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Hi all,

I want to practice immigration law. Would it be a bad idea to use my personal statement to talk about my motivations for deciding on that field specifically and how I have prepared for it? I have heard that law schools prefer applicants to be open-minded and not come in with preconceived ideas of what their speciality would be. Is there a chance it would hurt me to focus on this area being my passion? I feel that it is such a massive part of who I am (after all, it is my entire reason for applying to law school) that it would be difficult and maybe self-sabotaging to ignore it.

Any thoughts and input are appreciated.

Hey,

I personally chose to write about the area of criminal justice reform I am interested in, because it explained my journey to law school, and in my opinion gave insight into who I am as a person. When you are saying things like "it is such a massive part of who I am," I personally think that you should trust that and use it to show where you're coming from.

Of course, it depends how you do it. The danger is writing a PS that reads too much like a resume or career statement, and doesn't show enough of you as a person. However, if you're lucky enough to be applying to law school based on a deep personal passion, I can't understand why anyone would advise you not to write about it.

I couldn't imagine writing about anything else in mine - we'll see how it works out. Good luck!

That's a perfectly fine topic. The strength of the essay will hinge on writing style and forming a compelling, personal story.