The Juris Education’s Guide to

Law School Admissions

 14+ years of experience

94% acceptance rate

4.5X
more likely to get
a scholarship

Schools attended by past

Juris Education clients

and many more!

Table of Contents

Introduction 3
The Law School Application Timeline 3
An Overview of the LSAT 8
Law School Admissions Requirements 12
Work Experience for Law School 17
The Best Extracurriculars for Law School 21
How to Build Your Law School List 23
Ensuring Your Law School List Is Balanced 27
The LSAC Application and CAS Report 28
Law School Resume Format and Example 30
9 Law School Resume Tips 34
Law School Letters of Recommendation: What You Need to Know 37
How to Ask for a Law School Recommendation Letter 40
How to Write a Law School Personal Statement 43
Law School Personal Statement Examples 58
Law School Optional Essays 63
How to Write a Diversity Statement for Law School 64
Diversity Statement for Law School Example 67
Law School Addenda: What You Need to Know 70
Law School Addendum Example 75

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Table of Contents

Law School Interviews: On Overview 76

Law School Interview Questions 77
Questions to Ask Law School Admissions Officers 79
Law School Waitlists and Letters of Continued Interest 80
How to Write a Letter of Continued Interest + Example 82
Law School Scholarships 86
How to Find The Best Law School Scholarship for You 91
Law School Admissions FAQs 93
Get Into Law School With Juris Education 96

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Introduction

Many aspiring lawyers and legal professionals have questions about the law school
admissions process and can find the multiple steps intimidating. That’s why we
compiled this comprehensive guide to demystify the process and ensure you know
what to do at every step of the way!

We believe that knowledge truly is power: and that power can help you get
accepted to your dream law school. Without further adieu, let’s jump in!

The Law School Application

Timeline

Let’s start by taking a look at a general law school application timeline. Although
most law schools have rolling admissions, this application timeline can help you stay
on task and meet various milestones.

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March to April: School Research and Setting Up Your Summer
If you haven’t compiled a list of your top law schools, you should start your school
research now. You can compare and search for law schools using LSAC’s JD
program guide. Inputting your undergraduate GPA and potential LSAT score can
help filter your admission likelihood.

April is an excellent time to request recommendation letters before the spring

semester ends. You should also consider how you want to spend your summer;
consider employment, volunteer opportunities, or internships to boost your profile.

May: LSAT Preparation In Full Swing

To be fully prepared to take the LSAT, you should study for at least three to four
months. If you haven’t taken the LSAT by the end of your junior year, preparing now
should place you in good standing for the end-of-summer LSAT test dates. The
LSAT is offered nine times per year in:

• January
• February
• April
• June
• August
• September
• October
• November

Taking the LSAT in June means you’ll have enough time to retest if needed before
you submit law school applications. Ensure you take the LSAT before application
deadlines. To ace the LSAT the first time, consider supplementing free online classes
and self-study with an expert LSAT tutor’s help.

June: Request Transcripts Through the Credential Assembly Service

If you’re not taking summer courses, you should create a Law School Admissions
Council (LSAC) account and register with the Credential Assembly Service (CAS).
Most law schools request all your official undergraduate and graduate transcripts
be sent through the CAS.

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June-August: Take the LSAT
You should take the LSAT between June and August. Taking it in June will give
you more time for a potential retake, but you could potentially retake the test in
September if you opt for the August date.

Remember, law schools won’t evaluate your applications until you receive your LSAT
scores! Scores are released approximately three weeks after your test date.

August: Resume Building and Law School Selection

This is the perfect time to build your law school resume after finishing your summer
activities. Once you receive your LSAT scores, you can create a more concrete
school list based on your profile.

September: Fill Out Applications and Craft Your Law School

Personal Statement
Most law school applications open on LSAC in September. You can get a headstart by:

• Filling out your LSAC application

• Crafting first drafts of your personal statements (you may need multiple
versions)
• Brainstorming content and writing first-draft school-specific essays

If you didn’t receive recommendation letters yet, you should follow up with your
recommenders at the beginning of the month.

October: Work On Applications and Submit For Early Decision

Keep working on your applications for any program you’re not applying for through
early decision. If you’re applying through early decision to any school, law school
application deadlines for most schools are approaching. Most early decision
deadlines are on November 1.

Ensure you review the school’s application checklist before submitting your application!

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November: Complete the Rest of Your Applications
Once you’ve applied to your early decision school, it’s time to turn your attention
toward perfecting the rest of your applications. Double-check to ensure you’ve
completed all documents before submission.

You may start receiving interview invitations after law schools receive and review
your application.

December: Finish Outstanding Applications

If you still have outstanding law school applications, try to get them all in by the end
of December. Most law schools accept applicants on a rolling basis, meaning you’ll
want to submit your application before spots fill up.

If you haven’t already, you may receive law school interview applications. After
schools receive and review your applications, invitations are typically sent on a
rolling basis.

January–April: Interviews and Admissions Decisions

Once you’ve submitted all your applications, you may receive more interview
invitations after law schools review them. Between January and April, you should
receive admissions decisions for all schools you applied to. Don’t get discouraged
if some schools take longer to get back to you. If you receive multiple admissions
offers, you can:

• Evaluate all your options

• Visit schools to assess your fit
• Examine scholarship/financial aid offers before you decide

As soon as you’ve decided, accept your offer of admission to your dream law school!

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An Overview of the LSAT

The Law School Admissions Test (LSAT) is precisely what it sounds like: a
standardized test to gain entry into law school. The LSAT is designed to test for the
skills first-year law students need to succeed.

The LSAT’s content is designed to predict your first-year law school performance.
According to the LSAC, LSAT scores are the best predictor of your success, even
more so than your undergraduate GPA.

There are approximately 100 questions on the LSAT, although this number may be
slightly higher or lower (for example, 99 or 101). These 100 questions are spaced out
fairly evenly among all sections, including the experimental section. The test takes
approximately three hours to complete.

Your LSAT score can range from 120 to 180 points. Your score is based on how many
questions you answer correctly; all questions are weighted the same. This “raw”
score is then converted to the LSAT scale.

These are the LSAT sections:

• Reading Comprehension
• Analytical Reasoning
• Logical Reasoning (two sections)
• An unscored, experimental section
• The LSAT Writing Test

The unscored section can include question types from all sections. The goal of this
section is to validate future LSAT questions.

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LSAT Reading Comprehension
The LSAT Reading Comprehension section demonstrates your reading
comprehension and comparative reading abilities: essential skills needed for law
school and beyond.

The LSAT Reading Section Description

Number of Questions Four question sets, each containing five to

eight questions for approximately 26 to 28.

Passage Type Breakdown Three passages are single, and one is made
up of a set of two shorter selections to test
your comparative reading (evaluating the
relationship between two passages).
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 The LSAT Reading Section Description

Passage Fields The passages you’ll see can be drawn from

humanities, sciences (biological, physical,
social), law-related areas, and more.

The questions you’ll be asked may revolve around these themes:

• Passage main ideas or purposes

• Explicit and implicit information
• How words and phrases are used contextually
• How the writing is structured
• Applying the information presented in a new context
• The selection’s principles
• Analogies to claims or arguments
• The author’s tone/attitude based on the wording
• How new information impacts claims or arguments

LSAT Analytical Reasoning

The LSAT Analytical Reasoning (AR) section tests your problem-solving skills and
logic. The questions are designed to “assess your ability to consider a group of facts
and rules, and, given those facts and rules, determine what could or must be true.”

The LSAT AR Section Description

Number of Questions Approximately 22 to 24 questions.

Passage Content Sets of questions are based on passages

that involve ordering or grouping
relationships. These passages and
questions are typically not law-related.

Examples of Problems Examples of scenarios include scheduling

employees, assigning teachers to classes,
ordering tasks by importance, and more.

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All of the AR questions aim to test your deductive reasoning skills:

• Determining relationships to propose a complete solution

• Reasoning using “if-when” statements
• Inferring the truth or what could be the truth based on facts
• Inferring the truth or what could be the truth based on facts and new
information
• Identifying when statements are logically equivalent in context

LSAT Logical Reasoning

Technically making up two LSAT sections, Logical Reasoning (LR) is meant to assess
“your ability to examine, analyze, and critically evaluate arguments as they occur in
ordinary language.”

The LSAT LR Section Description

Number of Questions Approximately 24 to 26 questions.

Format Each question will be based on a short

passage based on arguments drawn from
newspapers, magazines, scholarly publications,
advertisements, and informal discourse.

Logical Reasoning will assess skills such as:

• Recognizing the parts of an argument and how they relate to each other
• Recognizing reasoning patterns
• Making conclusions based on information
• Reasoning by analogy
• Recognizing misunderstandings/points of disagreement
• Determining how evidence impacts an argument
• Identifying assumptions
• Recognizing and applying principles or rules
• Finding flaws in arguments
• Identifying explanations

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LSAT Experimental Section
This section is unscored and can include question types from the other LSAT
sections. Try your best to do as well as you can!

The LSAT Writing Test

The LSAT Writing Test is 35 minutes long. It’s used to test your persuasive writing
skills and can be completed up to eight days before your LSAT test day.

Law School Admissions

Requirements

While we’ll dive into some of these admissions requirements in more detail later in
this guide, these are the main law school requirements you should be aware of.

• An undergraduate degree
• Admissions tests (LSAT or GRE)
• A personal statement
• Letters of recommendation
• Resume

Undergraduate Degree

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The first prerequisite for any law school is a bachelor’s degree. Law schools don’t
require applicants to take specific course prerequisites. However, it’s worth noting
that there are some dual degree programs that allow students to finish the final year
of their undergraduate degree while also completing their first year of law school.

While it may help prepare you for law school, studying pre-law is not a prereq for
law school. What matters most isn’t your major but your GPA. A wide range of GPAs
are accepted across law schools. This GPA can be as low as 2.95 or as high as 3.7-
3.9 for top-ranking schools.

Admissions Tests
Students must complete the LSAT or GRE, depending on their preferred law school,
to be considered for admission.

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LSAT
The LSAT is the primary admission test accepted by U.S. law schools; for most
schools, you have to write the LSAT.

According to experts, applicants should aim to get at least 150 to be accepted into
an accredited university, 160 or higher to be accepted into the top 25 universities,
and 170 or higher to be accepted into the top 10 universities.

GRE
You don’t have to take the GRE if you take the LSAT. You can choose to write either
the LSAT or GRE when applying to schools that allow this option. To date, about 70
U.S. law schools accept the GRE.

The test you take depends on which school you’d like to go to. While only 70
schools accept the GRE, top-ranking schools like Yale and Harvard are part of this
list, meaning you can still apply to top-ranking schools if you choose to write the
GRE instead of the LSAT!

Luckily, you don’t have to decide on your own; Juris Education offers GRE and LSAT
consultations to help you decide which option is best for you and how to ace your
chosen test.

Personal Statement
Your personal statement is a fantastic opportunity to let your fit, passion for law,
and personality shine.

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To make this admission requirement less daunting, here’s a list of qualities law
schools seek in personal statements:

• Passion: If you write about something you’re passionate about, you’re more
likely to be engaging
• Originality: The admissions committee reads thousands of personal
statements; you want to make sure yours stands out
• Structure: Your essay should follow a logical order
• Simplicity: You should not cram all your experiences or accomplishments
into your essay—focus on one or two and specify how they relate to your
desired law career
• Care: You shouldn’t have any typos or spelling and grammar mistakes; it
should be obvious you wrote the essay carefully and accurately (and ensure
you’re actually answering the question!)

Letters of Recommendation
This law school prerequisite requires less effort on your side in terms of writing.
Most law schools require you to submit letters of recommendation from people
who can attest to your character. You should aim to have at least one letter written
by an academic faculty member.

Recommendation letters should be:

• Extraordinary: Your letters should paint you as someone extraordinary

• Personal: The person writing your letter must actually know you well and be
able to speak to your character, your growth, and your accomplishments

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 • Compelling: These letters must sell the committee on you! They should
convince law schools you have the necessary skills and traits to be an
excellent student and lawyer

Extracurriculars
Another factor to consider before even applying to law school is participating in
extracurriculars that will help make your application stand out.

All extracurriculars are important! They show you have good time management
skills, want to help others, and are able to work as a team. So, ensure you join
extracurriculars you will enjoy.

To boost your application, however, you should aim to join extracurriculars with the
following qualities:

• They develop your legal skills

• They are service activities
• They have substantial time commitments
• They show leadership and teamwork
• You are a key member of the team (vice president, president, executive
member, etc.)

Resume
Your law school resume should be one to two pages long, typed in a standard font.
The main sections you should include in your resume are:

• Personal/biographical information
• Education
• Work experience
• Extracurricular activities

Depending on how many entries you’d have in each category, you can also consider
adding sections for:

• Honors/awards
• Research
• Skills/interests

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All these law school requirements are standard at most law schools.

Work Experience for Law School

Top-ranking schools only recently began focusing heavily on work experience after
realizing that students with work experience tend to perform better in law school.
In fact, 82% of the 2021 Harvard Law students arrived on campus with at least one
year of work experience, and 90% of the 2021 students at the Pritzker School of Law
did.

