Personal Statement

Three years ago, I decided to apply to law school. One of the first tasks I discovered was writing a Personal Statement. After extensive research, I found a concise list of "don'ts" for writing a personal statement:

1. Do not focus upon your weaknesses. 2. Do not “write like a lawyer.” 3. Do not solely discuss why you want to be a lawyer. 4. Avoid a boring introduction that loses the reader’s attention. 5. Do not use clichés, slang, or contractions. 6. Avoid controversial issues. 7. Do not reiterate your academic accomplishments. 8. Do not write about a romance. 9. Do not sound arrogant. 10. Do not use the words, “And at that moment I knew…” (bonus: 11. make sure the statement you send reflects a basic knowledge of the college you are applying to)

Feeling ambitious, I decided that along with writing my own personal statement (presumably my best work), I would also attempt to write the worst personal statement possible.
Disclaimer: associations to real people are coincidental and accidental. The views in this personal statement do not reflect my own.

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At the tender age of five, I knew I was destined to be a lawyer. I constantly argued with the other children about property rights, religious rights, and other rights. I became the best known orator of my time, according to all the kids that I talked to. I became obsessed with Harvard and other ivy league schools after seeing the classic "Legally Blonde." It was from this movie and other reliable media sources that I picked up Latin at the tender age of eight.

I don't quite know where my greatness came from. Most likely I gained it in utero ("in the womb," for those who aren't fluent in the romantic languages). My father always dreamed of being a lawyer. It was he who helped me get my name changed. I'm not sure how he got to see a judge that quickly, but he was always very good with money. I've always assumed he paid extra to get the court date bumped up. Because of my obsession with law, I wanted a name that truly represented my passions. Thus, I changed my name from Jane Wilkinson to Lora Anne Wilkinson (LAW). I feel that this alone gives the the uniqueness and diversity that so many law schools strive for. This moment was a defining one in my life, and I feel that it shows my strength, depth of character, and attention to detail. At that moment I knew that once I fulfilled my dream and entered law school, I would be capable of saving the world.

Of course, my life hasn't always been that easy. I spent most of my junior high years sobbing hysterically because of the verbal abuse I received from my teachers, most of which told me that my work was not at an "A" level, and that if I paid more attention in class, I might do better. They clearly would not know a true genius if it slapped them in the face. But, I found it in my heart to forgive them. As the legal phrase goes, "Errare humanum est" (To err is human). I now have quite good relations with all my teachers--I send the school a card every year, letting them know how much I have improved academically.

Leadership has always come naturally to me. I remember when I got my first pony, and how I trained it without any prior experience. I was able to transfer this leadership to other areas on my life, like when I took the lead in cabbages for 4H. This was a very controversial topic at the time, because many illegal immigrants also entered the contest. I blame the poor fortification of our borders for the fact that I only received a second prize that day.

My life took a turn for the worse that year when I was unjustly dumped by my boyfriend. However, after some intense therapy I overcame my anger. I now only occasionally plan revenge, and I have not acted upon any of these plans for the past six months. This self restraint is something that any lawyer should possess. Through channeling my freed up energy, I was able to graduate with high honors from the Wilkinson Academy (run by my mother, who was a certified teacher at one time in her life).

In conclusion, while I have had many trials in my life, I have overcome them all and developed the leadership, academic, and social skills needed to be a successful lawyer. I hope to go to Harvard because it is in England, and I've always wanted to study out of the country. Thank you.


Rhetorically,
Rebekah

Beat the Heat

In temperature, my summer has been at both extremes. My house has no air conditioning, and therefore is extremely hot, whereas the church seems to set their air conditioning on 40 degrees Fahrenheit.

My roommate and I experimented and found the following cooling techniques effective:

1. Soak a shirt. You eventually get used to being wet, especially after you realize that your body temperature drops to normal after you put it on.

2. Use a Frogg Togg! It's a towel that you get wet on one side, and it cools you down on the other without getting you wet. I know it sounds fake, but it works and is amazing. There were several nights where I actually slept with this towel, and it really helped.

3. Speaking of sleeping, having cold packs in bed (the kind that don't precipitate) also helped a lot. Especially when you put them on your back or feet. 

Keep Chilly! 

(except at church--then bring a jacket)

Rhetorically,
Rebekah

LA Immigration Court

The second internship I had this summer was at the LA Immigration Court. My aunt and uncle, who live in the LA area, graciously let me stay with them to help cut living costs.

I really enjoyed working in the immigration field, mostly because it is always changing and there always new problems presented that haven't been addressed before. Each case can be substantially different, which makes the work more interesting. While I haven't decided yet what I want to do with my degree, I certainly enjoyed my learning experience in LA.

