Additional Essays and Statements
Your law school applications may include other essays or statements, in addition to the personal statement. Sometimes these essays and statements are required. Other times they’re optional.
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Share Your Identity
Many law schools will provide an opportunity to share more about your identity and how your life has been affected because of this identity. Schools will use these essays to understand how you can contribute to the law school and greater legal community.
Here are a few tips for crafting these sorts of essays:
Tell a story that is different from the one you used in your personal statement.
Show your best writing skills.
Be concise and focused.
Connect your story to a change or difference in how you see the world.
Be cautious of only talking about issues without relating the issues back to you as a person.
If you’re not sure if your topic is right, talk to a prelaw advisor at your undergraduate institution — even if you’ve graduated — or reach out to law school admission personnel. As with all parts of your application, pay close attention to the instructions and prompts.
Explain Your Interest in a Specific School
Some schools will give you an opportunity to explain “why this law school.” This is your chance to tell a school why you are applying to that specific law school.
If you’re going to write one of these statements, make sure you have a genuine interest in the school. Schools can easily identify when someone is rewording what they’ve written in their viewbooks or on their websites! If you don’t have a strong message to share, you can affect your application adversely by submitting a weak “Why this law school?” statement.