Having relevant work experience shows that you have already begun developing the
skills required of a law student and lawyer and also shows your genuine dedication
to and focus on becoming a lawyer.

While we’ll provide some examples of jobs that can provide you with the best work
experience for law school, it is crucial to note that there are no “wrong” jobs. So long
as you can demonstrate that you acquired the right skills and experience through
your jobs, they can still help you stand out.

While legal experiences such as working as a paralegal, legal assistant, legal clerk,
or court representative will undoubtedly look good on your law school application,
gaining work experience in other fields is just as worthwhile.

The significance of gaining law school work experience is to demonstrate you

have skills transferable to law, which you can do with most jobs! You’re probably
wondering what specific skills you should be able to demonstrate through your work
experience. Read on to find seven essential skills law schools look for and examples
of jobs you can work to develop these skills.

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Communication
To be the absolute best advocate for your clients, you’ll have to be able to present
your ideas clearly and communicate persuasively. Luckily, practically every job
requires communication! However, to ensure you can adequately demonstrate
your communication skills, you may want to work in a field that relies heavily on
interpersonal relationships.

Teaching and tutoring positions are excellent jobs to demonstrate this skill, as your
job revolves around interacting with students in different ways to help them learn.

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Other customer service and administration jobs can also prove you have great
communication skills. For instance, receptionists are generally the first point of contact
for clients, meaning they have to be able to maintain good interpersonal relationships.

The Ability to Work Under Pressure

Lawyers are required to work long hours and handle difficult clients under high-
pressure environments. Law school is also extremely demanding and requires
students who can handle the rigorous curriculum.

Gaining legal experience is an excellent way to demonstrate you can handle the
specific pressures you’ll be expected to deal with as a lawyer. But gaining this type
of experience is often easier said than done.

Camp counseling or lifeguarding are some accessible options to demonstrate this

skill. Similarly, work experience in retail and hospitality can test your ability to work
with demanding clients and meet strict timelines.

Leadership
Since lawyers often work independently and lead their clients by preparing them
for cases, you’ll need to hone your leadership skills. While it would be ideal for you
to have some managerial work experience, other options to demonstrate your
leadership skills could be teaching, coaching, or working for a start-up company.

Emerging companies are always eager to hire bright, energetic, and often less
experienced individuals to begin growing their businesses. They also often have fewer
employees, meaning you’ll likely have to juggle different roles. This will give you several
opportunities to gain leadership experience, like training new employees.

Commitment and Compassion

While these two skills can be separate, Your law school work experience should
demonstrate both skills simultaneously. As a lawyer, you’ll be working in what’s
bleakly called the suffering business; most clients come in with some form of
conflict, including but not limited to:

• Crime allegations
• Disputes

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 • Bankruptcy
• Divorce
• Injury

As such, you’ll need to be committed to your clients, compassionate, and

considerate regardless of your own opinions on the case. The best jobs to show
these skills involve community work, preferably serving vulnerable populations.
Most of these jobs tend to be understaffed, exhausting, and emotionally draining.

However, you gain valuable perspective and experience that will not only boost your
application but can make for some moving personal statements! Jobs involving
community work can also help you figure out what type of law you’d like to practice!

You can also demonstrate this skill through volunteer experience, which you’ll want
to include on your law school resume.

Problem-Solving
As a lawyer, your job is to solve people’s legal problems. So, it would be best to gain
work experience that helps you develop your problem-solving skills. Fortunately,
every job requires some level of solving issues, which means any job could work for
this skill.

Customer service jobs are known to require good problem-solving skills. Working
as a bank representative can be specifically helpful for those interested in the
business or financial side of the law.

Attention to Detail
Lawyers are required to read lengthy documents and take note of every detail to
sufficiently represent their clients. Potential job options for prospective law students
to develop their attention to detail skills are data entry or proofreading jobs.

Luckily, many data entry jobs don’t require any prior experience and have flexible
hours, making this an excellent job for students to have while still in school. Also,
since most companies require some form of data entry, you may be able to enter
data for a law firm or legal research company.

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Research
Before you stress about having to beg your professors to let you in on their research
projects, this skill is beneficial to have when applying to law schools.

While it is not necessary to have formal research experience, it is worth mentioning

this skill. As a law student and a working lawyer, you will be conducting research on
cases, making research experience an asset.

Aside from actual research assistant positions, teaching or tutoring are also
excellent ways to demonstrate this skill, especially if you are in charge of creating
your own lesson plans. Many summer circles and camp programs involve this
type of independent teaching. In these positions, you’ll have to research different
curriculums and resources while observing your students to determine what
learning strategies work best for them.

The Best Extracurriculars for

Law School

All extracurriculars are important because they show you can effectively dedicate
your time to multiple obligations. That being said, there are certain extracurriculars
that stand out more on your application.

Law-Related Extracurriculars
Most entering law students have some law-related extracurriculars, such as mock
trials, public speaking events, political activist groups, or even assisting a professor
in legal research. Participating in these experiences makes it easier to convince
admission committees of your genuine interest in law.

Joining the debate team is an alternative option that develops your legal skills. While
the debate team isn’t necessarily related to law, you’ll use skills lawyers use daily:
forming and articulating persuasive arguments and quickly crafting rebuttals.

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Service Activities
As one of the most common extracurriculars for law school, service activities are
essential to have on your application. Lawyers work in the service sector and are
expected to advocate for and support people in need.

Luckily, there are various volunteer options you can choose from that count as
service activities. Whether it be volunteering at a hospital, animal shelter, or with
underprivileged students, showing you willingly dedicate your time to helping others
is the primary goal.

A popular option for many students is to volunteer abroad in developing

countries that require the most support. These types of commitments show true
dedication as you willingly leave your own comforts to help make other people’s
lives more comfortable.

Activities With Substantial Time Commitments

When picking the right extracurricular activities for law school, you’ll want to pursue
those that require a substantial amount of time.

Sports teams are excellent extracurriculars to join since they often require multiple
weekly practice sessions. Another option would be to join your school’s orchestra or
band since this would require you to attend frequent group rehearsals and practice
on your own time.

You may also seek extracurriculars outside of school, such as joining marathons that
you have to train for. Internships and jobs are also huge time commitments that can
boost your law school resume. These internships and jobs don’t have to be law-
related, but they do have to demonstrate you were able to effectively manage both
work and school. Gaining a promotion or award at this job will boost your resume
even more.

Activities That Show Leadership

Lawyers must be able to work independently and be self-directed. So, you’ll want
to join extracurriculars where you can take on leadership roles. A good way to
show leadership is to show you progressed from being a general club member to
becoming an executive member of an organization.

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Another option many students choose is creating their own club or volunteer
organization. While this is an admirable way to show both initiative and leadership,
there are certain factors to consider in order to prevent this type of extracurricular
from harming your application.

Creating your own organization in and of itself won’t impress the admissions
committee. While it’s easy to start your own organization, it’s not easy to maintain
it and get enough participants for it to succeed. Unless you’re willing to put in the
extra work to make your organization thrive, it won’t help your application.

You also don’t want to fill up your resume with organizations you created, especially
if the majority of these organizations are still in the start-up phase and have made
little impact in your targeted community.

If you feel you have an organization worth starting, you should do so! Just ensure
you stick with it for a long time, develop it, and work hard so it achieves its purpose.

How to Build Your Law

School List

Here are the key factors you should consider while you build your law school list!

Location
For many, location is a significant deciding factor in choosing a law school. If you’re
not aiming to attend one of the top ten law schools in the country, then you should
consider going to law school in a region where you’d like to start your future career.

This is so you can start developing a strong local professional network. Law schools
offer students a chance to work on pro bono cases in their community. Students
can utilize that by networking and building ties with the community they want to
work in.

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Class and Program Size
When choosing a law school, prospective students tend to overlook class and
program size. What a potential student might deem acceptable in class and
program size depends on what they’re looking to gain in law school.

For instance, smaller class sizes have some benefits. You’ll be able to engage in many
class discussions and build close relationships with your peers and professors.

With that being said, larger class sizes also have their advantages. For example, it
allows you to network with a large community. Larger classes also means a large
alumni pool and potentially more opportunities for you to find work.

Class and program size are something you need to consider. You need to decide if
you would be okay with small or large class sizes.

Program Focus and Curriculum

If you’re deciding on getting your law degree, you’ll have to decide what type of law
you’d want to practice. This is crucial because some law schools may specialize in
certain areas of law. For instance, some law schools may focus on human rights,
business, or criminal law.

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Your law school curriculum will help you propel your career. So you must figure out
what type of law you’ll want to work in, in the future. Once you’ve figured that out,
you should research law schools specializing in that law.

Alternatively, some law schools offer joint degrees in fields like business. If this is
something you’d be interested in, do your research on those law schools and see if
they require any extra admission components.

Financial Aid and Cost

The cost of tuition, books, housing, and other expenses is a significant factor when
considering law schools. Tuition costs can vary depending on which law school
you choose. For instance, Ivy League law schools are more expensive than non-Ivy
League schools.

However, you must research what a school offers and not only focus on the cost.
Law schools do offer financial aid to help students with costs. Keep an eye out
for for financial aid and scholarship deadlines because they can help with the
expensive law school fees.

Ranking and Reputation

For some people, a law school’s ranking is extremely important to them. Prestigious
law schools can open up a lot of doors for graduates. However, it’s also important to
note that these schools are incredibly competitive.

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For many of those prestigious law schools, applicants have a very high GPA and
LSAT score and an impressive resume filled with extracurricular activities. We
recommend taking an honest look at your academic standing and profile before
building your school list!

Your Future Law Career Goals

Below, you’ll find a chart showcasing law schools, the areas of law they specialize in,
and what type of career support/ job placements they offer.

Type of Law Career Support/Job

Law School
Specializations Placements They Offer

Columbia University Business/Corporate Students have the chance

Law School Law to work at clinics and
externships at established
corporations or start-ups

New York University Criminal Law Internship opportunities

Law School are available at their criminal
law clinics

University of Environmental Law Students are given

California-Berkeley opportunities for
Law School interdisciplinary research
and hands-on legal
experience at their
Environmental Law Clinic

Georgetown Human Rights Law Students can participate

University Law School in clinical programs and
projects

Harvard University Constitutional Law Students are given the

Law School opportunity to participate
in clinical placements with
hundreds of placements in
more than 30 areas of law

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 Type of Law Career Support/Job
Law School
Specializations Placements They Offer

Saint Louis University Healthcare Law Students have the

Law School opportunity to participate
in practical experience
in health care regulations
through externship
placements

Researching this pertinent information about school offerings, specializations, and

opportunities can help you formulate a law school list that aligns with your aspirations.

Ensuring Your Law School List

Is Balanced

While building a school list using the above factors is helpful, ensuring your list is
balanced is one of the final steps toward finalizing your choices. When we talk about
a balanced school list, we mean applying to a combination of reach, target, and
safety schools. Let’s start with reach schools!

Reach Schools
Harvard is an example of a reach school. These law schools will be the most
competitive on your list and have the highest admission requirements.

You should apply to about four to five reach schools. The reason you should
apply to so many is because you want to remain realistic! These schools are more
difficult to get into, so by applying to several, you increase your chances of gaining
acceptance to at least one.

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Target Schools
Your target schools will be those you have a higher chance of getting into based on
your LSAT score and GPA. Admitted students at your target schools will have a GPA
and LSAT scores similar to yours, meaning you have a fair chance of getting into
these schools.

You should apply to four to five of these schools as well to maximize your chances
of admission.

Safety Schools
Finally, you should apply to at least two or three safety schools. Safety schools are
lower-ranking schools that have lower requirements. The purpose of applying to
these schools is to have options to fall back on if you don’t get into your reach or
target schools.

Safety schools should be those that you are most likely to be accepted to based on
your academic performance.

The LSAC Application and

CAS Report

The LSAC Application is the centralized application service used to apply to law
school in one convenient application. The LSAC Application is fairly straightforward,
and applicants will need to complete these sections:

• Personal information (mostly biographical)

• LSAT scores
• Transcripts
• Resume (may not be required for all schools, but we strongly suggest having one)
• Letters of recommendation
• Personal statement
• Law school report (created through CAS)

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 • Supplemental application information asked for by each school
• Addendum, in some cases (an additional personal statement that explains
any peculiarities or setbacks in your application)

When you begin the LSAC Application, you can add schools to your list. From there,
you can click on each school to begin their own applications.

The Credential Assembly Service (CAS) simplifies the law school application
process for both candidates and law schools.

With CAS, your transcripts, letters of recommendation, and any other required
documents only need to be sent one time to LSAC. LSAC combines your
documents with your LSAT score and forwards a full report to all the schools you
apply to.

Your CAS subscription remains active for five years and includes the following:

• “Transcript summarization (as well as authentication and evaluation of

academic records for internationally educated JD applicants, if applicable)
• Creation of your law school report (Note: Law school reports cost $45 each.
You will need to purchase a law school report for each law school to which
you are applying.)
• Letter of recommendation processing
• Electronic application processing for all ABA-approved law schools and some
non-ABA-approved schools”

A CAS subscription costs $200.

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Law School Resume Format
and Example

Law school resumes summarize your achievements, qualifications, and experiences.

