Sample Law Personal Statement
The most important influence in my ambition to study for a degree in Law and Criminology is my family background. Both of my parents are trained solicitors and my father continues to practise, and I have been brought up in an environment in which legal questions are regularly discussed, in a house full of law books which I have been reading for most of my life. I soon came to understand how the law is the foundation stone on which civil society is built and how it allows ordinary people to live with peace of mind and free from many fears. The law attracts me too because of its variety; as a qualified lawyer there would be endless special areas for me to focus on, from commercial law to family law, and from intellectual property law to tax law. I am at present engaged in studying for a BTEC National Diploma in Public Services, which has made me aware of the area of human rights law. This has made me particularly curious about comparative regional systems of human rights, and the huge questions of the international rights of children, discrimination in international human rights law, the rights of refugees, the rights of women, the law of armed conflict and so on. At the same time I am also deeply interested in criminology and am keen to explore such areas as the definition of crime, the relationship between argument and evidence in criminological debate, policies on penal sanctions, and policing. I am keen to gain skills in evaluating the findings of criminological research and applying legal concepts in practical situations. One career option I am considering is to enter politics, and an advanced knowledge of this subject would be a very useful addition to my legal understanding.
I have undertaken work experience in a firm of solicitors, where I learnt much about the day-to-day duties of a solicitor, the pressures he or she is subject to and the depth of ready knowledge needed to succeed. I then worked for a further month with them under a barrister, which allowed me to discover much about the work of a lawyer in the criminal area and gave me good experience of the workings of the Crown Court. One thing that struck me in this practical exposure to the legal world is how important it is to consider the impact legal decisions and actions have on the people involved – that it is the human world we are working with. I always try to keep abreast of new developments in my field by following stories in the media and I have attended conferences on particular aspects of law and crime.
At school I have demonstrated my dependability and sense of responsibility in team development projects. With ten other pupils I organised and developed an outdoor expedition in the Yorkshire Dales including abseiling in Ilkley Glen. My leadership was very successful and I earnt the praise of the supervisor, and I learnt much about how to lead and how to work in a team, where the concern of one individual must always be less important than that of the group. It also gave me useful lessons in time management and people skills.
I have a variety of languages, counting English, Punjabi and Urdu as equally my mother tongues, a very useful asset in an increasingly multi-cultural world. I would hope to go on after graduation to study for a Master’s; my driving sense of ambition means that I shall only be satisfied by the knowledge that I have achieved the very highest qualification and standing. I am trustworthy and determined, very self-aware and full of curiosity about my subject and about life in general. I believe my peers regard me as likeable, positive and enthusiastic. I am hard-working and love to learn, grow and develop my abilities. I enjoy working in a team but have the confidence and initiative to be equally happy operating on my own. My commitment to my subject and to my career is total, and I believe I have the necessary qualities to become a very successful undergraduate.
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