Essay Category:


Essay Question:

Major: Personal statement 


Until a few months ago when my family moved, a yellowed picture was taped to the
side of the refrigerator.  There were coupons stuck over and around it but some
crayon scribbles and a signature still peeked through.  This picture, drawn in
first grade, showed a smiling figure wearing a blue and red cape.  The caption
read, 'When I grow up, I want to be ________.'  Filled in the blank and with
backward E's, I had carefully printed 'A SUPERHERO.'

Some things have changed since first grade, and some have not: I no longer write
with backward E's, but I still intend to save the world.  I recognize that this
goal cannot be achieved only with optimism and good intentions.  Achievement
will
require comprehensive preparation, wide exposure, well-cultivated contacts,
validated moral courage and strong communication and reasoning skills.  I hope
to
improve and develop these abilities at ______ Law.

I am interested in public international law, particularly dealing with war,
peace, and human rights.  My ambition is to be a leader committed to peace and
willing to achieve cooperative solutions in international forum.  I hope to
prepare myself for a career in diplomacy and policymaking, and then help educate
the next generation of leaders through teaching and research.  [school name] Law
offers this opportunity, with great name recognition and leading authorities in
the field.  

I have much to contribute to the ______ Law community: enthusiasm,
intellectual curiosity, and a humanistic academic background developed through
the Boston College Honors Program.  My research skills are well practiced from
my
current research fellowship position, from a senior thesis on South Africa's
nuclear weapons program, and from an internship with the IISS, London.  At IISS
I
helped the Senior Fellow for European Security track the progress of the Common
European Security and Defense Policy in becoming a viable instrument, able to
work with NATO and promote regional confidence.  This was my second summer
abroad: in June and July 1999 I studied language, history, society, and politics
in Paris as a Presidential Scholar and in Strasbourg at the Council of Europe. 
I attended the first Council of Europe Summer University, designed to raise
awareness of human rights and international law as well as to foster cultural
exchange among students from over twenty different nations. 

I intend to pursue a public service career, and I recently completed the first
step - a year as an Americorps VISTA volunteer.  My placement was in the U.S.
Operations Division of ACCION International, a prominent non-profit microlender
with Associates throughout the Americas and Africa.  I was responsible for
special projects under the Senior Director of Operations, including the
development and implementation of a loan-application tracking system,
maintenance
of network policy and procedure, and ongoing support and computer systems
training for the ACCION Associate programs.  Through this work, I learned a
great
deal about development and finance and improved my management and strategic
planning abilities.  I was also fortunate enough to witness job creation and
hard-working small business owners rising from near poverty to middle income.  

Achieving superhero stature is a challenge, but I have been raised to believe
challenges can be overcome and goals achieved through hard work, determination,
and positive thinking.  My mother always said, 'You WILL succeed' and by
believing this, I have.  For example, when I began work at ACCION I was asked to
learn Microsoft Access programming.  At first the task seemed daunting, but
after
asking many questions of on-line workgroups, experimenting by trial-and-error,
and reading help files, I built an extensive impact- and portfolio-tracking
database.

Another example of positive thinking paying off was my experience with the BC
Varsity Fencing Team.  I 'walked-on' to the (Div I) team freshman year.  With
hard word and perseverance I excelled, developing proficiency for independent
action within team goals and a 'clutch' ability for success under pressure.  In
four years, I advanced from a beginner to MVP 2001 and a competitor in the 2001
NCAA National Championships.  I was elected captain twice by my teammates, in
recognition of my leadership, dedication and work ethic. 

Thank you for your consideration of my application.

Essay Category:


Essay Question:

Major essay: UCLA: Why do you want to attend UCLA? Cornell: Our desire is to learn something that we may not be able to learn from the application. NYU: Complete or clarify responses to the application, additional information, describe important or unusual aspects of yourself not otherwise apparent in the application, tell us what led you to apply. Vanderbilt: Statement of reasons for wishing to study law, special qualifications you have. Additional facts that have bearing on admission. 


A LIFETIME OF LEGAL STUDIES

My interest in law began early in my education when, in kindergarten, I was
introduced to the Torah, the Old Testament, that includes the laws that govern
the Jewish people and that are followed by many to this day.  I studied the
Torah
in school and as my Hebrew and Aramaic developed to fluency, I delved more and
more into the different legal tractates and interpretations derived from the
original five books.  I learned about civil law from the Jewish law codes and
common law from the rabbinic responsa literature.  I learned how to argue my
point of view and interpretation of the law, much as attorneys do in court, with
the person with whom I had paired off to study law.  I continued my Jewish legal
studies in seminaries in Jerusalem for two years and at Yeshiva University in
New
York.

Throughout my high school and undergraduate college studies, I studied under a
heavy dual curriculum that kept me at my studies from early in the morning until
late at night.  This dual curriculum - the equivalent of being enrolled in two
institutions simultaneously - has prepared me for the rigors of a legal
education
at Cornell University.
	
At Yeshiva University, I honed my reasoning skills with courses in math,
computers, and physics, while trying to round out my education with
courses in Spanish and sociology.   In the Masterpieces of World Literature
course with Dr. Louis Feldman, a renowned expert on Josephus and Philo, I was
able to further develop my interest in law.  I wrote a paper for him examining
the universal nature of law by comparing the Spartan lawgiver Lycurgus with the
Jewish lawgiver Moses.  This experience also taught me the skill and delight of
thorough, original research.  The research was included in a series of lectures
by Dr. Feldman, and in an article to be published by the Oxford University
Press.
	
Business school taught me not only the practical business application and view
of American and international law, including a course in jurisprudence, but also
the proficiency to deliver prepared presentations on a variety of subjects. 
This
was part of my transition from purely
theoretical legal study to the practical.   In Communication, I prepared an
informative, a descriptive, and a persuasive speech, culminating in a formal
debate on the legality of law enforcement racial profiling in the United States.

Working for Becker Productions, a small journalism and public relations firm, I
developed my writing skill professionally, and continue to do so.  I research,
proofread, edit, and author articles for the firm.  I have shared bylines in
several Wisconsin newspapers, starting at the age of thirteen, and have had my
photographs published with credit.
	
Knowing that written communication is an important part of the legal process, I
applied to work at the Yeshiva College Writing Center, both to help others
develop their skills, and to improve my own communication skills. As a tutor for
the Writing Center, I was able to help both undergraduate and graduate students
in their written communication.
	
One of my most rewarding experiences was helping a Hispanic woman who had
gotten her GED and gone on to college to study social work to honor the memory
of
her murdered son.  She'd been ashamed that she hadn't been able to help her son
with his schoolwork, and was now working to gain an education.  When we sat down
together, she was extremely nervous and embarrassed, having to ask for help from
someone half her age.  Though she lacked confidence in her learning abilities, I
was able to develop a rapport with her using my knowledge of Spanish, her first
language, thus enabling her to master the skills that she needed to do well in
graduate school, and subsequently as a professional social worker.  This
Hispanic
student was one of many students of different national, cultural, and
socio-economic backgrounds that I worked with in the Writing Center, much like
those I would work with both in pursuit of a legal career, and as a lawyer.
	
I have had the opportunity to travel extensively with my mother, a travel
journalist, since I was an infant.  I was exposed to a wide variety of cultures
both in my world travels and in the multiethnic neighborhood in which I was
raised, and am thus able to relate well with people of different backgrounds and
nationalities.
	
Because of my dual interest in computers and law, I hope to be able to combine
the two disciplines in the nascent field of Internet law and to work in the law
school in the researching and drafting of the codes and laws that will pertain
to
the still uncharted field of cyberlaw.
	
With my knowledge and logic skills, communication skills, and ability and
desire to interact and communicate with a diverse group of people, I feel I am
well prepared to do well in the study and profession of law, as well as to make
a
contribution to others.  My background and the philosophy of the [insert name of
law school], with its interest in diversity and academic rigor, will mesh
beautifully, benefiting [law school] and myself.

Essay Category:


Essay Question:

Essay question: You are required to submit a personal statement. The page limit was 2 pages, more than 500 words. 


I was ten years old the first time I looked through a telescope.  Before that
night, I would never have guessed that our family even owned a telescope, and I
had never given much thought to the night sky.  That week, my father read in the
newspaper that Saturn was visible just after sunset, and he decided his kids
needed an astronomy lesson.  My mother managed to drag my two brothers and me
outside as we whined about the heat and mosquitoes, and we watched impatiently
as
my dad set up the dusty three-inch telescope on our driveway.  None of us had
any
knowledge of the constellations, any star charts for reference, or any idea
which
star above us was really the planet Saturn.  We waited impatiently as my dad
pointed the telescope at one star after another until finally he stood up and
announced that he had found the ringed planet.
	
I don't know what I expected to see as I approached the telescope.  I had seen
pictures in elementary school textbooks of a bright yellow planet with striped
rings, but the star above me that my father claimed was Saturn looked just like
every other star.  I certainly didn't expect to see anything that looked like a
real planet.
	
When I squatted to the ground and squinted up through the telescope, I was
astounded.  I could see the whole planet, just like in the pictures, rings and
all.  It was right in front of me, a small, pale yellow sphere surrounded by a
wide ring.  I was looking at Saturn, in my own driveway.  This magical telescope
had turned a pinprick of light into a real planet, millions of miles away.  I
wanted to point the telescope at every star I could find just to see what it
would reveal.  As I stared in fascination, the planet drifted across my view
until it was almost gone.  I reluctantly stepped away as my father readjusted
the
telescope and explained to me that the motion of Saturn through the field of
view
was due to Earth's rotation.  The magnitude of the events I was watching boggled
my ten-year-old mind.
	
When I had taken as many turns at the telescope as my parents would allow before
bedtime, I wandered inside dreaming about stars and planets.  I was instantly
hooked on astronomy, and I spent the next year reading about stars, nebulae, and
galaxies.  Then, a year after my father introduced me to astronomy, I discovered
something even more exciting than telescopes and planets.  I began reading about
the history of space flight, and I became fascinated with the Mercury, Gemini,
and Apollo programs.  My interest in astronomy never faded, but astronomy alone
didn't capture the excitement of space flight.  I read every book and watched
every movie I could find about the space race.  I decided I was going to be an
astronaut, and I dreamed of flying the space shuttle and walking on Mars.
	
As I studied the space program more closely, however, I quickly realized I was
more interested in the engineering behind NASA's massive rockets than I was in
experiencing firsthand the acceleration they produced.  I wanted to learn about
the technology behind the Saturn V rocket, the Mercury capsule, and the solid
rocket boosters on the space shuttle, but I didn't want to ride in them.  I
wanted to be the one who designed and tested those technologies; I wanted to be
an aerospace engineer.  I was also eager to read about all the new technologies
that came from the space program, from housing materials and firefighting
equipment to hospital food and Velcro lace.  I looked at the Velcro flaps on my
backpack with sudden inspiration.  At the same time, I was excelling in and
enjoying my physics and calculus classes in high school, and I wanted to study
those further in college.  Aerospace engineering was the perfect combination of
my talents in math and science and my fascination with space and technology.
	
After three years of studying aerospace engineering at The University of Texas,
my talents and interests have only grown stronger.  Applying to law school may
seem like a departure from my plans, but it is really a step closer.  I want to
study intellectual property and patent law so that I can work closely with the
engineers who are continually developing new technologies that have the
potential
to improve the quality of life for millions of people.  The advances that have
come from the space program are just a few examples of the ways in which lawyers
and engineers can work together to spread new technologies all over the globe. 
I
want to be the one who brings Velcro tape to children's backpacks or safer
gloves
to firefighters.  Working closely with new technology is exciting and
challenging, and my background and experience in aerospace engineering will give
me a unique perspective as a law student and will help me to become a successful
patent lawyer.  I cannot wait to make my contribution to this exciting field,
and
I am ready to work hard to reach my goals.

Essay Category:


Essay Question:

What is your interest in the law/general statement--Personal Statement 


When I tell my friends and family members that I want to attend law school, they
wonder if I will find satisfaction in such an environment. 'Law school will suck
the life right out of you,' said my parents' friend, 'and you are such a
creative
person.'

However, from my experience working at a non-profit organization as a
Children's Advocate, I disagree with his perspective. I believe that a
successful
public-interest lawyer is a person who can weave creativity into the law and
find
unique solutions in situations with limited resources. A creative comprehension
of the law, coupled with a strong sense of social justice, adds to a lawyer's
ability to work effectively with clients in the public sector. 


The journey that brings me to the doors of law school is unusual. I have always
pursued artistic interests through painting, composing music, tailoring, and
drawing an ongoing autobiographical comic strip. During high school, my
volunteer
work teaching English at Wat Parinayok Elementary in Bangkok, Thailand allowed
me
to apply my creativity toward successfully engaging young children. In an
educational environment that emphasized learning by rote, I developed fun
musical
and body-movement exercises to help the students access the English language.
Over the course of three summers, I also taught art and photography to
inner-city
youth while volunteering at the San Francisco Boys and Girls Club summer
program.


Incorporating nature and science with art, I provided creative outlets of
expression to children who generally turned to video games and television for
entertainment.
After high school, I made my creative inclinations a primary focus of my
academic career. My undergraduate education in Fine Art at UCLA and in Fashion
Design at FIDM allowed me to express myself through painting, photography, and
design. After completing these two degrees with high honors, I entered the
workforce hoping to satisfy my desire for expression in the fashion industry.
Yet, while I excelled in this field, I still felt a void in my work, and after a
year of designing women's underwear, I realized that I wanted to apply my skills
toward helping those who cannot help themselves. Looking back on my
extra-curricular activities, I noticed that I gravitated toward public interest
work, particularly in low-income and Asian communities. That drive has brought
me
to where I am now--a Children's Advocate in an emergency domestic violence
shelter serving the Asian and Pacific Islander community.


Five days a week, I see women and children who could be my mother, sister,
aunts, future daughters, neighbors, and coworkers pass through our shelter
doors.
I help them find housing. I help them find pants. I file child abuse reports to
protect their children, and then I enroll their children in schools, so they can
pursue their education amidst the chaos. These acts of assistance strengthen
each
family's process of renewal. I witness the rebirth of these families who have
made the choice to sacrifice their past in order to save their future, and I
feel
satisfaction in helping to rebuild their lives.


I recently handled a difficult child advocacy case in which I utilized my
creative perspective to achieve a successful outcome. We accepted a mother and
her four children into the emergency shelter program aware that the eldest son
had mental health concerns. We could not imagine the extent to which the boy's
mental health issues would pose a safety risk to his siblings, our staff, and
the
other residents.
 	
Two days after entering the shelter, the child erupted in a violent outburst.
His mother attempted to remedy the situation by physically restraining him, and
eventually I had to hold down his legs as he thrashed and screamed. This would
not be his last outburst. Three days later, he threatened his sisters and other
residents with a pair of scissors, kicked staff members, and bit his mother,
forcing the shelter to call in law enforcement who took him to the county
hospital for a mental health assessment. Because of police intervention, the
Department of Children and Family Services interceded. After a hasty assessment,
DCFS threatened to remove the child from his mother, reasoning that she was
guilty of neglect. As the boy's advocate, I battled through our social service
system--rife with red tape--to make sure that he would not be removed. 

I
advocated with a myriad of agencies to provide the child with a safe environment
that included mental health support. Being shuffled back and forth between
various offices that refused to take responsibility for this family's
well-being,
I realized that my traditional approach to the situation would not suffice.
Trying a different tactic, I went through the Los Angeles Unified School
District, citing a policy requiring the school district to ensure every child's
access to education--for mental health issues and family disruption certainly
hinder the ability to learn. Using a non-traditional route, I accessed
supportive
services for this child, keeping the family intact and emotionally supporting
his
mother and siblings through the painful ordeal.

Although I was joyful about the success, the experience taught me that many of
the services that are intended to protect families actually become impediments
against securing their welfare. Simultaneously, I learned the value of a unique,
problem-solving approach and fulfilled my desire to help others by providing a
voice to the disenfranchised. 

