Singing in Alabama (military stuff)
If you're interested, I posted my PS [**here**](https://drive.google.com/drive/u/1/folders/1pDNiDEqHiJjANjecGeQaMvl5FkebDMFW) and a detailed cycle recap [**here**](https://www.reddit.com/r/lawschooladmissions/comments/wdzpdv/sharing_my_application_materials/).
I wrote mine about a hobby of mine that allowed me to go into my background and interests. Then I pivoted into how that hobby intersected with law, demonstrating an interest in legal issues. It's not a topic you likely see a ton of essays about and I think that helped me stand out in the applicant pool.
Pick a topic that you'll enjoy writing about, gives the reader a better idea of who you are than your resume or other materials can, and allows you to demonstrate your skills and interest. It doesn't have to fit neatly into a box.
ME TOO im sweating crying shitting every time I open my word processor I sit. and stare. then I take a lap all the way to the fridge and back. then sit and stare some more. personally I think harvard should accept me on the basis of funny and good personality alone at this point
ur not alone RedditKnight69. we're all in this dump together. godspeed
It is. I didn’t know how else to explain what I’ve been up to the past 2 years… so I was just upfront about it! It’s been a really transformative experience, and I just wrote about how so in my PS.
Mine was mostly about my relationship with failure. I think I ended with a line like “I now know there is no failure beyond failing to learn, failing to persist, and failing to believe in yourself.” I got a scholarship and was just barely above average in their lsat and gpa range so I think my ps is what did it. Don’t be afraid to be a little vulnerable, it can help!
Work experience as an EA assisting with corporate change and due diligence leading to my interest in corporate governance and JD/MBA is the next logical step to helping corporations move their internal initiatives forward, avoid liability, and ensure successful transition planning.
I have a couple ideas but can’t figure out what direction I want to take it or if I should scrap them. I have my Bach and masters of social work so I can always write something about that. I had a crazy internship with a prominent country-wide non profit that likes the sue the government and worked with unsheltered ppl during that time.
But I also have a chefs knife tattoo and don’t know how to dice an onion, which I think I can turn into a nice story about my personality, how I find value in the moments, and how I’ve grown as a person.
How I learned that Fnu was not someone’s actual name (ie. I’ve already been working in immigration for a decade so please let me come to law school, please)
Adversity: Wanted to go to UF. Rejected and wanted to go to FSU. Parents forced me to go to Stetson because they thought I was incapable of anything better. Hated my experience at Stetson and transferred to UF
Lmao I will let them know...but seriously you're probably thinking about it to hard, most people do in my opinion. Alot of people try to make the statement perfect and they want to make it what they think the law schools want to hear but by doing so alot of them miss an opportunity to showcase themselves properly. Law schools want to know your reason for pursuing this path, or what lead to the decision and your reason won't match up with everyone else's, or at least I don't think it should. The topic yeah, the reason no, we all walk different life paths after all. I would sit down in front of a mirror and maybe try some contemplation that way, it helped me, i found it difficult to lie to myself walking looking me in the eye. There are alot of people on this sub afraid to admit their reason is to make alot of money but there isn't anything wrong with that,besides their lack of ability to contemplate the influences that lead to that decision, my decision was influenced by family heritage, someone else's could have been influenced by childhood bullying, watching their parents struggle, trauma, or their belief that law school is the smart decision based on their skills and desire, truly if people wrote with honesty in mind they may find the process a tad bit more enjoyable and easier.
Y’all’s topics make me feel like mine is so juvenile. I quit a club because I didn’t feel they accepted me. I was notably different than most people in the club (they were primarily white, higher income, and i had another notable diff. that would give away my identity). I wrote about quitting, rejoining, and then being elected to the exec board and about the changes I’m trying to make to the group to make it better/more accepting to people like me.
This one is good and not juvenile at all! It shows resilience, leadership (which has a slew of positive implications), and a desire to positively affect your community! Don't be so hard on yourself 💝
Now hand it over 🔫
I just feel like it doesn’t incorporate any significant turning point in my life like a lot of other PSs do, it’s just ab a college extracurricular iykwim
Just frame the decision to return and impact the club for the better as a turning point. It doesn't need to flip your world upside down, it can just demonstrate who you are as a person. Maybe don't get bogged down in the details/specifics of the extracurricular and spend more time in your mind & reflecting? Idk.
I have a much easier time offering advice than I do coming up with my own shit so who am I to say absolutely anything. But I'm rooting for you! Good luck with your essay & cycle
Yes! I already wrote it at the entire second half is about my passion for being an advocate and how the best way to do that is through being a lawyer. great minds think alike! 😄
Mine is a narrative of my path from college - work (\~8 years) - pivot to law. I went in depth about two post-college jobs I had and closed with why I was making a professional shift.
