What are you guys writing about? Forum

[kikko89]

for your personal statement?

[lawschool22]

A few links:

http://spiveyconsulting.com/blog/the-3- ... statement/

http://spiveyconsulting.com/blog/the-to ... -mistakes/

At a basic level, the PS should tell admissions something about you that they don't already know. It doesn't have to be (and most times shouldn't be) "Why Law." Try to think about things in your life that have perhaps affected who you are. Or maybe there is something unique about you that speaks to a positive aspect of your character that isn't already apparent in your application.

I think the best advice I was given was to try and decide what the one sentence you want admissions to come away with after reading your PS, and work backwards from there. In other words, decide what the theme, or thesis if you will, of your PS is. For example, maybe it is "kikko89 is a strong and determined individual," and then you proceed to tell the story of how you overcame childhood bullying and how that has shaped you into who you are now.

Whatever you do, try not to rehash your resume, or turn it into a "Why Law" or "Why X School" essay. The best personal statements I have read really were only tertiary to the law, and primarily showed me that this person was interesting, and a solid individual who I would want to have as a classmate.

Once you have a draft, go ahead and post it in the Personal Statement forum anonymously, and you will get a lot of constructive feedback. Above all else, just make sure your PS is focused and leaves me with a strong, compelling, overarching theme that will stick with me and that is memorable.

[TheSpanishMain]

The best personal statements I've read barely mention law school. They lead the reader to think that you have a lot of qualities that would make you a good lawyer, without explicitly complimenting yourself. For example, don't tell them you're good at analyzing complex issues directly. Tell a story that demonstrates an ability to analyze complex issues. Preferably, this story should be interesting and unique.

Preferably no "one time I went to Europe and that totally opened my eyes to the world, man" or "one time I was struggling at something and then I tried harder and succeeded so now I never give up" cliches, either.

[lawschool22]

^ Yep - all good advice. It basically comes down to the "show, don't tell" mantra.