- Posts: 1
- Joined: Jan 03, 2016
- Sun Jan 03, 2016 5:45 pm
#21435
Hello,
I have seen people posting their personal statements on here and I was hoping to be able to get some feedback on mine as well. Thank you in advance!
Visiting my birthplace of Johannesburg, South Africa, when I was thirteen compelled me to see a different side of the world. I had been back to visit my family several times since leaving as a baby, but this was the first trip that I was old enough to realize how vastly different everyday life is there. My parents always told me that they moved to the United States because South Africa was too dangerous to raise a family, and on that trip I saw exactly what they meant. I remember driving to my aunt’s house from the airport. There were a lot of cars on the freeway and people were driving in the emergency lanes to avoid the traffic, although nobody seemed bothered by their actions. We also stopped to have lunch in a shopping center nearby. We parked our car and had to bring our suitcases into the restaurant with us, in fear that someone would break into our car and steal our luggage. As we walked past the stores, almost all of them had armed guards at their front doors. For the first time since being there, I felt unsafe in Johannesburg. Even once we got to my aunt’s house, I noticed that her front door had three locks on it and every window had metal bars over it. These were all things I had seen before, but now I was old enough to acknowledge that they resembled danger. I simply did not have to worry about these things while living in California. This understanding motivated me to think about the influences of the legal system in South Africa, compare it to other parts of the world, and ultimately consider a legal career.
I began to wonder how my parents had grown up in that world and why most of my family still lived in South Africa. It was sad to think that it was normal everyday life for them and for so many people around the world. I began to truly appreciate the place that I grew up in, because I felt safe there. I could walk to school on my own, stay home by myself, and so many other things, without fearing for my life. Nobody should have to have such fears when going about their days. Granted there are parts of the United States and South Africa that are safer than others, however these two places are so fundamentally different.
I wanted to know why it was so dangerous in South Africa and I thought a lot about it after that trip, for example why my aunt’s door had so many locks on it. The more I thought about it, I realized that a huge part of the differences are based on their legal systems. I began to genuinely appreciate the United States legal system and it sparked my interest in pursuing a legal career. While not everyone agrees, the majority of people in the United States respect our government and laws. However, in South Africa, that element is missing. The laws there are seldom enforced and law enforcement is often bribed, even in the case of major offenses. People are not deterred from committing crimes because there are rarely consequences, and this contributes to their high rate of crime. Since this realization I have wanted to go to law school to learn about our legal system in depth and to pursue a legal career.
That trip to South Africa left me wondering about legal systems in other parts of the world as well. I chose to study abroad in London, England, and during my time there I became invested in learning about their laws and legal system. I was able to sit in on trials in court as well as in the House of Parliament. I found the British legal system to be much more similar to the United States than South Africa is, but it has its differences as well.
I, like many others, often take my safety and security in the United States for granted. I try to remind myself every day that so many people are not given this basic privilege of safety. My experiences being from South Africa have taught me to be both analytical and compassionate toward others. I want to pursue a legal career in order to play a role in upholding our respected legal system. I have been interested in how legal systems are in different countries around the world, but I am also very interested in how the laws differ in our American states. Having lived in California for most of my life, I am eager to explore other parts of the country and learn about the practice of law in other states. I believe that ____ law school would not only allow me to pursue my dream of becoming a lawyer, but also further enhance my understanding of the world.
I have seen people posting their personal statements on here and I was hoping to be able to get some feedback on mine as well. Thank you in advance!
Visiting my birthplace of Johannesburg, South Africa, when I was thirteen compelled me to see a different side of the world. I had been back to visit my family several times since leaving as a baby, but this was the first trip that I was old enough to realize how vastly different everyday life is there. My parents always told me that they moved to the United States because South Africa was too dangerous to raise a family, and on that trip I saw exactly what they meant. I remember driving to my aunt’s house from the airport. There were a lot of cars on the freeway and people were driving in the emergency lanes to avoid the traffic, although nobody seemed bothered by their actions. We also stopped to have lunch in a shopping center nearby. We parked our car and had to bring our suitcases into the restaurant with us, in fear that someone would break into our car and steal our luggage. As we walked past the stores, almost all of them had armed guards at their front doors. For the first time since being there, I felt unsafe in Johannesburg. Even once we got to my aunt’s house, I noticed that her front door had three locks on it and every window had metal bars over it. These were all things I had seen before, but now I was old enough to acknowledge that they resembled danger. I simply did not have to worry about these things while living in California. This understanding motivated me to think about the influences of the legal system in South Africa, compare it to other parts of the world, and ultimately consider a legal career.
I began to wonder how my parents had grown up in that world and why most of my family still lived in South Africa. It was sad to think that it was normal everyday life for them and for so many people around the world. I began to truly appreciate the place that I grew up in, because I felt safe there. I could walk to school on my own, stay home by myself, and so many other things, without fearing for my life. Nobody should have to have such fears when going about their days. Granted there are parts of the United States and South Africa that are safer than others, however these two places are so fundamentally different.
I wanted to know why it was so dangerous in South Africa and I thought a lot about it after that trip, for example why my aunt’s door had so many locks on it. The more I thought about it, I realized that a huge part of the differences are based on their legal systems. I began to genuinely appreciate the United States legal system and it sparked my interest in pursuing a legal career. While not everyone agrees, the majority of people in the United States respect our government and laws. However, in South Africa, that element is missing. The laws there are seldom enforced and law enforcement is often bribed, even in the case of major offenses. People are not deterred from committing crimes because there are rarely consequences, and this contributes to their high rate of crime. Since this realization I have wanted to go to law school to learn about our legal system in depth and to pursue a legal career.
That trip to South Africa left me wondering about legal systems in other parts of the world as well. I chose to study abroad in London, England, and during my time there I became invested in learning about their laws and legal system. I was able to sit in on trials in court as well as in the House of Parliament. I found the British legal system to be much more similar to the United States than South Africa is, but it has its differences as well.
I, like many others, often take my safety and security in the United States for granted. I try to remind myself every day that so many people are not given this basic privilege of safety. My experiences being from South Africa have taught me to be both analytical and compassionate toward others. I want to pursue a legal career in order to play a role in upholding our respected legal system. I have been interested in how legal systems are in different countries around the world, but I am also very interested in how the laws differ in our American states. Having lived in California for most of my life, I am eager to explore other parts of the country and learn about the practice of law in other states. I believe that ____ law school would not only allow me to pursue my dream of becoming a lawyer, but also further enhance my understanding of the world.
