My Personal Statement

Here is the personal statement that I used as part of my LS Application packages. This is the one that I submitted to UNLV, which was my first choice of schools – and where I will be attending beginning in August. My PS to each other schools was very similar (depending on length requirements, format, etc) - save for the closing paragraph which mentioned what I specifically liked about each school. When I started this whole Law School application process, I knew next to nothing about how to proceed. The personal statement was a particularly confusing element, as I had no idea about what I should write. anyway, this is what I came up with and it must have been okay because I was accepted at 2 out of the 4 schools to which I applied, waitlisted at another and only outright rejected by one. 

Personal Statement

Robert Frost’s “The Road Not Taken” is my all-time favorite poem, as one of the piece’s most prevalent interpretations reflects much of what my life has been like. Like the traveler in this verse, I too have taken a road less traveled. This may be particularly true in regards to arriving at a place in life where I am ready to engage in the study of law.

As the seventh of eight children, I was born into a family that enjoyed very few luxuries. Life became a little easier as older siblings moved out, but any potential improvements were abruptly halted by the death of my father shortly after I reached the age of fourteen. My father’s life insurance and social security benefits sustained us without unbearable suffering, but there was little money for the “extras” enjoyed by many of my peers. I realized then, that I would likely have to work harder than other people do in order to achieve the things I desired. This awareness was confirmed upon my graduation from high school and the subsequent discovery that I could not afford to travel the traditional route of obtaining a college education. Ironically, my mother received too little income to provide much assistance, but too much for us to obtain any substantial financial aid. Although I initially enrolled at a local college with the hope that things might work out, it was not long before my need to work and support myself overshadowed my desires to pursue an undergraduate degree and continue on to law school.

Over the past fifteen years, I have maintained a stable record of full-time employment with only two primary employers and for the vast majority of this time I have been the sole provider of financial resources for my family. Nevertheless, I took classes whenever doing so was feasible, and tried to make a positive contribution to society by working with a variety of community-oriented groups. These enlightening civic activities include, among other things, becoming an active member of my town council, coaching youth sports, supporting community pageants, coordinating a music outreach program for the youth incarcerated at Los Angeles County juvenile halls and probation camps, and performing search and rescue operations for the Los Angeles Police Department. These experiences have provided far too many intrinsic rewards to give adequate attention to in a statement of this length, so I will comment on the collective impact they have had on my personhood and on my journey through life thus far.

The diverse and valuable life experiences that I have enjoyed have better prepared me to accept, embrace, and overcome numerous formidable challenges, both physical and intellectual in nature. They have further served to mold me into a more responsible, empathetic, and compassionate human being. Through these experiences, I have ultimately learned that no obstacle is insurmountable if one commits to its defeat; and that no dream is impossible if one approaches its pursuit with passion and dedication. Additionally, these important events in my life have taught me to manage my time and priorities with increased efficiency and effectiveness. The application of these latter-mentioned lessons has enabled me to achieve a productive balance between employment and family responsibilities, and has facilitated my return to the diligent pursuit of higher education.

The Law is the very stitching that binds the fabric of our society and yet, it is so much more than such an inanimate image might represent. The Law is a living, breathing, and constantly evolving entity that affects the life of every citizen. The law is not simply a set of rules and regulations, statutes and summonses, or contracts and code; but rather, at its core, it is about people. Like a finely spun silken web, the law can be as complex and entangling as it is beautiful, and people will inevitably become lost within this vast and complicated labyrinth. Obtaining a legal education means acquiring the tools to navigate people safely through this powerful facet of life; and becoming an attorney is the best way one can perpetuate the liberty envisioned by our nation’s founders.

Indeed, the road that has led me to knock upon the doors of law school has been long and winding and littered with obstacles. That same road, although different from the route that others may take, has made me who I am. Therefore, I maintain a tenacious connection with Frost’s traveler, who says, “Two roads diverged in a wood, and I – / I took the one less traveled by, / And that has made all the difference”. Like that narrator, I have no lasting regrets about my journey; and it is in this same spirit that I look to embrace the challenges, adventures, and opportunities that adorn the road I will travel as a law student, and ultimately, as an attorney.

