How to Write an Essay for Paralegal School
ANDREW AARONS
CLASS
If you become a paralegal, you’ll do a lot of writing throughout your career. You’ll also be doing a lot of writing throughout your paralegal training. To prove that you have the chops for it, write an impressive essay to get into paralegal school and convince the admissions committee that you’re right for the school.
1 What a Paralegal Does
If you want to be a part of the justice system but aren't interested in being a lawyer or a police officer, then a paralegal may be a good choice for you. Paralegals help lawyers serve their clients by performing certain legal tasks so lawyers can focus on other tasks. It’s an important profession because they support lawyers in giving clients the best representation they can. They can’t represent clients themselves, but they can do many of the same things that lawyers do, like researching and writing.
2 Why You Want It
Now that you know what a paralegal does, you can make a good case to paralegal schools that you want to enter the profession for the right reasons. If your choice to be a paralegal was partly inspired by a personal experience with the justice system, then describe that experience and explain why it was so life-changing. The paralegal profession is growing fast, but wanting a good job isn't a good enough reason on its own to choose a career path. Explain why you think paralegals are important to society and how you hope to contribute.
3 Analytical and Organizational Skills
If you get into paralegal school, your performance will be measured by various criteria. Analytic skill is perhaps the most important of these metrics. Make sure that you are logical in everything you write in your essay, even when you’re telling a personal anecdote about what inspired you to become a paralegal. When you’re double-checking your logic, ask yourself if every statement you make naturally supports your argument that you’d be an excellent addition to this profession.
4 Writing Skills
As important as analytic skills are, there’s no point in being able to make a rock-solid argument if you can’t communicate it properly. Paralegal schools are looking for excellent communicators. Paralegal school will doubtlessly improve your writing, but the admissions committee wants to see that you have some natural ability. So make sure that you use clear and concise language rather than flowery or over-complicated prose. And -- it should go without saying -- double-check your spelling and grammar before you click “Print.”
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