Your resume can tell admissions officers much about you and your law school
preparedness. It’s best to keep the format of your law school resume simple (even if
you have a penchant for graphic design). You should avoid using:

• Distracting colors
• Graphics, such as “skill graphs” or progress bars
• Symbols
• Any other multimedia elements

Your resume should be one to two pages long using a standard and legible font size.
Stick to Arial, Times New Roman, Calibri, or another similar font, and don’t use a size
smaller than 11-points.

What Should Go on Your Law School Resume

UPenn states, “Law school admissions committees are very interested in how you
spend your time and energy outside of class, so it is essential that you create a
strong, accurate, and flattering portrayal of yourself on your resume.” It’s crucial to
summarize your experiences and candidacy succinctly.

That being said, you have some freedom regarding what goes on your law school
resume to complement its core elements. Standard sections you should include in
every law school application resume include:

Resume Section Description

Personal/Contact • Full name

Information • Phone number and email
• Full address
• LSAC number
• Your LinkedIn profile (optional)

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 Resume Section Description

Education • All education after high school

• Expected/actual graduation dates and
degree titles
• Majors or certificates
• Thesis or capstone project
• Academic honors or achievements (you may
make this its own section if you wish)

Work Experience • All employment/internships after high school

• Employment dates and hours (full-time or
part-time)
• Detailed descriptions of your duties and
tangible achievements

Extracurricular • Student organization involvement (college)

Activities • Sports team/athletics
• Volunteer work and community service
projects
• Any other activities with a significant time
commitment

Law school resume components (source: https://www.usnews.com/education/)

These are the main sections that every law school application resume should have.
If you haven’t done much volunteer work or participated in many activities since
high school, the University of Wisconsin – Madison suggests weaving any activities
into your resume’s education section.

While these are the standard pieces that every law school resume should include,
you can choose to add other sections if they’ll add something new and fresh to
your application:

• Honors/Awards: If you have a laundry list of honors/awards, consider

putting them into their own section. Otherwise, it’s okay to put them in your
education section.

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 • Research: If you have one or more research-related experiences, it may be
worth adding a section to your resume. This can include a capstone project
or thesis that would otherwise go in your education section, significant work
in a study, or publications.
• Skills/Interests: This section is a great way to showcase information about
you that didn’t fit into your resume anywhere else. Whether you’re bilingual,
an expert coder, or decorate cakes in your spare time, you can add another
layer to your individuality.

You can add whatever sections you want that best reflect your candidacy, qualities,
and experiences so far.

Alyson Suter Alber, Associate Dean for Enrollment Planning and Strategic Initiatives
at Case Western Reserve School of Law, said, “In the admissions process we are
looking for experiences and activities that showcase skills an applicant will need in
law school such as research, writing and analytical thinking.”

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You can also rename/alter these sections as you see fit. For example, here’s a
sample law school resume provided by the University at Buffalo School of Law:

Sample law school resume (source: https://www.law.buffalo.edu/blog/)

For this example, the applicant reframed their extracurricular/volunteer work

section to reference leadership and service. Your goal is to use the right language to
accurately summarize your story in a way that reflects you best.

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9 Law School Resume Tips

If you’re wondering how to improve your resume for law school, look no further than
these nine expert tips.

1. Remember the Resume’s Purpose

The first law school resume tip is crucial: remember its purpose. When you
formulate a resume to find work, you may write an objective at the top expressing
your goals. You don’t need to include this element in a law school application
resume.

In the words of Quinnipiac University Law, “Objectives are not necessary, and
sometimes highlight your desire to do something other than attend law school.”
You don’t want to take the focus off your resume’s ultimate goal: helping you get
accepted to your dream law school.

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To that end, you won’t include any references either. Your recommendation letters
serve as the “reference” portion of your application.

2. Be Honest
While this sounds obvious, applicants tend to put a lot of pressure on themselves
when they write law school application resumes. For example, don’t stretch the
time frames of your commitments to make it look like you spent more time on your
activities than you did.

Remember, integrity is a quality found in great lawyers; you don’t want to potentially
get caught in an inconsistency during the application process or law school
interview because you want to make something sound more impressive.

Also, admissions committees don’t expect you to have a mountain of experience as

a law school applicant.

3. Keep Your Writing Simple

Your law school resume should be two pages at maximum. You need to write
concisely if you have a lot of ground to cover to effectively summarize your
experiences. Don’t use long, elaborate sentences or pull words from a thesaurus.
Writing plainly includes limiting industry jargon.

While admissions committee members may understand what you’re writing about,
you want to write in a way that someone from any field would understand your
resume. For example:

“Aggregated with clients in order to contrive understanding and transferable

knowledge and solutions for exponential economic growth.”

This sentence is unclear and unnecessarily wordy. A better sentence would read:

“Met with clients to share information to increase profits.” This sentence is much
clearer, and your reader doesn’t have to do mental backflips to understand you.

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4. Use Bullet Points
Bullet points underneath major experiences/subheadings communicate a lot of
information in less space. You can make your points uniform and more impactful by:

• Writing each one as a full sentence, with or without closing punctuation

• Start your points with a verb in the past tense for past activities and present
tense for current ones
• Keep your points focused on a responsibility or task that emphasizes your
role/qualities
• Be detailed and share tangible results, how many times you performed a task,
or the overall time commitment
• Focus on tasks/skills that are transferable or related to law school
• Limit bullet points under each item to three, if possible

Ensure you watch your tenses while you write; it’s easy to slip up and use the
wrong one.

5. Don’t Omit Experiences Not Related to Law

Although you should focus on transferable skills and tasks related to law school, don’t
omit any experiences that aren’t necessarily law-related. You don’t want to leave
chronological gaps in your resume: that’s a red flag for admissions committees.

UChicago Law states that your resume should absolutely not contain only legal
experiences. The school wants “to see all of your work experience and activities
to gain a more holistic picture of you.” Avoid these gaps and be honest about your
work experience.

6. Emphasize Leadership Experiences

Leadership experience and capability are what every law school seeks in applicants.
If you have relevant leadership experiences in employment or activities, ensure
they’re in your resume.

7. Highlight Entries That Align With Your Mission

You’ve likely discussed your professional and career goals in your application.
Your resume can complement your other application materials and narratives.
For example, if you want to teach law, don’t bury your experience as a teaching
assistant or tutor.
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Think about your personal mission and which experiences have contributed to
helping you get one step closer to reaching your goals.

8. See If There Are Particular Instructions for Each School

Some schools may or may not have law school resume instructions. You should
always double-check the application requirements of the schools you want to apply
to. For example, UChicago Law asks, “Please include the number of hours per week
spent on each employment experience or activity.”

While you may have thought to do this on your resume anyway, it’s important not to
miss any elements schools ask for.

9. Edit, Revise, Refine

You probably already have a resume you can work off of, but it’ll take a lot of editing
and reconstructing to tailor it to your law school application. Even if you’re starting
from scratch, ensure you edit your resume.

Does everything you wrote make sense? Is your language clear and concise? Are
there spelling or grammar mistakes? It’s okay if it takes a few drafts to get to the
finished product. You want your law school resume to make a stellar impression, so
give yourself enough time for revising and refining.

Law School Letters of

Recommendation: What You
Need to Know

While letters of recommendation for law school may not be as crucial as your LSAT
scores and GPA, they often carry significant weight in the application process.

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UC Berkeley states, “your letters of recommendation could be the deciding factor
in the admission process. Strong letters of recommendation can strengthen your
application and if there are deficiencies in your application, they can help to
outweigh them.”

Law school recommendation letters are important because they:

• Add differentiation to your profile, especially if you have a similar GPA or LSAT
score as other applicants
• Qualitatively highlight why you’re an excellent law school candidate
• Offer a credible, third-party perspective on your skills, knowledge, character,
and fitness for the legal field

It’s worth spending time securing strong letters of recommendation; law

school acceptance rates can be relatively low, especially at T14 schools. Strong
recommendation letters can highlight your candidacy and fitness for law.

What Makes a Strong Law School Recommendation Letter?

According to the Law School Admission Council, letters of recommendation “that
compare you to your academic peers are often the most useful.” LSAC also warns
against “general, unreservedly praiseworthy letters.” General, complimentary letters
aren’t specific enough to accurately depict your skills and qualities.

The University of Utah’s Academic Advising Center claims, “Letters that reflect real
knowledge of an applicant’s performance and character are the most useful to the
admissions committee.”

A strong law school letter of recommendation should meet these goals:

• Identifies the writer and their relationship with you

• Conveys factual evidence about you and your achievements/experiences
• Doesn’t use “unsupported adjectives” like “creative” or “mature” without
explaining why your recommender describes you that way
• Makes clear judgments about your character based on factual evidence
• Compares you to your peers
• Shares distinguishing characteristics about you to breathe life into your

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 “character” and make you more memorable
• Be carefully edited for clarity, concision, and readability (it doesn’t include
local terms, jargon, or other words and phrases that admissions committees
may not know)

An excellent recommendation letter is detailed, precise, and quantifies your

experiences and fitness for law school.

Who Should You Ask to Write A Law School Recommendation Letter?

Before compiling a list of potential sources, you must read the admissions
requirements for each school you want to apply to. Some schools may be more
specific about recommenders, whereas others may give you more freedom to pick
whomever you feel would write you the best evaluation.

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LSAC states that the best letters of recommendation are written by professors and
work supervisors who know you well enough to comment honestly on your overall
potential and share your academic, personal, and professional achievements.
Some of the best sources for your law school recommendations include:

• Individuals who you’ve formed deep relationships with and who know you
well
• A professor or other individual who has academically evaluated you,
especially in one of your upper-division undergraduate classes
• Your work supervisor
• Anyone who has supervised you in other activities such as volunteer,
internship, or research experiences

Most law schools prefer recommendations from academic sources, such as

professors from your university. If you’re still in university, you can focus on
relationship-building with your professors through actively participating in the
classroom and seeking research opportunities and advice.

Avoid asking people for letters who don’t know you well, even if you think their
status is impressive; your manager, who you interact with daily, is a much better
recommender than the CEO of your company you’ve met once.

On the other hand, it’s also best to avoid recommendation letters from family or
friends: it could hinder your application!

How to Ask for a Law School

Recommendation Letter

It’s time to learn how to ask for a letter of recommendation for law school. We’ll
outline the best ways to approach and support your recommenders step-by-step.

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1. Identify Your Writers
You know the best recommenders, but you may still have to narrow down your
options. Make a list of people you think would be happy to write enthusiastic,
detailed recommendations for you.

While you can send the same recommendation to multiple schools, you can
choose recommenders to write a targeted recommendation to just one school. For
example, if you want to attend NYU Law and your recommender happens to be an
NYU Law school graduate, you can ask them to write a tailored letter.

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2. Pick the Right Time to Ask
You want to ensure you give your recommenders enough time to write your letters
before the application deadline or the date you hope to submit your LSAC applications.

The University of Nebraska at Kearney suggests you “be considerate and courteous
of your letter writers’ time and workload, and approach them at least two months in
advance of your request.” An excellent time to request recommendations is the fall
of your senior year.

3. Meet With Your Recommenders

You can connect with potential recommenders by email, but meeting in person
has benefits. The main benefit of meeting in person is to see if your recommender
is enthusiastic about writing your letter. If you sense reluctance, you may want to
consider asking someone else.

When you meet with your recommender, you can share your motivations for
attending law school and your hopes for the future.

4. Offer Supporting Information

Even if you have a close relationship with your letter writer, it’s unlikely they will
remember every detail about your accomplishments and candidacy. Showing up
to your meeting with supporting documents makes your recommender’s life easier:
they’ll appreciate the context!

You can put together a package for each of your evaluators that includes:

• Your contact information

• A list of schools you plan to apply to
• Recommendation forms
• Your unofficial transcript
• A draft of your law school personal statement, if you have it
• A summarization of any important projects, publications, etc.
• Your resume

You should also include a note on anything you want to be emphasized in your law
school letter of recommendation. For example, if you want your letter to highlight
your research experience, you should explicitly state that to your recommender.
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5. Don’t Forget to Say Thank You
You can add a thank you note with your package, but it’s worth expressing in person
how grateful you are if your recommender accepts your request. Remember, your
recommenders aren’t obligated to provide you with an evaluation; they genuinely
want to see you succeed.

After you get accepted at your dream law school, don’t forget to follow up and say
thank you one more time!

6. Fill Out Information and Formally Request Letters in LSAC

If you’re using LSAC’s LOR Service, you’ll need to input your recommender’s name
and contact information to submit a formal request. Afterward, they’ll receive an
email with instructions on submitting their recommendation. If they prefer, they can
also submit paper letters.

How to Write a Law School

Personal Statement

Unfortunately, there’s no universal format for a law school personal statement.

Every law school has a preference (or lack thereof) on how your personal statement
should be structured. We recommend always checking for personal statement
directions for every school you want to apply to.

