sample law school personal statement

Contrary to popular belief that law school students immediately go to law firms and practice law after graduation, there are actually quite a number of various positions that law school graduates apply for. From legal and corporate research to socio-political activism, here is a list of some of the fields and industries that law school graduates can work in:

Legal research, consultancy, and analysis

Though the knowledge gained in law school is valuable, most students feel the need to immerse themselves further in the legal realm before they apply their knowledge and litigate in courts. One good way to do this is to work as a legal researcher or legal consultant. Doing so will enhance the law school students’ work experiences while adding to their knowledge on legal matters.

Public administration and policy-making

It’s common for law school graduates to run for office after gaining much experience and knowledge on the legal aspects involved in holding government positions, such as policy-making. Most politicians hire law school graduates to be part of their staff to help them craft speeches, conceptualize and formulate policies, and even to lobby for bills. Working in this field is ideal for those who specialized in constitutional laws.

Corporate and professional industries

Especially for law school graduates who specialized in finance and taxation, companies and corporations hire law students because of their knowledge on taxation and revenue laws. Every large-scale company needs an attorney to take care of whatever legal issues that the company may fac, may it be labor-related or regarding income and revenue.

Non-profit and civic organizations

The types of law school graduates who go to work for non-profit and civic organizations are usually those who specialized in labor laws, human rights laws, environmental laws, and family law. For some law students, their law school education is best put to use by working in non-government organizations and civil society organizations dedicated to advancing human rights and bringing attention to social issues. The legal knowledge that law school graduates possess is valuable to such organizations because they provide the necessary information to hold socio-political entities accountable and pursue structural changes.

Photo Credit : andreanna

Every year, hundreds and hundreds of lawyers make a career change. Due to the downsizing trends exhibited by so many companies, so many lawyers are seriously contemplating about doing something outside the main law practice. Still, deciding on which one could be a very scary and challenging issue, let this article help you out.

Questions You Have to Answer Before Working on Your Sample Law School Personal Statement

Besides people who are already lawyers, this article caters to another group: those applying for law schools. Indeed, if you put in “I’ve always wanted to be a lawyer since I was born”- the reviewer/reader might be tempted to tear your sample law school personal statement into shreds. However, if you put in there that you want to contribute to society by learning all the advanced tenets of the law so that you could become a successful entrepreneur, that would surely perk up their interest. Getting the admissions reviewers to be interested at the start of your sample law school personal statement is a crucial first step.

So, what questions do you need to contemplate on?

* What exactly do you desire
* Do you want to really get rich, or a lot of extra time on your hands
* What other motivations do you have, and you want to be in law school?
* What sacrifices are you willing to shoulder while in law school?

Five Alternative Careers that Could Be Mentioned on Your Sample Law School Personal Statement

1. “Entrepreneur” on the sample law school personal statement: a lawyer holds the mandated skills to become successful in this line. You could declare on your sample law school personal statement concrete experiences that show you have the following: time-management, fast thinking on your feet, and as a non-related (to law) skill- you could sell something.

2. “Administration” on the sample law school personal statement: I am referring to non-profit kind of administration here. Let us say that you were part of the Student Council in your college, you could put that down on your sample law school personal statement as a manifestation that you have powerful organizational skills. Actually, lawyers could be good choices for non-profit administration posts due to the same attributes mentioned in the first alternative-career.

3. “Corporate Position” on the sample law school personal statement: think of investment banking, just to give one. “I believe that a solid foundation in law school is a strong preparatory ground for a few corporate positions I will most probably be interested in in the distant future”- (then explain further)- will interest the admissions officer. They may not believe it at the end of the whole reading, but chances are, they would respect your assertions if your own supporting arguments are sincere and well-thought out.

4. “Consultants” on the sample law school personal statement: Fact is, management consultancies hire lawyers to be partners to business professionals. If you put on your sample law school personal statement that you intend to specialize in tax law, then becoming a tax consultant after law school is not going to be an outrageous vision.

5. “Writer” on the sample law school personal statement: well, people may think that a writing job is nowhere near the field of law, but that may just be splitting hairs. One strong field is in public relations, another is the journalism field. If you have good investigative prowess coupled with skills in written communication, then putting this on the sample law school personal statement would serve you well.

Photo Credit :  Danilo Prates