A non-traditional, traditional applicant

[LegallyUnProficient]

Where to start…
I dropped out of high school in 2004. Got a GED in 2005. Started and stopped community college in 2007. Join the Army, got med discharged by 2008. Early separation, no benefits. Worked full-time while I went to community college on and off between 2010-2013 wracking up only C’s, D’s, and F’s. Worked in different office jobs with growing responsibility. Matured. Got married in 01/2020. Retuned to school Summer 2020. First born 10/2020. Second child born 05/2023. I’ve stacked a crazy number of classes, 21-26 units during full semesters and 15-18 each summer. I will complete my degree this fall. All while working full-time and managing my department and team. Work life is very successful and fruitful. Wife and family are incredibly supportive. Since returning I mainly get A’s and B’s, an occasional C slips in with science based classes but with my grades from 10 years ago LSAC gpa sits at 2.66. I’m taking the LSAT is October, been studying for a month, practice test have grown from 158 to 166 and feel I can keep studying able be able to score high 160’s low to 170’s on the actual test. How can I put my best foot forward to show law schools I am committed and determined to go to law school and become an outstanding attorney in the community?

tl;dr: was immature most of my life, graduating college in my 30’s after being on and off school for 13 years with 2.66 gpa and would like to attend a decent law school. What can I do?

[swynn1019]

I would focus on your strengths you exhibited by completing college and still staying committed and pushing forward despite life's challenges, and that you are that much more committed to law school. Good luck and many blessings!

[Luke Haqq]

Hi LegallyUnProficient!

I think that swynn1019 suggests some good points. I can also mention some other things you might consider doing to put your best foot forward.

One is that you don't need to include all of that information in your personal statement. To some extent, it may be relevant to conveying what you have been doing in life--for example, it might be relevant in explaining why you are applying to law school now.

A distinct thing to be aware of is that the personal statement should convey why you want to practice law. If you spent too much of the statement summarizing your educational journey, that would leave little room for explaining why you are applying to law school, when the why-law angle should instead permeate the statement. One route that many take is to have the first paragraph be a chronological anchor for the statement, beginning when your intentions to pursue a legal career first began to take shape. The body paragraphs could then unpack several anecdotes that highlight how you've continued to refine, grow, and hone your interest in the law--this might draw on relevant coursework, internships, or professional experiences through which you learned more about the law.

So having your personal statement be a convincing narrative about why you want to practice law is something you can do to put your best foot forward. You can also think about writing an addendum. If you find, for instance, that you feel that you need to explain something that can't be fit into the why-law personal statement, an addendum could be the place for it. It's worth mentioning that you shouldn't feel compelled to write one--sometimes an unnecessary addendum can detract from the strength of a personal statement, or it can put a spotlight on parts of a person's application that aren't the strongest aspects. So be cautious as you think about whether you want to write an addendum, but that is another thing you can do if you decide that you need to explain your educational journey. It could be helpful in this addendum to convince the school not just that you are committed to attending but also that you'll thrive in law school.