However, many law schools ask for similar elements regarding personal statement
formats. These are some standard formatting elements to keep in mind if your
school doesn’t provide specific instructions:

• Typically two pages or less in length

• Double-spaced
• Use a basic, readable font style and size (11-point is the smallest you should
do, although some schools may request 12-point)
• Margins shouldn’t be less than 1 inch unless otherwise specified

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 • Left-aligned
• Indent new paragraphs
• Don’t return twice to begin a new paragraph
• Law schools typically ask for a header, typically including your full name, page
number, LSAC number, and the words “Personal Statement” (although there
can be variations to this)

How you format your header may be up to you; sometimes, law schools won’t
specify whether the header should be one line across the top or three lines.

This is how your header may look if you decide to keep it as one line. If you want a
three-line header, it should look like this on the top-right of the page:

Remember, the best law school personal statement format is the one in the
application instructions. Ensure you follow all formatting requirements!

You may be tempted to give your law school statement a punchy title, just like you
would for an academic essay. However, the general rule is that you shouldn’t give
your law school personal statement a title.

The University of Washington states, “DON’T use quotes or give a title to your
statement.” Many other schools echo this advice. The bottom line is that although
you’re writing your story, your law school statement doesn’t require a title. Don’t add
one unless the school requests it.

How to Start a Law School Personal Statement

Acing the beginning of your law school personal statement is essential for your
narrative’s success. The introduction is your chance to captivate the admissions
committee and immerse them in your story. As such, you want your writing to be
interesting enough to grab their attention without purposefully going for shock value.

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So how do you write a law school personal statement introduction that will garner
the attention it deserves? The simplest way to get the reader involved in your story
is to start with a relevant anecdote that ties in with your narrative.

Consider the opening paragraph from Harvard Law graduate Cameron Clark’s law
school personal statement:

“At the intersection of 21st and Speedway, I lay on the open road. My leg grazed
the shoulder of a young woman lying on the ground next to me. Next to her, a man
on his stomach slowed his breathing to appear as still as possible. A wide circle
of onlookers formed around the dozens of us on the street. We were silent and
motionless, but the black-and-white signs affirmed our existence through their
decree: BLACK LIVES MATTER.”

The beginning lines of this personal statement immediately draw the reader in.
Why was the writer lying on the road? Why were other people there with him, and
why was a man trying to slow his breathing? We’re automatically inspired to keep
reading to find out more information.

That desire to keep reading is the hallmark of a masterful law school personal
statement introduction. However, you don’t want to leave your reader hanging for
too long. By the end of this introduction, we’re left with a partial understanding of
what’s happening.

There are other ways to start a law school personal statement that doesn’t drop
the reader in the middle of the action. Some writers may begin their law personal
statement in other ways:

• Referencing a distant memory, thought, feeling, or perspective

• Setting the scene for the opening anecdote before jumping in
• Providing more context on the time, place, or background

Many openings can blend some of these with detailed, vivid imagery. Here’s a law
school personal statement opening that worked at the UChicago Law:

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“I fell in love for the first time when I was four. That was the year my mother signed
me up for piano lessons. I can still remember touching those bright, ivory keys with
reverence, feeling happy and excited that soon I would be playing those tinkling,
familiar melodies (which my mother played every day on our boombox) myself.”

This opening blends referencing a distant memory and feeling mixed with vivid
imagery that paints a picture in the reader’s head. Keep in mind that different
openers can work better than others, depending on the law school prompt.
To recap, consider these elements as you write your law school personal
statement’s introduction:

• Aim for an attention-grabbing hook

• Don’t purposefully aim for shock value: it can sometimes seem unauthentic
• Use adjectives and imagery to paint a scene for your reader
• Identify which opening method works best for the law school prompt and
your story
• Don’t leave the reader hanging for too long to find out what your narrative
is about
• Be concise

Writing a law school personal statement introduction can be difficult, but these
examples and tips can get your writing the attention it deserves.

How to Write the Body of Your Law School Personal Statement:

Tips + Tricks
Now that you’re equipped with great advice and tips to start your law school
statement, it’s time to tackle the body of your essay. These tips will show you how
to write a personal statement for law school to captivate the admissions committee.

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Understand the Prompt
While many law schools have similar personal statement prompts, you should
carefully examine what’s being asked of you before diving in. Consider these top law
school personal statement prompts to see what we mean:

• Yale Law School: “The personal statement should help us learn about the
personal, professional, and/or academic qualities an applicant would bring to
the Law School community. Applicants often submit the personal statement
they have prepared for other law school applications.”
• University of Chicago Law: “Our application does not provide a specific topic
or question for the personal statement because you are the best judge
of what you should write. Write about something personal, relevant, and
completely individual to you.”
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 • NYU Law: “Because people and their interests vary, we leave the content and
length of your statement to your discretion. You may wish to complete or
clarify your responses to items on the application form, bring to our attention
additional information you feel should be considered, describe important or
unusual aspects of yourself not otherwise apparent in your application, or tell
us what led you to apply to NYU School of Law.”

Like all law personal statements, these three prompts are pretty open-ended.
However, your Yale personal statement should focus on how you’d contribute to a
law school community through professional and academic experience and qualities.

For UChicago Law, you don’t even need to write about a law-related topic if you
don’t want to. However, when it comes to a school like NYU Law, you probably want
to mix your qualities, experiences, and what led you to apply.

Differing prompts are the reason you’ll need to create multiple copies of your
personal statement!

Follow Formatting Directions

Pay extra attention to each school’s formatting directions. While we’ve discussed
basic guidelines for law school personal statement formats, it’s essential to check if
there is anything different you need to do.

While working on your rough drafts, copy and paste the prompt and directions at
the top of the page so you don’t forget.

Brainstorm Narratives/Anecdotes Based on the Prompt

You may have more wiggle room with some prompts than others regarding content.
However, asking yourself these questions can generally help you direct your
personal statement for any law school:

• What major personal challenges or recent hardships have you faced?

• What was one transformative event that impacted your life’s course
or perspective?
• What are your hobbies or special interests?
• What achievements are you most proud of not stated in your application?
• What experience or event changed your values or way of thinking?

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 • What’s something you’re passionate about that you got involved in? What
was the result of your passion?
• How did your distinct upbringing, background, or culture put you on the path
to law school?
• What personal or professional experiences show who you are?

Keep in mind that this isn’t an exhaustive list. Consider your personal and
professional experiences that have brought you to this point, and determine which
answers make the most compelling story.

Pettit College of Law recommends you “go through your transcripts, application,
and resume. Are there any gaps or missing details that your personal statement
could cover?” If you’ve listed something on your resume that isn’t further discussed,
it could make a potential personal statement topic.

Do More Than Recount: Reflect

Recounting an event in a summarized way is only one piece of your law school
personal statement. Even if you’re telling an outlandish or objectively interesting
story, stopping there doesn’t show admissions committees what they need to know
to judge your candidacy.

The University of Washington suggests that “describing the event should only be
about 1/3 of your essay. The rest should be a reflection on how it changed you and
how it shaped the person you are today.” Don’t get stuck in the tangible details of
your anecdote; show what the experience meant to you.

Beth O’Neil, Director of Admissions and Financial Aid at UC Berkeley School of Law,
said, “Applicants also tend to state and not evaluate. They give a recitation of their
experience but no evaluation of what effect that particular experience had on them,
no assessment of what certain experiences or honors meant.”

Consider What Qualities You Want to Show

No matter what direction you want to take your law school personal statement, you
should consider which qualities your narrative puts on display. Weaving your good
character into your essay can be difficult. Outwardly claiming, “I’m a great leader!”
doesn’t add much value.

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However, telling a story about a time you rose to the occasion to lead a group
successfully toward a common goal shows strong leadership. “Show, don’t tell” may
be an overused statement, but it’s a popular sentiment for a reason.

Of course, leadership ability isn’t the only quality admissions committees seek.
Consider your qualities and those you’d expect to find in a great lawyer and check
to see the overlap. Some qualities you could show include:

• Fairness
• Empathy
• Intelligence
• Honesty
• Persuasiveness
• Compassion
• Professionalism
• Maturity

Evaluate the anecdotes you chose after your brainstorming session and see if any
of these qualities or others align with your narrative.

Keep Your Writing Concise

Learning how to write a personal statement for law school means understanding
how to write for concision. Most prompts won’t have a word limit but ask you to cap
your story at two pages, double-spaced. Unfortunately, that’s not a lot of space to
work with.

Although your writing should be compelling and vibrant, do your best to avoid
flowery language and long, complicated sentences where they’re not needed.
Writing for concision means eliminating unnecessary words, cutting down
sentences, and getting the point quickly.

Georgetown University’s take on law school personal statements is to “Keep

it simple and brief. Big words do not denote big minds, just big egos.” A
straightforward narrative means your reader is much less likely to be confused or
get lost in your story (in the wrong way).

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Decide the Depth and Scope of Your Statement
Since you only have two (or even three) pages to get your point across, you must
consider the depth and scope of your narrative. While you don’t want to provide too
little information, remember that you don’t have the room to summarize your entire
life story (and you don’t have to do that anyway).

UChicago Law’s advice is to “Use your discretion - we know you have to make a
choice and have limited space. Attempting to cover too much material can result
in an unfocused and scattered personal statement.” Keep the depth and scope of
your narrative manageable.

Ensure It’s Personal Enough

UChicago Law states, “If someone else could write your personal statement, it
probably is not personal enough.” This doesn’t mean you must pick the most
grandiose, shocking narrative to make an impact or that you can’t write about
something many others have probably experienced.

Getting personal means only you can write that statement; other people may be
able to relate to an experience, but your reflection, thoughts, feelings, and reactions
are your own. UChicago Law sees applicants fall into this pitfall by writing about a
social issue or area of law, so tread these topics carefully.

Mix the Past and Present, Present, and Future Or All Three
Harvard Law School’s Associate Director Nefyn Meissner said your personal
statement should “tell us something about who you are, where you’ve been, and
where you want to go.”

Echoing this, Jon Perdue, Yale Law School’s Director of Recruiting and Diversity
Initiatives, states that the three most common approaches to the Yale Law School
personal statement are focusing on:

• The past: discussing your identity and background

• The present: focusing on your current work, activities, and interests
• The future: the type of law you want to pursue and your ideal career path

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Perdue said that truly stellar personal statements have a sense of “movement” and
touch on all or two of these topics.

What does this mean for you? While writing your law school personal statement,
don’t be afraid to touch on your past, present, and future. However, remember not
to take on too much content!

Keep the Focus On You

This is a common pitfall that students fall into while writing a law school personal
statement. UChicago Law cites that this is a common mistake applicants make
when they write at length about:

• A family member who inspired them or their family history

• Stories about others
• Social or legal issues

Even if someone like your grandmother had a profound impact on your decision to
pursue law, remember that you’re the star of the show. Meissner said, “Should you
talk about your grandmother? Only if doing so helps make the case for us to admit
you. Otherwise, we might end up wanting to admit your grandmother.” Don’t let
historical figures, your family, or anyone else steal your spotlight.

Decide If You Need to Answer: Why Law?

Writing about why you want to attend law school in general or a school in particular
depends on the prompt. Some schools welcome the insight, while others (like
Harvard Law) don’t. Meissner said, “Should you mention you want to come to HLS?
We already assume that if you’re applying.”

However, Perdue said your law school personal statement for Yale should answer
three questions:

• Why me?
• Why law school?
• Why now?

Some schools may invite you to discuss your motivation to apply to law school or
what particular elements of the school inspired you to apply.

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Don’t List Qualifications or Rehash Your Resume
Your personal statement should flow like a story, with an identifiable beginning,
middle, and end. Simply firing off your honors and awards, or summarizing the
experiences on your resume, doesn’t tell the admissions committee anything new
about you.

Your personal statement is your opportunity to show how your unique experiences
shaped you, your qualities, and the person you are behind your LSAT scores and
GPA. Think about how you can show who you are at your core.

Avoid Legalese, Jargon, And Sophisticated Terms

The best law school personal statements are written in straightforward English and
don’t use overly academic, technical, or literary words. UChicago Law recommends
avoiding legalese or Latin terms since the “risk you are incorrectly using them is just
too high.”

Weaving together intricate sentence structures with words you pulled out of a
thesaurus won’t make your personal statement a one-way ticket to acceptance. Be
clear, straightforward, and to the point.

Don’t Put Famous Quotes In Your Writing

Beginning your law school personal statement with a quote is not only cliché but
takes the focus off of you. It also eats up precious space you could fill with your voice.

Revise, Revise, Revise

Even the most talented writers never submit a perfect first draft. You’ll need to
do a lot of revisions before your personal statement is ready for submission. This
is especially true because you’ll write different versions for different law schools;
these iterations must be edited to perfection.

Ensure you have enough time to make all the edits and improvements you need
before you plan to submit your application. Although most law schools have rolling
admissions, submitting a perfected application as soon as possible is always in your
best interest.

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Have an Admission Consultant Review Your Hard Work
Reviewing so many personal statements yourself is a lot of work, and most writing
can always benefit from a fresh perspective. Consider seeking a law school
admissions consultant’s help to edit your personal statements to perfection and
maximize your chances of acceptance at your dream school!

How to End Your Law School Personal Statement

Law school personal statement conclusions are just as open-ended as your
introductions. There are a few options for ending a personal statement depending
on the prompt you’re writing for:

Law School
Description
Conclusion Strategy

Motivation to Attend You can end by explaining how the experiences you
Law School outlined in your personal statement inspired you to
become a lawyer.

