Personal statement law school

US Supreme Court justices have been a source of inspiration and instruction for most law students. Here’s a look back on three famous judges turned justices who have left their mark on the face of the country’s judicial process.

Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr.

Chief Justice Holmes, who authored The Common Law, is an icon that pushed others toward proper legal thinking. Holmes went to Harvard for his undergraduate then participated in the American Civil War. After being wounded in battle, Holmes returned to Harvard to take up law.

After a year of teaching at Harvard Law, he became the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Massachusetts and became notable for his bold reasoning. President Roosevelt nominated him for the US Supreme Court Chief Justice position which he won on December 8, 1902.

Chief Justice Holmes defended and made clear the scope and limitations of the freedom of speech, and he became the proponent for most of the liberties enjoyed by all up to the present.

Benjamin Cardozo

Chief Justice Benjamin Cardozo was nominated to the US Supreme Court in 1932 by President Hoover following the death of Chief Justice Holmes. Cardozo entered Columbia Law School in 1889. Cardozo practiced law until he joined the Supreme Court of New York in 1914. His nomination to the post in the US Supreme Court by President Hoover was unanimously seconded by everyone.

Cardozo produced treatises that have become valuable texts for the study of jurisprudence: The Nature of the Judicial Process, The Growth of the Law, and The Paradoxes of Legal Science.

Antonin Scalia

Antonin Scalia has been made famous for his scathing wit and argumentative styles. Scalia studied law in Harvard and was even the Notes Editor of the Harvard Law Review. He taught at Stanford, Georgetown, and University of Chicago while dabbling in a political career as a public servant. Presently, the second most senior Associate Justice of the US Supreme Court, Scalia has made a lot of distinctions in his colorful career.

Scalia believes that the Constitution is a legal document that should be the basis for many of the rulings in court, not as a living organism that can be interpreted for the benefit of others. This textualist and conservative approach somehow challenges law students to view the Constitution for the most succinct approach. Scalia has authored a new book called Making Your Case: The Art of Persuading Judges, which is is endorsed by The Federalist Society.

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Passion for a certain profession drives a lot of people in getting a graduate course as many a personal statement law school points out. Although this may also mean advancing your career by adding bullets to your curriculum vitae and adding degree titles to your name, graduate school means one thing – burning the midnight oil. One graduate course may be suffice to put a dent in one’s normal routine, so how about taking up two? Why not go for a joint MBA and a law degree?

Law and Management

A Juris Doctor degree is essential and is the first ticket to the practice of jurisprudence. After passing the state bar exam, one can be proclaimed a lawyer and get into either private or public practice.

Garnering an MBA on the other hand is one of the more chosen pathways taken by those in the management field. An MBA is better suited for young professionals who are looking to advance in the corporate ladder by getting experience and educational training on administration, finance and accounting, consultancy, and other fundamentals necessary for the management of a particular business.

MBA-JD Program

As unrelated as they may seem, these two post-graduate degrees can now be taken under one program. Applicants can send off their personal statement law school essays and other requirements to reputable schools such as Harvard, Stanford and The University of Memphis among other academic institutions that offer the JD/MBA degree.

Benefits

So how does having a degree in two of the heaviest subject matters help an individual?

The MBA-JD program is beneficial for those who go corporate, or as in-house legal counsel of top reputable firms. Having a knowledge of how the business side works and having a client-oriented perspective opens up new areas of opportunity. This dual degree definitely raises your viability many notches up, as companies go for individuals who are multi-specialized and individuals who have an awareness aside from their work experience.

However, law firms have a different view as they see JD/MBAs as ‘tainted’ or more oriented toward the business side rather than jurisprudence. A JD/MBA degree could, however, help a lawyer effectively make a career shift - from a legal to a corporate one.

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There comes that time in the academic calendar of law schools that law firms come a-knocking to harvest “summers” or interns and potential employees. Career services of law schools work closely with various law firms to set up mass interviewing to select and woo potential interns. Even if these law firms are the ones who are doing the chasing, their recruiting people still have a set of standards on which the potential summers and employees can be measured against.

Grades

Of course, law firms are quick to snatch up law students who exhibit high grades and academic achievements as these are the easiest ways to measure an applicant’s aptitude. Some top law firms explicitly look at the students who are in the top percentile of the class.  However, despite grades being tangible factors, there are other attributes that would make a good lawyer.

Communication Skills

Undoubtedly lawyers should possess good communication skills. Potential summers and employees must be able to exhibit exemplary oral and written skills as they can be tasked to prepare memos, arguments, briefs, and other official documents that may be used in real court proceedings. Add to that excellent logical and analytical thinking and law firms have in their hands the makings of a great asset.

Staying Power

In the end, law firms also look for people who would fit into their own culture. Some prestigious law firms shower their summers with perks such as high allowances, paid nights out, lavish dinners, and even expensive trips just so they can see who would stay beyond the three months of the internship period. Those who can look beyond the perks and still do their tasks well will certainly be asked to stay on after the internship is over.

