Law Personal Statement

Why do you want to study this course or subject?

My desire to study law stems from my interest in its ability to create and respond to societal change. A case today is effectively law tomorrow, with the Wilkinson V Kitzinger case [2003] galvanising parliamentary debate for equal marriage in 2014 and establishing social change. In this way, the law is constantly changing as part of an uncodified constitution. Understanding the impact that law has on daily life has cemented my desire to study law within its wider social context. The uncertainty around Brexit sparked my interest in exploring constitutional law. Thus I attended the lecture ‘R Miller v Secretary of state for Exiting the European Union ‘by Alison L Young at Oxford. This put into perspective the constitutional significance of Brexit and how our legal structure enables citizens to hold their democratically elected representatives to account. I am interested in exploring the dialogue between morality and the law, a divisible yet complex relationship. On one hand law appears to reflect a public expression of morality, as the basic rules of conduct is what society accepts. However when reading The Children Act by Ian McEwan where the tentative subject of medical ethics was explored within the confines of law, I realised that law does not always uphold autonomy and therefore conflicts with morals.

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

The role of democracy within the law was further highlighted by LSE Choice and UCL Summer Challenge, where I focused on human rights and responsibilities and realised the importance of an independent judiciary. I have also observed that the law does not guarantee justice. This was exemplified by reading Bingham’s ‘The Rule of Law’. I found that the law is not objectively and uniformly applied by all judges, but rather is one that is based upon individual interpretation. This became a reality for me last year when a friend was murdered and only the boy who physically held the knife was convicted, due to changes to joint enterprise law in 2016 (R v Jogee). I later discovered that the recent revision of joint enterprise caused from judicial misunderstanding of its application over the last 30 years, has resulted in reviewing previous cases and impacted the current nature of sentencing. In preparing a moot in defence for the client, I enjoyed the practical application of the law. I found that the causation principle is widely drawn upon in my essay subjects which critically evaluate chains of events and whether they led to particular outcomes. In particular, the study of History requires me to determine whether ‘but for’ the occurrence of a historical event, the world would be as we know it.

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

During work experience at Freshfields Bruckhaus Derringer I engaged in various aspects of corporate law. I was made aware of how committed lawyers were, as well as learning about the details of bribery law, and rules regarding fair competition in trade I recognised the importance of acts such as bribery law, being an individual with Nigerian heritage, as bribery is at the forefront of political corruption in Nigeria. Meanwhile at the UNIQ Summer School I prepared a defence for a mock criminal law suit, utilising the ‘but for’ test to determine whether the defendant’s actions were the direct cause for the crime he was accused of. Outside academia, I thoroughly engage in my student body. Representing my house in mock leaders debate has allowed me to hone in my articulation in developing arguments. Working every weekend at Waitrose as well as volunteering at a nursery, has also taught me how to balance the demands of a job alongside academia. I will continue with these interests as an undergraduate and look forward to contributing to university life.