Personal Statement

Every law school application requires a personal statement and it is an important part of the application. Since the majority of law schools don’t have interviews, committees rely on this statement as an interview-in-an-essay. It is also a sample of your writing ability. With many applicants with similar qualifications (high GPA and LSAT scores, strong professional or extracurricular experiences, etc), the personal statement is the chance for you to help the admissions committee distinguish you from all the rest. Your personal statement can be what tips you from the waitlist or decline list to the admit list, so make sure to take it seriously!

    Steps to Writing a Strong Personal Statement:

    1. Brainstorm:  The goal of this stage is to find a core idea or theme around which your statement will center. Most schools are interested in learning what unique qualities and experiences you will contribute to their incoming class. Take time to brainstorm about what experiences have shaped you, what skills or traits are unique to you, or what personal accomplishments set you apart. 
    2. Free Write: Pick three of the topics, themes, or ideas from  your brainstorming session.  This is the stage where you sit down and just start to write. If you have several different themes or topics in mind, start one draft for each. Spend 10-15 minutes on each free writing draft. Don’t edit yourself, try to stay within a word limit, or attempt to edit while you write. The goal is to get as much down on paper as  you can.
    3. Review: Review your “free write” drafts. Does one stand out or particularly resonate with you? If none of the topics feel right, go back, pick three more ideas from your brainstorming session, and repeat the free write exercise until you find something that you want to move to the next stage with;
    4. Draft:  Start drafting your personal statement. Some people find drafting an outline first assists them in thinking through the structure and flow of the statement, while other prefer to just start writing and organize as they go.
    5. Edit:  Have at least one objective person, ideally someone familiar with the law school application process, review your personal statement. Be prepared for feedback. A good reviewer will send your personal statement back to you with comments and suggestions. If you get your statement back with a simple “looks great!”, find a new reviewer! Remember that many law school applicants go through several rounds of revision before submitting their application! Legal Pathways offers personal statement review, but please make sure to allow enough time to go through the editing process -- if you email asking for feedback by the next day, we won’t be able to help! 
    6. Finalize: Once you are done making any substantive edits, proofread carefully. Additionally, make sure you have followed the directions provided (which may vary from school to school) about word count or page limit and any formatting requirements. Ensure you have used the right law school name for each statement.  

    Personal Statement Tips:

    • “Show, Don’t Tell”:  Show, don’t tell: conclusions should be self-evident. Well written statements use stories that illustrate your good qualities. You should not have to explicitly state them.
    • Be the Main Character and Grow:  Tell a story where you are the main character and you changed, grew, or shifted your perspective.
    • Write a concise narrative with one or two points. Personal statements are relatively short and you can’t fit it all in -- tell one story very well not ten stories poorly!  over quantity.
    • Keep the focus on yourself, not your family members, friends, or other people in your life (even if they are very interesting or important to you!)
    • Be authentic and honest. This is your chance for the law school admissions committee to get to know you. Use it! 

    Avoid Common Pitfalls:

    • Don’t rush the process. Many students need to write 3-6 drafts to craft a strong, concise and memorable personal statement.
    • Don’t skip the review process. Have at least one person familiar with the law school application process review your personal statement and provide feedback. At the University of Washington Tacoma, both the Writing Center and Legal Pathways provide this service! 
    • Don’t use your personal statement to repeat what is already in your resume. You only get to submit a handful of things in your law school application, so make each one count and don’t duplicate information! If they will read about it somewhere else, don’t repeat it.
    • Don’t try to write like a legal scholar or explain the law. No Latin phrases. No teaching. This is an essay about you (and don’t worry, you will have lots of opportunities to use that Latin once you are in law school!)

    Resources: