The importance of diversity in legal education has never been more significant. A commitment to inclusivity within the legal profession fosters a more equitable justice system and enriches the experiences of all students. Admissions committees increasingly seek applicants whose unique perspectives and backgrounds will contribute to a vibrant, inclusive law school community. Writing a compelling diversity statement can be your way of showing how you’ll bring value to their student body and the legal field.
This guide will help you create a strong diversity statement that complements your personal statement and elevates your law school application.
What is a Diversity Statement?
A diversity statement is a supplementary essay providing insight into your background, experiences, and perspectives on diversity, equity, and inclusion. It’s often part of the law school application process and allows you to showcase how your unique experiences will contribute to the school's community and mission.
Generally speaking, a diversity statement details [1] your experience with diversity, personally and professionally, and [2] your approach to advancing equity and inclusion within the community and your workplace.
At Stetson Law, for example, our school’s statement includes our definition of what diversity means to us: “an acknowledgment of differences between groups of people and perhaps an invitation for such groups to join a community; inclusion involves embracing those differences by valuing and supporting the backgrounds and experiences of every individual and group in a way that will help create a sense of belonging and unity.”
We also include their voices in our statement because we value the perspectives of the communities represented by our student body, faculty, and staff.
Similarly, the American Bar Association emphasizes diversity and inclusion. Its mission statement outlines what diversity means within the justice system and for practicing lawyers: “promoting collaboration, coordination, and communication to … eliminate bias and enhance diversity and inclusion throughout the Association, legal profession, and justice system.”
Of course, these are statements written by a group to represent institutions. They can help get you closer to your definition of what diversity means to you, but their aims are different from a diversity statement you write for law school.
What is a Diversity Statement for Law School Applications?
Unlike personal statements, which focus on academic and professional achievements, diversity statements highlight the personal experiences that have shaped your worldview. These essays help admissions officers see how your unique perspective will enrich the student body and contribute to fostering inclusivity within education and, ultimately, the legal profession.
Should I Write a Diversity Statement for Law School?
Admissions committees value diversity within their student bodies—it enriches learning, fosters understanding of different perspectives, and helps prepare future lawyers for an increasingly diverse world. While every applicant is unique, here are some things to consider when deciding whether to include a diversity statement in your application.
The Benefits of Writing a Diversity Statement
1. Your diversity statement may be able to tell part of your story that the rest of your application can’t.
If you have expertise working across different communities, including those historically underserved by the justice system, you’ll probably want to write a diversity statement. You’ll be able to use the extra space provided by a diversity statement to convey that depth of experience and to outline your specific skills in more detail.
Or maybe you’ve encountered obstacles or experienced injustice in ways that shape your desire to pursue legal studies and your approach to law. A diversity statement could be an opportunity to point out related interests or specializations, like Social Justice Advocacy, or to speak to the unique skills you’ve developed that make you a stronger lawyer-in-training.
If there’s more to your story, a diversity statement is a great place to tell it. Just make sure that you explain the connection between these experiences and your interest in studying law at that school.
2. A diversity statement complements your other application materials.
Your diversity statement can showcase dimensions of your background that aren’t fully addressed in your personal statement, GPA, or LSAT score. This additional context adds depth to your application.
3. The type of law you plan to study or where you wish to practice may ask that you have diversity training and experience connecting with people across different communities.
For example, you could state in your application that your dream is to work as a public defender or a district attorney. Writing a diversity statement is a good idea because such roles require representing people from different backgrounds and communities. In your statement, you could point to specific resources and courses of study offered by that law program, which you plan to pursue throughout your studies to prepare you for your chosen career.
Or perhaps you’re interested in a specialized field, like LGBTQ+ policy or environmental law. Identifying a preferred area of focus in your application can be a great way to show admissions committees that you’re aware of their programs (you’ve done your research!) and that you’re already thinking long-term about a legal career. But you may also want to write a diversity statement that expands on those investments. You could include volunteer or advocacy work for environmental causes, for instance, or whatever area of interest you’ve chosen. You could identify landmark cases you’d want to study and revisit in your career or existing policies you’d like to examine closely throughout your studies.
If a prospective law school offers a specific concentration, a diversity statement could help you make your case for why you should study at that particular school.
Jen Rex, 2L at Stetson, did precisely that. "When I was looking into law schools, I wanted to find a school that had a student organization for LGBTQ+ students and offered a welcoming environment,” Jen said. “ I was happy to find Stetson's Lambda Legal Society… The organization continues to grow and find ways to get involved, and I am excited to be a part of it. I also appreciate that I can see myself represented in the faculty by multiple professors who identify as members of the LGBTQ+ community and others who are allies to the community."