I helped a family learn how to navigate through
the
American social service and legal system. I empowered the mother by showing her
how to support her children and gave this family the tools to advance toward a
better future through my creative advocacy. 
At the same time, I recognized that even with the changes that my organization
and I have helped to bring about as direct service providers, a dire need still
exists for organization and action in long-term policy changes through
legislative participation and advocacy. I saw first-hand how our public welfare
system can fail those who need it the most. Regulations and legal ramifications
designed to help actually become obstacles in survivors' paths to recovery. 

I
believe that unless improvements are made in the foundation of our social
service
and legal systems, the resulting environment will not be a safe and secure
refuge
for families and children. Furthermore, as the only daytime Thai-speaking
hotline
counselor at our shelter, I recognize the lack of support services--specifically
for the Thai population. 

I disagree with my parents' friend. I believe that law school, coupled with an
innovative approach, will infuse the legal system with life. I want to expand my
capacity to serve - not only my community but all communities - through the
vehicle
of the law. I know that with a strong legal education followed by a few years of
hands-on experience, I will be able to contribute my gifts and unique background
toward strengthening our social and legal systems so that they truly are
instruments that nurture and empower individuals.

Essay Category:


Essay Question:

Generic "Personal Statement" question. 


Sometimes I wonder if I've ever been honest with anyone.  I don't mean that I
lie, or even that I am necessarily deceptive, but perhaps there is a difference
between speaking the truth and being true.  Being true, in my estimation,
requires that one know something about his own character.  How else can he know
when he is false?  With each passing day, however, I grow closer to the
realization that my knowledge of my character fails to satisfy me.  So far, I
haven't decided whether this is a flaw.

In the past, I have described myself as an actor.  In fact, performing was so
central to my life prior to Cornell that I deeply regret not having returned to
the stage in the last three years.  Like a musician who locks away his
instrument, I put aside that part of my life to concentrate, I told myself, on
academics.  I truly miss the theater, and though from time to time I am bothered
by the idea that I could have remained both a student and an actor, really I
know
this question is a lie.  A catcher may be unable to catch without his glove, or
an artist paint without his brushes, but as an actor I am bound by nothing - not
by a costume, a script, or even a stage.  

I cannot remember when this realization first came to me, but I must admit it
has become both a comfort and a source of strength.  An actor, I decided, is not
merely a product of his role; he is not an actor simply because he pretends and
performs for an audience in a theater.  Rather, an actor is one who is in
control
of himself.  An actor is deliberate and conscious of how his words and actions
are perceived.  He is utterly aware of the scene in which life has placed him at
any given moment, and he is forever in thought of his role therein.

Certainly, this is an idealized definition, but I believe it has served me well.
 I've engaged in a wide variety of roles in recent years, and by concentrating
myself upon each endeavor I have been successful.  My role as a student is just
one of these, but there are many more.  Once limited to graphic design, my work
in e-commerce has increasingly placed me in the role of a salesman, often
speaking directly with clients to sell our services and ideas.  I have helped my
family to cope with my grandfather's Alzheimer's disease, and as an older
brother
I have seen my siblings through their transitions to high school and college.  A
different performance is required for each of the scenes that accompany these
roles, and to the extent that I am able to play them successfully they all feel
equally natural.  But by far the most foreign role I have yet had the chance to
play, and therefore the most exciting, I found as an intern at the Washington
D.C. bureau of Fox News.

Every morning I awoke in Washington I was either thrilled that I was going in to
work or disappointed that I wasn't.  The news business is a turbulent one,
changing every day and sometimes minute by minute, and I was excited to be
there,
feeding off the energy of everyone at the bureau.  I would be exaggerating if I
said there was never a slow moment, but even then there was an anticipation and
urgency that filled the air with purpose and drive.  Yes, I loved the energy at
Fox, but that wasn't the best part.  For me, going into the field was like being
on stage.  On dozens of occasions I had the opportunity to attend press
conferences, stakeouts, Congressional committee meetings, and other newsworthy
events ubiquitous in Washington.  Sometimes I ran errands; other times I went
simply for my own education, but the reason didn't matter.  As far as anyone
knew
I was a member of the press, with my notepad, ID badge, and look of purpose.

