law books to read for personal statement

10 Books Every Law Student Should Read

30 Jan, 2024 | Blog Articles , Get the Edge , Humanities Articles , Law Articles

5. “Learning the Law” by Glanville Williams

Similar to   About Law   at number one, this book is a slightly more detailed explanation of the English legal system.

It was first published in 2002, so it’s important to note that some of the passages are a little out of date now. That said, we’ve still included it on the list as it covers lots of legal fundamentals clearly and in a good level of detail.

6. “To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee

A second fiction book, Lee’s novel is about racism and society in 1930s America. Like   Bleak House , it’s a classic in its own right. The specific relevance to Law students is that its main character, Atticus Finch, is a lawyer tasked with defending a man shunned by everyone else.

Finch represents the legal ideals of justice and equality, and the book is a great source of inspiration for those wondering why law is important, and why rights must be protected. Legal heroes – even fictional ones! – remind us why we’re studying the law.

7. “Jeremy Hutchinson’s Case Histories” by Thomas Grant

From a fictional hero to a real one, this is a recent book about the numerous, thrilling cases that criminal barrister Jeremy Hutchinson has been involved in. From drug smuggling to the “Profumo affair”, Hutchinson represented some of the most notorious characters to have appeared in the courts in the last century.

His techniques and his level of success in court are incredibly impressive. I recommend you read this for a taste of the thrill and importance of life as an advocate.

8. “Winning Arguments” by Jay Heinrichs

Keeping with the theme of advocacy, you might like to read Jay Heinrichs’  Winning Arguments . The theme of the book needs little explanation but has particular relevance to Law students. Much of the work you will do, both as a student and a lawyer, will involve coming up with arguments that appear to be correct (even if they aren’t), to give both sides fair representation.

Heinrichs’ book is full of good advice on how to structure your ideas and use clever rhetorical techniques. It’s also light-hearted and fun to read!

9. “Lord Denning, A Life” by Iris Freeman

Linking back to some of the earlier books on the list, this biography is worth a read as inspiration for any aspiring lawyers. I’ve already given a brief insight into the importance of Lord Denning and the uniqueness of his writings, so I thought I’d include his biography in case you’d like to find out more.

As well as being a great judge, Lord Denning is an important figure because he rose to such a lofty position from a very poor family, with no prior links to the law at all. While many English judges have been wealthy or even aristocratic, Lord Denning worked his way from humble beginnings to the position of Master of the Rolls (the second-highest judge in the land) and the Master of the Court of Appeal. Nor did he forget his past when he reached these heights, as his approach to the law proves.

I recommend this book because it shows that you can become a great lawyer no matter where you come from.

Jurisprudence: A Choice of Three

My last recommendation is not actually one book, but a choice of three.

Jurisprudence is the study of the philosophy of law (or why and how it exists), and Ronald Dworkin, Herbert Lionel Adolphus Hart and John Stuart Mill were some of the pre-eminent thinkers in this subject.

10 (i). “On Liberty” by John Stuart Mill

Mill believed that the most important thing in society was the liberty of the individual. He said that the only justification for law was to prevent harm to others. 

10 (ii). “The Concept of Law” by Herbert Lionel Adolphus Hart

Hart thought that law was simply a collection of man-made rules, which we create and then choose whether we’re going to follow or ignore. 

10 (iii). “Law’s Empire” by Ronald Dworkin

Dworkin, meanwhile, felt that law was a product of morality, and that law cannot exist without it. His ideas are therefore directly opposed to those of Hart, and the two authors argued about this for many years (the question remains unresolved). 

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The Ultimate Guide to Writing an Outstanding Law School Personal Statement

Dazzle admissions with your legally awesome personal story, introduction.

Let's face it: you've spent countless hours studying and acing the LSAT, and now it's time for the pièce de résistance – the law school personal statement. This is your golden opportunity to showcase your personality, and put your best legal foot forward. But don't worry, this guide has got you covered. In no time, you'll be writing a personal statement that could put John Grisham's early drafts to shame.

If you're ready to convince law school admissions committees that you're the next Ruth Bader Ginsburg or Thurgood Marshall, then buckle up and get ready for a wild ride through the world of crafting the ultimate law school personal statement.

1. Know Your Audience: The Admissions Committee

First and foremost, remember that you're writing for the admissions committee. These are the gatekeepers of your future legal career, and they've read more personal statements than there are citations in a Supreme Court decision. To avoid becoming a legal footnote in their memory, keep the following in mind:

• Be professional, but also relatable. You don't want to sound like a robot that's been programmed to spout legalese.
• Avoid clichés like "I want to make a difference" or "I've always wanted to be a lawyer." Unless, of course, you've been dreaming of billable hours since you were in diapers.
• Consider what makes you unique. Remember, this is your chance to stand out among a sea of applicants with equally impressive academic records and LSAT scores.

2. Choosing Your Topic: Make It Personal and Memorable

When it comes to choosing a topic for your personal statement, think of it as an episode of Law & Order: Your Life Edition. It's your moment to shine, so pick a story that showcases your passion, resilience, or commitment to justice. Consider these tips:

• Use an anecdote. Admissions committees love a good story, especially one that shows your problem-solving skills or ability to navigate tricky situations. Just be sure not to end up on the wrong side of the law!
• Reflect on a transformative experience. If you've had a life-changing event that led you to pursue law, share it! Just remember to keep it PG-rated.
• Discuss a personal challenge you've overcome. Nothing says "I'm ready for law school" like demonstrating your resilience in the face of adversity.

