How to Answer the “Why Berkeley Law” Essay

As more aspiring lawyers have clamored for lucrative jobs in the Golden State, UC Berkeley has risen in national law school rankings and selectivity.

For lawyers interested in practicing law in California, a degree from Berkeley Law can be invaluable. The law school has one of the best job placement rates of any school in the country, only rivaled among California schools by its much smaller neighbor, Stanford Law.

To stand out from the pack, you need to make your Berkeley Law application count with a strong optional essay on why you’re applying to Berkeley Law.

To start, you can read more general advice on how to answer school-specific supplemental essays on "Why This Law School." This article focuses specifically on answering Berkeley Law’s prompt. 

The Why Berkeley Law Prompt 

The Berkeley Law application offers an optional essay, with a maximum of 350 words, on the following question:

"Tell us more about your interest in Berkeley Law. What makes our school a good fit for you in terms of academic interests, programmatic offerings, and learning environment?" 

Berkeley Law is proud of its long and distinguished history. So to write this supplemental essay effectively, you'll need to dig into details about the school's traditions, its current program offerings, and the factors that make the school unique. 

[Next Read: Top Law Coach School Profile: UC Berkeley School of Law]

Connect To The Program 

Berkeley Law certainly sees itself as unique among top law schools in many ways, so don't write a generic essay about its outstanding faculty and prestigious reputation and high-quality legal education.

Do your research. Scour the Berkeley Law website for programs, centers, clinics, and specific courses that are relevant to your interests in the law. Then, choose a few to focus on in your essay. Doing thorough research to find unique (or at least uncommon) connections to the school will help your application stand out and show you’ve done your homework. 

Connect To The Region

The Bay Area is one of the country's most sought-after legal markets. Unless you have relevant skills or connections to the region, it can be hard to break in.

If practicing law in California is your goal, you can talk about this in your essay. Take things a step further and connect with one of the populations or popular legal specializations in the Bay Area. For example, organizations like Canal Alliance or Bay Area Legal Aid serve a large clientele of Hispanic residents. Many Silicon Valley firms have leading practices in intellectual property and tech law.

If there are specific area-related legal niches that you care about, try to work that into your essay. 

Consider Diversity and Activism in Your Essays

Berkeley has long taken pride in its diversity, forward-thinking culture, and activist traditions that the campus has nurtured for several decades. Research some of the campus’s storied history (like the Free Speech Movement) to get a sense of the school's self-image. 

While it's true that many Berkeley Law grads go right from law school into Big Law or private practice, you might be well-advised to acknowledge the political climate and culture at Berkeley in your essays. Show that you appreciate and thrive in a lively campus with a range of different people and passions, even if your own interests are more mainstream.

Final Details

I've read a lot of Berkeley applications as a law school consultant. Want to know a mistake that nearly a third of them make? 

They misspell "Berkeley"! Or they use the outdated name, Boalt Hall. Or they call it Berkeley Law School.

No one likes being called by the wrong name. I bet that was a real pet peeve of George Berkeley, the 18th Century philosopher and namesake of both the school and town. 

For the record, it’s UC Berkeley School of Law, or Berkeley Law for short. The full formal name is the University of California, Berkeley, School of Law (note the two commas). These are the only school names you’ll see on the Berkeley Law website.

Lawyers should be detail-oriented enough to avoid even comparatively tiny mistakes like this. So don't derail a successful application to Berkeley Law. Proofread your essays. 

It’s worth investing time and thought into this essay. If you submit a generic essay that could pass for any school, you encourage Berkeley Law to see you as “just another applicant." Distinguish yourself from other students with comparable profiles by putting in more work.

[Next Read: How to Show Commitment to Law School (Even if You Took the Long Path to Get There)]