4. It demonstrates your commitment to equity and inclusion.
Diversity statements allow you to convey how you’ll contribute to an inclusive law school community. For example:
- Highlight relevant work experience with advocacy groups or legal clinics.
- Discuss how your unique background aligns with the values of a particular law school, like those outlined in Harvard Law School’s mission statement.
5. It strengthens your candidacy for specialized legal fields.
Interested in public defense, LGBTQ+ policy, or immigration law? A diversity statement can make a compelling case for why those areas resonate with you and how your experiences equip you to excel in that field.
Addressing Misconceptions
1. A diversity statement is just for underrepresented groups.
False. Diversity statements aren’t just for underrepresented groups. Who can write a diversity statement? Anyone with unique experiences that have shaped their worldview—whether related to work, education, culture, or identity—can use one to communicate their distinctive perspective.
2. Writing a diversity statement will negatively impact my application.
False. Writing a thoughtful, authentic diversity statement enriches your application. Admissions committees view these essays as tools to build a well-rounded, diverse incoming class. A diversity statement is a worthwhile addition if diversity has played a significant role in your life and career goals.
3. I don’t have enough time to write a diversity statement.
If the diversity statement is optional, you may choose not to write one because you’re pressed for time. The written documents for law school applications can take hours to polish, ideally including a few rounds of revision. If you’re fortunate enough to get your written pieces in front of word-sharp colleagues, professors, or practicing lawyers, all the better.
But maybe you’re working full time, have an overbooked family life, or have been out of school for a few years and no longer have a campus-size roster of resources to workshop your writing samples. In this case, you may decide that writing a diversity statement isn’t the right choice for you at this time. It’s essential to showcase your best work to admissions committees, and sometimes, your best work includes wise restraint.
4. I lack the experience, knowledge, or training to write effectively about diversity and equity issues.
Lawyers and legal professionals must have diversity training. Hopefully, your law school has built diverse education and resources into its program.
That said, maybe you don’t have that much knowledge or experience about the issues at the time of your application. In that case, it’s probably a good idea to hold off on writing a diversity statement. Instead, you could spend that time researching recent law articles on diversity topics or request a syllabus reading list from your chosen law school. That way, you can get a head start on the work of diversity education, even if you’re not prepared to write an effective statement.
How Do I Write a Diversity Statement?
Writing a strong diversity statement requires introspection, clear structure, and authenticity. Here are practical tips to get started.
Essential Components
1. Your Purpose
Approach your diversity statement with a clear purpose in mind. Are you writing it because of a specific experience that has shaped your approach or inspired your interest in a specific field? Are you invested in pursuing a particular type of legal practice or course of study at that law school?
Whatever the reason, it’s best to be upfront about it early in your diversity statement. Think of it as your opening statement, pun intended.
2. Your Approach to Diversity
“Diversity” is a big word. And while diversity in thought and practice centers on inclusivity, you must define your approach to that practice. This definition is also helpful from a structural vantage point. Once you outline your approach to diversity, you can ensure the rest of the following narrative supports that definition. For writing, in general, it’s best practice to define the terms you’re using as a framework. This way, you’ve gotten your readers on the same page as you, and the rest of your writing will be clearer and more cohesive. All the makings of excellent legal writing!
3. Your Personal Experience
Your diversity statement might be very personal and include very personal details. Or your diversity statement may center on education and professional training. Either is a great reason to write a diversity statement. But no matter what path your narrative takes, all roads lead back to your pursuit of legal studies—and your quest for legal studies at that law school, in particular. Many applicants get caught up in the details of their narrative and forget their audience is an admissions committee. Law schools are invested in your stories, but they also need to know how they fit into your story and, in turn, how you fit into theirs. Make your case clear throughout your narrative. For example, you could cite specific courses you want to take to help you advance skills you’ve already started. Or you could point out a legal society you’d like to join at the school that brings communities together around advocacy work that matters most to you. You could research that society’s recent and upcoming events, even its publications or press releases, to incorporate specific ways you’d want to get involved and do your part.
Personal and professional narratives work best when they forge a connection with an audience. Remember to center that connection as you tell your story.
4. Your Career Goals
Building off of the previous tip, ensure you end with a clear picture of how law school will help you advance your diversity goals. This is a great tip to revisit during the editing stage of your writing process. If, by the end of your read-through, it’s not clear (1) what your diversity goals are and (2) how this law school will help you achieve them, you know you need to go back and edit your statement. The point to remember here is that admissions committees need to leave your application with a firm grasp of how this school is right for you and how you are right for them.