Motivation to Attend a If the school doesn’t outwardly suggest not explaining

Particular Law School why you applied, you can align your personality,
passions, and values with the school’s mission or
highlight particular offerings that excite you.

Your Future Career Path Some candidates may want to tie their narrative to
the type of law they want to pursue or their main
career goal.

State Your Mission Without being cliche and saying you want to
“save the world” (although it sounds noble), you
can discuss your personal mission and how a law
education will help you get there. Do you want to
make progress for people who face discrimination?
Be specific.

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 Law School
Description
Conclusion Strategy

Reiterate How Your Reiterate how you would add value: if you’ve written
Acceptance Would Add extensively about any facet of your background/
Value identity, you can share how your acceptance would
contribute to the school, incoming class, and law
profession as a whole.

Focus on Qualities/ Focusing on qualities is more common in personal

Skills statements that are not explicitly about the
law. These statements show how the writer’s
experiences helped them gain the necessary skills/
qualities to become a great lawyer.

Some of these methods can overlap with each other. However, there are two more
things you should always consider when you’re ready to wrap up your story: the
tone you’re leaving on and how you can make your writing fit with your narrative’s
common thread.

You should never want to leave your reader on a low note, even if you wrote about
something that isn’t necessarily happy. You should strive to end your personal
statement with a tone that’s hopeful, happy, confident, or some other positive
feeling.
Your last sentences should also give the impression of finality; your reader should
understand that you’re wrapping up and not be left wondering where the rest of
your statement is.

So, what’s the common thread? This just means that your narrative sticks to the
overarching theme or event you portrayed at the beginning of your writing. Bringing
your writing full circle makes a more satisfying conclusion.

Evaluating law school personal statement conclusions can help you see what direction
authors decided to take with their writing. Let’s circle back to the sample personal
statement openings for law school and examine their respective conclusions. The first
example explains the applicant’s motivation to attend Harvard Law:

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“…Attorneys and legal scholars have paved the way for some of the greatest civil
rights victories for women, people of color, LGBTQ individuals, and (people living
with disabilities). At Harvard Law School, I will prepare to join their ranks by studying
with the nation’s leading legal scholars. For the past months, I have followed Harvard
Law School student responses to the events in Ferguson and New York City. I am
eager to join a law school community that shares my passion for using the law to
achieve real progress for victims of discrimination. With an extensive history of
advocacy for society’s most marginalized groups, I believe Harvard Law School will
thoroughly train me to support and empower communities in need.

Our act of civil disobedience that December day ended when the Tower’s bells
rang out in two bars, hearkening half-past noon. As we stood up and gathered our
belongings, we broke our silence to remind everyone of a most basic truth: Black
lives matter.”

What Made This Conclusion Effective

Although Harvard Law School states there’s no need to explain why you want to
apply, this law school statement is from an HLS graduate, and we can assume this
was written before the advice changed.

In his conclusion, he relates and aligns his values with Harvard Law School and how
joining the community will help him fulfill his mission to empower communities in
need. The last paragraph circles back to the anecdote described in his introduction,
neatly wrapping up the event and signaling a natural end to his story.

This author used these strategies: the motivation to attend a specific law school,
stating his mission, and subtly reiterating what his acceptance would bring to
the school.

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The next example conclusion worked at UChicago Law:

“Songs can be rewritten and reinterpreted as situation permits, but missteps are
obvious because the fundamental laws of music and harmony do not change.
Although my formal music education ended when I entered college, the lessons
I have learned over the years have remained close and relevant to my life. I have
acquired a lifestyle of discipline and internalized the drive for self-improvement.
I have gained an appreciation for the complexities and the subtleties of
interpretation. I understand the importance of having both a sound foundation
and a dedication to constant study. I understand that to possess a passion and
personal interest in something, to think for myself is just as important.”

What Made This Conclusion Effective

This law school personal statement was successful at UChicago Law. Although the
writing has seemingly nothing to do with law or the author’s capability to become a
great lawyer, the author has effectively used the “show, don’t tell” advice.

The last paragraph implements the focus on qualities or skills strategy. Although
related to music, the qualities they describe that a formal music education taught
her mesh with the qualities of a successful lawyer:

• Discipline
• A drive for self-improvement
• The ability to interpret information
• The ability to learn consistently
• Passion
• The ability to think for herself

Overall, this essay does an excellent job of uncovering her personality and relating
to the opening paragraph, where she describes how she fell in love with music.

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Law School Personal Statement
Examples

These are two law school personal statement examples that worked. We’ll review
the excerpts below and describe what made them effective and if there’s room for
improvement.

Law School Personal Statement Example #1

This is an excerpt of a law personal statement that worked at UChicago Law:

“The turning point of my college football career came early in my third year. At the
end of the second practice of the season, in ninety-five-degree heat, our head
coach decided to condition the entire team. Sharp, excruciating pain shot down my
legs as he summoned us repeatedly to the line to run wind sprints. I collapsed as I
turned the corner on the final sprint. Muscle spasms spread throughout my body,
and I briefly passed out. Severely dehydrated, I was rushed to the hospital and
quickly given more than three liters of fluids intravenously. As I rested in a hospital
recovery room, I realized my collapse on the field symbolized broader frustrations I
felt playing college football.

I was mentally and physically defeated. In South Dakota, I was a dominant football
player in high school, but at the Division I level, my talent was less conspicuous.
In my first three years, I was convinced that obsessively training my body to run
faster and be stronger would earn me a starting position. The conditioning drill
that afternoon revealed the futility of my approach. I had thrust my energies into
becoming a player I could never be. As a result, I lost confidence in my identity.
I considered other aspects of my life where my intellect, work ethic, and
determination had produced positive results. I chose to study economics and
English because processing abstract concepts and ideas in diverse disciplines were
intuitively rewarding…Gathering data, reviewing previous literature, and ultimately
offering my own contribution to economic knowledge was exhilarating. Indeed,
undergraduate research affirmed my desire to attend law school, where I could

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more thoroughly satisfy my intellectual curiosity…My efforts generated high marks
and praise from professors, but this success made my disappointment with football
more pronounced.

The challenge of collegiate athletics felt insurmountable. However, I reminded

myself that at the Division I level, I was able to compete with and against some
of the best players in the country…After the hospital visit, my football position
coach—sensing my mounting frustrations—offered some advice. Instead of
devoting my energies almost exclusively to physical preparation, he said, I should
approach college football with the same mental focus I brought to my academic
studies. I began to devour scouting reports and to analyze the complex reasoning
behind defensive philosophies and schemes. I studied film and discovered ways
to anticipate plays from the offense and become a more effective player. Armed
with renewed confidence, I finally earned a starting position in the beginning of my
fourth year…

I had received the highest grade on the team. After three years of A’s in the
classroom, I finally earned my first ‘A’ in football. I used mental preparation to
maintain my competitive edge for the rest of the season. Through a combination
of film study and will power, I led my team and conference in tackles…The most
rewarding part of the season, though, was what I learned about myself in the
process. When I finally stopped struggling to become the player I thought I needed
to be, I developed self-awareness and confidence in the person I was.

The image of me writhing in pain on the practice field sometimes slips back into
my thoughts as I decide where to apply to law school. College football taught me
to recognize my weaknesses and look for ways to overcome them. I will enter law
school a much stronger person and student because of my experiences on the
football field and in the classroom. My decision where to attend law school mirrors
my decision where to play college football. I want to study law at the University
of Chicago Law School because it provides the best combination of professors,
students, and resources in the country. In Division I college football, I succeeded
when I took advantage of my opportunities. I hope the University of Chicago will
give me an opportunity to succeed again.”

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Why This Personal Statement Example Worked
The beginning of this personal statement includes vivid imagery and sets up a
relevant anecdote for the reader; the writer’s injury while playing football. At the end
of the introduction, he sets up a fantastic transition about his broader frustrations,
compelling us to keep reading.

The essay’s body shows the writer’s vulnerability, making it even more personal; it
can be challenging to talk about feelings, like losing your confidence, but it can help
us relate to him.

The author sets up a transition to writing more about his academic ability, his
eventual leadership role on the team, and developing the necessary qualities of a
well-rounded lawyer: self-awareness and confidence.

Finally, the author rounds out his statement by circling back to his opening
anecdote and showing the progress he’s made from there. He also describes why
UChicago Law is the right school for him. To summarize, the author expertly handled:

• Opening with a descriptive anecdote that doesn’t leave the reader hanging
for too long
• Being vulnerable in such a way that no one else could have written
this statement
• Doing more than recounting an event but reflecting on it
• Although he introduced his coach’s advice, he kept himself the focal point of
the story
• He picked a focused event; the writer didn’t try to tackle too much content
• His conclusion references his introduction, signaling the natural end of
the story

The ending also reaffirms his passion for pursuing law, particularly at UChicago Law.

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Law School Personal Statement Example #2
This law school personal statement excerpt led to acceptance at Boston
University Law.

“She sat opposite me at my desk to fill out a few forms. Fumbling her hands and
laughing uncomfortably, it was obvious that she was nervous. Sandra was eighteen,
and her knowledge of English was limited to ‘yes’ and ‘hello.’ While translating the
initial meeting between Sandra and her attorney, I learned of her reasons for leaving
El Salvador. She had been in an abusive relationship, and though she wasn’t ready
to go into detail just yet, it was clear from the conversation that her boyfriend had
terrorized her and that the El Salvadoran police were of no help…Eventually, Sandra
was given a credible fear interview. The interviewer believed that she had a real
fear of returning to El Salvador, and Sandra was released from detention with an
Immigration Court hearing notice in her hand. She had just retained our office to
present her asylum case to the Immigration Judge.

I tried to imagine myself in Sandra’s shoes. She hadn’t finished high school, was in
a completely new environment, and had almost no understanding of how things
worked in the US. Even the harsh New England winter must have seemed unnatural
to her. Having lived abroad for a couple of years, I could relate on some level;
however, the circumstances of my stay overseas were completely different. I went
to Spain after graduating from college to work in an elementary school, improve my
Spanish skills, and see a bit of the world…I had to ask hundreds of questions and
usually make a few attempts before actually accomplishing my goal. Frustrating
though it was, I didn’t have so much riding on each of these endeavors. If I didn’t
have all the necessary paperwork to open a bank account one day, I could just try
again the next day. Sandra won’t be afforded the same flexibility in her immigration
process, where so much depends on the ability to abide by inflexible deadlines and
procedures. Without someone to guide her through the process, ensuring that all
requirements are met, and presenting her case as persuasively as possible, Sandra
will have little chance of achieving legal status in the United States…

Before starting at my current position at Joyce & Associates, an immigration law

firm in Boston, I had long considered a career in law. Growing up, I was engaged by
family and school debates about public policy and government. In college, I found
my constitutional law courses challenging and exciting. Nonetheless, it wasn’t until I

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began working with clients like Sandra that I became convinced that a career in law
is the right choice for me. Playing my part as a legal assistant in various immigration
cases, I have been able to witness how a career in immigration advocacy is both
intellectually stimulating and personally fulfilling. I have seen the importance of
well-articulated arguments and even creativity in arguing a client’s eligibility for an
immigration benefit. I have learned that I excel in critical thinking and in examining
detail, as I continually consider the consistency and possible implications of
any documents that clients provide in support of their application. But most
importantly, I have realized how deserving many of these immigrants are. Many of
the clients I work with are among the most hardworking and patriotic people I have
encountered…

‍I am equally confident that I would thrive as a student at Boston University,

where I would be sure to take full advantage of the many opportunities available.
The school’s Asylum and Human Rights Clinic and Immigration Detention Clinic
would offer me invaluable experiences in various immigration settings…Given
my experiences in an immigration firm, I know that I would have much to offer
while participating in these programs, but even more to learn. And while I find
BU’s immigration programs to be especially appealing, I am equally drawn to the
Boston University experience as a whole…I hope to have the opportunity to face
those challenges and to contribute my own experiences and drive to the Boston
University community.”

Why This Personal Statement Example Worked

This statement makes excellent use of opening with an experience that sets the
writer’s motivation to attend law school in motion. We’re introduced to another
person in the story in the introduction before the author swivels and transitions to
how she’d imagine herself in Sandra’s shoes.

This transition shows empathy, and although the author could relate to her client’s
struggles on a more superficial level, she understood the gravity of her situation and
the hardships that awaited her.

The author backpedals to show how she’s cultivated an interest in law in college and
explored this interest to know it’s the right choice for her. The conclusion does an
excellent job of referencing exactly how BU Law will help her achieve her mission. To
recap, this personal statement was effective because:

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 • She started her personal statement with a story
• Although the writer focuses on an event with another person, she moves the
focus back to her
• The author’s statement shows qualities like empathy, compassion, and critical
thinking without explicitly stating it
• She connects her experiences to her motivation to attend law school
• This statement has movement: it references the author’s past, present,
and future
• She ends her statement by explaining in detail why BU Law is the right school
for her

Although this personal statement worked, circling back to the opening anecdote in
the conclusion, even with a brief sentence, would have made the conclusion more
impactful and fortified the common thread of her narrative.

Law School Optional Essays

Most supplemental essays for law school are optional. While taking advantage of
these essays can strengthen your application, it’s important to determine whether
or not answering the prompt will add something new to your application.

