Example Law Personal Statement
It was a family legal crisis that sparked my desire to become a lawyer. My father was sued by a tenant of an apartment he owned in Hong Kong, and took the decision to defend himself in court. In helping him to develop his argument, I was struck by the potential for intellectual engagement which a legal career provides. We won the case and I became determined to study Law at university, embarking upon work placements with legal professional, and a rigorous A-Level curriculum, in order to achieve my future goal of practising law across the world.
My experience of the Middle Year IB programme, followed by A-Levels, has equipped me with a rounded academic approach. The MYP emphasises qualities such as communication, risk-taking and reflection, and I have thrived in an international school community through developing language skills, in Cantonese, Mandarin and English. I completed my Personal Project on creating a travel guide for Hong Kong and was an active member of the highly successful debate team, enhancing my creativity and communication skills as well as time management. My subsequent A-Level choices have allowed me to prepare myself for the challenges of studying Law at degree level. History has been instrumental in improving my reading and comprehension of complex topics, and Economics provides an intriguing insight into increased globalisation, which I find particularly intriguing as internationalised legal systems will only increase in their significance with time. I read avidly around the subject and enjoyed Pannick’s “Advocates”, which emphasised the integral need for advocacy as a profession, to safeguard the legal system from within. I am also currently following a UK case concerning a householder charged with the murder of a home invader: the perpetrator in this case clearly went past self-defence, and this has caused me to re-evaluate my own views on the issue. I am most intrigued by the differences between national legal systems, such as the US and UK, which help contribute to such debates.
I recently completed a summer internship at a Hong Kong chambers shadowing barristers, and the range of criminal cases illustrated to me the challenges of constructing arguments in this field. One case was complicated by the lack of substantial evidence save a statement from our opponent and a handwritten piece of paper; the weak prosecution was attacked by the judge in court and the judge virtually assumed the role of the prosecution to make up for this shortfall, by questioning witnesses extremely thoroughly to assess our client’s guilt. Witnessing the reality of the legal system in practice led me to ask questions of my own: was it fair that imbalance in one side allowed them to gain the assistance of the judge? I have not come across a case of this nature in UK law and again am fascinated by the differences in legal thought across societies. I have also worked as a legal counsellor’s assistant and found attending meetings and trials instructive in gaining an understanding of other legal fields.
I am a rounded individual and enjoy travelling as much as possible to experience different cultures. I attended school cultural exchange programmes in Japan, Brunei and Cuba, and most memorably Trinidad, where I lodged with a local family. Achieving multilingualism, including an advanced IELTS level of English, has improved my ability to communicate across barriers of language, and I have used my skills to tutor my younger cousins in English.
My varied experiences around the world thus far have enthused me to study at a UK university: the legal system has been influential upon others across the world, and I am keen to build on my existing knowledge of its nuances. I hope to pursue a career in advocacy in order to redress injustice within law, as it is only through the dedication and skill of its practitioners that we may continue to enjoy its manifold benefits for society.
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