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The bar exam is a qualifying test that law degree holders take to be able to practice law in a given jurisdiction.

A bar exam is usually made up of a series of different tests comprising multiple-choice sets and essay questions. However, bar exams differ across states because each state has its own bar regulatory board. It would be a good tip to take the bar exam in a place where you would most likely work or practice law. The best way to check what kinds of tests your state bar association would require is to check out their website. Also ask for information from your law school’s career office if possible.

Other exams

The Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination (MPRE) is a set of standardized tests that should be taken across all states except for Maryland, Wisconsin, Puerto Rico, and Washington. Some states require lawyer hopefuls to undergo character evaluation before becoming licensed attorneys-at-law.

Preparing for the bar exam

Bar exam review schools
One option that you can look into to prepare for the bar exam is to attend a bar exam review school. The bar is not like a typical final exam that one can study for on his or her own. Instead, reviewing for the bar requires intensive and guided study on the various subjects of law. Some recommend that reviewing for the bar should be treated as a full-time job to achieve the best results. Bar review schools may also provide supplements and exercise based on the questions from the previous year’s bar exam.

Preparing your logistics
This applies especially to those who would be taking the bar exam in a different state. Book your flight or passage ahead of time and make sure you have adequate board and lodging. Map out your transportation as well and anticipate any disturbances such as traffic and the size of the crowd during the bar exam.

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You may have proven your aptitude with the LSAT as well as the entrance exam to a certain law school. You may have passed an impressive personal statement law school essay along with the two letters of recommendation from people who know you well. But still, the law school you are applying to requests for a personal interview by their admissions panel. To be able to finally get into the law school that you want, you have one more chance to prove yourself worthy.

Prepare before the interview

Once you have received an invitation, confirm your appointment as soon as possible via phone. Ask for specific instructions and make sure to take note of all of them. It would also be all right to ask who will be conducting the interview so that you can do a little research on them as well.

Read up on the law schools’ history

Aside from researching about the panelists’ backgrounds, research about the current issues on their campus as well. Stay abreast of other current issues of the country as panelists may also ask for your opinions on such.

Conduct an ocular

If possible, go to the campus and familiarize yourself with the area and the place where you will be interviewed.

Review

Review the personal statement law school essay that you submitted. Panelists will likely pull questions from the personal statement law school essay and other credentials that you have previously submitted to them.

Get to know yourself

Panelists would very much like to know an applicant from the person who knows him or her best: himself or herself. Sometimes, practicing in front of the mirror can help you condition yourself to answer confidently and correctly.

On the day itself, dress appropriately. Conservative suits and appropriate footwear can work well for both men and women. Keep jewelry, make up and even perfume to a minimum. Do your best to look presentable and clean.

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Whether it’s for a summertime or school-year internship (the latter done part-time of course), law students are clamoring to get into the best law firms in the country. Here are a few tips to score that dream internship:

Consult with your law school’s career services office

Start with what you have closest to you. Look into the career services offered by your school. Submit your resume and other qualifications to your career counselor before summer internship season. Most schools have strong links to alumni and other reputable law firms who are on the look out for interns and potential employees.

Make an impressive resume

List all the qualities that you think your targeted legal employer might look for such as organizational skills, flexibility, and even aptitude in certain computer applications. Make your resume easy to breeze through so that interviewers can easily see what they’re looking for. Likewise, make a strong cover letter to go with your resume.

Pre-internship

If possible, even before internship at a law firm is required, apply for apprenticeship or intern programs in other related fields. Smaller law firms may not offer you the pay or the prestige that top law firms can. However, a treasure trove of experience can be earned as you can be able to understand how a firm works. Apprenticeships and experience can also be gathered from government agencies such as the DA’s office or even that of the Federal Defender. Private companies and organizations championing causes such as environmental or human rights may also be good training grounds and impressive bullets in your resume.

Make a good impression on the interview

When you do get a call back from a law firm for an interview, do make a good impression. Be sure to dress right and convey body language that is just appropriate for the occasion. Make sure to bring your credentials such as a resume or anything that the employer might ask for.

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After passing the bar and getting that much coveted title, a lawyer can choose between various paths in which to practice his or her profession. First is the decision to make between going into private practice or into public service.

Public practice

Duties
A lawyer can opt to be employed by the state or government. As a public attorney, one can be tasked to provide legal counsel to individuals or entities who do not have access to private lawyers. Most of the cases handled by public defenders are criminal in nature, but other cases of quasi-criminal nature may arise. Clients also tend to vacillate toward those who are financially strapped and are often part of the indigent strata.

Wages
A public attorney’s wages is shouldered by the county or state government. At times, one can be compelled to render services pro bono. One can go into the Federal Public Defenders and receive salaries that are at par with lawyers employed in the US Attorney’s Office. Though not as impressive as the pay a lawyer in a large law firm can get, the benefits and civil protection that public practice brings are sometimes attractive packages that can lure newly appointed lawyers to government service.