The William S. Boyd School of Law offers several advantages to me as a student. My current employer’s headquarters are located in Las Vegas, and this fact will facilitate a relatively seamless interdepartmental transfer. Furthermore, I have a network of family members living in the
Las Vegas area that will provide a level of support to help mitigate the sacrifices my wife and children will make as I commit to studying the law. Thank you for considering my application for admission.

Okay, so maybe not so wild.

Okay, so maybe this won’t be such a wild ride, but what the hell, I’ll just use this forum to post random thoughts and such. The title of this blog is a take-off on the Disneyland ride Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride (duh). I have no particluar affection or aversion to that ride, but I have been called a “toad” before. Primarily by an older English woman that I dated many years ago… but that’s a different story best left for another time and/or forum. Or perhaps best left locked away in the darkened corners of my own mind, never to see the light of spoken (or written) word again.

A Civil Action

The book list for my civil pro class shows A Civil Action (by Jonathan Harr) as a required book. I read this when it first came out and I have just started re-reading it. The story (of the contaminated drinking wells in Woburn, MA) hits extremely close to home with me. I was born and raised in that town, and I lived about a mile from those wells (although I do not think my water supply came from them). As kids, we used to fish and play in and around the Aberjona River, occasionally making rafts out of discarded gas tanks and barrels and playing pirate. We were kids and knew no better. In the winter, we played hockey on the nearby frozen ponds.

I knew several of the victim families mentioned in this story, and at one time, I even worked for one of the companies accused of dumping toxic chemicals (they were only a minor player and settled cheap before trial). My childhood best friend’s dad worked for the tannery for many years and died from pancreatic cancer. His family got nothing. In fact, there are many more victims than indicated by the book and/or movie; isn’t that the way it usually goes?

Anyway, I thought it was sort of weird (READ: freaky) that my Civ Pro professor would choose a book about which I have some in-depth knowledge, especially since this case is not local to my LS location.

Ready, Set, Go-Go!

So everything seems to have come together for me in the past two weeks, in regards to moving from California to Las Vegas and starting Law school at UNLV. On July 11th, I leased an awesome house in the Green Valley area of Henderson Nevada, for a great price. I also have an option to purchase it at the end of the lease. On the same day, I received a strong offer on the house I have for sale in California. After a minor counteroffer, basically involving some re-wording of the buyer’s original offer, we reached an agreement and the house went into escrow by the end of that week. On the very next day, I was offered a decent job with a large company. I had hoped to transfer to my current employer’s Las vegas area operations, but because of budgetary reasons, that process has not exactly been as smooth as expected. Still, there may be some hope left for that prospect. I was out in Vegas again this week (Wednesday & Thursday) to officially accept the new position, and as I was getting ready to keep that appointment I received a call from a co-worker. It seems that someone from our Las Vegas ops was on the phone with my supervisor asking about me. He wanted to interview me over the phone, but since I was in town, we set up a face-to-face meeting. That went pretty well. The funny thing is, the guy told me that he didn’t even know he had an opening in his department. He was told by the area vice preseident that he needed to interview me. I guess it does pay to know people who know people . Anyway, I don’t know if they are actually going to offer me a job, but if so, it pays about $5 more per hour than the one I have recently accepted and I will retain my seniority – which means I get 3 + weeks of vacation/year and I won’t have to pay them back for my undergraduate education (which they paid for 100%). I am getting pumped for school and have already registered for my 1st semester classes. My schedule will be : Mon/Wed 6:15pm to 7:40pm – Contracts I Tues/Thurs 6:15pm to 7:40pm – Civ Pro/ADR I Tues/Thurs 7:50pm to 9:15pm Lawyering Process I (this is my Legal Writing/Research class). I am offering my employer (either one) a work schedule that includes weekends. I would love to work 4 10-hour shifts, say friday through monday, or even third shift starting thursday nights and being done by monday afternoon.  This may be a real possibility, and I think it would be cool because then I would be off all day during most school days. I am not worried about missing out on “weekend” things, cause vegas is a 24/7 kind of town.