I cannot adequately communicate the thrill of those experiences except to
compare it to the thrill of performing.  Each situation was new and always I was
on my feet.  It was like improv in so many ways, only it seemed to matter. 
Whether I was treated seriously at the Pentagon, the White House, or on Capitol
Hill depended entirely upon my presentation: not just how I was dressed, but how
I carried myself, what I said, and how I said it.  If I could behave easily and
appropriately, I would be accepted even if I were secretly doodling on my
notepad
instead of taking notes.  The opportunities I had to actively participate in
those experiences, whether by mingling with the press corps or even asking
questions of government officials, were exciting tests of my abilities to
perform
in situations where I felt any display of incompetence or lapse of poise would
discredit me.

Some might argue that the stakes were not so high; really, what did it matter if
I were seen as just another Washington intern instead of a professional?  I
suppose it did not seriously matter, but that wasn't the point.  I eagerly
invented the challenge, I think, because it appealed to my notion of what makes
a
capable, well-equipped individual.  I have endless respect for those who are
able
to act appropriately in any situation, no matter how foreign; certainly, this is
an issue of politeness and propriety, but to me is also a hallmark of
intelligence, and I aspire to it.  Familiar circumstances are safe and
comforting
precisely because they do not challenge.  Whether negotiating on the phone with
small business owners to design their internet storefront, struggling to build
ranch fencing among cowboys, or traveling 3000 miles from home to attend
university, I have invited challenge because it provides an opportunity to test
myself in new roles.  Of all the enthusiastic evaluations I can give of my
internship in cable TV journalism, the greatest is to say that it was an
unparalleled test of my ability to perform.

The time I spent in the field and at the bureau was an incomparable education in
politics, the media, and not least significantly, myself.  Moreover, it has
helped confirm what I've grown to suspect about my character: that because of
its
adaptability and mutability, I may never fully know it.  Because each
performance
in my life is determined by the tests with which I am confronted, I am led to
conclude that my character is variable.  Accordingly, Ive learned that I am
capable of almost any challenge by adopting the strengths, attitudes, and
qualities needed to succeed.  This is at once a romantic, empowering, and
self-inflating manifesto, I know, but for me it has a disturbing side as well.
  
Like a chameleon that can't identify its original color, I am left puzzling over
who I would be without challenges through which to define myself.  As an actor,
I
try consciously to understand my part in every role I play, but I have great
difficulty understanding my character except in relation to those roles. 
Ironically, the dynamism and versatility to which I aspire seems to conflict
with
my notion of honesty, for I cannot but wonder whether the character I've adopted
for any given situation is in fact a false one.  Whatever benefits I've derived
from this versatility, I have also uncovered a personal philosophical dilemma. 
Presently, I am left with the unsatisfactory conclusion that my true color might
in fact be a changeable palette, capable of shifting its hues to meet any
challenge.  I'm not sure whether this should be cause for pride or concern, but
perhaps acknowledging it is as honest as I can be.

Essay Category:


Essay Question:

Personal Statement 


Personal Statement

Cleaning my room is a gentle excavation. During summers at home, I rumble the
dust and sift through the layers of my accumulating life. Recently, I read
through what classmates had written in my high school yearbook. It was a strange
and unsettling experience as these words spoke directly to a self that I had
nearly forgotten. I felt as if I were one of those Russian nesting dolls that
hold several smaller dolls inside; the thought of multiple past identities
coexisting inside me was new and wonderful. The words 'Do what you do best'
caught my eye. If there were a way to know what one did best and could then
train
this possibility to the fullest extent, how could life not be both fruitful and
enjoyable? Instead of asking the daunting question of what I did best, I thought
about what I liked to do and what I did often. Perhaps in time, the source of
these questions will lead me towards what I do best. 