3. Structure and Organization: Your Legal Blueprint

Now that you've chosen your topic, it's time to draft your personal statement. Like a well-organized legal brief, your statement should have a clear beginning, middle, and end. Consider the following tips for structuring your masterpiece:

• Begin with a strong opening. Start with a hook that will capture the reader's attention and make them want to keep reading. Think of it as your own personal Miranda warning: "You have the right to remain captivated."
• Develop your story in the body. This is where you'll expand on your anecdote or experience, and explain how it has shaped your desire to pursue a legal career. Remember to be concise and avoid meandering – this isn't a filibuster.
• End with a powerful conclusion. Tie everything together and reiterate why you're the ideal candidate for law school. Just like a closing argument, leave the admissions committee convinced that you're the right choice.

4. Style and Tone: Finding Your Inner Legal Wordsmith

When it comes to your personal statement, you want to strike the perfect balance between professional and engaging. After all, no one wants to read a 500-word legal treatise on why you should be admitted to law school. To achieve this delicate balance, follow these style and tone guidelines:

• Write in the first person. This is your personal statement, so own it! Using "I" allows you to convey your unique perspective and voice.
• Keep it conversational, yet polished. Write as if you were speaking to a respected mentor or professor. Avoid slang, but don't be afraid to inject a bit of your personality into your writing.
• Employ dry humor sparingly. A little wit can make your statement more enjoyable to read, but remember that humor is subjective. It's best to err on the side of caution, lest you inadvertently offend the admissions committee.
• Be precise and concise. Legal writing is known for its clarity and brevity, so practice these skills in your personal statement. Aim to keep it between 500 and 700 words, as brevity is the soul of wit (and law school applications).

5. Revision: The Art of Legal Editing

It's been said that writing is rewriting, and this is particularly true for your personal statement. Once you've drafted your masterpiece, it's time to don your editor's hat and polish it to perfection. Follow these tips for a meticulous revision:

• Take a break before revising. Give yourself some distance from your statement before diving into revisions. This will help you approach it with fresh eyes and a clear mind.
• Read your statement out loud. This technique can help you catch awkward phrasing, run-on sentences, and other errors that might not be apparent when reading silently.
• Seek feedback from others. Share your statement with trusted friends, family members, or mentors who can provide constructive criticism. Just remember, opinions are like law school casebooks – everyone's got one, but you don't have to take them all to heart.
• Edit ruthlessly. Don't be afraid to cut, rewrite, or reorganize your statement. Your goal is to make your writing as strong and effective as possible, even if it means sacrificing a clever turn of phrase or an endearing anecdote.

6. Proofread: The Final Verdict

Before submitting your personal statement, it's crucial to proofread it thoroughly. Even the most compelling story can be marred by typos, grammatical errors, or other mistakes. Follow these proofreading tips to ensure your statement is error-free:

• Use spell check, but don't rely on it entirely. Some errors, like homophones or subject-verb agreement issues, may slip past your computer's watchful eye.
• Print your statement and read it on paper. This can help you spot errors that you might have missed on-screen.
• Enlist a second pair of eyes. Sometimes, a fresh perspective can catch mistakes that you've become blind to after multiple revisions.

Crafting an outstanding law school personal statement may seem daunting, but with the right approach and a healthy dose of perseverance, you can create a compelling and memorable statement that will impress even the most discerning admissions committee. So go forth and conquer, future legal eagles! And remember, as you embark on your law school journey, may the precedent be ever in your favor.

Tech-focused creator of LSD.Law. I built LSD while applying to law school. I saw unequal access to knowledge and built LSD to level the playing field and help applicants make thoughtful, well-informed decisions in the application process.

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50 Real Law School Personal Statements: And Everything You Need to Know to Write Yours (Manhattan Prep LSAT Strategy Guides)

Personal statements are of vital importance to any law school application. This book provides expert guidance on what the ideal essay should look like and how to write it. What qualities characterize a winning personal statement? How does a mediocre personal statement become one that leads to acceptance at a top law school? In this one of a kind collection, jdMission's senior consultants review and critique 50 real personal statements by law school applicants. If you've ever wondered what other people are writing in their law school personal statements and how they measure up, this book is for you. If you are looking for a guide on how to write your own personal statement, this book will leave you with 50 key tips coupled with real-world examples. If you are searching for a topic idea, this book has 50 of them.

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Application Toolkit: Written Statements

On this webpage, you will find our advice and guidance for approaching the two written statements in the application.

Beginning with the application for Fall Term 2024 enrollment, we now require that all applicants submit a Statement of Purpose and a Statement of Perspective. Although it is no longer an application component, much of the advice we shared about the personal statement may still be useful to applicants as they develop their Written Statements. We have preserved that information on this toolkit for your reference.

Changes to the J.D. Application Components

Instructions

Every applicant must submit both a Statement of Purpose and a Statement of Perspective, responding to the prompts below. Each Statement must be one to two pages in length, using double-spacing, one-inch margins, and a font size that is comfortable to read (no smaller than 11 point). We expect every applicant to use at least one full page for each Statement.

Statement of Purpose : What motivates you to pursue law? How does attending law school align with your ambitions, goals, and vision for your future?

Statement of Perspective : The Admissions Committee makes every effort to understand who you are as an individual and potential Harvard Law School student and graduate. Please share how your experiences, background, and/or interests have shaped you and will shape your engagement in the HLS community and the legal profession.

Blog Advice

• Visit the Admissions Blog
• View All Written Statements Blog Posts

Changes to the J.D. Program Application Components

August is here, and that means the J.D. Admissions Office is finalizing our application for the 2023–2024 cycle before it opens on September 15. One exciting change for this year: we have reworked our essay requirements and prompts.

August 4, 2023

Should you include a “why Harvard” statement in your application?

Each year at this time, we receive questions about how applicants should express interest in Harvard Law School. Include a “Why Harvard” essay? Talk about HLS in the personal statement? Maybe an addendum on this topic? The answer to all these questions is the same: no, that’s not necessary.  Let’s start with the separate “why

December 2, 2022

Overrated/Underrated Part 3

Continuing our Overrated/Underrated series, this week, we shift our focus to highlight some of the overrated approaches that we recommend applicants avoid as they craft their applications. 

