How long should you spend on law school personal statement?

Asked by: Willis Littel  |  Last update: November 10, 2025
Score: 4.6/5 (33 votes)

Law school applicants should plan to spend time brainstorming their topic, developing outlines, writing, proofreading, and revising their personal statements before submitting them. It can take law school applicants 2-4 weeks to write a good personal statement.

Is a personal statement 500 words for law school?

How Long Should a Personal Statement Be for Law School? Admissions committees have to read thousands of personal statements per application cycle. To ensure the committee can do so in a timely manner, personal statements are typically limited to around 500-750 words.

Is a 3 page personal statement too long?

How long is a personal statement? Generally, your personal statement should be a 2-3 page statement with double spacing, 1-inch margins, and a 12-point font.

How long should I spend on my personal statement?

No, you cannot write a personal statement in one day, especially if this includes proofreading and editing. As we mentioned, you should spend a minimum of 4-6 weeks and ideally longer to craft a memorable statement.

Is 800 words too long for a personal statement?

Generally, 500-600 words is the best choice for the personal statement word count. But it's crucial to pay attention to the requirements provided by the chosen university. If there are no specific instructions concerning the word count, I would aim for approximately 500-800 words.

[Law School Admissions] Are you making this mistake on your personal statement?

35 related questions found

How long should my personal statement be for law school?

Some schools set no limit for personal statements, but most suggest either 2–3 or 2–4 pages. Aim for two pages, double-spaced. Do not make the error of thinking that more is better. Law schools value the ability to persuasively convey information in a relatively short space.

Can you go over 500 words in a personal statement?

While going slightly over the limit by a few words is acceptable, we do ask that you adhere as closely as possible to the 500-750 word limit for your Personal Statement.

What not to write in a law school personal statement?

What Not To Write In Your Law School Personal Statements
  • Overused Quotes. Your first sentence has to hook your reader enough to urge them to continue reading. ...
  • Focusing On Someone Else's Success. ...
  • Vague Descriptions. ...
  • Focusing Too Much On Your Anecdote. ...
  • Humor.

Is 2 weeks enough to write a personal statement?

Ideally, you want to leave yourself plenty of time – a few weeks or even months – to plan and write your personal statement.

How short is too short for a personal statement?

How long should my Personal Statement be? The length of a personal statement varies depending on the university, but generally, the average length for an undergraduate application is between 400 and 600 words, around one side of A4 paper or a maximum of 47 lines.

How long is the Duke law personal statement?

Please limit your answer(s) to approximately 250-500 words per essay. What does the rule of law mean to you, and what special background or experience do you have that may help you contribute to its advancement or that underscores its importance to you personally?

What are the margins for a law school personal statement?

The basic format of a law school personal statement is a double-spaced essay with 1-inch margins. You should use a standard font in size 11 or 12, like Times New Roman, Calibri, Cambria, or Arial. You can also use standard Google fonts with a similar aesthetic, like Roboto.

Is a 3 page sop too long?

Keep the SOP brief and to the point, typically one to two pages, even if a word count is not specified.

What makes a strong law school personal statement?

Well-written personal statements should not only demonstrate that you are proficient in your use of the English language but should also demonstrate that you can be logical, persuasive, engaging, and concise. Second, at most law schools, the personal statement is a proxy for an interview.

How long is the Yale law school personal statement?

Personal Statements

Applicants often submit the personal statement they have prepared for other law school applications. Personal statements should be approximately two double-spaced pages, formatted in a professional 12-point font, and include your name, LSAC number, and "Personal Statement" in the header.

How long is the Harvard law statement of purpose?

Each Statement must be one to two pages in length, using double-spacing, one-inch margins, and a font size that is comfortable to read (no smaller than 11 point). We expect every applicant to use at least one full page for each Statement.

Is a 1000 word personal statement too long?

The typical length of a personal statement for graduate school applications is between 500 and 1,000 words.

Is 300 words too short for a personal statement?

Personal statements are generally 500-650 words. For example, the Common Application, which can be used to apply to more than 800 colleges, requires an essay ranging from 250-650 words. Similarly, the Coalition Application, which has 150 member schools, features an essay with a recommended length of 500-650 words.

What is the minimum length of a personal statement?

Personal statement – practicalities

4000 characters (not words, so includes spaces) or 47 lines of text, whichever comes first.

Should I tailor my personal statement to each law school?

Instead many law schools ask for additional, often optional, essays about why you are interested in the specific program. However, you can still subtly tailor your personal statement by focusing your “angle” on the strengths and values of the program.

Do law schools fact check personal statements?

Finally, this may go without saying, but don't stretch the truth (ahem) in your personal statement. We can tell. And we will check.

What are the don'ts of a personal statement?

Don't make unsupported claims. 'I am the best student you will see all year' doesn't go down too well, even if you think you can prove it! Don't copy someone else's UCAS personal statement or use something you have found on the internet.

What words should you not use in a personal statement?

Here are some words you should remove if they feature in your personal statement.
  • Passionate.
  • Team player.
  • Watching TV.
  • We.
  • Extensive.
  • Also.
  • Jokes and puns.
  • Expert.

What is the typical recommended length of a personal statement?

If no word limit is given, it's still best to aim for around 500 – 650 words, which works out to about two to three pages double-spaced. This length gives you ample space to paint a well-rounded picture of your experiences, achievements, and qualifications without overwhelming the reader.

How many pages are 650 words?

650 words creates 1.3 pages single-spaced or 2.6 pages double-spaced.