Back in May 2024, I shared my top strategies for getting into law school and how high school students can start preparing early. Now, with law school application deadlines approaching in February and March, it’s time to dive into one of the most critical elements: crafting a compelling admissions essay.
Your law school admissions essay is your chance to go beyond the basics on your resume, showcasing your unique story and explaining why law school is the right path for you. Though it can be challenging to express your motivations, character, aspirations, experiences, leadership, values, and goals within a couple of pages, law schools expect applicants to deliver all that and more.
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Interestingly, in recent years, more law schools have altered how they want their applicants to share qualitative information. In fall 2023, for example, Harvard Law School famously changed their approach and started requiring both a statement of purpose and then a separate statement of perspective.
Yale Law School asks for a more straightforward two-page personal statement: “Applicants must submit a personal statement that helps us learn about the personal, professional, and/or academic qualities they would bring to the Law School community and the legal profession.”
But, they also ask for additional supplements including the famous “Yale 250”:
- The Law School is a vibrant intellectual community where students are expected to engage academically with faculty and fellow students. In no more than 250 words, applicants must write about an idea or issue from their academic, extracurricular, or professional work that is of particular interest to them. The idea or issue you choose does not have to be law-related; this is an opportunity for readers to learn more about how you would engage intellectually in the Law School community.
AND you have the opportunity to answer one of four optional essay prompts:
- Option 1: The Law School has a strong tradition of public service and encourages its students to contribute to the community in a wide variety of ways. Describe a community that has been particularly meaningful to you. Discuss what you have gained from being a part of this community and what you have contributed to this community.
- Option 2: The Law School encourages its students and alumni to be leaders, innovators, and changemakers across many different sectors. Describe one of your most important accomplishments and explain why it is important to you. Discuss how you demonstrated leadership, helped innovate, and/or drove change as part of that accomplishment.
- Option 3: The Law School values determination and resilience and recognizes that these traits are critical to success at the Law School and in the legal profession. Describe a significant challenge, disappointment, or setback that you have faced. Discuss how you approached this experience and what you learned from it.
- Option 4: In order to succeed at the Law School and in the legal profession, you must be able to have discussions across difference and be open to changing your mind. Describe a time when you changed your mind on an important topic after discussing it with a person with whom you disagreed or learning additional information. Discuss what you learned from this experience.
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CRAFTING QUALITY LAW SCHOOL ESSAYS
We love assisting law school applicants with all types of essays, ranging from the personal statement to personal identity supplements or questions that ask applicants how they have overcome obstacles—nowadays, there are many variations.
Regardless of the way your targeted law schools phrase their prompts, we recommend you aim to craft essays that:
- Show you read the instructions: Read the prompt and stick to it. Peruse successful examples and scour the schools’ admissions websites for more intel on what they’re seeking and how they frame their mission. Follow their formatting suggestions and page/word limits to a T.
- Highlight who you are: Your resume already listed what you did, the essay should illustrate who you are within those entries.
- Relay your clear intentions and motivations: Why law school, why now, and what experiences have prepared you to be a key contributor in their classes and to their program?
- Demonstrate your uniqueness: What is something they won’t read in another applicant’s essay that week? Steer away from cliches, overt self-praise, resume rehashes, and tangents, and aim to share personal experiences that shaped who you are and what your path will be.
- Ease their worries: Share your skillsets, show your leadership abilities, and relevant work experience, and write about how you’ll be a true asset to their courses, on-campus offerings, and faculty. Include specific examples that pull from your past experiences.
- Start with the shiny object: Typically, the most memorable sentence of an essay is the first sentence, and the second most memorable is the closing line. Shine and refine those.
- Don’t skimp on what they want: Stay on point and stick with your theme. Share examples of your intellectual curiosity, genuine interest in their program specifically, and convey why you want to study law, given your career aspirations.
Once you’re ready to write, double-check your timeline to ensure you have left plenty of time for brainstorming, outlining, drafting, and reshaping your essays.
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LAW SCHOOL APPLICATION PLANNING CALENDAR
To keep track of deadlines and stay on track, I suggest following the law school applicant planning calendar below, which walks you step-by-step through the process and allows for a lot of LSAT prep and essay drafting time, which is key.
- November & December: LSAT prep and tutoring
- Holiday break: Ramp up LSAT prep, research law schools, register for the LSACT via LSAC.
- February, April or June: Take the LSAT, retake if needed.
- May: Research reach, in-range and backup law schools, ensure a scholarly summer that will boost your law school odds.
- May/June: Register for the LSAC’s Credential Assembly Service (CAS), finalize your resume, grandparent-proof all social media accounts and your online presence. Approach recommenders for the “ask.”
- June/July: Finalize your list of law schools. Consider Early Decision law schools and explore rolling admissions for the universities that offer this. Examine each law school’s admissions and program website, start drafting essays.
- August: Officially request letters of recommendation and provide them with a list of your targeted programs; revise all essays.
- September: Finalize all essays. Many applications are open and ready to accept your applications.
- October and the rest of fall/winter: Thank your recommenders and wrap all submissions. Check for submission confirmations.
LAW SCHOOL ADMISSIONS SIMPLIFIED
The law school admissions process can be complex. Use these tips and my proven guidance to ensure a seamless law school application process and set yourself up for success!
On the upside, you don’t need to study for the bar exam (yet!)
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