Recommended Length
Before you take advice from anything you read online, contact your law school admissions department first. They may have specific guidelines on how long your statement should be.
If no parameters exist, you could safely aim for one to two single-spaced pages with a 12-point font. That’s about 500-800 words. Concisely communicate your ideas while leaving room for your other application materials.
What to Include
- Personal Experiences: Share pivotal moments that shaped your worldview.
- Challenges Overcome: Examples might include economic hardship, navigating different cultural norms, or living with a disability.
- Commitment to Equity: Explain how these experiences inform your approach to fostering inclusivity in education and the legal field.
What to Avoid
- Avoid repetition of information already covered in your personal statement. Focus on what differentiates your diversity statement.
- Don’t be vague; provide specific, meaningful examples to support your points.
Guidance for Writing
1. Tell a story, but avoid cliches.
“Throughout time,” “the human condition,” “society as a whole”—those phrases your writing teacher warned you about? They all apply here. A diversity statement can’t possibly take us through a history of time or define what we mean by something as lofty as “the human condition.” Your statement is short, so you need to take advantage of the space by telling your story in your terms, as specifically as possible. And, given that your application is designed to make you stand out as a prospective student, it’s best to avoid phrases that cast you back into the crowd.
2. This is about you, so don’t be general.
Similar to the previous tip, providing concrete details wherever possible is essential. You lose valuable real estate when you make general or generalizing claims in a personal diversity statement. Give the admissions committee a specific glimpse into how you think, learn, write, and approach justice and communities.
3. Eliminate filler words or unnecessary padding.
Legal writing should be clear and to the point. As a prospective student, you should model that in your application materials. That doesn’t mean eliminating turns of phrase or thick descriptions that give readers insight into your personality. It does mean cutting “filler” words from your prose. Can you rewrite a sentence the same way but in a shorter one? Do it! This is excellent practice for legal writing, but it also respects your readers. Admissions committees read a lot of applications, so great editing is a genuine kindness.
4. Be aware of your audience: be thoughtful in your word choice.
Speaking of admissions committees…
It’s important to remember that you’re writing for them. Even if your diversity statement is quite personal, you aim to communicate your readiness to study law to a committee of experts. This means you need to be thoughtful in your word choice and focus. Lawyer jokes? Probably not a great idea. And, given that you’re writing a diversity statement, insensitive word choice is particularly glaring. Be thoughtful and deliberate in how you write your statement.
What is an Example of a Good Diversity Statement?
Here’s a simple structure and law school diversity statement example to guide your statement.
Introduction
Begin by stating your purpose and why diversity is personally significant to you. Highlight your understanding of why diverse perspectives are valuable within the legal field.
For example, “Growing up as part of an immigrant family, I have witnessed firsthand how varying cultural backgrounds enrich communities. This understanding has shaped my desire to contribute to a more inclusive legal system.”
Body Paragraphs
Share specific personal experiences or challenges that have shaped your perspective. Be specific and reflective, such as, “During my high school years, I organized a cultural awareness campaign to address misunderstandings in our community. This experience taught me the importance of advocacy and education in creating understanding.”
Connect these experiences to your motivation for studying and practicing law. For instance, “Witnessing the positive impact of these efforts inspired me to pursue law to advocate for underrepresented voices and champion fairness in the justice system.”
Closing Paragraph
Reaffirm how your unique background and perspective will contribute to the law school community. For example, “I am confident that my experiences advocating for underrepresented groups will allow me to bring valuable insights to classroom discussions and collaborative projects.”
Additionally, emphasize your commitment to inclusivity throughout your legal education and career. “I intend to use my legal education to develop initiatives and policies that promote diversity, equity, and inclusion on a broader scale.”
Ready to make real change? Stetson Law invites you to join our community of movers and shakers.
A diversity essay allows you to discuss the intersection of life experiences and challenges in your graduate school application. Keep it authentic and structured. For pre-law students navigating the admissions process, consulting with experts or tuning into an admissions consulting podcast can provide valuable insights.
As you research prospective law schools, consider Stetson Law. We offer a range of courses, programs, and resources dedicated to building diversity, equity, and inclusion in the legal community.
We’re also here to answer questions about the program and admissions, including diversity statement guidelines! Contact us any time.
Interested in a J.D. from Stetson Law? Apply now.
Topics: Applying to Law School, Law School Prep, Articles