I have always been drawn toward writing: creative, analytical, expository and
critical. I realized that whatever I was pursuing, the beginning and end result
for me were often made possible through writing. Thinking back to meaningful
academic experiences in college, I realize all of them began with a presentation
of my self and my interests through the medium of writing.  I believe the only
thing we can write about well is what we know, for this is the only truthful and
never-ending source we are given. Often I was in the situation of writing a
proposal to an audience of strangers, whether it be a scholarship committee,
participants at the symposium, or fellow researchers at a presentation, and the
only thing I could tell them was who I was and what I knew. Many times, these
experiences culminated in reflective writing as well, not only a testament to
what I had done but more an examination of where I had been, what space I had
occupied and what space I now occupied. Writing became a way to capture the
changing of my spaces, both around me and inside me, for I had to take into
account the spaces within myself which had been excavated, explored, or widened
because of particular experiences. 
My interest in law school received a personal and directive boost this summer
while working as an assistant for a professor at my home town laws school. In
the
spring, I found his website and was intrigued by his work in international
criminal trials and Asian human rights. I wrote a letter to the professor
expressing my interest in working with him over the summer and thus began my
first dip into the legal education. I began by learning about the fundamental
conceptions of international law and the beginnings of the United Nations by way
of an introductory textbook, and supplemented by meetings with my professor.
Every time I stepped into the law library for research, I looked up into the
winding staircases and ceaseless rows of books and I was captured by an
overwhelming sense that in here existed something bigger than me; it had a long
history and yet it pressed its urgency onto the future, and onto me as a
burgeoning student in the legal education. Soon I began my project on the
difficulty of international human rights standardization in Asia from a cultural
perspective. I complemented research with current developments in human rights
violations by reading and editing articles related to this topic, written mostly
by scholars working from Asia. I brought into formal research my own cultural
values and these two bodies of knowledge supported and challenged each other. 
These few months were an inspirational stepping stone for my future; it
reconfirmed my dream to one day become a law professor and I also found a way in
which my personal interests and academic strengths engaged each other. 

Since I have lived in Asia for only the first year of my life, I cannot explain
exactly what draws me there and what strings pull at me to learn more, but
friends and my own family are always perplexed at my fascination. In the past
few
years, my interest in Asia has extended into an academic context. In the spring
of 2002, I was awarded a travel scholarship from my undergraduate university to
travel and explore the relationship between culture and religion's sacred space.
In the fall of 2002, I began a writing project on Asian-American attitudes
toward
their native language and I had the opportunity to present my work at a
geo-linguistics conference. This past summer, however, was the turning point; in
my study of Asian human rights, I realized the significant legal implication of
cultural studies and as a Asian-American, the impact was deeply personal. I
struggled with questions such as:  What are the cultural origins for domestic
legal policies on human rights in Asia? How can international policies regarding
human rights be both effective and culturally sensitive? The overlap of culture
and law offers a rich body of knowledge and I am eager to begin my scholarly
pursuits in this area. 

The prospect of being a law student and with time, becoming knowledgeable in the
area, is exciting to me because it combines what I enjoy and what I consider to
be my strongest points: initiative, writing, and reflection. I would like to go
into a discipline in which applications of what I have read, been taught,
accumulated and experienced through the years are given concrete structure. For
me, law represents the process in which philosophy is given solid construction;
thoughts are grounded in reason; and writing becomes a powerful record of
principles that guide and protect a society. I see law and writing as ways in
which space is defined and thereby protected; both define boundaries and fill in
necessary and often unrealized gaps. In the occupation I will later pursue, I
would like to have the mind of a lawyer and the techniques of a writer. With
these tools I believe I can become closer to the person who can fully realize
self-potential; I believe I will be able to live out the words of advice 'Do
what
you do best' and thereby contribute positively to the society in which I live.

Essay Category:


Essay Question:

Personal Statement 


April: the month both 'Alisha' and I were born.  That is the only similarity our
lives have ever shared.  Born the fourth of six children to a mom addicted to
drugs, Alisha never had the opportunity for a childhood.  At age eight, she was
rescued by the Dekalb County, Georgia Department of Family and Children's
Services (DFCS).  Emotionally and sexually abused, she had lived a life nobody
should ever know.  Being removed from an abusive home improved her life, but her
life could hardly be called normal.  Over the next nine years Alisha lived in
five different foster homes.  She would experience but a taste of stable family
life before DFCS would uproot her and force her to start over again.  At age
seventeen, Alisha's mother visited her, which precipitated a series of emotional
problems that quickly erased any chance for another family foster placement.
Once
again DFCS moved her, this time to the Dekalb County Emergency Shelter.
	
