What is a statement of interest for law school?

Asked by: Marques Ruecker  |  Last update: December 18, 2023
Score: 4.9/5 (56 votes)

A quality personal statement—a short essay in which you articulate who you are and why you want to go to law school—allows an admissions officer to understand your motivation to attend law school, and the reasons why you want to attend their school, specifically.

How do you write an interest statement for law school?

The personal statement is your chance to REFLECT upon your life and show the law school admissions committee who you are as an INDIVIDUAL. Tell the Admissions staff something about yourself, your experiences and your life. Use vivid, descriptive prose with the intent to draw readers in and keep them interested.

What is a legal statement of interest?

Notably, the statement of interest allows you to frame your application in a nonacademic manner. You should strive to present a holistic view of who you are, why you are interested in the program, and why you would be a successful judicial intern. With that said, be sure to keep your statement of interest professional.

What do law schools look for in personal statements?

We want you to use the personal statement to show us that you have the skills needed to succeed in law school, beyond what your LSAT score or GPA can tell us. We're looking for things like a strong work ethic, motivation, and the determination to overcome obstacles.

What interests should I have for law school application?

Law school applicants should highlight law-related activities like mock trial, public speaking, political activism or assisting with research for a professor working in law or policy.

How to write a great Statement of Interest

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What makes you stand out in law school applications?

Extracurricular Involvement

Law schools want to admit motivated, energetic students who get involved and try to improve the campus—and world—around them. The admissions committee will be looking at your undergraduate extracurricular activities to get a sense of how involved you might be on their campus too.

Do law schools care about demonstrated interest?

Thus, law schools carefully consider applicants' backgrounds, perspectives and interests as expressed through their personal statements, diversity statements, resumes and other materials.

What not to say in law school personal statement?

Lofty, pretty words that come off as vague should not be included in your law school personal statement. Be specific and look for overly abstract phrasings. If you notice one, try to determine if it's necessary and if so work on clarifying the point you are trying to get across.

Can a good personal statement get you into law school?

Law school personal statements are important because they can turn what would have otherwise been a certain rejection into an offer of admission. They help admission committees get to know you in a way they couldn't from other pieces of your law school application.

How long do you spend on a personal statement for law school?

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.

What should a statement of Interest include?

Ideally, the statement will address (1) your interest in the field/industry/employer, (2) how the shadow will help your career exploration process, and (3) provide a general idea of your travel plan for the job shadow.

How do you start a statement of Interest?

Letter of interest format

Opening paragraph: Introduce yourself and explain why you're writing, focusing on your interest in the company. To capture the recruiter's interest, mention something company-specific to show you've done your research.

How should you write a statement of Interest?

Ideally, the statement will address (1) your interest in the field/industry/organization, (2) how the opportunity will help your career plans, and (3) demonstrate that you have a clear understanding of and specific interest in the organization or company.

Can I use the same personal statement for different law schools?

As you can see, while one draft reflecting on a particular interest or story could respond to most of these law school personal statement prompts, you cannot - and should not - submit the same essay for all law schools. Make sure your essay is geared toward answering the question each institution asks.

How do you brainstorm a personal statement for law school?

(2) Do you have any hobbies or unique talents? (3) What are some work experiences you've had? (4) What are some volunteer experiences you've had? Page 2 (5) What are your favorite books, movies, and/or authors? (6) Which relationships in your life are most important to you? (7) Name an individual(s) who inspires you.

Should you include interests on law school resume?

While it's not mandatory to include an Interests section, many employers note that this is a part of the resume they like seeing to help get to know a candidate. It is fairly common to include for private sector focused resumes — especially for BigLaw.

Should I put my name on my law school personal statement?

Your personal statement needs to include a header that has your name and your LSAC number. This will be crucial for admissions officers to identify your documents if they get mixed up.

Who should read my law school personal statement?

You should have a peer, professor, or admissions advisor read your essay. The core question to ask them to evaluate is, “Do you have a good sense of who I am and why I want to attend law school after reading this?” If the answer is no, revisions are necessary. For big changes, rewrite instead of editing.

What font should law school personal statement be?

Law School Personal Statement Format

Length: Two pages, though some universities will specify if they only want one. Word Count: 250-500 words at minimum. Spacing: Double or single spaced. Font: Times New Roman in 11-or 12-point font.

How much do law school personal statements matter?

The personal statement, one of the most important parts of your law school application, is an opportunity to highlight your writing ability, your personality, and your experience. Think of it as a written interview during which you get to choose the question.

What should you absolutely never do when writing your personal statement?

The ten biggest mistakes when writing your personal statement
  • Telling a story. ...
  • Repeating information already contained in your application. ...
  • Spending too long discussing personal issues. ...
  • Making simple grammatical errors. ...
  • Failing to demonstrate capability of university-level study. ...
  • Using clichés.

What words should you avoid in a personal statement?

Here are some words you should remove if they feature in your personal statement.
  • Passionate. Possibly the most overused word when it comes to personal statements. ...
  • Team player. You're a team player and can also work well individually? ...
  • Watching TV. ...
  • Extensive. ...
  • Also. ...
  • Jokes and puns. ...
  • Expert. ...
  • Overly long words.

What matters more LSAT or GPA?

Just how important the LSAT relative to other elements of your overall application package varies a little from school to school. However, generally, your LSAT score alone is thought to be anywhere from twice as important as your GPA to four to five times as important!

What GPA is good for law school?

Among the 191 ranked law schools that submitted grade data to U.S. News in an annual survey, the average median GPA of entering law school students in 2021 was 3.55. But at the 20 highest-ranked law schools, the average median GPA is much higher – 3.86.

Which GPA do law schools look at?

Some people do well in their major GPA but have a low overall GPA because they performed poorly in their required general education courses. Unfortunately, law schools largely care about your overall GPA.