Presentation Transcript

1. Getting Into Law School:10 Features of Great Personal Statements

   PLANC 2012 June 14, 2012 Washington, DC
2. Presenters Sue Ann McClellan Assistant Dean for Law Admissions, Recruiting, and Scholarships University of Memphis, Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law Dexter Smith Assistant Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid Campbell University, Norman Adrian Wiggins School of Law Josh Roberts Director of Admissions Faulkner University, Thomas Goode Jones School of Law Kate Snowdon Assistant Director of Admissions for Recruitment University of St. Thomas School of Law
3. The Completed Application UGPA, Scholastic Academic Indicators LSAT, Aptitude Indicators Application Questions, Biographical Data Personal Statement
4. The Value of Personal Statements The Personal Statement gives Admissions Committees insight into an Applicant’s Decision making process. Unlike a GPA which summarizes years of work or an LSAT which predicts future work, a Personal Statement provides a snapshot of how an applicant behaves at this very moment.
5. 1. The WHY Explain your motivation for applying to law school. What is your passion? What is your drive? What has influenced your decision?
6. 1. The WHY GOOD REASONS TO GO TO LAW SCHOOL: I want to be a lawyer. BAD REASONS TO GO TO LAW SCHOOL: I want to have college all over again. It’s better than living in my parents’ basement. I like to argue. People always told me I’d be a great lawyer.
7. 2. The WHERE In-state residency Faith based university Practice area specialties Long term goals to practice in the region/state Influences from spouse or significant other Legacy
8. 2. The WHERE Do your due diligence to investigate the institution (e.g. specialty programs, clinics, etc.) Remember: One size DOES NOT fit all with personal statements.
9. 3. The WHAT Explain any obvious questions the admissions committee has about your candidacy. GPA irregularity? Transfer in and out of schools? Noticeable time gaps in employment history or education history?
10. 4. The WORDS Law school has a vocabulary of its own… So know, and use, the lingo. Law Review v. Board of Advocates Mock Trial v. Moot Court Mediation v. Arbitration Clinics v. Externships
11. 5. The INFO. Show the admissions committee that there is more to you than your resume. Highlight your non-resume attributes. A personal statement is NOT a narrative resume.
12. 6. The HIGHLIGHTS. Convince the school that you care about them and you have research the institution. Tell us more than what we tell you. We want to hear something more than a regurgitation of our facts highlighted on the website. We know what our viewbook says because many of us are the authors of those publications.
13. 6. The HIGHLIGHTS. Do not tell a school they are your first choice if they are not. The application will ask where you have applied. Honest answers tell us you have multiple options. Make sure the school knows that you are an applicant that is dedicated to making an informed decision.
14. 6. The HIGHLIGHTS. Explain what makes you different from other well-qualified students. What personal characteristics make you well-suited for success in law school and in practice? What can you add to our student body?
15. 6. The HIGHLIGHTS. Make sure that your strongest qualification get placed before the admissions committee more than once. If you have a passion, tell us about it! But make sure it ties into the practice of law. If it is related to law – it’s easy! If it is not related to law, an applicant can demonstrate their work ethic, creativity, focus, and purpose.
16. 7. The FORMAT. Follow the rules. Stay within the page limitations. Make certain your personal statement is submitted with your application.
17. 8. The HOW. Proofread every sentence. Edit your personal statement multiple times. Check for spelling and grammar errors. Sometimes the best thing a personal statement can do is to demonstrate than an applicant is a sound writer.
18. 9. The DOCUMENT. You are required to submit a personal statement. This is not the time to display the full measure of an applicant’s creativity. This is not a poem. This is not a collection of quotes. In fact, skip putting quotes as headers.
19. 9. The DOCUMENT. Read the application instructions. You will find strong clues on what is valued and usually some clues on how to proceed. Some schools have specific questions or prompts. A great deal of information is in the application instructions, but if you have questions, you should contact schools directly.
20. 9. The DOCUMENT. Follow the directions. If the school only asks for one essay, give them one essay. Do not assume that all schools want two if some schools request two. Many public schools clearly ask non-residents to provide an addendum outlining their interests in the school. E.g. Memphis Law applicants should be motivated by something that transcends a love of Elvis and BBQ.
21. 9. The DOCUMENT. Be especially careful about schools in the same city and state. Most states are geographically different. For example, Memphis is on the Mississippi River and not in the Smokey Mountains. Be careful about school specific items. For example, if you reference a school’s mascot, make sure you have the correct mascot.
22. 9. The DOCUMENT. Too many students use their personal statement to share their misfortunes. Many students have admonitory issues, but you lose the opportunity to hook the committee if you only tell us about all the misfortunes. This is not a character and fitness addendum.
23. 9. The DOCUMENT. Give the committee a chance to know YOU in your personal statement. Do not focus your personal statement on others (parents, influential teachers/friends, etc.)
24. 10. The AUDIENCE. Your audience does not know you. By submitting an application, an applicant is consenting to be judged by its contents. Your audience wants to see maturity. Your audience already has a law degree. Your audience has been where you are right now (i.e., they, too, have applied to law schools).
25. On behalf of Admissions Deans and Directors all across the country, thank you for all that you do to help educate and serve the students that we come to adore so much!
26. Sue Ann McClellan Assistant Dean for Admissions, Recruiting, and Scholarships University of Memphis, Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law (901) 678-5403 smcclell@memphis.edu
27. Dexter Smith Assistant Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid Campbell University, Norman Adrian Wiggins School of Law (919) 865-5988 smithd@campbell.edu
28. Josh Roberts Director of Admissions Faulkner University, Thomas Goode Jones School of Law (334) 386-7210 joshroberts@faulkner.edu
29. Kate Snowdon Assistant Director of Admissions for Recruiting University of St. Thomas School of Law (651) 962-4901 Kate.kostka@stthomas.edu