Law Personal Statement Example 116

My interest in law stems from various incidents and experiences with the due process of the law in Malawi. I clearly recall one such incident in 2003 when I was eleven. I was with my dad in his chambers when I heard a first hand account from the relatives of the “famous 5” as they were then known as, how the CIA abducted the famous 5 in the middle of the night.

“The Law is an ass”, my dad who is a barrister, recalled Lord Denning’s words after the Malawi Government ignored Habeas Corpus and my dad’s clients were secretly abducted from Malawi on the way to Guantanamo Bay. The judiciary was too weak in Malawi to enforce the law. Although the battle to stop abduction was lost, a point had been made that the rule of law had to apply. This is the reality of living as a lawyer in Malawi where the Rule of Law and Magna Carta is given very little importance.

The defence of the rule of law, freedom and fundamental civil liberties in June 2003 shaped my future. There were many other incidents and court battles that followed that also strengthened my resolve to be a Barrister.

In a third world country where the majority of the people live below the poverty line, the rule of law and human rights are more important than elsewhere. Law tells us who we are, what we value and who has power. Almost nothing has more impact on our lives than the law. This is how important the law is.

I view law as a career in which I will have the opportunity to contribute to society, perhaps not in the same way as Gandhi, Mandela, and Aung San Suu Kyi but in my own way, in a small way.

Academically, I have a broad interest in many subject areas yet feel drawn towards a law degree because of my experiences. I decided to study maths, chemistry and business studies at “A” Level. Maths, my key subject, solves problems using a logical structure, which helps structure any argument in a logical and orderly manner and trains you to have an analytical mind.

I have studied business studies for two years and I believe it to be a useful background to the study of corporate law. Chemistry is a subject that I also enjoy, because the proving of hypotheses follows a logical structure. The wide range of subjects that I have chosen has helped me have a very broad background. I studied French as a language in my primary education but recently decided to learn Arabic to improve my language and communication skills.

At Marlborough I have learned to be both independent and be part of a close unit boarding community. I engage in a variety of extracurricular activities. I help keep fit playing squash and represent my school in matches. I am developing my leadership skills as an NCO in the CCF. I also participate in the debating society, where I am developing my public speaking skills.

I have travelled widely in Africa, the Middle East, India and England, which has enabled me to experience the different cultures and how the people differ. I hope that one day I will be able to travel to the Far East and China.

During the dry seasons and or floods in Malawi, I have participated in the distribution of maize flour, the staple diet of the poor people in Malawi.

My work experience in a law firm has come naturally to me as part of growing up. I have been exposed to law at home and in my fathers chambers from a very early age. I usually help out in my fathers chambers during the holidays. In July next year I have arranged to spend 2 weeks as a “mini pupil” in a Barristers chambers in London and another 2 weeks in a solicitors firm in Leicester, who represent Immigrants and Asylum Seekers.

I am a member of the Amnesty International and am in the process of joining the Inner Temple as a Student member. I believe that I have developed sufficient skills to enable me to learn the discipline of law and contribute at a university as I develop in the learning of the law and shape my future as barrister.