Law degree personal statement example (2a)

My interest in law stems from the knowledge that it affects every aspect of our lives, despite our often being oblivious to it. Without law, I would not have the right to education, to survival and to freedom of speech. Without law, there would be no legal boundary between right and wrong. Law acts as the foundation of society, and without it we could be deprived of every basic right.

Work experience has allowed me to see how law can be applied to real-life situations. During my placement, I was able to look through case files and sit in on interviews with clients as well as doing research using legal textbooks. In addition to showing me how relevant law is to everyday life, work experience emphasised the all-encompassing nature of law and made me appreciate the workload of a solicitor. I also did work experience in Stuttgart, spending time with a judge, a lawyer specialising in German-Irish Law and a firm specialising in employment law. I was able to sit in on negotiations, see how a judge comes to a verdict and how evidence is analysed. Work experience gave me a flavour of international law, and I enjoyed the complexity of dealing with two different legal systems. Not only was this beneficial as additional work experience, I was also able to prove to myself that I could live independently and that I am mature enough cope in a foreign environment. I have also carried out research into the study of law, attending a pre-law conference in London and reading ‘Learning the Law’ by Glanville Williams and ‘The Law Machine’ by Marcel Berlins and Clare Dyer. I believe the subjects I have chosen will also give me a good foundation for studying law. Mathematics would aid me greatly, as it is both logical and methodical as well as being challenging. I believe that English Literature has provided me with skills essential for studying law such as analysis, comprehension and interpretation. Economics encourages one to select relevant information from long passages of text, and to apply theory to real-life situations. It also presents ethical and moral issues which raises discussion and debate, as a result I have learnt to argue my point coherently, whilst respecting the other’s point of view.

I have also been given several positions of responsibility both inside school and in extra curricular activities. I represented my class on the Student Council, where I learnt to work successfully as a team member, and improved the school environment as a result. This year, I have also been appointed Head Girl. This will enable me to further improve my teamwork, organisational skills as well as demonstrating my leadership potential. As Head Girl, my duties include representing the school and speaking in assembly. I have represented the school in public speaking on several occasions, resulting in the school being awarded runner-up overall for a Safety competition. I also do public speaking in Young Farmers’ Club, having achieved 1st at county level and 3rd in an impromptu class at national level. Public speaking has required me to be articulate and eloquent. In addition to these, impromptu public speaking requires making the best use out of the time given for planning and remaining calm under pressure. As Public Relations Officer in my Young Farmers’ Club, I was awarded runner-up at county level. My role required me to write articles about the activities at Young Farmers’ Club and illustrate these with photos. I needed to be organised in order to meet the newspapers’ printing deadlines, which required time management. As peer mentor in school, I am trained to deal with information of a sensitive nature and am a good listener.

As a result of my responsibilities, I believe I am someone who could adjust well to university life, and I am enthusiastic about the next level of education where I can focus primarily on law, a subject that motivates and excites me.

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