Here are some examples of types of optional essays you may come across as you
apply to law school:

• Diversity Statement: Prompts can differ, but the point is usually to show how
your unique background/identity/upbringing will contribute to the incoming
class and the legal profession as a whole.
• Goals: What are your long-term career goals? What do you plan to do once
you graduate from law school?
• Obstacle/Setback: These prompts ask you to recount an obstacle/setback
you’ve faced and how you resolved or overcame the issue.
• Why Us?: The “Why us?” essay allows you to explain why you want to go to
a particular law school. However, most applications may have you cover this
within the personal statement!

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 • Additional information: Some schools offer space to input any other
relevant information you want the admissions committee to know (separate
from the addenda).

Even though we typically recommend students write optional essays when it makes
sense, there are some instances where it may not be the best strategy. For example,
if you answered the prompt on some level in your personal statement, it’s probably
not a good idea to rehash what you’ve written. Similarly, if the prompts don’t
resonate, you risk writing a weaker essay.

We’ll cover more about diversity statements, one of the most common optional
essays, below!

How to Write a Diversity

Statement for Law School

Diversity within any student body strengthens the community and expands the
breadth of ideas and perspectives available to those within it. As an aspiring law
school student, writing a diversity statement allows you to talk about your life
experiences. Doing this gives the admissions committee an opportunity to get to
know what makes you, you.

By the time you write your diversity statement, you probably would have looked
over your entire law school application about a million times. Going over parts of
your application, like your personal statement, for example, should give you an
idea as to whether or not you should consider writing a diversity statement for law
school.

Before you start writing your statement, ask yourself the following questions:

• Have I covered everything essential to cover in my personal statement?

• Am I trying too hard to find something to write about?

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If you answered yes to both of those questions, it probably means that writing a
diversity statement for your law school application may not be necessary. If you
feel that your personal statement covers your background adequately, and you’re
finding writing an additional diversity statement isn’t coming naturally to you, you’re
probably better off skipping this part of the application.

Generally speaking, the key to writing a diversity statement for your law school
application is genuinely having something to write about. In the same way, it is
crucial to consider what you have to offer to diversify the school community.
Seriously think about your background, experiences, and how they enable you to
contribute diverse perspectives and ideas to the community.

Now that we’ve covered whether or not writing a law school diversity statement
is best for your application, we’ll go over a few tips on how to write a stellar
diversity statement.

Tip 1: Do Your Research

As with any supplemental essay or statement, you’ll want to do research on what
is required to write a successful one. While this article will leave you with less
guesswork on how to approach your diversity statement, it’s essential that you
know what each school’s requirements are to write a successful statement.

This includes how each law school defines diversity and what they expect in terms
of statement length and formatting. For instance, Harvard and Yale law diversity
statement prompts are vague, stating that you write about how you are able to
contribute to their community based on your breadth of experience.

In contrast, some law schools like Duke provide a more detailed set of sample topics
to guide your writing which includes the following:

• Bias
• Prejudice
• Economic disadvantage
• Personal adversity or other social hardship (perhaps stemming from one’s
religious affiliation, disability, race, ethnicity, national origin, age, gender, sexual
orientation, or gender identity)

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 • Experiences as a first-generation college student
• Significant employment history (such as in business, military or law
enforcement, or public service)
• Experience as an immigrant or refugee
• Graduate study; or impressive leadership achievement (including college or
community service).

While some schools may look at diversity as socio-cultural (things like race,
ethnicity, gender identity, and sexual identity), some schools may also consider
factors like age, career shifts, and socio-economic status, among others, so make
sure you know what each school expects.

Tip 2: Find a Good Topic

Once you have reviewed the prompts and guidelines for each law school diversity
statement, it’s time to find a topic. You’ll want to write about something memorable
and impactful. All law schools look for a common factor: your ability to contribute
diverse perspectives to the school community.

With this said, use your background and life experiences to guide your writing.
Although these things can often feel vulnerable and challenging to write about,
whatever topic you choose should come naturally to you–but more on this later!

Tip 3: Approach Your Experience From a Place of Empowerment

Many experiences highlighting diversity often go hand in hand with some hardship,
challenge, or adversity. As you write your diversity statement, write from a place of
empowerment.

Regardless of what experience you choose to write about, center your statement
around how you persevere against all odds. Talk about what you learned and how
that impacted and expanded your perspectives.

Tip 4: Know How to Start and End Your Statement

An essential aspect of any essay or statement is having a strong beginning and end.
Your law school diversity statement should catch your reader’s attention, keeping
them interested up until the very end.

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Once you’ve chosen your topic, there are many ways you can start a strong essay
and finish it off with a bang. To do this effectively, you’ll want to draft a strong
trajectory for your diversity statement. See your law school diversity statement as
your hero’s journey, and tell your story.

Diversity Statement for Law

School Example

Now that we’ve gone over some tips on writing your law school diversity statement,
we’ll be looking at a successful law school diversity statement example and
breaking down what makes it a great one. The statement we’ll be looking at below
was written by Madeline Baker, a student from the California Western School of Law.

A Strong Start
Baker’s diversity statement starts strong as she dives straight into her story.

“I was adopted when I was less than one year old from the North Gyeongsang
Province in South Korea. I grew up in Seattle, Washington, with Caucasian parents
and attended private school until college. American culture was inescapably my
sole identity. Traditional American pastimes such as attending baseball games and
eating hot dogs were staples of my childhood. However, as I’ve accumulated more
life experience, I’ve come to acquire a taste for cultures dissimilar to my own. I’m
a fanatic for spicy, flavorful foods and have become eager to understand social
traditions that seem foreign to me. Although many people assume at first glance
that I am accustomed to Korean culture and am fluent in the language, the comical
truth is that I’ve never even had Korean barbeque. Unlike most of my friends and
peers, I have also never met my birth mother. Having never experienced these
traditions seemed normal to me until I noticed the pattern of assumptions that my
outwardly Asian appearance dictated.”

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Why This Is a Strong Start
She immediately highlights the conflicts she’s experienced between her racial and
ethnic background and her cultural upbringing. This provides a strong base for the
story she’s about to tell and keeps it straight to the point, as you know what she’ll
be talking about right off the bat.

While this is only one of many great ways to start your statement, remember that
your goal is to captivate your reader’s interest so they keep reading. Don’t meander
too much here, and make every sentence count!

Character Development and Growth

As she continues to write, Baker discusses how she has grown in relation to a
fragmented identity–one of which is based on her appearance and the other based
on her cultural upbringing.

“As I’ve grown older, I have encountered more and more of a racial and cultural
disconnect in my daily life. When I was a child, the fact that I had different-shaped
eyes and a richer skin tone than most other children in my class was never
questioned, nor was the fact that I didn’t resemble my parents. Now, as an adult,
I’ve become accustomed to looks of shock and interest when I share my life story—
as if I were some type of exotic specimen.”

Why This Body Paragraph Is Successful

Discussing how your experiences have evolved and impacted you over time can provide
more insight into your story. This will ultimately make a stronger essay as it provides a
clear trajectory that seamlessly leads your reader from one point to the next.

A Diverse Perspective
The meat of your statement should be providing information on formative moments
throughout your experience. Baker talks about going to a camp for Korean children
adopted into Caucasian families in hopes of getting in touch with their Korean roots.

“...attending camp for one week per year for eight years of my childhood was not
exactly organic cultural immersion, which created a skewed view of my cultural
heritage. My view of my cultural heritage. My encounters with others puts into light
a new perspective for how quickly society and individuals jump to conclusions

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about people that they have never met. Although I have never felt discriminated
against, it is eye opening to relate how I feel in culturally relevant situations to how
others feel when they are treated differently for their skin color, their customs, and
their lifestyles. This is a predominant issue in current society that many people will
never have the opportunity to truly experience.”

Why This Body Paragraph Is Successful

These experiences contributed greatly to her perspective on culture and identity
and provided some commentary on how we are often exposed to different cultures.
When writing your law school diversity statement, it is essential that you consider
how your story presents a diverse point of view. Once you’ve figured that out, use it
as a focal point to drive your statement home.

Coming from a Place of Empowerment

Baker ends her statement with this:

“I have been given a rare opportunity that every single day I am thankful for. An
opportunity that many people will never have the chance to experience. I have
the opportunity to see society from many different perspectives, a viewpoint
I am constantly building on as I continue to blossom. I will continue developing
my perspective and use it in a positive way to contribute to society through its
justice system. Through my interest in criminal defense, I believe that I can help
our country appreciate the benefits of a diverse culture, which will ultimately help
non-predominant citizenry pursue their dreams. As a minority person with an
Americanized upbringing, I hope to bridge the gap between our country’s treatment
of minorities in the justice system and the desire to create a society where minority
citizens are encouraged to pursue their dreams—just as I am pursuing mine. We all
have a right to be seen as individuals and not boxed into the preconceived notions
of society. I will do all that I can to uphold this right for everyone.”

Why This Ending Is Successful

She speaks about her experience from a place of empowerment by stating how it has
shaped her to be the person she is and how these interactions with her identity have
driven her to pursue a career in law. While these experiences can be easily seen as
negative ones, she reframes her own experiences as those of learning and growth.

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As you write your diversity statement, think about how you can approach your
experiences from the vantage point of growth. Ask yourself the following questions:

• How has this experience shaped me to be the person I am now?

• How have I grown and learned from my experiences?
• How have they impacted what I choose to do with my life?

These great questions that will ultimately highlight your strength, resilience, and
character as you write your law school diversity statement.

Law School Addenda: What You

Need to Know

Consider the law school addendum your saving grace if you have anything on your
application that might make the admissions team raise their eyebrows.

The addendum is designed to close any gaps in your application so the admission
committee doesn’t make wrongful assumptions about you or your candidacy. When
reviewing your application, you don’t want the admissions team to question your
character, integrity, or intelligence.

If there is anything that could make you look like a less-than-ideal candidate, you’ll
want to write a law school addendum to explain the circumstances. But remember,
this is an explanation letter—not an excuse.

When to Write a Law School Addendum

You should only write a law school addendum if you have to. As we mentioned, it
is meant to explain anything on your application that could make you seem like an
unfit candidate. Read on to find out the most common reasons students write law
school addendums.

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Low GPA
GPA and class marks are solid numbers law schools use to assess your academic
performance and compare you to other students. If you have a GPA that is
significantly lower than average or you failed some courses, you’ll probably want to
write an addendum.

Whether it be a family emergency that took up a lot of your time, a full-time job you
needed to support yourself, or other personal difficulties, you can use a law school
addendum to explain your low grades.

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Low LSAT Scores
You should only use an addendum to explain low LSAT scores if they were affected
by extraneous circumstances, if English is not your first language, or if you have
large score discrepancies.

Even if you significantly increase your LSAT score by 6-10 points, some law schools
will ask you to use an addendum to explain why.

A Criminal Record
Whatever your criminal record may be, even if it’s just a traffic violation, you should
write an addendum to explain yourself. Lawyers are meant to enforce the law, so
having a criminal record may make you seem unfit to do so.

Keep in mind that you should only explain what is on your record in your
addendum. Adding details or crimes that aren’t on your record will create more
questions than answers.

Academic Misconduct
Whether you were put on academic probation, caught for plagiarism, or expelled
from a school, you’ll definitely want to explain why through a law school addendum.
Law schools want to know they’re accepting students who will uphold their values
and act with academic integrity.

When Not to Write a Law School Addendum

If you did significantly worse in your first year of college but improved in the
subsequent years, you do not have to write an addendum. It is clear you were able to
get the marks you needed, and the majority of college students have this experience.

Another reason not to write an addendum is if your scores are just below your
school’s requirements. If you are only a few points off on the LSAT, this does not
warrant an explanation. Law schools consider your entire application, so slightly
lower-than-average scores aren’t necessarily red flags.

If you’ve written about a circumstance in your personal statement and have

described why it caused you to perform worse than expected, you don’t have to
repeat yourself in your addendum.

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Regardless of the reason, you should not write an addendum if you don’t have an
appropriate explanation for what happened. If you scored low on your LSAT simply
because you didn’t take the time to prepare and refused to retake it, you shouldn’t
write an addendum. In this case, it’s actually better to say nothing.

How to Write a Law School Addendum

It is important to remember that this addendum is not like your personal statement.
You aren’t trying to evoke any emotion or present an argument. You also don’t want
this addendum to be a pity party!

You should stick to the facts and be concise. Take responsibility for your actions,
explain why they happened, and prove they won’t happen again (if applicable). You
should also make it clear that the situation will not cause any issues in your legal
studies and that you have grown since.

