Law School Sample Application Essay

Law School Sample Application Essay

Sample Graduate School Application Essay: Law School

Another excellent free grad school application essay designed to help inspire aspiring law school students with your application essays.

I nervously stand and make my way to the podium, look over the crowd gathered before me, and prepare to speak. "As we leave our graduation today," I begin, trying to touch every person in the audience with my words. I would definitely have my chance, since this was only the first of two speeches I was tasked with delivering at my high school graduation as both class president and valedictorian.

All through high school, I did my homework before it was due, studied ahead, and volunteered in extracurricular activities. I stuck to guarantees, never wandering far from what I knew best. This course helped me achieve great success, but during my struggle to write two inspiring commencement addresses, I discovered that I had no idea what I truly wanted to do with my life.

Upon arrival at Yale University, I found myself surrounded by fellow valedictorians with dedication and work ethics similar to my own. Despite these similarities, however, I quickly realized a critical difference between us: my peers knew what their passions were. Faced with the unparalleled freedoms of college, I seized the opportunity to search for my own passions.

I threw myself into a broad spectrum of new courses, even attempting a brief foray into the science of natural disasters and weather patterns. In my "Natural Hazards" course, I discovered that I simply had no interest in natural science. Instead, I found myself increasingly drawn to psychology and sociology. Courses in those subjects interested me in issues like the treatment of mental disorders in society and the role of technology in today's economy. In many of the cases we studied, I was impressed by the significant relationship between relevant legislation and social perceptions of the issue. As my understanding grew so too did my desire to learn more. Consequently, I determined that my future involved applying the knowledge I gained in psychology and sociology to the study of law.

My nervousness about trying new things quickly melted away as I grew to love the challenges and discoveries that were part of my growth at Yale. I discovered my true interests and passions, both in and out of the classroom, many of which were in areas I never expected to be drawn to.

Despite having no background in political science or public policy, I interned in Maryland's StateStat office, a new initiative to measure performance for Maryland's state agencies and enhance accountability to trim the $1.4 billion deficit faced by the state in 2008. My work required me to dissect the challenges of public policy and study legislation about the organization of state agencies without any background knowledge or experience. After struggling through my first week at StateStat, my discouragement waned as I began to fall in love with public service. New challenges at work, like debating outreach effectiveness for energy assistance programs in the face of a fifty-percent rate increase by Baltimore Gas & Electric, encouraged me to expand my own skills and expertise. Additionally, I witnessed the impact legislation can have, which reinforced my understanding of the power of law. This realization motivated me to attain a law degree so that I could play a larger role in such an influential field.

By opening myself to new experiences and readily accepting challenges throughout my college career, I discovered my personal passions as well as my career ambitions and ultimately gave my life newfound direction. Thanks to my newfound willingness to take risks, I am confident that I will excel at The New York University School of Law. I am excited to enhance my understanding of the relationship between social science and law through interdisciplinary courses at the Institute of Law and Society. With that training, I will work toward resolving problematic issues in a city as vibrant and global as New York City.

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