November 17, 2021

Overrated/Underrated Part 1

The J.D. Admissions team recently came together to offer their thoughts on some underrated and overrated approaches that applicants might take towards their HLS application. We hope you’ll find some of these nuggets useful.

September 9, 2021

Real Talk: The Personal Statement

For our first entry in the Real Talk series, Associate Director Nefyn Meissner shares advice on approaching the personal statement.

August 6, 2020

Personal Statement Advice

The personal statement is “an opportunity to give the Admissions Committee a better sense of who you are as a person and as a potential student and graduate of Harvard Law School.” But what does that mean to us?

November 6, 2018

Podcast Advice

Navigating law school admissions with miriam & kristi.

Miriam Ingber (Associate Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid at Yale Law School) and Kristi Jobson (Assistant Dean for Admissions at Harvard Law School) provide candid, accurate, and straightforward advice about law school admissions — direct from the source. They will be joined by guest stars from other law schools to discuss application timing, letters of recommendation, personal statements, and more.

• View All Episodes

Written Statements Workshop

Our Statement Workshop provides applicants with straightforward advice on how to craft essays with a reflective activity and guiding questions to consider.

We do understand mistakes happen. You are more than welcome to upload an updated document through your status checker. We will review the new material alongside what has been previously received.

Note that when you complete your application and hit “submit”, the information contained in your application may not be altered or deleted in any way by you as an applicant or by us as an admissions team.

Yes. Reapplicants will need to submit new written statements with their application.

We ask that transfer candidates also address the reason(s) for applying for transfer enrollment. Please visit our Transfer Applications Components for more information.

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Great Personal Statements for Law School (EDUCATION/ALL OTHER) Paperback – 5 Jan. 2006

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Expert guidance in creating a high-performance personal statement--essential for admittance to law school

Nationally known consultant Paul Bodine has helped thousands gain admission to elite professional schools. In Great Personal Statements for Law School , he helps you ace your personal statement, the most critical part of any law school application.

• ISBN-10 0071453008
• ISBN-13 978-0071453004
• Publisher McGraw-Hill Education
• Publication date 5 Jan. 2006
• Language English
• Dimensions 18.42 x 1.27 x 22.86 cm
• Print length 160 pages
• See all details

Product description

From the back cover.

Expert guidance to writing the all-important personal statement that will get you accepted by your first-choice law school

Your grades are nearly perfect and your LSAT scores are stellar--but that's not enough to get into a top law school. You have to stand out from a crowd of super-achievers, and the best way to do that is with a great personal statement.

Great Personal Statements for Law School is the only book to take the personal essay apart, piece by piece, and show you how to put it all together--from rough draft to finished product--with maximum effect. Written by expert Paul Bodine, the nationally known consultant who has helped thousands gain admission to elite schools, this guide will make it easy to ace your personal statement with:

• Six "data-mining" techniques for brainstorming raw material
• An effective system for moving from outline to writing, revising, and editing
• Detailed strategies for answering the most common essay topics
• More than 25 actual essays by successful applicants to top schools like the University of Chicago, Georgetown, and Cornell
• Expert tips for customizing essays to particular schools, waging a guerrilla wait-list campaign, and submitting "value-added" dean's letters

Writing the personal statement can be daunting.... Mr. Bodine's book is an excellent resource."--Derek E. Meeker, Associate Dean, Admissions and Financial Aid, University of Pennsylvania Law School

Great Personal Statements for Law School presents a practical approach to applying to law schools and "crafting" winning personal statements!"--Lynell A. Cadray, Assistant Dean/Dean of Admission, Emory University School of Law

About the Author

Product details.

• Publisher ‏ : ‎ McGraw-Hill Education (5 Jan. 2006)
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• Paperback ‏ : ‎ 160 pages
• ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0071453008
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0071453004
• Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 18.42 x 1.27 x 22.86 cm
• 2,228 in Handwriting Reference
• 2,983 in Under- & Postgraduate Student Guides

About the author

Paul bodine.

Follow Paul on Twitter (@paulsbodine) and LinkedIn (in/paulsbodine).

One of America's most experienced admissions consultants (serving clients since 1997), Paul Bodine has helped hundreds of applicants worldwide gain admission to such elite business schools as Harvard, Stanford, Wharton, Chicago, Kellogg, MIT Sloan, Columbia, Dartmouth (Tuck), Berkeley (Haas), London Business School, INSEAD, Yale, New York University, Duke, Cornell, and Virginia, among many others. He has been interviewed by or featured in the Financial Times, BusinessWeek, Wall Street Journal, US News and World Report, and Money magazine. His law school clients have been admitted to such elite programs as Harvard, Columbia, NYU, Virginia, Duke, Northwestern, Cornell, Georgetown, and Vanderbilt. Paul's services to customers include strategizing on application strategy, editing admissions essays, recommendation letters, and resumes, admissions interview preparation, and more.

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How to Structure Your Personal Statement for Law

It’s hard enough knowing what to include in your personal statement for law before even thinking about the structure it should follow. That’s why our contributor, Devangi, has outlined a framework of just how to do that.

So before you submit your UCAS application, read on for some tips on the way your text should be laid out so that it makes sense and impresses university admissions tutors.

Want more help with your university decisions? Take 30 seconds to sign up to TLP and you’ll receive free, tailored information for your aspirations and stage straight to your inbox, as well as be the first to know about new, free events – what are you waiting for?

1. Section One: Personal Statement Introduction

Your personal statement introduction should showcase your motivations behind pursuing a law degree . Consider the following questions:

• What inspired you to study law? Were you intrigued by political events? Did you read an interesting article or book that encouraged you to pursue it further
• What interests you about a law degree?
• Are you interested in a particular area of law ? If so, what have you done to demonstrate that interest?

Avoid starting your introduction with cheesy quotes, unless it forms part of your motivation for studying law. Often, people find writing the introduction the hardest part, so if it helps, write it last.

