Osgoode PCLS Program: A Personal Statement

Earning a law degree, coupled with my passion for serving others, I will be able to fulfill my deepest desire of serving those whose voices are not heard. I plan to use my law degree to create policy in favor of those that are underprivileged. My concerns for the poor will find new practical forms of expression as I learn jurisprudence; furthermore, I intend to shape my legal education with the firm commitment that I will not allow my thoughts and objections to go unheard. If accepted, I expect that the greatest intellectual leap of my life awaits me at [Insert Law School here]. Given the education and opportunities provided by [LAW SCHOOL NAME HERE], I intend that my resolutions are not ones that will pass with the day, but determinations which are rooted in a lifetime of

From when I was ten until I was fifteen, I wanted to become a lawyer. I’ve always had impressive public speaking skills, a persuasive personality, and a knack for debate, so it seemed like the perfect fit for me. However, upon a taking a law class my sophomore year, I realized that lawyering might not be exactly what I expected it to be. As I learned about the different laws and the complexities of the court system I was

I knew that I wanted to pursue law when my eyes opened up to injustice that occurs on the daily. Finding out about police brutality, reduced jail time for rapists, and other outcomes of bias showed me how flawed the justice system is. These realizations became my motivation, initiating my desire to help those who are wronged by the law. My dream is to be a human rights lawyer, a voice for the unheard. For this reason, I worked to strengthen my communication skills by getting involved in my school's speech team and UNICEF club. In my senior year, I passed an audition to join the mock trial team. Doing so provided me with hands-on experience regarding this field, making me even more certain about my goals.

The various branches of law provide citizens with structure as a technique to avoid chaos and move forward as a nation. However, a structure exclusive of flaws is impossible to achieve. This being so, law has weaknesses and these weaknesses can prevent a being from making adequate judgments. In particular, Canada’s refugee system is flawed as unjust deportations are taking place. Refugees escape their hometown to depart persecution of some sort and commence their lives in safer countries (“How Canada’s Refugee System Works” 2016, par. 1). The Refugee system in Canada follows a particular set of guidelines regarding how to qualify, apply, and stay in the country. With numerous protection programs, the institute is immense as ruthless decisions

My desire and urge to advocate, as well as the above events and experiences all contribute to my interest in attending law school. I understand the decision to obtain my legal education is not one to be made on a whim. And so, the decision to go to law school is, in itself, not just a career choice for me, but a life goal fueled and propelled by my passion. It is pertinent to know that I thrive on the adversarial nature of law practice and hard work.

These experiences have been so rewarding and have illuminated the path that I should pursue. Law school is an essential next step in my career as I look to deepen my understanding of the law as a tool for liberation and social justice. However, financially I have not been able to secure significant savings to prepare me to leave a salaried position to pursue higher education. Knowing that I am particularly interested in public interest work and civil rights litigation, it is not feasible for me to accrue additional loans and debt. I also have a responsibility to help support my family as

The law is a powerful tool for the disfranchised and disadvantaged. It can be very difficult to respect yourself in a culture that disrespects you daily. As farmworkers, my parents rights were ignored due to their economic and educational background, regrettably justice only exits for those with resources and knowledge of our legal system. As an educator, I have experienced the wrong in situations with school issues that could have had a legal approach but most often parents were uninformed. I have experienced again and again that justice is not given to people that are unaware of their legal rights. Attending law school provides the opportunity to grow in many aspects, knowledge, skills, and as a person to advocate for equality for marginalized

Access to knowledge and expertise needed to make a difference in the lives of many is the driving force behind my decision. By following my passions, I earned Culinary, Pastry Arts, and Food and Beverage Management degrees at the College of Southern Nevada, and it is there that I rediscovered my passion for law. I have always wanted to be a lawyer. Partly because that has been my answer to the “what do you want to be when you grow up?” question since I was six years old, but also because I feel that my own life’s path is taking me to a focus on advocacy and children’s rights. My path to law school hasn't been a traditional one, however I think that the very detours I have taken along this road are what will make me an excellent student and in turn,

My search yielded feelings of excitement and intimidation. My excitement originated from the realization that the limitations I noticed in medicine were translated to potentiality through the applications of law through health law and bioethics. This sense of possibility hinted at the underlying qualities of the law: how it is open to change, interpretation, and debate. I became increasingly confident that my original interest in law was more than just a temporary fixation; yet, the intimidation that paralleled my excitement left me with lingering sentiments of uncertainty. As a pre-medical student entering my junior year, I failed to have the kind of experience that my peers did on the mock trial as potential law students. Unlike them, I had never had an internship with a law firm or taken an undergraduate course relating specifically to the law. Furthermore, I knew time constraints, and prior commitments would not permit me to do

Obtaining a solid legal education foundation is essential. CUNY Law produces professionals that are passionate about assisting the disempowered and underprivileged. This is what I desire to become. The opportunity given to CUNY Law students to address social justice issues through legal remedies and community partnership is an exciting and meaningful one. I desire to help amplify the voices of ignored groups, and to encourage them to know and to exercise their rights.

In the four years between the completion of my undergraduate degree and the beginning of law school, I worked as both a loan processor and a legal assistant. Despite working in these capacities to gain practical skills and build my professional identity, I never forgot my civic duty to serve in the community. To accomplish this, I served as an Americorps VISTA, a volunteer paralegal with the Western New York

“To be called a refugee is the opposite of an insult; it is a badge of strength, courage, and victory.” This saying from the Tennessee Office for Refugees addresses the ongoing matter of refugees that has been growing continuously for decades, and is currently as serious as ever. The article Ten Borders exposes the many hardships refugees have to face everyday through the story of a young law student named Ghaith. Juggling between school and two part-time jobs, Ghaith soon finds his life in the war-torn country of Syria unbearable. As a result, through the help of his own brother and some smugglers he got in contact with through social media, Ghaith was ready to flee Syria and hoped to find a new life away from violence in Europe. However,

By encouraging the group, we enthusiastically completed our assignments and I was able to fulfil my role promptly and avoid disciplinary measures from the student affairs unit. I learnt valuable research and communication skills from this experience, which contributed to my success in the bar part II examinations. I intend to deploy these skills in presenting the seminar requirements of the Justice Studies courses and preparing my

From a young age, it has always been important to me to see justice prevail, and it gives me great comfort to know that I impacted upon someone’s life in a positive manner. I believe that an education will afford me a wider understanding of the legal and social problems in society and the knowledge to address it in

Law is an integral, ever present and ever changing component of our society. I began to envisage a career in Law after I witnessed a Rape trial at my local Crown Court with my Law class, which began to ignite my interest in the Justice system. I was eager to discover more and visited the Supreme and Criminal Courts in London. I was fascinated to discover how versatile the Law is and how it adapts to social and economic changes. Legislation ranging from the Abolition of the Death Penalty to the Civil Partnership Act in 2014 shows how vast the Laws effects are. This engrosses me and never fails to leave me pondering as I seek to further my knowledge of the Law. This is why I wish to become a part of this essential and irreplaceable part of our lives during and after I graduate from University.