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bjustic2 wrote: I am finished with my PS. Would someone mind looking over it? Be brutally honest!


As my heels clicked against the smooth marble floors on the Texas Capitol, I felt a rush of excitement I had not experienced since I was a little girl. I felt eight years old again, staring up at the Texas state seal, holding my father’s hand and thinking “I’m going to work here someday.” When I began working at the Capitol for a Texas State Representative, I underestimated the complexity of how politics worked, how laws were passed, and how elected officials interacted with their constituents. Within the first year, I faced challenges that shattered my perceptions and provided new clarity and purpose to my fledgling career.

Working as a legislative aide during the 84th Legislative Session, I was tasked with editing committee briefs and managing constituent relations. As a college sophomore, reading these briefs was like reading a different language, however the challenge is also what fascinated me. Before I knew it, the little free time I had was spent researching juvenile policies, civil jurisprudence and other topics that I read about on committee briefs. The next day, I’d always made sure to ask my boss detailed questions about each bill, trying to understand exactly how its language would affect our citizens.

Soon after, I came face-to-face with a piece of legislation that I believed would constitute a positive reform in Texas’ criminal justice system by creating a commission to review wrongful convictions. When I discovered my Representative had voted against the first reading of the bill, I was concerned that he had been pressured by outside forces to vote against a constructive piece of legislation. Before becoming disillusioned with the legislative process, however, I made sure to ask my boss to explain to me why he decided to vote the way he did. I learned that there was a flaw in the first version of the bill that would have led to its ultimate demise on the floor of both houses. My Representative, who had a distinguished legal career of his own, dissected the language for me and explained why passing the bill as it existed at that time would actually be counterproductive in ensuring true justice was served in the case of wrongful convictions. Eventually, the amended bill came to the House floor and was passed, with the vote of my Representative. This experience gave me a broader perspective on enacting change through legislation and provided me with a stronger appreciation of consultation, review and approaching the creation of law through multiple lenses before moving forward.

After three months of putting in the hours and showing my commitment, I was given the opportunity to represent our office at special events and was able to have more hands on contact with high profile government officials. This new atmosphere gave me the opportunity to advocate for the interests of my constituents. Eventually I found my Representative relying on my input and ideas on key legislation. I was tasked with annotating, analyzing and commenting on proposed legislation so that he could bring the most up-to-date and cogent information before his peers in the Texas House of Representatives. When a new piece of legislation regarding subpoenas based on social media content was set to be discussed in the next thirty minutes, I quickly wrote discussion points for my legislator ahead of the hearing. Sitting in the back of the committee, hearing my words and ideas discussed and debated, I felt a sense of fulfillment and accomplishment unparalleled in my academic career.

Just as I advocated for the interests of my constituents, I hope to advocate for the clients I will represent as an attorney. Gaining hands-on experience in the Texas legislature affirmed my passion for creating change through law. It made me realize that law is embedded in every aspect of our lives, and how important it is to continually work to make these laws just. These experiences further supported my decision to pursue law school- a place for those who ask “why?” Law school will not give me all of the answers, but I am confident it will teach me how to find them.

I am equally confident that I would thrive as a law student at [LAW SCHOOL], where I would be sure to take full advantage of the many opportunities available. Academically, [LAW SCHOOL] core values embody my commitment to a legal education. As a graduate from a university where I experienced and thrived in smaller, intimate type classes, I look forward to the tight knit community that one finds at [LAW SCHOOL]. Furthermore, during my time at the Capitol, I became familiar with the work of professor XX, who advocates for prioritizing accountability and transparency among criminal cases at both the state and federal level. Becoming aware of the severe sentencing problems that exist in Texas’ criminal justice system prompted me to advocate for the same types of reforms at the state level. I also especially look forward to the opportunity to work with Professor XX, whom I’ve met with several times and whose work to restore justice for the less fortunate and bring compassion back to politics, specifically, echoes my own interests. I believe the [XX] School of Law offers the most engaging professors for my personal interests, and beyond the opportunities [LAWSCHOOL] offers to me, I believe I would add a unique voice to the law school. I’ve had the opportunity to live, travel, and study in multiple countries, including Argentina, Costa Rica, Uruguay, and Brazil. Few people take or have such opportunities, and rarely do such people come from Texas. I believe my unique experiences and background would greatly contribute to the diversity of [XX] School of Law.