2. Section Two: Academic Experience/Supercurriculars

This section should comprise the majority of your personal statement for law. Bear in mind that admissions tutors are more interested in your academic experience (and suitability for the course), rather than your affinity for a particular musical instrument.

Think about the following:

• How do your A-Level subjects relate to law? For example, studying history develops essay-writing skills, while maths enhances logical reasoning skills. Tutors are interested in evidence of independent work outside of the curriculum; perhaps you read an interesting article about Charles I’s execution that got you thinking about the monarch’s role in the judicial system.
• Have you attended any summer school or taster courses? Rather than listing things you have done, instead reflect on them critically – What did you learn? What did you do to develop your interests in concepts introduced to you at these events?
• How can you demonstrate your interest in law? Have you completed an online course on an area of law you find interesting? Have you participated in any mock trials ?
• Mention any reading materials that challenged you intellectually – This could be a book, an article or a magazine. Rather than summarising the content, focus on critically evaluating the material; did you agree with it? Why (or why not)?

3. Section Three: Practical Experience

Although not essential, practical experience is a good way of demonstrating your interest in law beyond the classroom. There are a number of ways to gain practical experience:

• Work experience or vacation schemes are the standard ways of displaying practical experience. Spending time at a solicitor’s firm or shadowing a barrister can provide an invaluable insight into a potential legal career path, as well as vital exposure to contemporary legal issues.  When writing about work experience in your personal statement, avoid presenting a wide overview of what you did. Focus on the relevant skills you learned or a particular aspect (like witnessing a trial) that you were interested in and carried out further research on.
• Witnessing a court trial in person can serve as a springboard for further intellectual inquiry – Perhaps you saw a criminal trial and the theoretical dispute concerned whether the defendant had the mens rea (intent) to commit the crime. This is a great way to engage with legal questions and form an opinion on them.
• If you have had a non-legal job, that can also be useful as you may have picked up valuable skills that are relevant to law. For example, working as a tutor requires you to communicate your ideas logically and teaches you how to engage with different types of people.

4. Section Four: Extracurricular Activities

Extracurricular activities should only take up a small amount of your personal statement. Try and choose extracurriculars that demonstrate skills required in a law degree like perseverance, organisation and motivation.

• Mention any podcasts you listen to regularly that deal with current affairs or legal issues, like Today in Focus or  Law in Action . This is particularly good as it can directly be linked to law and you can discuss if you found a specific episode stimulating (and how that allowed you to do further research).
• If you play any sports, this can be a great way to demonstrate important skills like teamwork and communication.

5. Conclusion

Your personal statement conclusion should reiterate why you are a suitable candidate for law. Remember that there is no set formula for producing a perfect personal statement conclusion. It has to be tailored to what you have written in your own statement.

Instead of repeating what you have already mentioned, consider writing about what you hope to achieve on the course and/or what your future career aspirations are. This will ensure that you have a good overall structure for your personal statement.

Words: Devangi Dave

• Things to Avoid in Your Personal Statement for Law
• 4 Things I Wish I’d Known Before UCAS
• How to Write the Perfect Personal Statement for Law

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How to write a great personal statement

Crafting a personal statement that stands out is an important part of the UCAS process. However, it can be hard to know exactly what to include, how to write it, and how to stand out. With this in mind, we caught up with Student Recruitment Manager Richard Palmer for his tips on writing a great personal statement.

By Cara Fielder . Published 13 October 2021. Last updated 12 January 2024.

Why is a personal statement important?

Your personal statement is about much more than just meeting the grade requirements and needs to tick a few boxes to stand out. These statements are a top factor when it comes to consideration for admissions experts – but don’t see it as a chore, your personal statement provides an opportunity to communicate your unique skills and strengths to secure your place at university.

What are admissions looking for?

Students must have the appropriate qualifications and grade predictions to meet entry requirements, but this will need to be elaborated on in your personal statement. As you think of your different qualifications, accomplishments, and qualities remember to link them all together to show how this makes you suitable for your chosen course.

• Excellent spelling, grammar and attention to detail.
• Illustrate your suitability for the course by linking it to different areas of life. For example, earlier studies, extra-curricular activities, personal hobbies/experiences and work experience (if applicable).
• Your personality – not in terms of humour or sarcasm but show that you are a responsible and hardworking student.
• A strong reference that supports your application.

Our nine tips for writing your personal statement

Map out the structure.

A great way to approach this is visually: create a diagram splitting the personal statement into sections. Firstly, you want a strong opening introducing yourself. The middle section can then be split into three sub-sections: your course choice, education experience and your wider experiences (e.g. extracurricular activities and work). Then conclude with a concise summary of the points you’ve made.

Whilst the whole statement needs a good deal of work, a robust opening can hook the reader and make all the difference to an application. It’s an opportunity to briefly cover everything you’ll discuss in greater detail throughout your statement. Consider why you want to study the course, your passion for the subject, where you hope it leads and why it’s right for you.

Similarly, a strong closing paragraph can leave a positive and lasting impression. Try and consolidate what you’ve covered in your statement and reinforce why you would make a great candidate for the course.

Transferrable skills

When discussing your suitability, share how the content and skills learned from your current or previous study relate to your chosen course, and how they will help you succeed. For instance, if you studied A Level Business and apply to study accounting and finance try and highlight how your current learning will influence your degree choice.

Of course, there are many degrees where it might not be possible to study the subject before university, so you’ll need to be a little more creative and think outside of the box. For those subjects which aren’t directly related to your chosen course consider any crossover and highlight those links. For example, if you’ve chosen to study criminology and studied A Level Geography you could discuss globalisation, green crimes, or illegal pollution.

You should also discuss the wider skills you’ve developed. Consider how a variety of teaching environments, coursework, and creative projects have provided you with relevant skills to succeed in a degree such as organisation skills, time management, communication, and multi-tasking.

