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Law personal statement

Im in year 12 and i want to apply to Law, what can I include in my personal statement that would help me stand out?

Reply 1

Be enthusiastic and focus on what you’ve learnt from school plus any work experience or volunteering. Talk about yourself, your interests, your career ambitions and how the course will help you achieve your goals. Hope that helps. - JD

Reply 2

UniofLaw Student

Official Rep

Original post

by candyloversweet

Im in year 12 and i want to apply to Law, what can I include in my personal statement that would help me stand out?

Hi,

It’s great that you’re already thinking about your personal statement, getting a head start will definitely help! To stand out, focus on super-curricular activities that show your interest in Law beyond your schoolwork.

You could discuss any law-related reading, podcasts, or articles you've engaged with. For example, Letters to a Law Student by Nicholas McBride is a great introduction, or you could mention following legal news in The Guardian’s law section or the Law Society Gazette. If you enjoy debating, Model United Nations, mooting, or essay competitions, these can highlight your analytical and communication skills, both essential for Law.

Work experience is valuable, but if you haven’t been able to secure a placement, don’t worry! You could explore virtual work experience programs like those on Forage or Clifford Chance’s ACCESS scheme. Attending university taster days or public court hearings can also give you insight into the legal world, which you can reflect on in your statement.

Even experiences outside of Law can be useful. Part-time jobs, volunteering, or leadership roles in school can help demonstrate skills like problem-solving, critical thinking, and resilience—all important for a Law degree. The key is to connect your experiences to skills relevant to studying Law rather than just listing them.

Finally, make sure your statement is personal to you, reflect on why you’re passionate about Law and what drives your interest. Universities want to see curiosity, commitment, and an ability to think critically.

Hope this helps, and best of luck with your application!

Reply 3

Solent University, Southampton

Official Rep

Hello @candyloversweet

That's so exciting you're thinking of studying Law! At Southampton Solent University we've put together a guide to help you every step of the way with making an application to university, called '52 Weeks to go'.

There's a guide in this on making a statement with your personal statement, and I think it'll really help you with what you need to include. You can find it here.

Wishing you all the best!
Jayne

Reply 4

nwar

Study Forum Helper

Original post

by candyloversweet

Im in year 12 and i want to apply to Law, what can I include in my personal statement that would help me stand out?

Read around Law and analyse the texts critically - what did you find convincing and why? What bits weren’t convincing? How did the things you read propel further reading?

Listen to podcasts (e.g. The Law Show) - again, what did you think? What further exploration did you do?

Essay competitions - evidence your interest and put your existing knowledge to use and builds new knowledge and skills at the same time

Keep up with the news and every time there is something legal in there, explore it! Look up the judgement online and read it - what factors did the judge(s) give weight to? If there were many judges, did they all agree? Do you agree with them?

Go to taster lectures and online webinars (which can be found on university websites e.g. look up Cambridge undergraduate events calendar and there should be a lot of subject tasters on there) - get a feel for the degree and show that you understand what you’re getting yourself into for the next 3 years

Visit your local Crown/Magistrates Court (you can sit in the public gallery and watch) - see the law in action and get an insight into the criminal justice system

Do some introductory Law MOOCs (e.g. on FutureLearn; these are free online courses, don’t pay for the certificates, etc.) - again, get a taste of what studying this at degree would be like