioned before, LSAT/GPA will matter more than any of that, but if you want your app to be the best it can be, take the time to get introspective, figure out what presents you in the best light possible, and figure out how to show all of this in a way that makes a third party person reading it think, "I'm interested...this person is worth looking into more closely."

[darth lulz]

I believe firmly that you can make most topics into a workable topic if it does a few basic things for you.

well sure but writing about sports law, as a general rule, will make you look childish, so you pry want to avoid that

[Ramius]

I believe firmly that you can make most topics into a workable topic if it does a few basic things for you.

well sure but writing about sports law, as a general rule, will make you look childish, so you pry want to avoid that

Some topics on the surface look redonk, but even something as potentially naive as sports law can look good if you have a really good reason for it.

I have no idea if OP has a legitimate approach to the topic, I just want to make clear that almost no topic is strictly off limits. It requires great thought into finding the right topic (even though a PS is at least superfluous and at most a great supplement)

[darth lulz]

agreed but because ps are basically a litmus test to make sure you're not tarded i'd err on the side of not picking a topic that that's inherently more likely to make you look like a moron

[pancakes3]

I agree with Lulz. Out of the two topics the OP is deciding, the PI topic is clearly better.

[Ramius]

agreed but because ps are basically a litmus test to make sure you're not tarded i'd err on the side of not picking a topic that that's inherently more likely to make you look like a moron

So basically I'm believing people won't submit garbage, whereas you're assuming it?

Seems fair

[darth lulz]

agreed but because ps are basically a litmus test to make sure you're not tarded i'd err on the side of not picking a topic that that's inherently more likely to make you look like a moron

So basically I'm believing people won't submit garbage, whereas you're assuming it?

Seems fair

do u even read the statements that get posted here

[Ramius]

agreed but because ps are basically a litmus test to make sure you're not tarded i'd err on the side of not picking a topic that that's inherently more likely to make you look like a moron

So basically I'm believing people won't submit garbage, whereas you're assuming it?

Seems fair

do u even read the statements that get posted here

Far too many, which is why I try to jump on these things where they haven't started writing yet, so they can think twice about what is the right topic.

Again, I'm not defending the choice of topic, because there is plenty of garbage out there. I'm trying to focus the huddled masses on what is really important, which is that no topic by itself is good or bad. I have been a huge critic of most PS submissions on this website, but that doesn't make any topic not a good topic. It's just the wrong topic, or it was presented horribly.

Anecdotally, I just helped someone with their PS, gave a scathing critique of it, and just found out they got into their top choice school with it. This shows just how important the PS can be.

[darth lulz]

i'm not disagreeing with you, all i said was that as a general rule you should avoid "sports law"

if op can do a legit sports law ps that doesn't make them look naive af more power to them; that'd sure be impressive

it's just generally not worth the risk is all i'm saying, when there are alternatives that can get the job done

[Flips88]

Sports law is a pretty niche market/area of law and you're likely not going to be able to break into it without past work experience or good connections. I'm sure you could write something workable if you wanted to, but it may not be the most compelling PS. That said, it's not like the PS matters that much. Having re-read mine years later, it was awful. Just write something that tells the admissions committee who you are that goes beyond the stats and your resume. Tell a memorable story or something.

[ariel_917]

if your reason for going to law school has anything at all to do with sports law then absolutely do not go to law school

this is a p terrible idea at any rate for a ps

Thanks but I did not say that was my reasoning for going to law school, it is a field that i am interested in

[ariel_917]

Sports law is a pretty niche market/area of law and you're likely not going to be able to break into it without past work experience or good connections. I'm sure you could write something workable if you wanted to, but it may not be the most compelling PS. That said, it's not like the PS matters that much. Having re-read mine years later, it was awful. Just write something that tells the admissions committee who you are that goes beyond the stats and your resume. Tell a memorable story or something.

Thank you. I think i will steer away from trying to incorporate sports law and tell a story instead

[darth lulz]

if your reason for going to law school has anything at all to do with sports law then absolutely do not go to law school

this is a p terrible idea at any rate for a ps

Thanks but I did not say that was my reasoning for going to law school, it is a field that i am interested in

it is also a field that doesn't exist