Law School personal statement

All the world's a stage,
And all the men and women merely players;
They have their exits and their entrances,
And one man in his time plays many parts,
His acts being seven ages.
(II vii, Shakespeare)

As a child, the only professions I was allowed to consider were those of high regard. My parents made “high regard” a very small group. My choices consisted of the following: a doctor, lawyer, business-woman, teacher, or a musician. From high school until my college graduation day I have considered and attempted every option given by my parents. Each profession encompassed a phase of my life from childhood to adulthood. During my experience in the real world, I have concluded that becoming a lawyer is the most suitable profession for me. The above excerpt from Shakespeare’s play As You Like It, is very important to me because it has helped me remain focused on my dreams while remembering the simultaneous pleasures and pains of being human.
I most identify myself with the character Rosalind who is independent minded, strong-willed, and good-hearted. Rosalind’s appeal has to do with her success as a knowledgeable and charming critic of herself and others and her ability to play both sides of any field making her identifiable to anyone. These personality traits, the latter being the most important, are those of a good attorney and traits that Rosalind and myself possess.
My entrance began in the 5th grade when I was asked what instrument I would like to play for music class. I had a violin at home but I chose the viola. When I got home I told my mother that I was going to learn the viola. Her first reaction was “But you don’t have a viola. You have a violin”. I was determined to play the viola so I returned to class with a violin with viola strings on it. Some may say I was stubborn, but I simply called it determination. My parents never would have imagined that ten years later I would be playing with the National Symphony Orchestra in Washington, DC and meeting the world-renowned cellist, Yo-Yo Ma, whom I have a great respect for.
My musical accomplishments have allowed me great opportunities, one being a scholarship to the University of Miami. I have always enjoyed music but in college, the rigorous schedule was unappealing to me and I quickly began to lose interest in becoming a professional musician. I began exploring my options taking a vast array of courses to find what interested me the most. I chose to minor in Business Law after taking one course and fell in love with the content of each course. Since then I decided that I wanted to become a lawyer.
Because I decided at the last minute what profession I wished to pursue, I was unprepared for the application process. My focus was on graduating more than getting into law school. I took the LSAT with little preparation and it showed. I was distraught for a short period of time after graduation because many of my friends were on their way to law school and I was going to spend my summer looking for a job that would hold me over until I attended law school. Instead of sulking for the next year I decided to make the best of my situation. I realized that the main reason I was not in school was because I was unprepared. With this break, I needed to repair the mistakes I made the first time; study for the LSAT, save money for books, look for scholarships, and get a job in a field that will keep me focused on attending law school. I entered the field of government procurement as a Contracts Administrator. I believe my work experience will prove beneficial when I enroll in a various contracts courses. I have also learned about the government procurement process and plan to focus on government and commercial contracting laws and procedures.
The more personal stage of my life was the recent divorce of my parents. While divorce is common in today’s society, I thought that after 30 years of marriage my parents were exempt. Their marriage had been on the rocks for years but since I was away at school I didn’t know the extent of their unhappiness. I was put in a difficult position because my dad was able to afford an attorney due to his pre-planning. My mother on the other hand struggled financially. Due to court deadlines I felt obligated to intervene and help my mother fight the courts so that my father would not win based on my mothers default on court proceedings. My mother was able to file an extension to allow her time to find a lawyer. My mother later received what she deserved from my father. This prompted me to take law courses and to further my knowledge of the law. I realized the effect it had on my family and if I had the ability to help my mother, I feel that I should help others. I plan to be active in the community providing free legal counsel to those that need it because had my mom not had a lawyer to help her along the way and work with her financial status, my mother might be working several jobs to make ends meet. If I have any time left at the end of the day, I plan to continue playing the viola.
I have learned that there are many stages in one’s life and to succeed, I believe that success comes to those who are constantly auditioning for the next play. There is always room to grow and excel in any area of one’s life and law school will be my next entrance. Attending Howard University Law School will not only provide me with an excellent education and numerous opportunities, as were allotted to my uncle Vernon Jordan, but it will enable me to closely care for my mother who resides in the District of Columbia.