(no subject)
More SOP fun. Cut to spare those who don't want to read all about it.
Some of my schools recommend a 500 word essay. I'm not worried about going over, but I did want to minimize my overage. So far I've gotten it down to 720 words, which I think is reasonable. However, now I am wondering if maybe the shorter version is simply the better version anyway?
Here it is:
It was love at first closing argument - love of the law, that is. If maintaining that love requires finding the area about which one feels most passionate, I have found my natural habitat in the practice of environmental law. My passion for environmental law grew along with my awareness and understanding of the complex issues involved throughout my undergraduate and law school educations. Although this foundation may be the minimum necessary to practice environmental law, my desire to excel within that practice requires further education in the fields of science involved in investigating and remediating these issues. For this reason, I am applying for the master’s of environmental science at XYZ University.
While there are several stepping stones along the way, my ultimate career goal is to establish my own practice. In order to gain the experience to do so effectively, I hope to work for a government or non-profit agency prosecuting environmental cases. Based on my work with the Illinois Attorney General's Office prosecuting violations of environmental regulations and with Senator Doug Haines in Georgia on major litigation compelling the EPA to enforce the Clean Water Act, I anticipate I would enjoy working in such a setting. These experiences will allow me to open my own multidisciplinary environmental consulting firm targeting small to mid-size businesses interested primarily in planning regulatory compliance and secondarily in resolving any disputes that may arise through mediation or litigation.
Although my undergraduate studies sharpened my analytical skills, they left me largely unprepared for this highly fact intensive fiel. Not pursuing a degree in ecology has hindered me in the legal job market considerably. Taking into account the number of students coming to the practice of law from scientific backgrounds, employers are able to demand a greater level of specialization beyond the traditional criteria of law school performance. Furthermore, my work within the field has proven to me time and again that the pursuit of a master’s degree will not only strengthen the content of my resume but will allow me to excel as a practitioner.
At the core of my desire to obtain this degree lies a commitment to finding reasoned, balanced ways in which to deal with the current environmental threats. Only careful consideration of the actual costs and benefits of any given course of action to both sides will strike the appropriate balance between them, producing the best outcome. A thorough understanding the environmental impact of regulatory violations and the necessary remediation measures requires a stronger scientific background than I currently have. The most effective lawyers are able to educate their clients, their opponents, and the court on both the scientific facts and the law supporting their case.
This is a task that is greatly complicated when an expert is brought to testify about densely complex scientific principles. The role of lawyer as translator becomes critical, both in the argument and the settlement of cases. As with any translator, the more familiar one becomes with both languages (legal and scientific) the more effective one will be. For this reason, the dual education of attorneys is not at all uncommon. One will frequently find attorneys with engineering backgrounds practicing intellectual property law, or attorneys with accounting backgrounds practicing tax law. It stands to reason that the same level of expertise would be beneficial to the environmental attorney.
I am applying to the master’s of environmental science program at XYZ University to obtain this necessary scientific background. Already, I am solidifying my background by taking two semesters of chemistry, statistics, calculus and geology at our local college, and may enroll for further preparatory coursework during the summer. XYZ’s program offers the ability for me to take course work in areas such as blahblahblah, which would allow me to yaddayaddayadda as an attorney. My understanding of the relationship between law and science in this field would be greatly enhanced by interaction with Professor Smartypants due to his/her background in yacketyschmackety. Moreover, I am very interested in some of the current research going on with the program, particularly Project ABC. I look forward to working on that or another research project, particularly for the hands-on experience working with other students who will someday be the very experts I must call upon for scientific evidence.
Some of my schools recommend a 500 word essay. I'm not worried about going over, but I did want to minimize my overage. So far I've gotten it down to 720 words, which I think is reasonable. However, now I am wondering if maybe the shorter version is simply the better version anyway?
Here it is:
It was love at first closing argument - love of the law, that is. If maintaining that love requires finding the area about which one feels most passionate, I have found my natural habitat in the practice of environmental law. My passion for environmental law grew along with my awareness and understanding of the complex issues involved throughout my undergraduate and law school educations. Although this foundation may be the minimum necessary to practice environmental law, my desire to excel within that practice requires further education in the fields of science involved in investigating and remediating these issues. For this reason, I am applying for the master’s of environmental science at XYZ University.
While there are several stepping stones along the way, my ultimate career goal is to establish my own practice. In order to gain the experience to do so effectively, I hope to work for a government or non-profit agency prosecuting environmental cases. Based on my work with the Illinois Attorney General's Office prosecuting violations of environmental regulations and with Senator Doug Haines in Georgia on major litigation compelling the EPA to enforce the Clean Water Act, I anticipate I would enjoy working in such a setting. These experiences will allow me to open my own multidisciplinary environmental consulting firm targeting small to mid-size businesses interested primarily in planning regulatory compliance and secondarily in resolving any disputes that may arise through mediation or litigation.
Although my undergraduate studies sharpened my analytical skills, they left me largely unprepared for this highly fact intensive fiel. Not pursuing a degree in ecology has hindered me in the legal job market considerably. Taking into account the number of students coming to the practice of law from scientific backgrounds, employers are able to demand a greater level of specialization beyond the traditional criteria of law school performance. Furthermore, my work within the field has proven to me time and again that the pursuit of a master’s degree will not only strengthen the content of my resume but will allow me to excel as a practitioner.
At the core of my desire to obtain this degree lies a commitment to finding reasoned, balanced ways in which to deal with the current environmental threats. Only careful consideration of the actual costs and benefits of any given course of action to both sides will strike the appropriate balance between them, producing the best outcome. A thorough understanding the environmental impact of regulatory violations and the necessary remediation measures requires a stronger scientific background than I currently have. The most effective lawyers are able to educate their clients, their opponents, and the court on both the scientific facts and the law supporting their case.
This is a task that is greatly complicated when an expert is brought to testify about densely complex scientific principles. The role of lawyer as translator becomes critical, both in the argument and the settlement of cases. As with any translator, the more familiar one becomes with both languages (legal and scientific) the more effective one will be. For this reason, the dual education of attorneys is not at all uncommon. One will frequently find attorneys with engineering backgrounds practicing intellectual property law, or attorneys with accounting backgrounds practicing tax law. It stands to reason that the same level of expertise would be beneficial to the environmental attorney.
I am applying to the master’s of environmental science program at XYZ University to obtain this necessary scientific background. Already, I am solidifying my background by taking two semesters of chemistry, statistics, calculus and geology at our local college, and may enroll for further preparatory coursework during the summer. XYZ’s program offers the ability for me to take course work in areas such as blahblahblah, which would allow me to yaddayaddayadda as an attorney. My understanding of the relationship between law and science in this field would be greatly enhanced by interaction with Professor Smartypants due to his/her background in yacketyschmackety. Moreover, I am very interested in some of the current research going on with the program, particularly Project ABC. I look forward to working on that or another research project, particularly for the hands-on experience working with other students who will someday be the very experts I must call upon for scientific evidence.