INSPIRATION

Why do you want to be a lawyer? For some applicants, that’s been obvious since birth. For others, it’s a midlife reversal after years spent doing something very distant from law. Inspiration can come in the form of a person or a cause or even everyday life.

Writing an essay about your inspiration, though, isn’t the same thing as spelling out, “I want to be a lawyer because…” complete with three supporting arguments. Instead, you’ll notice that the strongest essays in this section fuse observation, experience, and reflection into a subtler proof of motivation. And that core motivation varies widely. For one writer, inspiration is a battle with homelessness. For another, it is the cause of animal rights. For another, it is witnessing the realities of life in the U.S. capital.

Like all good personal statements, these essays combine a number of techniques and approaches. They bend narratives of growth and evolution into law school inspiration, which doesn’t require a single eureka moment. They reason through and reflect on the broader societal issues that spur law school interest. Many of the most effective answer the questions “Who are you?” and “Why law school?” simultaneously. The stories of your identity, growth, and commitment will naturally interweave. Let your essay show that.