Becoming a Public Defender, Admission Essay Example

It is my greatest hope to become enrolled with the graduate school to work towards achieving my greatest goal of becoming a public defender.  I strongly believe that this school will provide me with the opportunities and education necessary to help move forward in my career as well as learn the essential skills toward performing at a higher level of excellence in the field.  Becoming a public defender is an arduous task that allows for all students to build upon their strengths and test their abilities as critical thinkers and knowledgeable legal professionals.  Clearly a legal degree will provide a strong educational background and legal thinking skills to help me successfully build upon my current work experiences and background.

Throughout my career, I have been fortunate to have been hired as an employee within a local public defender’s office.  At this firm I was able to observe first-hand accounts of intelligent arguing and receive on-site education and insight into the legal world and the politics of working within the legal system to defend clients of all backgrounds and cases.  Within this position, I saw many cases where clients were faced with severe penalties after having been falsely accused and convicted to outrageous sentences due to poor representation.  Too many individuals face the same consequences of circumstances that are out of their control and unfortunately, there is a lack of strong public defenders to take on the hard cases and work for the client instead of for their own personal interests.  This career is about the client and about doing what is right.  Due to my experiences working within the public defender’s office, I was able to see all of this and it instilled a deep sense of morals and obligation to the clients.

Currently, I am working within the field of pharmacy and see many instances where people are dealing with drug abuse and other social problems caused by poverty.  While this is not the most enjoyable of careers, the experiences I have gained in my short time in a pharmacy continue to support my opinion that there is an absolute need of good people to serve as public defenders.  One of my key attributes is that I have always worked hard to overcome adversities in my professional and personal lives.  Recently, I graduated from college with a Bachelors Degree in Criminal Justice.  While I attended school, I was working full-time and have been providing for myself and my family in the best way I possibly could.  This has not been an easy task by any means, but I know what it is like to be faced with difficult odds and having to overcome problems in creative and innovative ways.  Working as a public defender is very similar because there are issues that can come along each day that task the mind, bend the rules and force professionals to make difficult decisions.

Based on my experiences and knowledge in the field, I am confident that this is absolutely the right career and the best opportunity for me to achieve my ultimate career goals while still providing a good life for myself and my family.  My short-term goal is to earn a post-graduate legal degree and ultimately move up in the ranks by starting my own firm and providing legal assistance and support for those people who may not have the means to pay for it.  Above all else, education is extremely important to me.  I believe that my efforts will demonstrate to those individuals close to me the rewards of pursuing higher education.  Ending the educational journey with a Bachelors Degree is not enough for me.  Furthermore, I desire the opportunity to help make the world fair for everyone not just the wealthy.  Growing up from an impoverished home, education has never been highly valued. I have paid my way each step and will continue to work hard to achieve all of my goals and career aspirations in the legal field.