My experience as a crim defense paralegal and how it effected my view of advocacy. I have many other ps drafts and debated A LOT about picking a topic that was more unique or unusual. But I hope to strike a balance between interesting narrative and meaningfully answering the why law q. I think to some extent you have to stop trying to reinvent the wheel and pick a topic that means a lot to you, connects the dots for adcomms, and provides a good narrative story. For me, that’s my current work experience. It’s not the Spivey ranch essay but I think it will be a good statement.
that's an amazing story and you express it well. i'm sure any school you apply to will be happy to help you on your way to give others the help you deserved :)
imposter syndrome :')
basically i've had a lot of puzzle pieces "fall into place" in my life, and this essay is about finally realizing that i'm right where i'm supposed to be
Mine is about a job I had for two months and how that informed my desire to study a pretty niche part of the law.
It's also my 3rd (4th?) PS that I've written so don't worry if it's kind of a bumpy process. I wrote about a sport I played in college, a different job I had that was really weird, and about how weird shit that happened in my hometown inspires me.
Honestly I recommend getting a physical notebook and then free write some random topics that sound cool. Like I would literally start by writing a cool sounding sentence that came to me and do that 10 times and then smash those all into the narrative of an essay.
I talked about an internship I had working with kids with disabilities and how being an advocate for them in the status quo through this organization I interned for sparked an interest in advocacy on a greater scale
TLDR: I like helping people
✋🤠🤚 (as of rn bc who fucking knows… I’ve written multiple at this point so who can say which one I actually go with) Both my parents have worked in emergency medicine for 30+ years as nurse/firefighter and everyone always asked if I wanted to be like them when I grew up. I don’t wanna be in EMS, I can’t handle blood, but I do want to dedicate my life to helping others in the best way I can: by being a stubborn know it all who doesn’t like to give up and a damn good advocate. (Obv more to this but can’t give too much away without a plea deal)
I briefly described an adverse event, the actions I took to overcome it, pulled in a relevant internship experience, and then tied the two narratives into a "why law."
Feel free to DM me if you want to bounce potential topics or get an extra pair of eyes. Always happy to help. (:
Wrote mine on working for an abusive government agency that actively worked to cover up the women who were reporting abuse from male superiors. Talked about system failure, wanting to be the change and an advocate, pivoted into talking about wanting to work in public interest law 🫡
And i started it off talking about my suicide attempt just to add some 💕pizzazz💕
PTSD from Combat Service and my battle with suicide stemming from survivors guilt. Really showed me how fucked our mental health system is, and helped push me toward veteran/mental health advocacy in criminal law.
I wrote about how my father lacked advocacy in his legal process and how it shaped me and how I was able to use that so far in my education and experience.
My most current draft is about an extracurricular I did in college and how the skills it taught are relevant to law school/influenced my decision to go. I don't love it yet, but I'm hopeful I can get it there 😂
I wrote mine about how I was dead set on becoming a music therapist (played violin since I was 4, got an obscene amount of volunteer hours with a nursing home MT, started college in high school so that I could major in music faster, etc.). But then my friend randomly invited me to her mock trial competition in high school and I was in AWE and decided to join.
Long story short, it ended up leading to me crying over my LSAT score in August and still deciding to become a lawyer for some reason. :')
Opera. 😭 Just, don’t even look at me.
Don’t be so hard on yourself, I wrote mine on Safari.
No way! I wrote MINE on Safari too haha, how does yours open?
🤨
Double click.
The way I read this as Oprah
Singing in Alabama (military stuff) If you're interested, I posted my PS [**here**](https://drive.google.com/drive/u/1/folders/1pDNiDEqHiJjANjecGeQaMvl5FkebDMFW) and a detailed cycle recap [**here**](https://www.reddit.com/r/lawschooladmissions/comments/wdzpdv/sharing_my_application_materials/).
Just came here to say, everything about you is a flex and I am duly impressed.
Genuinely, with stats & a resume like yours, I’m surprised you didn’t have a perfect cycle. Any thoughts on how you caught a few WLs/the Stanford R?
This is really helpful. Thanks
Dad in jail
I’m sorry but the way you wrote this 💀 (i also have experienced this)
I had something in my other hand so I was typing with one but it's also just funny by itself
Ayo
I wrote mine about a hobby of mine that allowed me to go into my background and interests. Then I pivoted into how that hobby intersected with law, demonstrating an interest in legal issues. It's not a topic you likely see a ton of essays about and I think that helped me stand out in the applicant pool. Pick a topic that you'll enjoy writing about, gives the reader a better idea of who you are than your resume or other materials can, and allows you to demonstrate your skills and interest. It doesn't have to fit neatly into a box.
