One reason law school require a personal statement from each applicant is because they are looking for candidates with clear, compelling motives for going to law school.  They hope to see motives genuine and strong enough to carry the candidate through law school and into a successful career.

You might think it would be easy to impress the committee with a  few noble-sounding phrases, but you should realize that an experienced reader can easily distinguish genuine motivation from rhetorical fluff. And law school admissions officers are very experienced readers. You can’t fool them, and you shouldn’t try.

What you should do is, first, clarify for yourself exactly why law school is the next right step in your life plan and second, show that to the committee in a compelling personal statement.  This article can help you with the first task.  An ASLLC editor can help you accomplish the second.

What’s Your Motive?

Experience has shown that law school candidates come in two different types, depending on their motives for going into law.

Focused-Interest Candidates: These applicants are going to law school because they have a very specific end goal. Perhaps  it is a particular job they want, like tax attorney or prosecutor. Maybe they are passionate about a particular cause such as improving immigration laws or sorting out campaign finance reform. Or maybe there is a specific clientele they want to serve such as children who are lost in the legal labyrinth. Whatever their personal end-goal is, focused-interest candidates need to show the committee (not just tell them) the particular passion that drives them into law.

Broad-Interest Candidates: Most law school applicants (roughly 80-90 percent) don’t have a specific goal that motivates them to go into the law. For these broad-interest candidates, identifying their motives can be a bit tricky.  If you think you may fall into this category, try answering the following questions to help you start sorting through your thoughts. Answer the questions honestly, thoroughly, in writing.  Short-cutting this stage of the process will only create more work for you later.

Questions: To what degree do the following statements reflect my own feelings about law school and legal work?

1-      “Law appeals to me because it represents a challenge”

2-      “Being a lawyer will allow me to achieve or maintain a certain lifestyle.”

3-      “As a lawyer I hope to find and devote myself to a worthwhile cause.”

4-      “I will never be completely at peace with myself until I have been through law school.”

5-      “The idea of engaging my law school classmates in rigorous intellectual debate excites me.”

6-      “I see law school as a way to refine my thinking and/or communication skills.”

7-      “What impresses me about attorneys is their confidence and bearing.”

8-      “ I see law school as a way to open doors and create career possibilities.”

9-      “I’m going to law school to meet someone’s expectations.” (i.e. my parents’, my spouse’s, my own)

10-   “I want to set an example for others by going to law school.”

11-   “In law I see the best application for my individual talents and interests”

Also ask yourself:

“What careers other than law have I seriously considered?”

“If I never went to law school, what would I likely do instead?”

Chances are, you’ll identify several other motives that apply to you. Try to find which one or two are most essential to your law school plans. Don’t worry whether your motives are the “right” ones or the “best” ones. There are no points awarded for having the noblest motives. What we’re really talking about is getting rigorously honest with yourself.  The sooner you do the work of sifting and weighing your own motivations, the easier if will be to

• decide whether law school really is an essential part of your life plan;
• identify which law school programs will best help you accomplish your goals;
• fully commit to a focused, personal plan for preparing for law school;
• write a compelling personal statement that will show the committee exactly why you belong in law school.

For more information on law school applications and personal statements, contact an ASLLC editor.