To make writing this addendum simple, here is a list of dos and don’ts detailing how
to write a law school addendum:

Dos Don’ts

Keep it simple and concise Give lengthy explanations

Use strong, positive language Use flowery, emotive language

Keep your addendum about one- Make it longer than one page
page long

Stick to a three-paragraph format Write multiple short paragraphs or one

long paragraph

Show how you grew from the Only explain past circumstances without
experience mention of how it relates to who you are
now and who you’ll be

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 Dos Don’ts

Try to convince the admissions Try to evoke pity from the admissions
committee the situation is not committee
representative of you as a person
and who you’ll be as a law student
and lawyer

Watch out for spelling and Submit your addendum without editing it
grammar errors

Tips for writing a successful addendum

(source: https://www.usnews.com/education/blogs)

Knowing what to include and what not to include in your law school addendum
will help you write a good one. Understanding the appropriate structure of your
addendum is also crucial. To make the process as easy as possible, you can follow a
simple three-part process to ensure your addendum flows well:

Part 1: The Incident

In your introduction, you want to briefly explain what you’ll address in your
addendum (low GPA, low LSAT, criminal record, academic misconduct, etc.) and
what happened.

Part 2: The Explanation

Then, you’ll want to explain the circumstances of the incident and take
responsibility for it.

Part 3: The Growth

You’ll want to end your essay positively and prove how you’ve grown from the
incident, become a better person since, and assure the committee the incident will
never happen again.

By following this three-part structure, your addendum will be easy to read

and follow. It will flow logically, and the admissions committee will have all the
information they need to decide whether to pardon the incident.

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Remember that the admissions committee will also be reading your personal
statement, resume, diversity statement, and any other supplemental essays
you have to write for your application. Accordingly, you don’t want to repeat any
information that is in any of these other parts of your application, and you want to
keep your writing concise.

Stick to what’s relevant and focus the majority of your attention on getting your
thoughts out clearly to prove that you are still a worthy candidate.

Law School Addendum Example

If you’re a visual learner, here’s a sample law school addendum by Brigham Young
University’s law school.

“I would like to make the Admissions Committee aware of the circumstances

surrounding my grades.

I came to BYU in the fall of 2020 and maintained a GPA of 3.7 or above. In winter
semester of 2021, I received a GPA of 2.1. My mother was diagnosed with cancer
that semester, and I made several trips home to support her in her illness. In
retrospect, I probably should have withdrawn from school, but at the beginning of
the semester, I did not understand how much time and effort it would take to help
her through this difficult time.

Since that semester, I have maintained a GPA of 3.7 or above. I hope you will take
this information into account when you evaluate my application. Thank you for your
time and consideration.”

As you can see, this addendum is extremely short, stays on topic, and follows the
three-part process:

• Young received a 2.1 GPA in the winter semester of 2021

• Her mother was diagnosed with cancer and had to make several time-
consuming trips to support her

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 • She knows she should have withdrawn from school but has since maintained
a 3.7 GPA and above

Your addendum can be this simple or more detailed, depending on your

circumstances and the growth you’d like the committee to be aware of.

Law School Interviews:

On Overview

While not every law school offers interviews, being invited to one is exciting!
Interviews are important because they:

Law school interviews are important because they:

• Show law schools insight into your character: These interviews are a great
place to show off soft skills like active listening, communication skills, and
passion for the legal field.
• Help you get accepted: If you ace the interview, maintain your
professionalism, and show your passion and fit, it can help you reaffirm you’re
the right candidate for the program.
• Provide an opportunity for you to learn more about the school or
program: While applicants are typically the ones doing the most talking,
it’s also an excellent opportunity for them to ask the interviewer thoughtful
questions that demonstrates their interest and intelligence.

Law school interview formats can be virtual, in-person, pre-recorded, or conducted

in a group where you’ll be interviewed with at least one other applicant.

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Law School Interview Questions

Here are some examples of questions you may be asked during your law school
interview:

Education Questions
• Why did you choose your undergraduate major?
• Why did you choose X school?
• What was one of your greatest undergraduate achievements/defining
experiences?
• How did you like your undergraduate experience?
• What was your favorite class and why?

Personality/Character Questions
• What are your greatest strengths and weaknesses?
• What about yourself would you like the interviewers to know?
• What are three things you want to change about yourself?
• Tell me more about yourself.
• How would your friends describe you?
• What do you do for fun?
• If you had to pick one quality to define yourself, what would it be?
• Is anyone in your family a lawyer?

School-Specific Questions
• Why this school?
• Why should we accept you?
• What specific aspect of our program caught your attention?
• What would you bring to the incoming class?

Motivation Questions
• Why do you want to become a lawyer?
• Is there a particular area of law you’re interested in?
• Beyond your main focus, what other areas of law are you interested in?

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 • Where do you see your career going after you graduate from law school?
• What would you do if you weren’t accepted to law school this year?
• What qualities do you look for in a law school?
• What do you wish to accomplish as a lawyer?

Law-Related Questions
• What are the qualities of a good lawyer?
• Is there a famous lawyer that you admire? Why?
• Is there a famous lawyer that you disagree with? Why?
• Why would you make a good lawyer?
• What’s one thing that intimidates you about law school?
• Is there any crime that you would have trouble defending?

“Tell Me About…” Questions

• Tell me about yourself.
• Tell me about something that is not on your resume.
• Tell me about a recent supreme court case you disagreed with and why.
• Tell me about a book that has influenced the way you think
• Tell me about a time you overcame an obstacle.
• Tell me about a time you showcased leadership.
• Tell me about a time you solved a conflict with a classmate or colleague.
• Tell me about a time you successfully worked as part of a team.
• Tell me about a time you faced a moral dilemma and how you solved it.

Of course, these are just examples of questions you may be asked. There’s no way
to know for sure what your interviewer will ask you, but you should be prepared to
discuss your past, your motivation for becoming a lawyer, why you want to attend a
specific program, and what you want to do with your future.

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Questions to Ask Law School
Admissions Officers

There are a few important things to keep in mind when coming up with questions to
ask admissions officers.

Firstly, keep your questions positive and open-ended. Positive, open-ended

questions not only show that you are genuinely looking forward to potentially
attending the school, but allow officers to give you more information about the
question you are asking.

Secondly, ask questions that demonstrate serious intent to attend the school. The
application and admissions process takes a lot of time for schools, and they don’t
want to waste time on anyone who doesn’t seem that interested in attending.

Additionally, there will be hundreds of other applicants that will show they want to
attend the school. Make sure you show off your genuine interest as well! Here is a
list of good questions to ask law school admissions officers:

1. What Are You Looking for in an Applicant?

This question tells the admissions team that you want to work to be a strong
applicant and want to work towards what they want to see in an applicant.
Why do they care that you’re interested in what they want to see? They will believe
that you are actually interested in attending this specific school and are not just
throwing your hat in wherever you can.

2. In What Ways Have Past Applicants Impressed You?

This is a good question because it demonstrates that you are interested in
impressing the admissions committee and are actively trying your best to get
accepted. This question can piggyback off the first question, as it shows you are
taking your application one step further.

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3. What Is the Process of Applying to Clinics and Internships?
Again, this question is open-ended, allowing admissions officers to potentially
provide you with useful information. The question also shows that you are actually
interested in attending the school. Internships and clinics are huge deals for law
students and offer great work experience.

Asking about applying to clinics and internships also shows that you are dedicated
to building your resume and experience, as well as participating in the resources the
school offers.

4. What Is Campus Culture Like?

Asking about campus culture is another great question because it demonstrates
your interest in attending and interacting with the school’s community. Admissions
officers will be looking for applicants who will be active members of the community
and activities.

5. What Is Your Favourite Part About Working for This School?

This is a fun question to ask the admissions officers. Asking what their favorite part
of working at the school also indicates you are interested in attending the school
and want to hear what people love about it!

Admissions officers probably don’t get asked questions like this often, whichmight
also help you stand out during the interview.

Law School Waitlists and Letters

of Continued Interest

A law school waitlist is a pool of applicants that are neither rejected nor accepted
for admission. Students’ applications are put on hold, with an official confirmation
set later when the school may or may not accept them.

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Schools have waitlists to be able to fill their classes in the event that some of the
students they accept don’t matriculate. Schools tend to admit students they think
are most likely to accept their offers, but a waitlist is a bit of a safeguard to ensure
the class is full come the beginning of the next cycle.

If you’ve been waitlisted by your dream school, this is an excellent time to start drafting
your letter of continued interest! A law school letter of continued interest intends to
demonstrate your interest in attending a law school that has deferred or waitlisted
you. Using this letter, applicants can restate their interest, update their application, and
convince the admissions committee they’re still competitive candidates.

By the time you have to write a letter of continued interest, you would’ve already
written your personal statement and any other supplementary essays required by
your selected law schools. Much like these other essays, your letter of continued
interest can help you stand out as an applicant and humanize your application.

You should write a letter of continued interest for law schools you were
waitlisted or deferred by that you’re still interested in attending. If you have new
accomplishments that you’d like the admissions team to know about, you should
definitely write a LOCI.

Some accomplishments might include:

• A new academic achievement

• A higher LSAT or GRE score
• A new relevant job/volunteer experience
• A promotion
• A new publication
• A new award/honor

If you feel as though you weren’t able to express your genuine interest and passion
for law in the other components of your application, you should write a LOCI as your
final chance to express your interest.

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How to Write a Letter of
Continued Interest + Example

Now that you know what a letter of continued interest for law school is and when
to write one, it’s essential to know how to write one to maximize your chances of
gaining admission to law school. To make the process as simple as possible, you can
follow this step-by-step guide when writing your LOCI.

Step 1: Show Your Gratitude

Since the LOCI is purely for your own benefit and can help you get off the
waitlist, it’s important you thank the admissions team for taking the time to
consider your application.

There is no need to make this opening long or complicated; a simple thank you for
considering my application is all that is required to express your gratitude.

Step 2: Reiterate Your Current Status

Whether you were waitlisted or deferred, you should mention this at the beginning
of your letter.

Step 3: Express Your Interest

The admissions committee wants to know you are committed to their school. You
should mention that the school you’re writing to is your top choice and explain why.
Do your research and ensure you mention the programs, extracurriculars, or mission
statements specific to your desired law school.

You don’t want the committee to think you are sending out the same copied and
pasted letter of continued interest to every law school that waitlisted you, so be
specific when expressing your interest in each law school.

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Step 4: Provide Any Updates
Once you’ve explained your interest in attending the law school you are writing to,
demonstrate why you’d be a good fit by providing any impressive updates to your
application. This should be the longest part of your letter as it’s the part most likely
to get you off the waitlist.

Do your best not to exaggerate your accomplishments or only focus on what you’ve
achieved. You should spend equal time linking these accomplishments to the law
school(s) you applied to and how your accomplishments make you the best candidate.

How to Format Your Letter of Continued Interest

While it may seem like you need to include several components to your letter of
continued interest for law school, your letter should not exceed one page and
should be written in 11 or 12-point font.

What Not to Include in Your Letter of Continued Interest

While writing a letter of continued interest for law school can increase your chances
of getting off the waitlist, it can also increase your chances of being rejected if you
include the wrong information.

To prevent this, you should avoid the following on your LOCI:

Don’t Repeat Information

You should only be updating your application with new and relevant information
through your LOCI. Don’t repeat information you submitted months ago when you
first applied to law school.

For instance, don’t reiterate your LSAT score if it has remained the same. The
admissions committee already has this information on hand.

Similarly, if you’ve already detailed your most recent job on your resume or personal
statement, don’t repeat it unless you’ve been promoted. The committee already
knew about this job when they made their decision to waitlist you, so it likely won’t
have a different effect now.

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Don’t Question the Committee
You shouldn’t be using your LOCI to question the admissions team for putting you on
the waitlist in the first place—you won’t get an answer. You want to completely avoid
trying to convince the committee your original application should’ve been accepted.
It wasn’t for whatever reason, so you’ll need to show your application has improved.

Don’t ask for criticism or feedback on your application to know where you went
wrong. Prove you’ve improved as a candidate since you applied and demonstrate
how you’d be the perfect fit for the law school you’re writing to.

Don’t Write a Resume

Even if you’ve somehow managed to acquire 100 new accomplishments between
the time of your initial application and your LOCI, the admissions team isn’t
interested in reading another resume.

Do your best to focus on the most relevant accomplishments that you can directly
relate to your law aspirations. As always, prioritize quality over quantity.

One or two accomplishments you can adequately describe and relate to your
candidacy are more likely to get you into law school than simply listing various
accomplishments without substantiating them.

Don’t Resort to Tricks

A surefire way to turn the admissions committee away from your application is to
try using reverse psychology by mentioning the numerous other options and offers
you have. Law schools want to know how passionate you are about their law school
and that they’re your number one choice.

You don’t need to mention how many other law schools want you to prove you’re a
desirable candidate. Your accomplishments and sincerity should speak for themselves!

Don’t Make Broad Statements

While you want to mention particular aspects of the law school you’re interested in,
you want to specify what those aspects mean to you.

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For instance, if your school lists diversity as a significant commitment, rather than
just saying you appreciate this commitment, you can offer some insight into how
you’re a diverse applicant yourself and how this commitment relates to you.

Don’t Wait Too Long

Depending on when you’re able to submit your LOCI, you’ll want to do it as soon as
possible, preferably within a few weeks of being notified about your position on the
waitlist. You want to show you’re eager to prove your candidacy and gain admission
to your desired law school.

Letter of Continued Interest Example

To ensure you know how to write a letter of continued interest for law school, let’s
break down a sample to help you get started.