Private practice

Duties
The duties of a lawyer in private practice differ depending on the type of employment or association one forms. Lawyers can go into the large law firms that are hired by companies and other big-time clients. Competition can be fierce as politics, which can be strongly felt in these institutions. A lawyer can also work closely with clients as in-house corporate legal counsels. As lawyers also have areas of specialization, services can also be rendered to companies of the same nature. A lawyer can also opt to operate his or her own small law firm.

Wages
Undoubtedly, the higher the position one attains in a large law firm or corporate setting, the higher the pay. For those who operate their own small firms, income may vary depending on the case load or frequency of clients.

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Not all lawyers can be good politicians and not all politicians are required to have a law degree to be able to lead a district or a nation. However, the traits of a good lawyer or law-degree holder can also be good makings of a good politician. A better understanding of the law can help a politician make better legislations. Leadership may be an inborn or developed talent, but a thorough knowledge of the law can only be acquired through its intensive study in law school.

A law school does not necessarily teach an individual to be a good politician, but promising politicians can be products of law school. A lawyer can choose to exercise the skills that he learned and honed in law school and in the courtroom in a larger setting such as the legislature.

Some skills that may help in securing a position in public office

Analytical skills

Law school harnessed lawyers and law degreeholders to devour large volumes of texts on policies and make sense of these. In the face of impending issues, new legislations can be formed out of the good analysis of the situation and the existing rules regarding the issues. If a certain lawyer-turned politician harnesses this analytical skill to constantly produce legislations that benefit the people, he or she may rise up in the political ladder.

The capability for logical thinking

Making sense of the issues at hand requires a lot of logical thinking. Lawyers have been trained to employ logical thinking in their cases at court and may well employ this ability in the political arena. This trait would serve a politician well as after effectively correlating a number of issues can help in the legislative process.

Good communication skills

Lawyers are adept at listening to people and getting message across as well. Good communication skills can work well for politicians. Having exemplary debating skills also make a lawyer a good politician as one may need to lobby against other legislators for certain stipulations to be enforced.

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Lawyers, by training and profession, are experts in the judiciary or execution of the laws, edicts and rights as prescribed by the Constitution. Lawyers and law graduates bring to the legislative table skills that can make a good public servant if they choose to do so.

Lawyers on policy-making

Ideally, experience in upholding the law can make lawyers and law degree holders suitable for public office. Policy-making can be improved as lawyers should have deeper understanding of all the rights and limitations as stated in the Constitution. Policies, laws, and acts can be formulated in accordance to or as improved versions of the basic principles of the Constitution.

To be able to formulate effective laws, a politician should be able to go through large amounts of written material. Law school and the practice of law have prepared the lawyer to face such texts and devour the information in these. Having attention to detail can also be a qualifier for lawyers to become effective politicians as well.

Policy-making also entails that the person be able to make sense of issues and matters at hand. Making logical arguments to defend a cause or a new bill is just second nature for lawyers who do it for a living. The ability to negotiate well also comes in handy as politicians banter and parry for the enactment of certain laws - tasks that a lawyer is well-acquainted with in the courtroom.

Lawyers on good governance

Though the ability to exhibit good governance does not really require a law degree, the holistic approach that lawyers employ in most of their cases can be of use in the arena of politics. Excellent communication skills are exhibited by lawyers and law degreeholders, necessary for addressing fellow legislators and great audiences when they get into office. Lawyers often look at the legislature as a larger courtroom and in a sense, it really is. It would just depend on how these lawyers turned politicians can fight their case well, for the benefit of a greater client – the people.

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Most law schools have their own financial assistance programs for students in need of a help when it comes to funding their studies.

Merit-based assistance

Scholarships and study grants are available for that deserving applicant who is in need of financial assistance to continue legal studies. Some scholarships can be given by academic institutions such as Duke University for entering law students. External scholarships, though, are fairly common and can be given by organizations, companies, foundations, and even private individuals who champion certain causes. However, merit-based assistance for law students will require maintaining a certain GPA or grade.

Need-based assistance

Most academic institutions and law schools can offer support to any student who will require a level of financial assistance to further legal studies. Some may have prescribed amounts to dole out while others employ special computations that can be based on the student’s income, parental support if still applicable, and even the nationality (as international students can be eligible for financial assistance as well). Some law schools offer succinct breakdowns of the allowance for easy management of the students.

Student loans

Students in need of financial assistance can also avail of loans from federal providers. Private institutions, companies, and organizations may also offer loans in the guise of scholarships. Private banks and financial institutions can also help out with their own plans and packages for student loans.

Payment options

Harvard Law School has just recently announced that it will take care of the tuition of students in their third year of study as long as these students promise to devote five years of their careers to public service after graduation. Other law schools also have their own terms of payment of the loans given out to students. However, before embarking on a student loan, make sure to read and understand the terms and payment options offered by a law school or a private banking institution.

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