Hubbard Center for Student Engagement Guides + Forms

Pre-Law

Writing your Personal Statement

An Intellectual Narrative

Provides the reader with a sense of your priorities and judgement, allowing them to know you more personally.

The personal statement is just one, but very important, part of an application. Each personal statement must be tailored to each specific application. Pay close attention to the prompt, as some things you may include in a personal statement for one application may make more sense to include in another part of a different application.

Writing & Editing Suggestions

Keep your primary points brief and clear. Reviewers will likely skim your statement because of the volume they are reviewing.
While addressing the prompt, be sure to keep to word or character limits.
Your opening sentence should catch the reader's attending and last sentence pulls ideas in the essay together. Conclude with something specific and visionary.
Be sure there is a thread connecting the different parts of the essay.
Give specific, detailed examples to illustrate each of the points made. Make it relevant; if it's not, then it doesn't belong.
Be sure topic sentences [first sentence of each paragraph] lay out an idea that is then developed and illustrated by the following paragraph.
Edit your statement. Have many people read your statements and provide feedback. Cut out unnecessary words and avoid cliches.

Brainstorming Your Essay

As you begin planning your essay, consider the following:

What is special, unique or distinctive about you and your life story?
What details n your life shaped you or influenced your goals?
When did you become interested in this opportunity and what have you chosen to do to reinforce your conviction in pursuing this opportunity?
What do you know about this field and how did you learn it?
What are your career goals?
Are there gaps or discrepancies in your academic record worth explaining?
Have your made any mistakes or have any regrets that taught you something important about yourself?
Why might you be more successful and effective in this opportunity than other applicants?

Tell your story: your qualification [Background, Skills, Experiences, Traits]

Demonstrate your fit or suitability: Connect your story with your future, Show how the opportunity is essential for a bright, More successful future

Project your Future: Short Term[1-3 years], Long Term[5+ years]

Additional Resources: Writing Personal Statements Online, Purdue OWL

Letters of Recommendation

Professional References

Get to know your faculty members and let them get to know you. They can write a specific, detailed letter that speaks to your accomplishments. You can build a relationship in a variety of ways:

Attend office hours
Talk with them about your areas of interest and future aspirations
Ask them about their research
Take more than one course from a faculty member whose work closely aligns with yours
Consider conducting research with a faculty member

Request letters of recommendation at least a month in advance of the deadline, preferably 2-3 months in advance. You can send a reminder to the letter writer closer to the deadline.

Be professional in making the request, but don't feel awkward about it. Faculty members and former employers want to support their students. They are accustomed to writing letters of recommendation. Provide them with as much information as possible to help them write the letter and be sure to share information about your proposed program or activity. A draft of your statement of purpose, application, and copy of your resume is helpful, so they have a full picture of what they are supporting you for. Establishing a portfolio of your work is helpful to share, to refresh their recollection of your skills and abilities.

Letters for Off-Campus Study, Graduate study, or a fellowship

Request letters from only faculty members. Letters from colleagues or employers should be requested in the very rare case when your proposed study is extremely well aligned.

Graduate School: Be proactive about gaps between when you graduate and when you apply to graduate school. The best letters of recommendations are from faculty who know you well. But because they teach hundreds of students, it is harder for them to write strong letters the longer it has been since you were in their classroom. If you have a gap between graduation and applying, consider requesting the letters while you are still fresh in their memory and keeping them on file.

Letters for an internship or Job

Request letters from a combination of supervisors and faculty members. These individuals should be able to speak specifically to the work you have done and connect it to your proposed work.

Say thanks

Send a thank you note and update them on your progress. A good reference writer will be interested in your success. It will also help next time you might need a reference from that individual.

Pursuing Law School

Choosing Law School

Advising on course selection, LSAT preparation and application completion.

Law school graduates have multiple career paths open up to them. With a law degree, you can work in non-profit management, health care, politics and public service. Additional career opportunities exist in industries where knowledge of the law is crucial to an organization’s operations and, ultimately, its success.

To be successful in law school, you will need a diverse skill set, like:

Analytical & Problem Solving

Critically analyze complex situations and principles, including abstract or hypothetical situations, taking in all the information and making the most appropriate decision given the situation.

Writing

Write concisely yet convincingly, articulating your thoughts in a compelling fashion. Your ability to eloquently convey your message is vital to your success in a legal profession.

Reading Comprehension

Read and extract important information from various reports, logs, and other written items to help best establish your own perspective.

Interpersonal Communication

Ability to speak persuasively, both in a group setting and in a personal environment, will be vital. You also will need to be an effective listener in order to understand the nuances of the situations you will encounter in your career.

Research

Ability to review information from a wide swath of sources, whether you are an attorney preparing for a case or serving as a legal consultant for a business or nonprofit.

Public Service & Promotion of Justice

A commitment to Public Service and the Promotion of Justice will aid you as you commit to the endeavors that are of most importance to you. You will be advocating on behalf of your client, an organization, or an issue. You will be creating compelling insights and arguments to reflect your position and achieve your end.

Application materials

While different law schools will have slightly different requirements for Admission (such as grade point average, application deadlines, and LSAT scores), there will be a few consistencies that most law programs seek from applicants, like:

Credential Assembly Service

Offered by the Law School Admission Council, the Credential Assembly Service (CAS) is required by American Bar Association-approved law programs, as well as many other law schools. The CAS incorporates your academic transcripts, letters of recommendation, evaluations and other documents into a report that is sent to all of the law schools to which you apply.

Law School Application

Every competitive law program will have an application that must be completed. There may be some differences, such as short answer questions that are asked.

LSAT

The Law School Admission Test is a way that law programs can immediately begin to discern applicants, as well as determine placing in the coming class. Preparation for the LSAT should begin as soon as you think you would consider law school as an option following graduation.

LSAT test prep is available through free resources at the DePauw Library and through our partnership with Kaplan Test prep. Please reach out to Dr. McCracken Renick for more information.

Personal Statement

You will provide biographical background information that will provide context to the admissions counselors about why you are applying for law school. This personal statement typically includes information about your academic background, life experiences, and your personal and professional goals that you hope will be attained by attending law school. You are encouraged to work with your faculty adviser to ensuring that it is as good as it can be when applying to law school.

Resume

For many law school programs, you also will need to submit your resume that conveys the experience you’ve had so far. You can take advantage of on-campus leadership opportunities, Extended Studies offerings including community service and off-campus study, and job shadowing to create a well-rounded DePauw experience which help prepare you for law school.

Letters of Recommendation

You will need to get letters of support from a faculty adviser and others who will be able to speak to your strengths, accomplishments, and skills that will make you an asset in law school. Always meet with faculty members in person to discuss your letters of reference. Provide them with a list of the schools you are applying to and a quick summary of what a particular law school is seeking in a letter of recommendation.

Want to get involved with our Pre-Law and Public Affairs student group?

Reach out to Pre-Law@depauw.edu

Meet with our Pre-Law Advisor:
Dr. Colleen McCracken Renick, UB 106
colleenmccracken@depauw.edu

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