The Personal Statement That Got Me Into Law School

Here’s my law school application personal statement for inspiration! I won’t give any advice on how to write a personal statement because I had a LOT of help. I consulted various friends who were already in law school to use their statements as examples and had others proofread and give feedback. What I will say is that you should speak from the heart on whatever you discuss in your statement and make sure to proofread proofread proofread! I also wouldn’t worry too much about your statement, keep in mind that your LSAT score and GPA matter the most on your application!

A special thanks to my best friend Gretchen for her invaluable proofreading, edits, and suggestions.

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It was July 2014, and the California Girls State participants were all sharing the legislation we had drafted as the counselors praised some of the ideas put forth. As we all discussed the bills that had been submitted, I was met with indifference. Many participants were eager to discuss bills on taxes or healthcare; I became frustrated when no one showed interest in the curbside recycling law I had formulated. Later in the day, a counselor asked about my legislation, and I cheerfully told her about the environmental policy regarding recycling that I had written in hopes of bringing awareness to reducing the amount of waste people create. As we walked to the next activity, she complimented the amount of concern I had for environmental issues.

Despite the lack of interest from my fellow students at Girl’s State, I took pride in the bill I had written, and have since realized that the enthusiasm I have for environmentalism is something I can utilize to positively affect the environment around me. I first found an opportunity to start making a difference when I began assisting student senators at the Associated Students of UC Davis. The senators each took on projects and programs they ran on campus and I aided the environmental aspects. We brainstormed ideas for one unit in particular, the Campus Center for the Environment, which promoted sustainable practices and conservation service projects. I worked alongside their volunteers to investigate what could make the campus more green.

Working with the student government and their environmental projects had been profoundly fulfilling, but left me constantly upset about the lack of progress due to the large inconvenience it placed on students and on the school. I found myself aware that no matter the efforts given by even the most active individuals, the largest change would need to come from the higher offices of the school. I connected the senators to the Student Housing office and facilitated a dialogue on how to increase recycling in the dorms and encourage awareness of environmental issues. I was surprised to find out that many buildings did not have recycling bins readily available. As a result, a lot of the discarded material that could have been recycled or composted ended up in the trash. Meanwhile, on a national scale, hundreds of thousands of tons of garbage were being dumped into the ground every single day.

As I continued on my path to acquire information on recycling efforts, I came to the conclusion that on the broader scale, it was lawmakers who had the potential to drive change effectively. At first, I felt powerless, but I found that a California lawmaker was attempting to limit the use of plastic straws in restaurants. I spent free time supporting the legislation and other plastic reduction efforts around the state. Soon after, I began an internship with CalRecycle, the state agency that is tasked with reducing waste. I have since learned a significant amount about how recycling and waste management is legislated, and the large impact that each law has on reducing the waste stream. As an intern, I have worked on projects to help compose new rules and regulations, further validating my hypothesis that the most effective change comes from the top. I also found that the largest impact I could make in the present was raising public awareness of environmental policies on the ballot through everyday conversations. In the past few years, I have discussed relevant issues with friends, colleagues, and students, including the student senators I worked under. Perhaps my most noteworthy conversation, however, was with a student dining employee, who every day watched dozens of to-go boxes make their way into the trash and wished there were rules that encouraged reusable containers.

Throughout my undergraduate education, I had the marvelous opportunity to immerse myself into the specifics of complex legislative issues, while also working on the frontlines of environmentalism wherever I could. For me, the message is real and personal: environmental problems such as a growing waste pile and a polluted Earth are not only happening, but need action by lawmakers and other officials at the top with the power to make change. I am pursuing law school with the hope of becoming an environmental lawyer for the same reasons I have spent years supporting the environmental movement through my advocacy, internship, and extracurriculars: because being an advocate would give me the power to take the growing global issues that make me mad and do something about them.