If you are applying for slightly different courses, remember that all your university choices will see the same personal statement. Make sure to prioritise talking about your main subject for consistency.

Be original

While it might be tempting to copy your friends or take inspiration from example personal statements online, avoid it at all costs. Plagiarism is often unintentional but the best thing you can do to avoid it is steering away from using templates or writing similar personal statements to your peers.

UCAS (for example) puts every statement through plagiarism software. If your statement has 30% similarities to others, a report is sent to all your university choices. They decide the outcome, which could be to revoke your offer. Don’t let this worry – if you honestly write an original statement and the software still picks it up by fluke the university will know what to do.

Consider your strengths

Follow this simple framework:

• What are you good at?
• How can you demonstrate that skill?
• Keep it positive

For example - “I was a debate team captain and lead in making arguments” is good, but it could have something added to it to make it pop. A great way to do this is to add positive adjectives and adverbs to build up the sentence. “I was a successful debate team captain and lead in making winning arguments”.

Everybody has weaknesses, and it’s important to recognise these too. However, be sure to frame it as a positive. Be honest and recognise areas you haven’t experienced or aren’t as confident at – and consider positive ways that you can develop in that area. 

Highlight any previous work experience

Even if it was short-term or voluntary, any experience is good and helps to emphasise your skills. Demonstrating that you have actively sought out work experience presents you as someone with initiative and independence.

Start writing it as early as possible and be aware of all the important deadlines. Draw out a timeline detailing when you aim to have your first draft done, your second draft, any reviews and submission deadlines. This will help to get you in the right mindset from the outset, because nobody likes last-minute stress.

Triple check your work

Sometimes when you have been working on something for a long time, it’s easy to overlook mistakes so it’s also helpful to ask someone else to proofread it for you. Double and triple check your work, keeping an eye out for typos. Getting family or friends to proofread your personal statement will also help to ensure that it sounds authentically you.

Stand out from the crowd

Try to think outside of the box and communicate what makes you unique. For example, if you have any creative ideas on how to improve a certain area within your chosen industry/subject, put this forward. This might tie in with your hobbies and work experience and be a good way to build on it.

Make evidence-based points

Highlighting your experiences is a crucial part of the personal statement but must be backed up with solid evidence. For example, if you have experience as a sports captain or society member, rather than just listing what you did, explain how you got there and what you achieved. Mention actions and outcomes, this shows how you strive for self-improvement and highlights an ability to clearly define goals.

If you’re still considering which degree to apply for, check out our range of undergraduate courses in law , business , criminology , policing , psychology and computer science . 

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Successful Personal Statement For Law At Oxford

Last Updated: 6th April 2022

Author: Chloe Hewitt

Table of Contents

Welcome to our popular Personal Statement series where we present a successful Personal Statement, and our Oxbridge Tutors provide their feedback on it. 

Today, we are looking through a Law applicant’s Personal Statement that helped secure a place at Oxford University. The Law Course at Oxford offers a world-class opportunity to develop a diverse set of skills which you will be able to apply in many different situations.

Read on to see how this candidate managed to secure an offer from a world-class department.  

Here’s a breakdown of the Personal Statement (the applicant uses most of the 4,000 characters available):

SUCCESSFUL?

The universities this candidate applied to were the following:

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When you enrol in our  Oxbridge Law Premium Programme , you’re getting the best possible support for all aspects of your application. Your tutor will give you actionable feedback on your Personal Statement drafts, with insider tips on how to improve and make your  Personal Statement Oxbridge quality  for the best chances of success.  

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Law Personal Statement

Law is a set of rules and guidelines imposed upon a society which reflect its moral consciousness, guided and guarded by the judiciary. I believe everyone has the right to be judged objectively by their own laws. I am fascinated by the process of examining legal arguments, by how the outcome of a case hinges on presentation of the evidence and by the law’s status as the ultimate arbiter of ‘justice.’ It is this desire to study the analytical process and underlying principles of jurisprudence that motivates me to study law academically.

Preparing for my extended project, I studied Plato’s Republic and how his analyses of different societies are relevant to modern Britain. Examining the common flaws between our own society and those depicted in Republic made me appreciate the subtlety of the law in its present-day form: many of Plato’s proposed solutions to these flaws undermined what are viewed today as personal rights. This led me to reflect on how laws protect us, and also how their intricacies create a doctrine to which people adhere, both complying and incorporating it in their own morality.

Investigating Plato’s ideal political system, I considered the contrast between how his laws were devised and their status in our own society. Plato’s ‘Guardians’ (not unlike our own judiciary) were relied on both to codify and interpret the law. While their decisions were considered to be benevolent, society was expected to conform to laws dictated by a separate class. The situation in the UK is quite different: statute law, as well as case law, often reflects current popular opinion. Sarah’s law (the parents’ right to check the criminal record of any carer for their child) was the direct result of a popular campaign. Whether it is better to have a system of laws that evolve with society or one that is dictated by a separate body is just one example of the ethical questions behind the law that intrigue me.

Seeking experience in the area of law that first attracted me, I assisted a criminal barrister in a Bristol chambers, including client interviews for petty offences and note taking in Crown Court, where we were prosecuting an alleged serial attempted rapist. The defendant’s decision to dismiss his lawyers to defend himself brought home the need for a professional intermediary to ensure fair interaction of the individual with the protocol of the law. Examining case files while shadowing a Queen’s Counsel specialising in public and taxation law, I was struck by how even the most powerful individual or company is still bound to observe the law. I sought exposure to corporate and commercial law with a local solicitor, where I worked through a practical example of employment law to determine whether a client had a case. This close reading of legal documents was a rewarding and stimulating experience, confirming my commitment to study law.

Captaining rugby teams at school (now 1st XV), club and county level, I have learned how to listen and how to lead; understanding and incorporating others’ opinions or feelings in my interaction was key to encouraging progress for the individual or group, to motivate them and help them achieve their own potential. I developed these skills further mentoring in French and as a Sports Ambassador for local primary schools.

