Common Law School Admissions Essay Topics

Common Law School Admissions Essay Topics:

Why Law? | How Am I Qualified? | How Am I Unique? | Issue-Based Essays

Note: The below passages were not edited by EssayEdge Editors. They appear as they were initially reviewed by admissions officers.

How Am I Unique?

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After weighing academic performance, law schools are most interested in assembling a class of interesting people. In this sense, their criteria are broader than those used by business or medical schools, whose applicants face more clearly defined expectations. Unfortunately, law school applicants often find this freedom intimidating rather than encouraging.

Too often writers resort to a safe route, and it should be obvious why such an approach would prevent them from achieving the goal of uniqueness. The topic itself need not be revolutionary. Rather, the key to this and all other types of essays is simply to be specific and personal. Don't be afraid to give your readers a glimpse of who you really are.

This applicant describes his upbringing in the inner city as a way to offer insight into his current maturity: "I have a 19-year-old cousin who is an incarcerated gang member and an older cousin who has his own law firm. I know how to relate to and communicate with many different types of people, and I am interested not only in the possibility of pro bono work in my old neighborhood but also in legally serving a full spectrum of clients." He does not use his disadvantaged background as an excuse for anything, nor does he overstate its significance. Rather, he portrays his past honestly to show how it shaped his character and determination.

This applicant offers an in-depth account of a boot-camp experience: "I entered boot camp on June 18, 1989. That day, the Indian child who had chased cows and the American youth who had philosophized about physics died. It is written in the Bhagavad-Gita that in death, the body's attachment to materialism falls away from the soul like a worn garment. So did my delusions of grandeur slip from me." Note how his focus on a single experience can nevertheless convey a great deal about his character, because he has the space to offer concrete details. Depth is almost always preferable to breadth.

Finally, this applicant achieves uniqueness through his writing style. What makes the essay effective is not the specific topics with which he engages the reader, but the playful and inventive thought process he demonstrates: "This personal statement has been looming over me throughout this application process. I find myself unable to overcome the seeming impossibility of this exercise. How can I convey enough of myself in two pages? I act. I sing in the shower. I occasionally reread the collection of comic books I amassed during high school. I enjoy helping people, but I do it for myself. Lately Ive been dressing a little sharper. I play hockey whenever I can. And I question everything, often in the hopes of effecting a change."

The above examples are meant to show you the boundless ways in which you can offer a unique portrait. It's not necessary to have come from a very diverse background or accomplished something extraordinary. These essays are effective because they offer honest portrayals and are grounded in specific, personal details. Law, although mentioned, is not the focus of any of these essays. In your own essay, you should stay focused on the topic you choose and explore it fully, making a connection back to law only if that seems natural.