Personal Statement:Law 80

Why do you want to study this course or subject?

You cannot escape the law. It governs some of the smallest details in our lives such as what we can or cannot eat and protects what is most fundamental to us; our core freedoms.

I feel that studying law provides an opportunity to integrate all my academic interests and will deepen my understanding of why and how society operates. By reading 'The Law Machine' and 'Learning the Law' I gained a basic understanding of the legal system and realized how strongly attached morality was to the law. I began to question whether such an attachment is beneficial to the people of society as the law exercises an influence over us. However, Baumann's article on 'Law and Morality' showed that preventing such an attachment was impossible and instead we should seek to discover which moral system should be made legally binding. Even so, only the majority would be satisfied with this whilst the minorities' views would be excluded, thus preventing the attainment of a perfect system.

In addition, by reading 'Law made simple' I gained a more developed understanding of criminal law. The plea for insanity was particularly appealing, specifically how it discouraged mens rea of the defendant. At first, I felt this was in need of reform as Rosenhan had shown the diagnosis of mentally ill patients to be unreliable. However, after conducting more research into the matter I came across the M'Naghten rules used within the UK and then realized that this was already an effective solution for dealing with such a problem.

How have your qualifications and studies helped you to prepare for this course or subject?

Studying history has enabled me to see how the law evolves over time with changes in the social and economic context of society. This is seen during the civil rights movements where the law justified racial abuse, but as people came to view it as wrong, so did the law. Reading sociology I have encountered different views on the law, such as how Marxists believe it is owned by the bourgeoisie and benefits them only. Conversely Functionalists feel it helps society function by maintaining order. Psychology has shown me how people can interrupt the law. Loftus and Palmer illustrated this with their study on the inaccuracy of eyewitness testimonies and how defendants could be convicted wrongly due to this. My 6th form academic studies confirmed that pursuing a law degree was best, as I found these links intriguing.

What else have you done to prepare outside of education, and why are these experiences useful?

My time spent at a solicitors' law firm was illuminating and extremely useful. I discovered the happiness the law could bring to those who had been wronged. This was seen when a solicitor prevented the deportation of a family through immigration law - since their child was a certain age, deportation was not possible. I also observed the legal system by visiting Bromley Magistrates Court. I enjoyed watching defence barristers at work, such as how they put forward their argument and downplayed the prosecutions points. This was seen when a woman charged with theft met a lighter punishment by highlighting her family and financial situation - a single mother reliant on welfare benefits. These experiences have shown me that the law is more than just a way of maintaining control, but also a way of establishing justice. Outside my academic life I play a variety of sports and am keen on basketball and tennis.

Playing basketball for my school team developed my ability to work effectively with others. I am also involved with the community, volunteering for my church in arranging events for a teenage group and helping out with the boys' brigade by acting as an assistant.

I look forward to the intellectual stimulation as well as the challenges of a law degree and I feel I have the necessary skill set to contribute to university life in its broadest sense.

Universities applied to:

• Newcastle University
• Cardiff University
• Liverpool University
• Leicester University
• Sheffield University

How personal statements have changed?

The current personal statement format, with three 'scaffolding' questions, was introduced by Ucas in September 2025. This personal statement was submitted before then, using the old essay-style format. It has been carefully edited into the three-question format, with all of the original wording kept.

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