Along with the LSAT, GPA, extracurricular activities, and letters of recommendation, schools will also give weight to your personal statements. There are several points to remember when writing your personal essay.
Treat the essay like an interview. You will not have a chance to meet the Admissions staff as part of the law school application process. This is your chance to introduce yourself. You have already informed the staff of your numbers and grades. Tell them who you are outside of what is on your resume. It is OK to pick one or two items on your resume, but do not give a summation of it.
The most important thing you can perhaps do in your personal statement is AVOID making certain mistakes.
-Do NOT title your essay.
-Do NOT submit your essay without first having it reviewed
-Do NOT use this essay as a forum to explain anything negative, such as bad grades. This can be addressed in an addendum.
-Do NOT use the exact same statement for different schools. Admissions staff want to feel that you are writing specifically to them and not just sending them a form letter.
Visit http://www.washington.edu/uaa/advising/prelaw/downloads/personalstatementdd.pdf
for more DO's and DON'Ts.
Source: University of Washington Pre-Law Advising
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