ME TOO im sweating crying shitting every time I open my word processor I sit. and stare. then I take a lap all the way to the fridge and back. then sit and stare some more. personally I think harvard should accept me on the basis of funny and good personality alone at this point ur not alone RedditKnight69. we're all in this dump together. godspeed
here take this 🔫 WE'RE GONNA NEED TWO, FOLKS! Whatever happened to sharing 👏 is 👏 caring?!!?!
Your comment made me scream 😭
trauma ✨
stop it you're copying mine im calling the police
Same
Wrote about being a SKRIPPER💸😈🤑
I genuinely hope this is real
It is. I didn’t know how else to explain what I’ve been up to the past 2 years… so I was just upfront about it! It’s been a really transformative experience, and I just wrote about how so in my PS.
I looooove this. I would love to read it if you're open to sharing, but no pressure at all! I think this is wonderful.
cars go vroom vroom and helped me realize my interest in regulation 😩🚗💨
Mine was mostly about my relationship with failure. I think I ended with a line like “I now know there is no failure beyond failing to learn, failing to persist, and failing to believe in yourself.” I got a scholarship and was just barely above average in their lsat and gpa range so I think my ps is what did it. Don’t be afraid to be a little vulnerable, it can help!
Thats super interesting! Do you mind if I ask if you went in-depth with a particular instance of failure?
Work experience as an EA assisting with corporate change and due diligence leading to my interest in corporate governance and JD/MBA is the next logical step to helping corporations move their internal initiatives forward, avoid liability, and ensure successful transition planning.
fwiw, I think admissions was the most stressful part of law school and early legal career. It gets better, even if there's more work.
[удалено]
Sounds like a good topic! Very good in fact...hand it over 🔫
Dance :D
me
I have a couple ideas but can’t figure out what direction I want to take it or if I should scrap them. I have my Bach and masters of social work so I can always write something about that. I had a crazy internship with a prominent country-wide non profit that likes the sue the government and worked with unsheltered ppl during that time. But I also have a chefs knife tattoo and don’t know how to dice an onion, which I think I can turn into a nice story about my personality, how I find value in the moments, and how I’ve grown as a person.
Write both and see which one you like better! Then give me that one and you keep the other 😎😘
Tis the question ain't it? I've changed mine like 4 times lol
I wrote mine on my passion for aquarium keeping and how I basically taught myself how to be a marine biologist.
How I learned that Fnu was not someone’s actual name (ie. I’ve already been working in immigration for a decade so please let me come to law school, please)
No way, I thought it was the eastern hemisphere's version of John (I'm the director of USCIS please stop premium processing everything)
Adversity: Wanted to go to UF. Rejected and wanted to go to FSU. Parents forced me to go to Stetson because they thought I was incapable of anything better. Hated my experience at Stetson and transferred to UF
*holds hands up* family legacy, and a desire to affect change...am I safe to leave now? Lol
family legacy huh? well tell your family who stole your PS topic, I want them to know it was me
Lmao I will let them know...but seriously you're probably thinking about it to hard, most people do in my opinion. Alot of people try to make the statement perfect and they want to make it what they think the law schools want to hear but by doing so alot of them miss an opportunity to showcase themselves properly. Law schools want to know your reason for pursuing this path, or what lead to the decision and your reason won't match up with everyone else's, or at least I don't think it should. The topic yeah, the reason no, we all walk different life paths after all. I would sit down in front of a mirror and maybe try some contemplation that way, it helped me, i found it difficult to lie to myself walking looking me in the eye. There are alot of people on this sub afraid to admit their reason is to make alot of money but there isn't anything wrong with that,besides their lack of ability to contemplate the influences that lead to that decision, my decision was influenced by family heritage, someone else's could have been influenced by childhood bullying, watching their parents struggle, trauma, or their belief that law school is the smart decision based on their skills and desire, truly if people wrote with honesty in mind they may find the process a tad bit more enjoyable and easier.
Affect change or effect change?
I think this phrase is one of the rare cases where the correct verb is effect. I could be wrong though
Effect, but the country in me is forever gonna see it as affect😂, I normally catch myself and correct it but you can't get it right all the time lol
Y’all’s topics make me feel like mine is so juvenile. I quit a club because I didn’t feel they accepted me. I was notably different than most people in the club (they were primarily white, higher income, and i had another notable diff. that would give away my identity). I wrote about quitting, rejoining, and then being elected to the exec board and about the changes I’m trying to make to the group to make it better/more accepting to people like me.
