Law Personal Statement

Why do you want to study this course or subject?

Law is the predominant overarching factor in defining the stability of our society. My fervent interest in Law developed when I discovered that I thrive on analysing problems and questioning to what extent Law can confront these issues. My interest in the application of Law and its integral role in governing society led me to start my Law blog, thelinksoflaw.tumblr.com. Reading Reasonable Doubts by Dershowitz sparked my interest in analysing how race, financial background and social climate influence case outcomes. I have learnt that Law is malleable and dynamic, as it continues to evolve throughout history. Reading Friedman’s A History of American Law interested me as to the flexibility of imported statutes into a federal system. The Times Everyday Law and Law’s Strangest Cases has helped me to appreciate how Law pervades every aspect of daily life, and the vital importance of distinguishing between Law, morality and emotion when reaching a conclusion. Law is what has defined our histories, law is what will define our futures.

How have your qualifications and studies helped you to prepare for this course or subject?

As a Sixth Form Academic Scholar, the analytical approach required to study history appeals to me due to the surgical attention to detail it requires. Drawing links between seemingly disparate periods has particularly interested me, after linking The Holocaust with US Westward Expansion and Tudor Irish Rebellions. German has broadened my understanding of approaching a subject with rigorous discipline and applying existing knowledge to a new situation. In English Literature, studying Danby’s thesis of the definition of ‘nature’ in King Lear provoked me to delve deeper into natural law, comparing the notion with Sharia Law. Geography has taught me that similarities in law is what unites countries together, but differences in law can drive transnational communities apart.

What else have you done to prepare outside of education, and why are these experiences useful?

Outside of the curriculum, I am an avid debater and was awarded the prize for best individual speaker at Taylor Trophy finals. As MUN Secretary, I have found taking diagnostic approaches to determine pragmatic solutions when drafting resolutions captivating, having won numerous awards. I enjoyed dissecting cases meticulously to draw conclusive judgements on work experience at Kendall & Davies Solicitors, confirming my decision to study law. Work experience at the House of Commons, where I witnessed the debate on the Iran Nuclear Deal, deepened my appreciation of the scrupulous approach required when considering law in principle and in practice. As President of MSJ Law Society, discussing when law should override religious objections to health care has particularly interested me. I enjoyed cataloguing archives at the Birmingham Hippodrome theatre over the summer. Being on my school lacrosse team and charity committee have both respectively developed my negotiation skills. I have hugely enjoyed the responsibilities of being a Head of House and Senior Prefect.