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Law school personal statement
I came to Pacifica in September 20XX as an international student to pursue graduate studies. Immersing myself into a
society where “ethnicity” and “nationality” were concrete, living concepts, I felt naturally drawn to the exploration of so-
called “ethnic art” and ethnic/national identity. Completing a graduate degree and writing a thesis on the subject taught
me to manage and synthesize large volumes of information, to recognize multi-faceted perspectives on issues, and to
build balanced arguments.
While engaged in the very demanding reality of graduate courses, deadlines, teaching, and writing, I also sought out
different ways to enlarge my perspective beyond campus, as my long-term intention was to make this country my home
and become its citizen. For example, I taught English as a Second Language to immigrants and volunteered in various
orientation services for newly-arrived international students. These experiences gave me the opportunity to bring my
ever-growing understanding and appreciation of life in this society to others eager to learn about their new country and
looking for practical advice.
My graduate studies led to a research project on ethnicity and allowed me to pursue further my long-standing interest in
qualitative research, life-experience interviewing, and exploration of identity and cultural integration. My in-depth
research in the literature and other related resources enabled me to develop and field-test research methods and tools,
identify suitable technical-equipment and support for fieldwork, and to train the research team on the methodology for
gathering accounts of personal experience of pioneer life on the prairies. My curiosity and interviewing style enabled me
to elicit vivid stories of life that were rich in detail and insight. The collected interviews and copies of historic
photographs have been indexed, digitized, and archived at the Folklore Archives. Most of the project’s data is currently
available in-house to researchers, and work is underway to make parts of it accessible to public in the future.
Attracted to research and primary sources of information, I also conducted a large-scale employer survey with the career
centre, in which I developed research methodology that achieved a 95% response rate. The findings about employers'
recruitment practices were included as proprietary reference material into the centre’s educational resources and
services. The success and usefulness of this project set a precedent for the centre to continue with similar employer
surveys regularly utilizing the methodology from the original study.
As a volunteer, I joined the Newcomer Centre which allowed me to combine my long-standing interest in immigration
and career development in practical settings. I volunteered to assist with the Centre’s research on economic and social
integration of immigrants, teach employment-preparation and life-skills courses, and counsel immigrant clients on an
individual basis. My enthusiasm, knowledge, and skills were noted and resulted in the offer of a full-time job as a
career counselor with the centre. I proposed and worked on several research initiatives, developed guidelines and ‘tip
sheets’ for fellow career advisors and clients, enhanced in-house training curricula, and led a very successful fund-
raising campaign while surpassing the amount raised in the previous year by 40% and increasing the staff participation
rate by 150%. The centre’s clients often acknowledged my extensive knowledge of job-search and educational
resources, and my abilities to facilitate goal-setting and motivate them for informed decision-making.
My current job with the Professional Training Centre (PTC) has culminated in a fortunate blend of my passion for
research, competence in the subjects of immigration and access to regulated professions, commitment to public
advocacy. My initiatives include developing and coordinating training activities geared towards rigorous licensure
examinations and lobbying for funds to acquire exam-preparation resources and to contract subject-matter educators. I
often act as a client liaison for licensing and regulatory authorities, training-providers, and employers as well as interpret
various requirements, policies, and regulations to my clients. This work has resulted in expanding the client base from 50
IEs when I joined PTC, to over 300 professionals currently accessing our services. The success of this program and its
evident promise has enhanced my motivation and confidence to engage in the study of law.
A legal education will provide me further with powerful tools and resources to pursue my ambitions with much greater
effectiveness and impact. My experience to date has inspired and shaped my career interests in law, especially with
regard to the areas of immigration, and employment. I would like to present myself as a fitting candidate for the law
program and as someone very capable to set and achieve goals.