Rugby is like society: there are fixed laws that define the game and how it is played, but they are constantly tested by the flair of the players. As a result, the referee must both interpret and enforce the application of those laws; in Plato’s terms, he is both guardian and auxiliary. The application of the law to dynamic situations and how different outcomes might be achieved depending upon points of interpretation has fascinated me for years.

I am strongly motivated to study the law’s mechanics and with this passion, combined with the necessary determination and underlying skills, I will relish the task of appreciating and mastering law as an intellectual discipline in its own right.

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Good Points Of The Personal Statement

This is an impressive personal statement in many regards and was clearly well received. The student opens with a definition of law, but then goes on to interpret what they understand it to mean, and by doing so has given some insight into their personality and understanding. It is clear from the outset that the student’s interest is an academic one, and this will gain them favour from top academic institutions if sustained. The discussion of the student’s extended project is given a clear legal dimension, and the student competently makes cross-links, which display their strong grasp of sources of UK law- having a current example to underline this point. In this instance, the discussion of work experience complements the academic interests well because of the way the statement is structured – by saving work experience till later, the student made clear that their primary focus is academic and intellectual, but they do have a commitment to engaging with the subject at a practical level.

Bad Points Of The Personal Statement

Having two paragraphs about rugby probably gives the sport more attention than is necessary. Moreover, while the student has endeavoured to present all their skills as relevant to law, the links can read as somewhat tenuous, particularly in the sporting examples. Replacing one of these paragraphs with one about some wider reading in a purely legal area of interest (as opposed to reading as part of the extended project) would have been a more beneficial addition.

UniAdmissions Overall Score:

This is an extremely strong personal statement. The student clearly gets across their interest in studying law, but more than this it is unquestionable that their interest is in studying law as an academic discipline rather than practicing law as a career once they have graduated. Structurally the statement flows well, and covers sufficient facets of the student’s activities and interests to explain why they want to study law and why they would be successful in doing so. The only real improvement to be made would be to add discussion of a time the student engaged in academic reading or research into a legal topic beyond what is required of them in their studies.

This Personal Statement for Law is a good example of demonstrating motivation and development which is vital to Admissions Tutors.

Remember, at Oxford, these Admissions Tutors are often the people who will be teaching you for the next few years, so you need to appeal directly to them.

There are plenty more successful personal statements and expert guides on our Free Personal Statement Resources page.

Successful Personal Statement For Natural Science (Physical) At Cambridge

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How to write a personal statement for law: 'forget the jargon and gimmicks'

Don’t be over-familiar and don’t rush: two admissions tutors explain what makes a good Ucas personal statement

E very year, universities receive thousands of personal statements from law school applicants eager to impress admissions tutors. While grades are still the most important factor in securing a place on a course, a well-written statement can help you punch above your weight. So with the Ucas deadline looming in January, how do you write a personal statement that will pique an admissions tutor’s interest?

Russell Buchan, senior lecturer in law at the University of Sheffield, and Joel Klaff, a law lecturer and admissions tutor at the University of Derby, offer their advice:

What do you look for in a personal statement?

Russell Buchan: I always emphasis the word “personal”. Students need to move away from this emphasis on jargon and gimmicks. Saying “I read To Kill a Mockingbird when I was 12 and ever since then I have had a massive desire to be a criminal defender” really doesn’t mean much. It’s too formulaic.

On the other hand, what you say needs to be supported by evidence. Even if it is playing for a sports team at the school or college, or working in the local supermarket. What responsibilities did you have? Whether it’s leadership, effective communication skills, or interpreting rules, applying them, understanding them and enforcing them. Then develop the narrative that supports the personal qualities we are looking for. Which are of course enthusiasm, good communication skills, analytical ability, and critical understanding. The more they can make the link to legal careers, the better.

Joel Klaff: [It is important] the student has actually researched the university and shows why they want to go to there. A lot of law schools offer different levels of expertise. So it is actually a good idea to say, “I want to come to this university because I know you place a large emphasis on skills and that is what I see as important.”

How does a personal statement for a law school differ?

JK: It’s all very well being open and honest, saying law is a good career and will get them in good standing. But it helps to have an ideological side, to show they want to get involved with the process of law to do “good”. They need to demonstrate a utilitarian purpose for their law degree once they have graduated.

What kind of tone should applicants strike?

RB: We have to remember the Ucas personal statement is very short. So there needs to be a compromise between coming across as a credible, professional applicant, while being interesting. Pick out aspects of your life that help you stand out – maybe it’s how you handled a particular problem that demonstrates your law-related skills.

But I would caution against over familiarity. I see lots of personal statements that haven’t been taken very seriously and have been produced very quickly. And that doesn’t bode well for law degrees because of the formality of the profession.

What are some of the common mistakes applicants make?

RB: Blandness. It needs to be animated, energetic, interesting. Avoid a very formulaic, mundane and uninspiring personal statement. Focus on proofreading, sentence construction, spelling and grammar. That’s especially important for a law degree, where there’s a lot of reading and writing. If it is apparent that students don’t have a basic grip on how to construct an argument about themselves, that really is a bugbear. Every word has to count. Try to find intersections between what it is the institution is offering and what it is that you offer. I see lots of things in personal statements that are completely irrelevant for the qualities you need for a law degree.

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50 Real Law School Personal Statements: And Everything You Need to Know to Write Yours (Manhattan Prep LSAT Strategy Guides) Proprietary Edition, Kindle Edition

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Washington D.C., May 16, 2024 —

The Securities and Exchange Commission today announced the adoption of amendments to Regulation S-P to modernize and enhance the rules that govern the treatment of consumers’ nonpublic personal information by certain financial institutions. The amendments update the rules’ requirements for broker-dealers (including funding portals), investment companies, registered investment advisers, and transfer agents (collectively, “covered institutions”) to address the expanded use of technology and corresponding risks that have emerged since the Commission originally adopted Regulation S-P in 2000. 

