Pre Law

Law School Application Process

Law Fair

Personal Statements

• Good personal statements work for a reason.  They show who you are, explain weaknesses in your file, and tell a good story.  A great personal statement does all three. The admissions officer who reads your personal statement should not just feel informed; she/he should feel entertained.  

• No one can tell you what should be in your personal statement without knowing your entire personal and family history.  Personal statements are often sent in conjunction with other essays.  The set of essays must tell a unified story. 

• Linda A. Scoville holds a graduate degree in writing and is available to help students with their personal statements.  Please contact her at 442-3223 or lscoville@uamail.albany.edu. 

Pre-Law Personal Statement Walk-in Hours - 2pm-4pm Wednesday. 

Very important -Please email your essay prior to meeting with Linda.

Pitfalls to Avoid When Writing the Personal Essay

• The expanded resume: "I did this, then I did that; afterwards I joined X, formed Y, and won award Z." 

Why this is bad: all of that stuff is on your app and your resume. Your personal statement contributes zero to your file.

• The position paper: "Legislative reform is urgently needed. Senator X did this, Senator Y did that. We need to stop this. That's why I want to be a lawyer."                                                                                                                   

Why this is bad: First, the ideas in these statements are usually very simplistic. If it were easy to stop Senators X and Y from doing these things, they would have been stopped long ago. Second, you're either repeating something that's already on your app in your extracurriculars or course work, or running the risk of being discredited (i.e., if you really cared about legislative reform, why isn't it on your list of activities?) Third, you've told them exactly one thing about yourself -- and that one thing is not very personal or unique. This is a weak personal statement at best.

• My Most Unforgettable Character: "Mary is homeless. She carries her possessions in two shopping bags, which she never lets out of her sight. She wasn't always homeless. Once she had a husband, three children, and a suburban home. What happened? .... And that's why I want to work with the homeless."                                                                  

Why this is bad: This is often a really interesting statement -- about Mary. If the school is looking primarily for a writing sample, this will do; if it wants to learn more about the applicant, it won't.

• What I did on my summer vacation. Whether you went backpacking through Europe or worked as a Congressional page, this essay tries to make a single event into an essay.                                                                                       

Why this is bad: If it tells what you did without discussing why it was important, it will be no better than an expanded resume. This essay can work if you turn it into a Major Event essay (see below).

• Why I want to be a lawyer. Any explanation of why you want to study law is a bad topic, unless you have a very specific goal already connected to your experience.                                                                                                 

Why this is bad: This is a terrible essay for anyone who wants to say "I love to argue," "Law will give me a lot of options," or "I want to get rich." All of these may be true, but you can surely find a better way to present yourself. It is not generally a good essay for a young person with little practical experience in a field. This essay can be very successful for a person who already has a career track and wants to advance by using legal skills. It can also work for a person leaving a field to work on legal issues related to that field, such as a nurse who wants to work in hospital administration or malpractice litigation, a forest ranger who wants to work for environmental legislation.

So why are all those "great personal statement" books filled with essays like these? Because people make the mistake of thinking that if a person got accepted to a top school, their personal statement must have been good. Even at top schools, people get accepted with mediocre personal statements; their biographical info and recommendations make an adequate argument for them. But personal statements like these won't get you into your reach schools.

What makes a good personal statement? Here are some starting points:

• Your proudest personal achievement.  Look for something that doesn't show on your resume or transcript -- learning to swim, saving money for a long-range goal, making a bookcase, painting a picture. Explain why it was important to you: why was it a goal, why had you failed to do it before (or failed to try), what was different that enabled you to accomplish it now, and what you learned about the world or yourself from having accomplished it.

• A major event in your life, either good or bad.  This could be a trip, a family illness, a move to a new city. Explain what life had been like before the event, how the event changed you, and what you learned from it.

• A changed belief.  Explain where the old belief had come from -- family, peers, life experiences. Tell what made you rethink the belief, and what you believe now. Explain why the new belief is important to you.

These topics will show something about you that's not already in your file, and will give the reader something to relate to and to like about you. This kind of personal statement can significantly increase your chances at your "reasonable reach" schools -- the ones where you're just a few points below the medians.

Source: the DeLoggio Achievement Program

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Dean's Letters

While not all schools require a Dean’s Letter, it is a very important part of the overall application process for those that do. It is also referred to as a Dean’s Recommendation or College Questionnaire. The purpose of this letter is to verify whether or not a student has had any disciplinary or academic infractions while attending college.

The person who is responsible for processing this on our campus is the Pre-Law Advisor, Dawn V. Kakumba. The Dean’s Letters should be mailed or dropped off at the following address.

 How to Decide Who to Ask:

Do not use references from friends or relatives, or recommendations from people who do not really know you. A common mistake made by applicants is to think that the prestige or position of the writer is more important that what the person is able to say about the applicant.

A recommendation that is able to compare you to another that has proved his/her success, has the making of being an outstanding recommendation.

A recommendation that is purely laudatory can lose some of its credibility and be viewed with some skepticism. A small flaw embedded along with much praise is likely to be viewed as more real.

Provide the writers with a package of information which should include:

• A resume

• Information on your GPA, LSAT score, unusual circumstances or trends

• Highlights of significant experiences and/or awards, responsibilities, above average leadership responsibilities

• Copies of papers you did, if any, with comments by the writer of your recommendation.

Make an appointment to meet with the writers in person and be prepared to discuss why you want to go to law school and what you are hoping to do with a law degree.

Be active in expressing what you are hoping the writer will include in the recommendation. A professor’s letter should be evaluative rather that descriptive. The response will be a good indicator as to whether or not this is likely to be a useful recommendation for you. It is appropriate to ask if the writer is able to write a positive letter on your behalf. If you are unable to get a firm "yes," then it is best to look elsewhere.

Essentially, a good recommendation will convey the writer’s enthusiasm and support for you as an applicant to law school.

Provide an envelope stamped and addressed to LSDAS as a courtesy and to facilitate the process for your recommender.

Allow at least 4 to 5 weeks for the tasks to be completed by the writer.

Remember to write a thank you note or stop by in person to express your appreciation.

1. The law school admissions process is very competitive. Please write as specific a letter as possible, bearing in mind that a law school admissions committee wants to know primarily how well the student reads and writes, if the student is capable of adapting to the discipline of law school, and will the student reflect credit on their law school.

2. Be specific about the student's coursework. Was the course a demanding one? How well did the student perform both oral and written assignments? Did the student do anything in particular which stands out in your mind; e.g., did the student write a term paper or essay which you considered superior? If so, indicate the topic and why it was a superior work. Note the student's potential for intellectual development.

3. Indicate how long and in what capacity you have known the student. If you are familiar with non-academic achievements (e.g., extra-curricular activities), please note these. Also note other background characteristics which may be useful (e.g., work experience, bi-lingual ability). Convey facts not judgements alone. Do not use unsupported adjectives.

4. Please forward your letter directly on letterhead stationary. Please do not give the original letter to the student to send to the law school; Pre-Law Advisors National Council is trying to persuade the law schools to quit asking students to collect their letters of reference and mail them as a package. It is important, in other words, to eliminate the question of confidentiality.

5. Keep a copy of every letter of recommendation you write.

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