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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.
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Essay Question:
PERSONAL STATEMENT
In Missouri, rainy days, though mild at times, often live up to their "tornado alley" reputation. In my youth, one such massive storm raged through my rural hometown. The humid early summer air imperceptibly produced raindrops, then a saturating downpour. Hail pierced the ground and forced people indoors. Green swirling clouds appeared to stain the sky. Although late in the evening, my dad had not yet returned from his second job. He worked as a delivery person after hours to pay the bills. My mom sat silently in the living room almost in a trance, barely interacting with the world. Severe chemical depression has plagued her entire life. Doctors prescribed various medications, but none seemed to effectuate any considerable results. On any given day she could be queen mom or absolutely beyond reason. Symptoms come and go, but on that night she was too tired to react to anything. The storm's power swelled. The large maple trees outside swayed violently with the commanding wind. Rain beat against the windows of the old house. The only light in the room stemmed from the heavily filtered sunset. Still, my mother gazed off into the darkening sky. Suddenly, as if from a movie, a colossal maple failed under the stress and crashed into the roof. The entire house shook and a loud smashing noise pierced our ears. Frightened, I turned to my mother for comfort. She said nothing. Her fear and frustrated gaze offered me no solace. At the time, I naively wondered why she didn't care enough to try and help us out of such a dire situation. In hindsight, my mother's silence was not reflective of malice or neglect. Her lifelessness simply reflected her own internal lack of control. Such interplay is characteristic of my childhood. I knew my mother cared for me, but the disease grasped her so forcefully that she often did not have the energy or will to nurture her children. On that stormy day and others like it, I faced two alternatives: attempt to gain control or just give in and go crazy. From an airplane swooping into the airport in Rio de Janeiro, even the casual observer notices a dramatic paradigm shift. Shadowed by the Pao de Acucar and Cristo Redentor, the overgrown city is splashed carelessly about the hills. Concrete skyscrapers jut out of hillsides and slums fill the crevices. Small cars speed through narrow, cobblestone streets, and occasional drenching rains turn those same crowded streets into rivers. During the first few weeks in Brazil, I experienced considerable culture shock. The heat was sweltering. Neighborhoods consist of small brick houses without yards surrounded by short cement walls. I was in a new world and awestruck. How was I to comprehend this place when I had very little understanding about my previous one? I lived with no one who even spoke English. Rosieanne and Marcos are the parents of four children and live in a tiny house with three rooms. Marcos earns about one hundred American dollars monthly as a security guard and has only worked at his job for a couple of years. Their three children sleep in a tall bunk bed in a corner of the dark kitchen. The family washes their clothes in a river and dries them in a small area behind their house. Neither Rosieanne nor Marcos has any significant education. Likewise, their children have very little hope of gaining any secondary education, but their parents love and sacrifice greatly for them. When I first became acquainted with the family, I wanted to do something to help them have a better life. After spending nearly four months with the family, however, I had been richly taught. Despite their comparatively impoverished circumstances, they constantly radiated contentment and happiness about life. Rosianne has very little control over her world, but she is comfortable in her daily routine and spending time with her children. In my quicksand world I often feel the need to flail my arms violently in fear of losing control. While I enjoy many academic disciplines, economics provides a stable foothold upon which I can understand that world. I take comfort in the simple fact that decisions are made based on benefits weighed against costs. So many arguments, behaviors and values are based on tradition, emotion and very little observation and reason. The study of economics, however, stresses the explanation of behaviors only after careful analysis of empirical study. After tragic personal events, wars with foreign nations, or great financial crises, many people are left to question assumptions about life. We naturally seek a method to understand and reconcile intricate phenomenon. Economics explains past events and gives context to predictions about the future. The clarity of economic reasoning facilitates decisions about occupational choices, public policies, and even social interactions. My sister lives just outside the campus of BYU. She and her husband own a small house that they usually rent to young couples. They refuse to consider the more lucrative option of renting to students of the two colleges nearby. They feel that students are destructive, careless, and not as dependable as those living permanently in the area. Students, however, often have a different perspective. While serving on the Student Advisory Council at BYU, I was approached with a common situation. A student was very angry with her landlord. She reported that the manager towed legally parked cars, didn't respond to maintenance calls, and billed excessively for disputed damages. The student felt that the landlord would not respond to her needs because he could fill the vacancy very easily next year due to scare available housing. She was very frustrated and felt helpless because of the circumstances. My experiences with both sides of the dilemma taught me that landlords and students are mutually trying to establish a more controlled agreement. Information is readily accessible to apartment managers through credit checks and histories from previous landlords. Students, on the other hand must rely on the narrow, often biased opinions of past tenants. Landlords certainly face other challenges in finding the best tenants, but I proposed that clear data about landlords would aid future apartment seekers. The problem in the student housing market is a lack of brand recognition. Compiled information about the intangibles of the living experience at various apartments is key to helping shoppers. A standardized survey from a sample of tenants would cause landlords to respond more rapidly to students' needs. Future shoppers will be able to make their buying decision more accurately. This solution motivates landlords to be more responsive to their tenants without coercion, regulation or force. After hearing the proposal, the once frustrated tenant happily volunteered to get involved with the student housing survey. Her frustration of being trapped in a storm without recourse turned into energy spent to improve a difficult situation.
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Essay Question:
A. Why are you interested in pursuing your legal education at Penn Law? (My essay to U Michigan and Cornell was very similar).
What first attracted me to the University of Pennsylvania Law School was its strong focus on the legal issues related to the scientific and medical fields, most notably the Intellectual Property and Technology Law Program. In addition to offering a wide range of traditional coursework on intellectual property, Penn Law has unique courses like "Science and the Public Domain" and "Strategic Intellectual Property." The law school also offers opportunities to take cross-disciplinary classes at one of the top research institutions in the nation. Since I am interested in working in the pharmaceutical industry in patent prosecution or scientific regulatory law, I would like to enhance my scientific background with pharmaceutical chemistry courses from the College of Pharmacy. I enjoyed being a student representative for the Chemistry department in college and would like to continue in a similar position in the Penn Intellectual Property Group by planning and participating in their events. There are many other qualities which factor into my decision to apply. Penn Law, unlike many law schools, has a high quality first year legal writing course which encompasses essential writing, researching, and oral presentation skills. I like that the classes are taught by librarians and that the class is broken up into small sections so that I can receive personalized attention. I have lived most of my life in the New York City area and wish to practice in it, so I want to go to a school with an extensive network in the area and a great employment rate like Penn Law. When I visited the university I was impressed by the beautiful campus and the vibrant neighborhood. There is even a Ki-Aikido club if I want to continue with this hobby. Penn Law is simply an excellent fit for my academic, professional, and social goals.
