Personal Statement for a foreign lawyer Forum

[Stan Neo]

I'm a foreign lawyer planning to apply to a JD program in the United States. I can't think of a personal statement topic; however, I'm getting the impression that my personal statement needs to explain why I'm leaving my country and pursuing a JD program.

My problem is that I don't really have any other reason besides that I want to work in the US, which sounds too oversimple and trivial a reason to want to study American JD.

Moreover, several foreign lawyers I know who are studying JD in the US have had several years of work experience as lawyers in their countries before applying to a US JD program. Meanwhile, I only have had one year of work experience as a lawyer in my country. Is that going to be a problem?

[The Lsat Airbender]

My problem is that I don't really have any other reason besides that I want to work in the US, which sounds too oversimple and trivial a reason to want to study American JD.

If you can't flesh it out any better than that, then maybe the entire undertaking is a bit rash, no?

I wouldn't stress too much about it. Good personal statements communicate a sense of purpose but they are mainly used to get a sense of your personality and communication skills. Your LSAT is going to be much more important to your admission chances.

[QContinuum]

My problem is that I don't really have any other reason besides that I want to work in the US, which sounds too oversimple and trivial a reason to want to study American JD.

If you can't flesh it out any better than that, then maybe the entire undertaking is a bit rash, no?

But there must be a reason why you want to practice law in the U.S. Even despite our legendarily incompetent President and our legendarily dysfunctional legislature. Even despite needing to spend three more years in school, plus take an additional bar exam.

What kind of legal work do you want to do? Is it something that's primarily found in the U.S., or at least something you can't find in your home country? E.g., a Japanese lawyer with an interest in criminal defense might wish to practice in a more adversarial legal system where defense lawyers can actually get their clients off. A Romanian lawyer with an interest in capital markets would plausibly want to practice in a global financial hub, like NYC.

Or, if it isn't about the legal work, is there something about the U.S. as a country or as a culture that irresistibly attracts you?

On the other hand, if your sole reason for wanting to come to the U.S. is because you've heard of the $190k starting salary in BigLaw, you should probably reevaluate the whole enterprise. I'm serious.