A Critique Would Be Appreciated! Forum

[SSCobra]

For the past twenty years, I have worked in practically every possible non-lawyer position within a law firm and/or corporate legal department, from paralegal to law office manager, from compliance manager to secretary of the board of directors of publicly traded companies. I have excelled at these positions, primarily due to a strong work ethic and passion for legal work, but equally so for having received effective training and mentoring from lawyers with whom I’ve worked over the years. But working for and with lawyers does not equal being a lawyer, although at times while in the trenches, it certainly felt like it. My professional and personal experiences have brought me to this point of growth and new leap forward in my life, one with greater challenges and responsibilities, but with a clear desire to take the next step to “become that lawyer” that I would like to become.
My professional strengths, such as a strong intellectual curiosity, self-motivation, resilience and resourcefulness, have been fundamental in helping me excel in the legal field. My personal strengths, including the ability to write clearly and concisely, to see the nuance and gray and not just the black and white, to be objective and discerning, to be proactive and diligent, and to approach matters with a calm detachment, will also be essential to a solid legal education and profession. Further, my academic strengths as a current adjunct professor and mentor such as patience and compassion toward my students, colleagues and others, will also be of importance and usefulness to me during the course of law school.
One specific area of interest and study for me in law school is international and immigration law. I have worked directly with lawyers in Spain and Latin America for many years, am a native fluent Spanish speaker, and have a sound knowledge of the Spanish/Latin American legal systems. These skills will certainly come in handy for such a practice area. I would also be interested in exploring those areas of law (criminal, constitutional and others) that will prepare me to serve as a public defender. I would like to pursue those areas of law that will prepare me to be in the service of people and the public in general, as well as the underserved in my community. I remain open to those new and unfolding areas of law to be studied and defined, such as Gay/Lesbian/Bisexual/Transgender Rights, gay marriage and adoption. I am particularly interested in how legislation unfolds in this area on the state and federal levels, as well as on a state-to-state level. Finally, I also have a strong desire to one day become a professor of corporate and/or international law, an endeavor which would combine both my gift of teaching and mentoring, as well as my strengths of sharing and imparting knowledge in meaningful ways. It would also be a way for me to make a difference in the lives of people as well, both students and professionals alike.
My solid legal training has prepared me well for the study of law, but that training is not a means to an end, but rather a solid foundation for new endeavors. My experiences as a legal professional combined with my experience as a current adjunct professor of Spanish, as well as my personal experiences and uniqueness are the strengths that I carry with me. XXXXX Law School, with its culturally diverse student body, legal professors and reputation within the XXXXXXXX legal community, is a good match for me in my pursuits, and a place where I and others can no doubt share our strengths, experiences, talents and diversity.
In conclusion, my personal and professional strengths as set forth above, together with my tenacity, resourceful nature and rich legal experience, have all led me to a place of change, growth and new challenges, as well as to do more to serve people. Indeed, the study and practice of law is not about having worked in the legal field or having accomplished all of these meaningful things; however, they are incredibly useful strengths, abilities and experiences that have prepared me with the courage, convinction, competence and capacity to take a leap for personal and professional growth and leave my comfort zone, and to become the lawyer I wish to be.

[benwyatt]

Post removed.

[lymenheimer]

It reads like a resume, which is not the point of a PS (if a PS is what you intend). You want to pursue numerous endeavors, of which none really correlate or light a solid path, not that you have to know exactly what you want to do now, but what you purport to be your career goals look scattered and seem unattainable if building on each other. You use the term "endeavor" at least twice and close enough to each other to make me notice it and divert my attention from your story and the "as set forth above" is likely one of the most dehumanizing things about this essay. I appreciate all of your experiences, but not presented in this way.