There are some prevalent myths about what a winning law personal statement must look like. Aspiring law school students often do themselves a disservice by adhering to these myths. It’s not just that buying into them is not helpful; buying into them may turn an otherwise solid effort into something that makes admissions committee members groan and roll their eyes. That’s not a recipe for success. So, let’s take a look at just two of these myths and see how you can avoid them.
Law School Personal Statement
Myth #1: A Personal Statement Must Include a Tale of Overcoming Adversity
Don’t get me wrong. A story about overcoming adversity can be a powerful part of a personal statement. The operative word there, however, is “can.” Some people have truly harrowing tales. Other people have led relatively turbulence-free lives. For the latter, the tale of adversity could either be an outright untruth — not recommended for a personal statement — or a cloying effort to cast a normal life experience as a tragedy.
The classic forced-adversity tale is the death of a grandparent. Nobody thinks that grammy was unimportant to you, but the passing of older generations is, in the words of the great and noble Mufasa, just a part of the circle of life.
Now, if you cared for grammy in her final days, maybe that will work. But if you only saw her on holidays and some weekends, then that’s not adversity. It’s life. Trying to cast that as adversity will just make your reader think you’re trying to blow things out of their normal—albeit valid and serious—importance.
However, even for people who have experienced life-altering obstacles, the tale of overcoming adversity must be a relevant and reasonable part of a personal statement. The main thrust of this statement must always be an argument that you will be a valuable part of the law school to which you are applying and a successful lawyer after law school. It must line up with the other experience that you put in your statement and in your resume.
Individuals who grew up facing significant economic challenges can draw on that experience to express a passion for providing legal aid to underserved communities. Ideally, their story might include involvement in college, perhaps in the form of volunteer efforts aimed at supporting those in need. If, however, the tale of adversity doesn’t dovetail with the argumentative purpose outlined above, it ought to end up on the cutting room floor.
Myth #2: A Personal Statement Needs To Be a Laundry List of Accomplishments
Again, whatever goes into a personal statement must serve as a cogent argument about the applicant’s potential. Some reference to accomplishments is necessary, but the admissions committee isn’t just looking to see if you’re an awesome person of whom they ought to be in awe. If you reference an accomplishment, ask yourself, “Is this evidence for my thesis?” If so, keep it. If not, cut it.
Admissions committee members read literally thousands of personal statements, and they’ll see accomplishments galore. Eventually, they will become unimpressed by all but the most amazing accomplishments.
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Final Thoughts
Instead of trying any of the above myths, try this: Take what you’re passionate about and use it as a springboard to make your argument. Even if it’s not strictly related to law school, your passion will shine through.
Let’s say you loved playing football and were a star athlete. The grit and determination you showed, your competitive spirit, and your sportsmanship will all make a compelling case that you’ll be a good law student, maybe one interested in practicing sports law eventually. And, best of all, it won’t feel forced.
More Personal Statement and Law School Application Help
Building Your Law School Application: The Personal Statement: To an admission officer, you’re just another nondescript amalgam of GPA, LSAT, and resume accomplishments. Your personal statement will help you shine.
How to Get Letters of Recommendation (And What to Do if People Say No): Check out Blueprint Prep’s guide to all things letters of recommendation — what you’ll need for law school, how to ask for them, and finally, what to do if someone says no.