“NAME
ADDRESS
LSAC#: LXXXXXX
February 14, 2019
New York University School of Law
40 Washington Square South New York, NY 10012

To the Admissions Committee of New York University School of Law:

I am writing to you to reiterate my strong desire to attend NYU School of Law. I

believe that in addition to being an elite institution, the programs available at the
law school align perfectly with my interest in Immigration law. The experiential
learning opportunities of the Immigrant Rights Clinic and the Immigrant Defense
Clinic both appeal to me, and would provide the opportunity to engage in direct
legal representation of immigrants, an opportunity that greatly excites me.
Gaining experience working with immigrants who would not usually be afforded
representation falls directly in line with my desired career path. In this way, NYU
offers unparalleled opportunities for the kind of work that I aim to pursue.

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I also want to take this opportunity to provide an update regarding my application.
Last semester, I earned a 4.0 which brought my overall GPA to 3.81. I also successfully
planned numerous events for the student organizations I lead. Most notably, I organized
an event for the Cuban American Student Association called “Una Noche en Havana”
where we shared Cuban culture and history while raising money for a service trip to
Jamaica, as well as coordinating a Paint Night with the council I lead in the Residence
Hall Association, which raised money for service trips to poor and marginalized areas
of the United States. Participating in these organizations has heightened my ability to
interact with diverse groups of people, often finding commonalities and seeking to find
understanding. At NYU, I would love to join organizations such as these, specifically the
Latinx Law Students Association, among others.

After receiving acceptances to the University of Chicago, Georgetown, and Duke,

I am still certain that I would attend NYU over any of those options. The programs
offered at the law school match extremely well with my interests, and I believe
that it would be a great fit. I am from New York, and it is where my family currently
resides. In addition, I plan to work in New York after law school. I would be honored
to take a place in the New York University School of Law class of 2022 and attend
next Fall if given the opportunity. Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely, NAME”

Remember to focus on how you’re improved your candidacy since applying!

Law School Scholarships

Let’s be frank; law school is expensive. A recent study by the American Bar
Association’s Young Lawyers Division found that most graduates finished their JD
with an average of $108,000 in debt.

While that’s an intimidating number, scholarships can help reduce student loans so
you can begin your career with as little debt as possible. Here are some law school
scholarships you can apply for to lessen the burden of tuition. Please note that the
availability and details of these scholarships are subject to change; always check
scholarship websites for the most up-to-date information.
www.juriseducation.com 86
General Law School Scholarships
Here is a list of general law scholarships open to all eligible law students.

Answering Legal Law Scholarship

If you are a law school applicant in good academic standing, then you should consider
applying for the Answering Legal Law Scholarship. Applicants must complete a 500 to
1000-word essay. Successful applicants will be awarded $5,000.

Rizio Lipinsky Law School Scholarship

Those who intend to pursue social justice and advocacy after they graduate should
think of applying to the Rizio Lipinsky Law School Scholarship. The scholarship
provides financial help to students who wish to advocate for their clients. To apply,
you must write a 1,000-word essay detailing how you plan to use your degree to
fight for justice. The successful applicant is awarded $5,000.

Attorney Ken Nugent Legal Scholarship

The Attorney Ken Nugent Legal Scholarship is open to any U.S. law school student
attending an accredited law school. To apply, you must write a 500-word essay
explaining why you are interested in pursuing law. The value of the scholarship is $5,000.

One Lawyer Can Change the World Scholarship

If you are entering your first year of law school, check out the One Lawyer Can
Change the World Scholarship. The application process includes submitting a 500-
word essay. The first-place winner is awarded $10,000, with the second-place
winner receiving $5,000.

Blanch Law Firm Scholarship

The Blanch Law Firm Scholarship is open to all students. Applicants are assigned a
topic in criminal justice that relates to state or federal legal issues and will write a
2,500-word article. The successful applicant will receive a $5,000 cash award.

DDRB Lawyers Legal Scholarship

The DDRB Lawyers Legal Scholarship is dedicated to helping students attending an
accredited law school with their tuition costs. Applicants must be admitted or have
an acceptance letter from an accredited school to be considered. The scholarship
is worth $1,500.

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The Law Office of George J. Skuros Justice in Family Law Scholarship
The Law Office of George J. Skuros Justice in Family Law Scholarship is awarded to
a student who demonstrates a desire to make positive changes in family law and
policy. The award is worth $1,000.

Sugarman Law School Scholarship

The Sugarman Law School Scholarship is available to two students enrolled in an
accredited U.S. law school. The application process requires writing a short 350–500-
word essay. The successful applicant will each receive $1,250 to help with their tuition.

Ottinger Employment Lawyer Scholarship

The Ottinger Employment Lawyer Scholarship is awarded to a student who is
pursuing a law degree. Applicants must write a letter about why they are qualified
to receive the scholarship. The successful applicant will receive $1,500 to help with
tuition expenses.

Law School Scholarships for Women

There are lots of scholarships specifically available to underserved students. See
below for a list of law school scholarships for women.

Mike Eidson Law Student Scholarship

The Mike Eidon Law Student Scholarship is available for law students who identify
as women entering their third year of law school. To be considered, applicants must
complete the application found on their website. The scholarship has a value of $5,000.

Ms. JD Public Interest Scholarship

The Ms. JD Public Interest Scholarship is aimed at women pursuing careers in public
interest. Applicants should be entering their second or third year of law school. They
should be members of the Ms. JD online community and be planning to work 30
hours per week to complete their summer placement.

Empowering Women in Law Scholarship

The Empowering Women in Law Scholarship is worth $2,000 and is open to any woman
attending law school. Contact the Pearce Law Firm for more information on applying.

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LMJ Scholarship
The LMJ Scholarship is available to women in any accredited law school with good
academic standing. The scholarships are awarded in the amount of $10,000 to
multiple first-year students.

Sarita and Claire Wright Lucas Foundation Scholarship

The Sarita and Claire Wright Lucas Foundation Scholarship is available to
African-American women interested in becoming prosecutors. Applicants must
demonstrate a commitment to public service. The scholarship is worth $5,000.

Law School Scholarships for Diverse Students

There are various scholarships available to groups who have been underrepresented
in both the academic and professional world of law. Here are some of the
scholarships specifically for diverse students.

Marshall-Motley Scholars Program

The Marshall-Motley Scholars Program is a scholarship to support African-American
students interested in becoming civil rights lawyers. Contact the school directly for
more information.

LGBT Public Interest Scholarship Program

The LGBT Public Interest Scholarship Program scholarship is available to LGBT law
students or law students who will work closely with LGBT groups and individuals.
One or more scholarships of $5,000 will be awarded.

Applicants must attend an accredited law school, be in good academic standing,

and demonstrate a desire to work with public interest organizations.

Legal Opportunity Scholarship Fund

The Legal Opportunity Scholarship Fund aims to support and encourage racial and
ethnic minority individuals to attend and complete law school. The scholarship
awards $15,000 over three years to ten to twenty incoming law students.

National Native American Bar Association (NNABA) Foundation

Since 2015, the National Native American Bar Association has awarded scholarships
to students committed to serving Native American communities. Applicants must
fill out the application form to be considered.

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Earl Warren Scholarship
Named after the 14th Chief Justice of the United States, the Earl Warren scholarship
is available to law students committed to achieving racial justice. The scholarship
awards are $15,000 per year for three years, totaling $45,000.

Bridging the Dream Scholarship Program for Graduate Students

The Bridging the Dream Scholarship Program is awarded to graduate students
from underserved communities facing financial hardships. The award of $10,000
will help students pay for tuition and other expenses. Successful applicants must
demonstrate good moral character and strong leadership capabilities.

Disabled Students Scholarship

For students who have physical or mental disabilities, the Disabled Students
Scholarship is available for financial assistance of $1,000. To be considered,
applicants must be U.S. citizens and provide proof of their disability.

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How to Find The Best Law
School Scholarship for You

Law school scholarships can be hard to find, and it can be hard to figure out where
to begin. Doing a thorough search on Google is the best way to find financial aid and
scholarships for law school.

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There are various types of scholarships, including awards based on:

• Athletics
• Academics
• Community Service
• Essays

Starting with umbrella labels for scholarships can be an effective way to find
scholarships you would be a great candidate for. Think of sports involvement,
community service, and/or academic excellence when you begin your search.

You may want to consider doing relevant work experience for law schools to
increase your opportunities and strengthen scholarship applications.

When searching, try to start as specifically as you can. If you identify as a member
of an underserved group, you can start there. For example, “law school scholarships
for women in the United States” will narrow the search results and make surveying
potential scholarship options less overwhelming.

Once you have a good handle on the awards available for your specific
demographic, you can do a broader search and apply to general scholarships open
to all students.

Keep in mind that local and regional law firms may also offer scholarships for
students. It’s not a bad idea to get in contact with law firms in your area to inquire
about their opportunities for financial aid.

Don’t shy away from broadening your search to outside your area as well! Many
law firms across the country will offer scholarships to students studying law at any
accredited law school, even if you live outside of the state.

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Law School Admissions FAQs

Still have questions about the law school admissions process? Then check out
these FAQs!

1. When Is the Best Time to Submit My Law School Application?

Since most law schools accept students on a rolling basis until a set deadline, it’s
best to submit your application early in the cycle (without sacrificing quality). We
recommend submitting your applications before the end of December.

2. When Should I Take the LSAT?

You can take the LSAT in the spring of your junior year or the summer before or fall
of your senior year.

3. Can I Take the GRE Instead of the LSAT?

You don’t have to take the GRE if you take the LSAT; if you want to apply to only law
schools accepting the GRE, you can take it instead if you wish. However, many law
schools don’t accept the GRE! We recommend identifying the schools you think
you’ll want to apply to before deciding to take the GRE.

4. What Factors Should I Consider When Building My Law School List?

There are many factors you must consider while building your law school list. Here
are some questions you can ask yourself to identify your best-fit schools:

• Do I have any location preferences?

• What is my budget?
• What is the curriculum like?
• How do my GPA and LSAT scores compare to admitted students?
• Do I prefer smaller classes/campuses or larger classes/campuses?
• What law specialization am I currently leaning toward?
• Are there any special programs I’m interested in that only a few schools offer?

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 • Are there other offerings I’m looking for in my law school experience (clubs,
organizations, research opportunities, study-abroad opportunities, etc.)?

Answering these questions can help you determine what’s most important to you.

5. How Do I Ensure My Law School List Is Varied?

Ensuring your school list has a mix of safety, target, and reach schools is paramount
to your success; this makes a school list balanced. It’s best to apply to schools
where your LSAT scores and GPA are:

• Higher than the average admitted student (safety school)

• On par or slightly higher than the average admitted student (target)
• Lower than that of the average admitted student, or if the school is
historically difficult to get into (reach schools)

However, you still want to pick schools in all categories that you’d be thrilled to attend!

6. Do I Need Work Experience to Go to Law School?

No, you do not specifically need law experience to get into law school. Many law
students have no experience in law but have significant experience in other fields
that they can prove are relevant to law. If you don’t have much work experience, it’s
best to showcase your extracurriculars and community service commitments.

7. What Is a CAS Report?

The Credential Assembly Service (CAS) sends your transcripts, letters of
recommendation, and other documents to law schools when you send them (one
time) to LSAC.

8. Who Should I Ask for Letters of Recommendation?

LSAC states that the best letters of recommendation are written by professors and
work supervisors who know you well enough to comment on your potential and
share your academic, personal, and professional achievements. Some of the best
sources for your law school recommendations include:

• Individuals who you’ve formed deep relationships with and who know you well
• A professor or other individual who has academically evaluated you,

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 especially in one of your upper-division undergraduate classes
• Your work supervisor
• Anyone who has supervised you in other activities such as volunteer,
internship, or research experiences

9. How Important Is My Law School Personal Statement?

Your law school personal statement is one of the most important pieces of your
application. Your personal statement helps admissions committees learn more
about your personality and character beyond what they could learn from your test
scores, academic performance, and experiences.

10. Should I Write Optional Law School Essays?

If writing an optional essay would add more depth and differentiation to your
application, we suggest writing them. It’s typically in your best interest to write
optional essays. However, if you’ve already covered similar content in your personal
statement or the topics don’t resonate with you and your experiences, it may be
best to skip them.

11. What’s the Best Way to Prepare for a Law School Interview?
The ultimate way to prepare for any law school interview is to participate in mock
interviews with an experienced admissions consultant. Admissions consultants can
help you determine how you can level up your interview skills, and the experience
will help you get the practice you need to build your confidence.

12. What Should I Do If I Get Waitlisted By My Dream School?

If you’ve been waitlisted by your dream school, this is an excellent time to start
drafting your letter of continued interest! A law school letter of continued interest
intends to demonstrate your interest in attending a law school that has waitlisted you.

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Get Into Law School With Juris
Education

Understanding the law school admissions process and how you can strategically
position yourself as the best applicant is crucial to your success. We love seeing
high-achieving applicants like yourself reach for the stars!

Now, you should have a much better understanding of how you can show off your
best qualities and get accepted at your dream school!

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Law schools are generally selective; a polished application
always boosts your chances of acceptance. If you’re
wondering if your application aligns with what top law
schools expect or if you’re unsure where to start, our
knowledgeable admissions counselors are here for you.
Book a free consultation with us today to learn more!

Book My Free Consultation