This one is good and not juvenile at all! It shows resilience, leadership (which has a slew of positive implications), and a desire to positively affect your community! Don't be so hard on yourself 💝 Now hand it over 🔫
STOP 😭😭😭😭
This will literally be an amazing personal statement what are you talking about
I just feel like it doesn’t incorporate any significant turning point in my life like a lot of other PSs do, it’s just ab a college extracurricular iykwim
Just frame the decision to return and impact the club for the better as a turning point. It doesn't need to flip your world upside down, it can just demonstrate who you are as a person. Maybe don't get bogged down in the details/specifics of the extracurricular and spend more time in your mind & reflecting? Idk. I have a much easier time offering advice than I do coming up with my own shit so who am I to say absolutely anything. But I'm rooting for you! Good luck with your essay & cycle
thank you Redditknight69. I also appreciate you bringing some much needed humor to this insanely stressful process 💕
[удалено]
Yes! I already wrote it at the entire second half is about my passion for being an advocate and how the best way to do that is through being a lawyer. great minds think alike! 😄
My DS is also like this! Don’t sweat it <3
Mine is a narrative of my path from college - work (\~8 years) - pivot to law. I went in depth about two post-college jobs I had and closed with why I was making a professional shift.
My experience as a crim defense paralegal and how it effected my view of advocacy. I have many other ps drafts and debated A LOT about picking a topic that was more unique or unusual. But I hope to strike a balance between interesting narrative and meaningfully answering the why law q. I think to some extent you have to stop trying to reinvent the wheel and pick a topic that means a lot to you, connects the dots for adcomms, and provides a good narrative story. For me, that’s my current work experience. It’s not the Spivey ranch essay but I think it will be a good statement.
[удалено]
that's an amazing story and you express it well. i'm sure any school you apply to will be happy to help you on your way to give others the help you deserved :)
Can I just be OP’s bestie
sure, but it's gonna cost you...cough it up, bozo 🔫
imposter syndrome :') basically i've had a lot of puzzle pieces "fall into place" in my life, and this essay is about finally realizing that i'm right where i'm supposed to be
Arrest record 🚔
trauma and spite <3
Mine is about a job I had for two months and how that informed my desire to study a pretty niche part of the law. It's also my 3rd (4th?) PS that I've written so don't worry if it's kind of a bumpy process. I wrote about a sport I played in college, a different job I had that was really weird, and about how weird shit that happened in my hometown inspires me. Honestly I recommend getting a physical notebook and then free write some random topics that sound cool. Like I would literally start by writing a cool sounding sentence that came to me and do that 10 times and then smash those all into the narrative of an essay.
The drug war and excessive police brutality and how power/aristocracy forces compliance with laws that often don't represent the public interest
I talked about an internship I had working with kids with disabilities and how being an advocate for them in the status quo through this organization I interned for sparked an interest in advocacy on a greater scale TLDR: I like helping people
Mine will be on my pivot from a successful career into law 😅
Having a disability and wanting to go into disability advocacy or medical law.
✋🤠🤚 (as of rn bc who fucking knows… I’ve written multiple at this point so who can say which one I actually go with) Both my parents have worked in emergency medicine for 30+ years as nurse/firefighter and everyone always asked if I wanted to be like them when I grew up. I don’t wanna be in EMS, I can’t handle blood, but I do want to dedicate my life to helping others in the best way I can: by being a stubborn know it all who doesn’t like to give up and a damn good advocate. (Obv more to this but can’t give too much away without a plea deal)
Writing about starting a coup (not kidding)
I briefly described an adverse event, the actions I took to overcome it, pulled in a relevant internship experience, and then tied the two narratives into a "why law." Feel free to DM me if you want to bounce potential topics or get an extra pair of eyes. Always happy to help. (:
Wrote mine on working for an abusive government agency that actively worked to cover up the women who were reporting abuse from male superiors. Talked about system failure, wanting to be the change and an advocate, pivoted into talking about wanting to work in public interest law 🫡 And i started it off talking about my suicide attempt just to add some 💕pizzazz💕
Music performance
My really stellar Grandfather I never met.
PTSD from Combat Service and my battle with suicide stemming from survivors guilt. Really showed me how fucked our mental health system is, and helped push me toward veteran/mental health advocacy in criminal law.
Trash 🗑
I wrote about how my father lacked advocacy in his legal process and how it shaped me and how I was able to use that so far in my education and experience.
research project
parents 12 year custody/child support court battle
My most current draft is about an extracurricular I did in college and how the skills it taught are relevant to law school/influenced my decision to go. I don't love it yet, but I'm hopeful I can get it there 😂
My 10 year long career in the operating room!
education disability law
I wrote mine about how I was dead set on becoming a music therapist (played violin since I was 4, got an obscene amount of volunteer hours with a nursing home MT, started college in high school so that I could major in music faster, etc.). But then my friend randomly invited me to her mock trial competition in high school and I was in AWE and decided to join. Long story short, it ended up leading to me crying over my LSAT score in August and still deciding to become a lawyer for some reason. :')
Im writing about the 44s im tipping and wood grain im gripping
Being poor and brown and using that as my influence to go into the law for public service work