“Over the last 24 years, the nature, scale, and impact of data breaches has transformed substantially,” said SEC Chair Gary Gensler. “These amendments to Regulation S-P will make critical updates to a rule first adopted in 2000 and help protect the privacy of customers’ financial data. The basic idea for covered firms is if you’ve got a breach, then you’ve got to notify. That’s good for investors.”

The amendments require covered institutions to develop, implement, and maintain written policies and procedures for an incident response program that is reasonably designed to detect, respond to, and recover from unauthorized access to or use of customer information. The amendments also require that the response program include procedures for, with certain limited exceptions, covered institutions to provide notice to individuals whose sensitive customer information was or is reasonably likely to have been accessed or used without authorization.

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At Justice Alito’s House, a ‘Stop the Steal’ Symbol on Display

An upside-down flag, adopted by Trump supporters contesting the Biden victory, flew over the justice’s front lawn as the Supreme Court was considering an election case.

A photo obtained by The Times shows an inverted flag at the Alito residence on Jan. 17, 2021, three days before the Biden inauguration. Credit...

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By Jodi Kantor

Jodi Kantor, who has been reporting on the Supreme Court, including the behind-the-scenes story of how the justices overturned the right to abortion, welcomes tips at nytimes.com/tips .

• May 16, 2024

After the 2020 presidential election, as some Trump supporters falsely claimed that President Biden had stolen the office, many of them displayed a startling symbol outside their homes, on their cars and in online posts: an upside-down American flag.

One of the homes flying an inverted flag during that time was the residence of Supreme Court Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr., in Alexandria, Va., according to photographs and interviews with neighbors.

The upside-down flag was aloft on Jan. 17, 2021, the images showed. President Donald J. Trump’s supporters, including some brandishing the same symbol, had rioted at the Capitol a little over a week before. Mr. Biden’s inauguration was three days away. Alarmed neighbors snapped photographs, some of which were recently obtained by The New York Times. Word of the flag filtered back to the court, people who worked there said in interviews.

While the flag was up, the court was still contending with whether to hear a 2020 election case, with Justice Alito on the losing end of that decision. In coming weeks, the justices will rule on two climactic cases involving the storming of the Capitol on Jan. 6, including whether Mr. Trump has immunity for his actions. Their decisions will shape how accountable he can be held for trying to overturn the last presidential election and his chances for re-election in the upcoming one.

“I had no involvement whatsoever in the flying of the flag,” Justice Alito said in an emailed statement to The Times. “It was briefly placed by Mrs. Alito in response to a neighbor’s use of objectionable and personally insulting language on yard signs.”

Judicial experts said in interviews that the flag was a clear violation of ethics rules, which seek to avoid even the appearance of bias, and could sow doubt about Justice Alito’s impartiality in cases related to the election and the Capitol riot.

The mere impression of political opinion can be a problem, the ethics experts said. “It might be his spouse or someone else living in his home, but he shouldn’t have it in his yard as his message to the world,” said Amanda Frost, a law professor at the University of Virginia.

This is “the equivalent of putting a ‘Stop the Steal’ sign in your yard, which is a problem if you’re deciding election-related cases,” she said.

Interviews show that the justice’s wife, Martha-Ann Alito, had been in a dispute with another family on the block over an anti-Trump sign on their lawn, but given the timing and the starkness of the symbol, neighbors interpreted the inverted flag as a political statement by the couple.

The longstanding ethics code for the lower courts, as well as the recent one adopted by the Supreme Court, stresses the need for judges to remain independent and avoid political statements or opinions on matters that could come before them.

“You always want to be proactive about the appearance of impartiality,” Jeremy Fogel, a former federal judge and the director of the Berkeley Judicial Institute, said in an interview. “The best practice would be to make sure that nothing like that is in front of your house.”

The court has also repeatedly warned its own employees against public displays of partisan views, according to guidelines circulated to the staff and reviewed by The Times. Displaying signs or bumper stickers is not permitted, according to the court’s internal rule book and a 2022 memo reiterating the ban on political activity.

Asked if these rules also apply to justices, the court declined to respond.

The exact duration that the flag flew outside the Alito residence is unclear. In an email from Jan. 18, 2021, reviewed by The Times, a neighbor wrote to a relative that the flag had been upside down for several days at that point.

In recent years, the quiet sanctuary of his street, with residents who are Republicans and Democrats, has tensed with conflict, neighbors said. Around the 2020 election , a family on the block displayed an anti-Trump sign with an expletive. It apparently offended Mrs. Alito and led to an escalating clash between her and the family, according to interviews.

Some residents have also bridled at the noise and intrusion brought by protesters, who started showing up outside the Alito residence in 2022 after the Supreme Court overturned the federal right to abortion. Other neighbors have joined the demonstrators, whose intent was “to bring the protest to their personal lives because the decisions affect our personal lives,” said Heather-Ann Irons, who came to the street to protest.

The half-dozen neighbors who saw the flag, or knew of it, requested anonymity because they said they did not want to add to the contentiousness on the block and feared reprisal. Last Saturday, May 11, protesters returned to the street, waving flags of their own (“Don’t Tread on My Uterus”) and using a megaphone to broadcast expletives at Justice Alito, who was in Ohio giving a commencement address . Mrs. Alito appeared in a window, complaining to the Supreme Court security detail outside.

Turning the American flag upside down is a symbol of emergency and distress, first used as a military S.O.S., historians said in interviews. In recent decades, it has increasingly been used as a political protest symbol — a controversial one, because the flag code and military tradition require the paramount symbol of the United States to be treated with respect.

Over the years, upside-down flags have been displayed by both the right and the left as an outcry over a range of issues, including the Vietnam War, gun violence , the Supreme Court’s overturning of the constitutional right to abortion and, in particular, election results. In 2012, Tea Party followers inverted flags at their homes to signal disgust at the re-election of President Barack Obama. Four years later, some liberals advised doing the same after Mr. Trump was elected.

