We’re delighted to welcome back law school admissions essay expert Eileen Conner, founder of Pen & Chisel, who has some advice on a topic near to my own heart: How to apply to law school as a non-traditional student. As someone with a really weird background (sociology, architecture, programming) who managed to get into law school, I heartily recommend following her advice!

I’m a nontraditional law school applicant. How can I best integrate my prior work and advanced degrees into my law school application?

Many nontraditional law school candidates are apprehensive about how the admissions committee will take their application. However, coming from a professional background (instead of straight out of undergrad) can actually give you some advantages in the application process. Let’s take a look at how you can use your career or academic experience to make the best possible impression.
[Read more…]

Here at The Girl’s Guide, we get tons of questions from law school applicants about how to best frame their application story. Rather than making stuff up that may or may not be right, we’re bringing in the big guns!

Please welcome Eileen Conner, founder of Pen and Chisel, who has agreed to serve as our resident expert on law school application writing. Eileen is here to help with any law school application questions you might have — including personal statements, diversity statements, addenda, and any other items you need to submit.

Got a burning law school application question? Just send a note and maybe it will be answered in a future column!

Today’s Question: I think my personal statement makes a good argument, but it’s boring to read. How can I make it more interesting?

Dullness is one of the more subtle problems that can crop up in law school personal statements. Although it’s most crucial to make a solid argument for admission, some attention to detail can make your essay really shine.

Here are three ways to give your essay the spark it needs to hold the admissions committee’s attention.
[Read more…]