The emergency shelter, cold and unfriendly, is designed to hold children for a
very short time until other foster placement becomes available.  Supervision is
scant, and consequently the shelter has become a haven for drug dealing and
other
illegal activities.  Last year, a significant percentage of the deprived
children
housed in the shelter for more than six months were charged as delinquents for a
crime committed inside the shelter.  Alisha's clock was ticking.  She had
already
lived there for three months when the Dekalb County Child Advocate Attorney's
office appointed me to serve as her Special Advocate.  As I do with all cases
when a child is in the shelter, I started Alisha's case by looking for a new
foster placement.  She needed a home where she would receive the necessary
support and services to help her prepare for her future.  Contacting her
caseworker proved to be no help; overworked and under funded she had no time to
devote to a child that appeared to be safe in the shelter.  Alisha's best hope
rested in the judge.  He could order her placement changed at her hearing in one
month, but only if another placement was available.  Before then I had to find
someone or someplace willing to take her, a task made easier when the child is
eager and determined to do well.  
	
A very quiet and shy girl, Alisha did not want to talk when we first met.  I
told her about myself to get the conversation started.  When I mentioned that I
attend Georgia Tech, a very uncommon and exciting comment came out of her mouth:
she said she really wants to attend Georgia Tech after high school.  I was
shocked.  To graduate from high school is a rare accomplishment for children in
foster care, but for her to have her sights set on attending a top national
school was beyond impressive.  As we continued to talk, she told me she hated
the
shelter and would do anything to get out.  I knew then she would do her part,
but
a stable and loving home and the support and services of DFCS were going to be
essential ingredients in making her dream come true.  
	
I quickly began the uphill journey of securing the services she needed and
deserved.  I succeeded in convincing Deveruex, a respected group home with
extensive mental health services, to accept her into its residential program. 
At
the hearing, I advocated to the judge that Alisha needed to be referred to
DFCS's
Independent Living Program, where she would take classes to learn the needed
skills to live on her own.  In order to demonstrate to the judge the inadequacy
of Alisha's care, I documented my frustrated efforts in dealing with an
unresponsive DFCS.  Overall, I stressed that to continue living in the emergency
shelter would destroy any chance of the successful future to which Alisha
aspired; it was imperative the judge move quickly to begin services to help her.

	
Fortunately, the judge accepted my recommendations.  To celebrate her new home,
I took Alisha to my university's campus.  It was an unbearably hot and humid
day,
but as we toured the campus the only thing she talked about was all the classes
she wanted to take and how much fun she would have as a student.
	
The sad reality is that it is much easier to rescue a dog than a child.  Two
years ago, I founded a non-profit rescue organization for dogs.  I was alarmed
by
the high number of dogs being put to sleep in various animal shelters where we
volunteered.  There was a great need to rescue them and also educate the public
about this unique breed.  Over the next year, we established over twelve foster
homes and succeeded in saving the lives of more than forty dogs.  When a lack of
funding forced us to combine with another rescue organization, we kept in touch
with the foster families and still rescue and place dogs whenever possible. 
	
After dissolving the non-profit, I began my work with the Dekalb County Child
Advocate's Office and as a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA).  Through
both
of these child focused organizations, I have met and helped dozens of 'Alishas.'
It did not take long for me to realize the importance of my work to these
children, making the decision to devote my life developing and improving
juvenile
programs throughout the rural South a truly natural one.
	 
To receive an education that emphasizes serving the public interest, especially
focused on children, is very important to me.  With its strong Children and
Family Justice Center and extensive range of courses offered in public interest,
plus its generous Public Service Fellowship loan repayment program, [insert
school name here] impresses me as such a school.  Also, I believe my experiences
in founding and running a non-profit organization, combined with my hands on
work
in juvenile justice, will allow me to contribute greatly to [school name]'s
entering class.  Thus, I apply to become a member of the class of 2006 at
[school
name].