Things I would recommend doing during your internship (if possible):
- Take a trip to the Mexican/ US border. We were able to go down and see the inner workings of the point of entry by Tijuana. I learned a lot, especially with the new systems they've put in to help them detect smugglers (basically they are safe drive through car x-rays). I also learned about a "frequent flier" plan they have where people pay to be in the program and agree to have a background check at any time and then they can go through an "express" line at the border.
- Observe court! I know I mentioned this in an earlier post, but I really felt like I learned a lot through my court observations. I was able to see a wide variety of attorneys and how they practiced immigration law. Also, if you have the chance to speak with the judge afterwards, DO IT! It was great to ask the judges all the questions I had about what I saw and learn more about immigration law.

Rhetorically,
Rebekah

Notary Public

A year ago, I became a notary public in the State of Utah. (For those who don't know, a notary public is a legally authorized individual who can administer oaths and witness and authenticate documents. ) I decided to become a notary because at the time I was working for an attorney and we always had clients who needed things notarized, but had to go find a notary to do so.

The process is surprisingly simple, and it has been very useful to me in the past year.
To become a notary public in Utah, all you have to do is pass an online test (open book and not timed, how nice is that?), buy a bond (like malpractice insurance), and buy the stamp! The total cost is about $150, but you are certified for four years.


I've really tried to use my notary certification as a public service, and I have learned a lot about what documents my services are needed for. Here is a brief list:
1. Legal Bar applications
2. Divorce decrees
3. Affidavits (sworn statements from witnesses, kind of like a written testimony of what they would say in court)
4. Wills, Deeds, and Trusts
5. Power of Attorney
6. Long distance agreements

One important thing to remember about notaries: they can't notarize their own documents.

Rhetorically,
Rebekah

Utah Fourth District Court

This summer I was lucky enough to have two internships. The first was at the Utah Fourth District Court.

One perk about interning at the Fourth District Court: it's local (in Provo). I biked to work about half of the days, and it only took me 15 minutes.

Things I would recommend doing during your internship (if possible):
- Observe Drug Court and Mental Health Court. These are new programs that focus on rehabilitation and are unique from any other court hearing. I would highly recommend observing them to see how both justice and mercy are given through the court system.
- Tour the jail. If you haven't ever toured the jail before, I would highly recommend it. It's an eye opening experience.
- Help out with a jury trial. It was great for me to see the jury selection process and the different feel that a jury trial has as opposed to a bench trial.

I was sad to leave, mostly because of my great coworkers and the experience I had there. I would definitely recommend it to anyone interested (following the proper application procedure, of course).

Rhetorically,
Rebekah

1L Reflections

I really hope when people say the first year is the hardest, that they are right. Because that means the worst is over!

While I would agree that my first year was very hard and challenging, I feel that overall, I left with great friends and a good experience. 
My recommendations for incoming first year students:

• Decide what is important to you: Is it grades? (If so, move a small personal cot, your toothbrush, and a change of clothes into your carrel, because you probably won't leave the law school. Ever.) Is it sanity? (If so, plan on not getting A's in all of your classes. However, you will have time to go to ward activities and have personal time to yourself to exercise, watch a TV show, etc. You also might have time to sleep.)
• Have a study buddy (or two, or three). I personally struggled focusing in a study group that was larger than 4-5 people, so I would limit it. (Although you can be friends with lots more people, just don't study with them).
• For effective studying at your carrel, bring ear plugs and snacks.
• Be friends with 2Ls and 3Ls. It's nice to know someone who's already survived their 1st year and can give you advice and support.
• Join a club! (or two, or three). But no more than that. You won't have that much time outside of studying, although you should consider joining all the clubs who do lunches.
• If you don't mind used books, get them from Amazon. It possibly save you hundreds of dollars. I even bought a used book that was in a three ring binder. (Which turned out to be super useful because then I could just take out the pages I had to read, instead of hauling the whole book home.)
• Get a good externship. This usually requires taking the optional Career Services classes, but it is totally worth it. The Lecture Series was my favorite class. 
• Know that some things you just have to live through. Even though I received a lot of advice as a 1L, which would have benefitted me if I actually acted on it, some things you just have to experience before you understand. 

Rhetorically,
Rebekah

On a Personal Note

I'm engaged.

    FAQ's:

1. How did you meet? Our church single's ward.
2. When are you getting married? August 10, 2013
3. Where are you getting married? This place: 
   
   
   
   This is the Bountiful Utah Temple. It's the temple I grew up visiting the most, therefore, one of my favorites. For more information on temples, visit this site: https://www.lds.org/church/temples/why-we-build-temples/what-happens-in-temples?lang=eng
   
   
   Happily,
   Rebekah