Personal Statement for LawSchool

“The way I see it, there are two kinds of dreams. One is a dream that is always going to be just that, a dream, a vision that you can never really hold in your hand. Then there is a dream that is more than a dream it is like, a map. A map that you live by and follow for the rest of your days knowing that someday you’re going to stand on top of that mountain holding everything you thought of right there in your hand!” -Robert Cooper.

Dreams ignite the kind of passion that makes a difference in our lives and the lives of people around us. I believe that once you have a dream, it is important to chase it and see where it will lead you. For a vast majority of people, it takes time to realize what their dreams are and what they want to do with their lives in respect to the career-path they want to follow. Many people take up careers that they have no interest or passion in, simply because they have not found that one thing that makes them tick.

Once you find out the career path that is in line with your dreams and purpose in life, you know from deep-within that, you have found it and you have inner peace. Everyone has a personal call for their life, which you have to find out for yourself, by realizing what your passions are and what kind of difference you want to make in the society. I therefore feel privileged to have discovered the career-path I want to take, which is real estate law. It is for this reason that I am making an application to join law school and become an attorney. A personal experience that I had three years ago opened my eyes to the fact that I was passionate about becoming a real estate attorney. Three years ago, my sister in her search for a home to buy, came across a beautiful brand new home that was in its final stages of construction. She loved it because it was beautiful and had all the features she was looking for in a home; little did she know that owning the house would soon turn into a nightmare. She put a down payment on it, and drew a budget with the developer detailing the amount of money that would be required to complete the house.

For a while, everything was going well and my sister was generally pleased with the construction of the house until the developer began to act fraudulently. First, the construction was going ahead with minimal supervision from the developer, and the workers in a bid to finish the construction by the required time, were doing a shoddy job, the outcome was quite different from what had been agreed on between the developer and my sister. The paintjob was uneven, nails had not been driven in properly and were coming out of the walls, the bathroom tiles were laid disproportionately and the ceiling seams were conspicuous; they had done a very poor finishing job. In addition to this, the developer was using substandard material and was demanding for an extra 400,000 dollars above the agreed budget. The developer was becoming more cunning and was bent on cheating my sister into paying much more for the house than had been quoted; he even refused to finish building the house until he was paid the 400000 dollars that he claimed he was owed. It was getting increasingly frustrating for my sister because she had already made a substantial initial payment and could not get her money back.

This left her with no choice but to take legal action against the developer. The litigation process was long and exasperating taking a total of two years, during which I was very involved in the legal proceedings. I attended all the meetings between her and her attorneys and in addition to this, she kept me briefed weekly on the progress of the case. Fortunately, she won the case and the developer was ordered to complete building the house without charging my sister any extra amount. I believe that my interest for law developed because of my frequent interactions with the law during this case. I resolved within myself that I would become a real estate attorney in order to make a positive change within the real estate industry. It is unfortunate that many homebuyers are tricked into shoddy deals while others are forced to spend a lot of time and money on court cases after their developers go against the agreed terms. For most people, a home is the biggest and most valuable asset that they will purchase in their lives and it is important that they accrue the most value out of their purchases. It is thus important to eliminate the risks that may occur in such an important transaction where a lot of money exchanges hands.

I have since realized that many homebuyers are tricked out of their money by real estate developers and agents during the transaction. This situation has led to financial devastation for many individuals and families. Purchasing a home is usually a once-in-a-lifetime transaction hence many homebuyers may not be aware of the procedures it involves. Real estate brokers and developers can take advantage of the buyer’s naivety for their own benefit. Hence, the need for a real estate attorney who will mediate the dealings between the two parties in order to ensure that the transactions occur within the stipulated terms. The current global financial crisis has generated turmoil in the real estate market; due to bankruptcy, many people are unable to make their mortgage payments and thus risk foreclosure. This issue has been of particular concern to me, because I believe that suitable alternatives can be found, as it is not right for people to lose their homes during such dire financial times. Through deep and thorough reflection, I have discovered that pursuing a degree in law will allow me to enter the profession that is in line with my interests, passion and dreams; which is real-estate law.