During Mr. Trump’s quest to win, and then subvert, the 2020 election, the gesture took off as never before, becoming “really established as a symbol of the ‘Stop the Steal’ campaign,” according to Alex Newhouse, a researcher at the University of Colorado Boulder.

A flood of social media posts exhorted Trump supporters to flip over their flags or purchase new ones to display upside down.

“If Jan. 6 rolls around and Biden is confirmed by the Electoral College our nation is in distress!!” a poster wrote on Patriots.win, a forum for Trump supporters, garnering over a thousand “up” votes. “If you cannot go to the DC rally then you must do your duty and show your support for our president by flying the flag upside down!!!!”

Local newspapers from Lexington, Ky. , to Sun City, Ariz., to North Jersey wrote about the flags cropping up nearby. A few days before the inauguration, a Senate candidate in Minnesota flew an upside-down flag on his campaign vehicle .

Hanging an inverted flag outside a home was “an explicit signifier that you are part of this community that believes America has been taken and needs to be taken back,” Mr. Newhouse said.

This spring, the justices are already laboring under suspicion by many Americans that whatever decisions they make about the Jan. 6 cases will be partisan. Justice Clarence Thomas has declined to recuse himself despite the direct involvement of his wife, Virginia Thomas, in efforts to overturn the election.

Now, with decisions in the Jan. 6 cases expected in just a few weeks, a similar debate may unfurl about Justice Alito, the ethics experts said. “It really is a question of appearances and the potential impact on public confidence in the court,” Mr. Fogel said. “I think it would be better for the court if he weren’t involved in cases arising from the 2020 election. But I’m pretty certain that he will see that differently.”

If Justice Alito were on another court, Mr. Fogel said, the flag could also trigger some sort of review to determine if there was any misconduct. But because the Supreme Court serves as the arbiter of its own behavior, “you don’t really have anywhere to take it,” he said.

Aric Toler contributed reporting. Julie Tate contributed research.

Jodi Kantor is a Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative reporter and co-author of “She Said,” which recounts how she and Megan Twohey broke the story of sexual abuse allegations against Harvey Weinstein, helping to ignite the #MeToo movement.    Instagram • More about Jodi Kantor

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Prosecutors seek to bar Trump in classified files case from statements endangering law enforcement

WASHINGTON (AP) — Federal prosecutors on Friday asked the judge overseeing the  classified documents case against Donald Trump  to bar the former president from public statements that “pose a significant, imminent, and foreseeable danger to law enforcement agents” participating in the prosecution.

The request to U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon follows a distorted claim by Trump earlier this week that the FBI agents who  searched his Mar-a-Lago estate in August 2022  were “authorized to shoot me” and were “locked & loaded ready to take me out & put my family in danger.”

The presumptive Republican presidential nominee was referring to the  disclosure in a court document  that the FBI, during the search, followed a standard use-of-force policy that prohibits the use of deadly force except when the officer conducting the search has a reasonable belief that the “subject of such force poses an imminent danger of death or serious physical injury to the officer or to another person.”

The Justice Department policy is routine and meant to limit, rather than encourage, the use of force during searches. Prosecutors noted that the search of the Florida property was intentionally conducted when Trump and his family were out of state and was coordinated in advance with the U.S. Secret Service. No force was used.

Prosecutors on special counsel Jack Smith’s team said in court papers late Friday that Trump’s statements falsely suggesting that federal agents “were complicit in a plot to assassinate him” expose law enforcement — some of whom prosecutors noted will be called as witnesses at his trial — “to the risk of threats, violence, and harassment.”

“Trump’s repeated mischaracterization of these facts in widely distributed messages as an attempt to kill him, his family, and Secret Service agents has endangered law enforcement officers involved in the investigation and prosecution of this case and threatened the integrity of these proceedings,” prosecutors told Cannon, who was nominated to the bench by Trump.

“A restriction prohibiting future similar statements does not restrict legitimate speech,” they said.

Defense lawyers have objected to the government’s motion, prosecutors said. An attorney for Trump didn’t immediately respond to a message seeking comment Friday night.

Attorney General Merrick Garland earlier this week slammed Trump’s claim as “extremely dangerous.” Garland noted that the document Trump was referring to is a standard policy limiting the use of force that was even used in the  consensual search of President Joe Biden’s home  as part of an investigation into the Democrat’s handling of classified documents.

Trump campaign spokesman Steven Cheung said in a statement Friday that Biden and “his hacks and thugs are obsessed with trying to deprive President Trump and all American voters of their First Amendment rights.

“Repeated attempts to silence President Trump during the presidential campaign are blatant attempts to interfere in the election. They are last ditch efforts of desperate Democrat radicals running a losing campaign for a failed president,” Cheung said.

Trump faces dozens of felony counts  accusing him of illegally hoarding  at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida, classified documents that he took with him after he left the White House in 2021, and then obstructing the FBI’s efforts to get them back. He has pleaded not guilty and denied wrongdoing.

It’s one of four  criminal cases  Trump is confronting as he seeks to reclaim the White House, but outside of the ongoing New York  hush money prosecution , it’s not clear that any of the other three will reach trial before the election.

Trump has already had restrictions placed on his speech in two of the other cases over incendiary comments officials say threaten the integrity of the prosecutions.

In the New York case,  Trump has been fined  and  threatened with jail time  for repeatedly violating a gag order that bars him from making public statements about witnesses, jurors and some others connected to the matter.

He’s also subject to a  gag order in his federal criminal election interference case  in Washington. That order limits what he can say about witnesses, lawyers in the case and court staff, though an appeals court freed him to speak about special counsel Smith, who brought the case.

Associated Press reporter Alanna Durkin Richer contributed from Washington.

Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

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