TSR Wiki > University > Applying to University > Personal Statement Library > Law 33
Law Personal Statement
Epictetus once said "only the educated are free"; and these are words that speak something profound to me. Having come to England from Lithuania six years ago, I am returning to education to expand my mind and give myself the freedom to achieve something great. My first ambition is to qualify as a solicitor, but with a keen interest in international law, I am also interested in the possibilities offered by careers in the UN or the EU. As well as knowledge of our legal system, a law degree will afford me the opportunity to think analytically and critically, and to gain an appreciation of the philosophical principles underpinning its rules. This kind of knowledge is critical for active participation in society: during my last school year in Lithuania, for example, I led a campaign to prevent the closure of my high school, and I would have been grateful of the assistance of legal knowledge during that struggle. Memory of that experience is a great motivating factor.
A natural enthusiasm for objective argument and reasoning makes me well-suited to a Law degree: at school I achieved success in competitive debating tournaments, and debate taught me to view controversial questions in an objective manner. I enjoy the challenge of constructing an argument to support a position that seems indefensible, or with which I do not personally agree; and I believe that this skill, in addition to the confidence I gained in public speaking, will be of great benefit to me as a student. Through my love of reading I have gained the ability to assimilate large quantities of information quickly and accurately, and I have a deep appreciation of the subtleties of language. The precise nature of legal rules is dependent on the meaning ascribed to the words that shape them, and I am looking forward to studying and discussing interpretations of the language of statutes and case law. To prepare myself, I am studying for a Legal Method Certificate at Birkbeck College, where I have focused on the construction and interpretation of English law. I also undertook a period of work experience at CKFT, a firm of solicitors, where the opportunity to witness legal rules being applied in a courtroom further whet my appetite for university study. To keep abreast with developments in the legal world, I subscribe to The Lawyer and Lawyer 2be.
I have always been a high achiever academically. Upon completing school, I achieved excellent grades in all subjects in my Basic School Leaving Diploma. I particularly enjoy creative writing, for which I have won first place in a national competition, and I am proud to have been published in a collection of creative writing and a number of Lithuanian newspapers. Beyond academia and writing, I enjoy music: at fifteen I was awarded a Professional Piano Player Diploma, and I still love to play. I am well travelled - recently visiting Singapore and Sri Lanka - and I am a keen linguist: my native language is Lithuanian, I am fluent in English, and I speak conversational Russian. I hope to expand my linguistic abilities further during my time at university.
I appreciate that returning to education, particularly to such a competitive degree as law, will present challenges. However, I have good reasons to believe in my ability to achieve highly. The skills and life experience I gained in employment have given me perspective in evaluating my priorities, and an understanding of the world around me that will enable me to conduct my studies thoughtfully and maturely. Having worked in the luxury entertainment industry for five years, I have also gained excellent communication and organisational skills and a strong sense of initiative, all of which will help me greatly. If given the opportunity to ensure I fulfil my potential - an opportunity I feel I have not yet had - I will work extremely hard to prove myself a talented and dedicated student.
Universities Applied to:
- Oxford University - Offer (Accepted)
- Kings College London - Offer (Insurance)
- LSE - Withdrawn
- UCL - Unsuccessful
- QMUL - Unsuccessful
Comments
General Comments:
Comments on the statement:
