Personal Statement for a Law Student

The quality and contents of a personal statement for a law student can quite literally be the making or breaking of a student’s aspirations to become a practising lawyer, in the future. When it comes to looking for a career, there is no doubt that the legal profession is one of the hardest to break into. For this reason, recruiters have developed the concept of a personal statement for a law student to assist with the decision making process.

A personal statement for a law student can also be used by law schools when they are looking at prospective students. In either case, the factors that will be covered will be largely similar although, when applying for a job, this personal statement for a law student would need to be more tailored to the specific legal firm.

Essentially, therefore, regardless of whether the personal statement for a law student is made prior to or during law school, a personal statement for a law student can be seem as one of the most important documents that will be drafted during a student’s academic career.

What is a Personal Statement for a Law Student?

A personal statement for a law student, in its briefest form, is a sales pitch from a law student to a potential employer. Commonly, the potential employer will have set a question for the students. In most cases, this is very open-ended which enables students to show originality and innovation. Regardless of the way in which the question is phrased, the key points that need to be dealt with in any personal statement for a law student are what qualifications the individual has, what they are able to offer the law firm in question and why they specifically want to be a lawyer.

Even if the question does not seem to cover these issues, directly, every personal statement for a law student should ensure that these points are covered, concisely. Law students should also resist the temptation to send out the same personal statement to every firm. Showing true understanding of the firm and the areas of law that it deals with will gain vital interest in any personal statement for a law student. Telling a predominately commercial firm that you are looking to work in human rights will do little to assist your career, regardless of the overall quality of the personal statement for a law student!

Contents of a Personal Statement for a Law Student

As previously suggested, the personal statement for a law student is almost exclusively a selling opportunity. Word count is often restrictive and students will need to be concise in their writing. It is also very important to be fully aware of the specific audience reading the personal statement for a law student. Each reader should feel that the statement has been written specifically for them, whether the target of the personal statement for a law student is a prestigious law school or a top ranking law firm.

After the brief introduction which outlines why the personal statement for a law student is being written, i.e. what it hopes to achieve, the writer needs to go on to detail in an engaging manner the way that they fulfil the requirements of the firm or law school. Whenever a personal statement for a law student is received, the institution in question will generally spend no more than a few moments quick reading the contents. Therefore, it is vital to put the main points forward as quickly as possible. A personal statement for a law student is not the place to build up suspense!

Where the question set by the law school or firm requires additional expansion, this should be dealt within the body of the personal statement for a law student after the attention of the reader has been grabbed. Do not underestimate the importance of answering the question. As well as being a selling opportunity, a personal statement for a law student is also an opportunity to see just how well a student can write on a subject that is not chosen by them. Underestimating the importance of this section of the personal statement for a law student could be a deal breaker for the entire piece.

Hints and Tips for a Personal Statement for a Law Student

Writing a personal statement for a law student is not an easy task. What might impress one person could simply annoy another. Gauging the audience is, therefore, one of the most important factors. Take time to read about the organisation and to understand its values. Make sure that this understanding is reflected in your personal statement for a law student.

Don’t hide the negatives. Whilst it is important not to dwell on the negatives (e.g. a poor grade in one subject) in a personal statement for a law student, don’t ignore them. Anyone reading these statements will have already picked up on this point and dealing with it in a mature and concise manner will be a positive way of counteracting the negativity. Back up any point that you make, either positive or negative with examples. Make sure that throughout your personal statement for a law student the focus is on showing the reader what you have to offer and not simply telling them.

As word count is often deliberately tight in a personal statement for a law student, staying focussed and having a thorough plan of what should be said is vital. Do not digress and do not mention irrelevancies.

Always seek several opinions. No matter how adept the individual is at writing, a personal statement for a law student is very difficult to complete as the topic is the individual themselves. Getting a second, third and fourth opinion will ensure that the personal statement for a law student is both unbiased and truly reflective of the good points relating to the individual. Selling yourself is one of the hardest tasks, and obtaining help to do this effectively is vital, particularly when it comes to completing personal statements.

A personal statement for a law student really is make or break. Whether the statement is being used for entry to law school or to secure a qualified position after law school, the success of the statement will have a direct bearing on the individual’s future. Getting this personal statement for a law student right is arguably the singular most important thing any young law student will do, in the early part of their career.