Law school admissions officers evaluate applicants holistically. To gauge applicants’ potential to excel as law students, admissions officers try to gain a full picture of their candidacy, including circumstances that may not be clear from transcripts or test scores.
This is why law schools welcome addenda, even when they are not an official part of the application.
What Is an Addendum?
An addendum is a short, objective explanation for any potential discrepancy or complication in your law school application. Sometimes an addendum just provides clarification or extra details, while other times it might proactively address a potential red flag in your application.
A well-written addendum supports your case for admission by providing missing context to answer questions that your application might raise.
A poorly written addendum, however, can do more harm than good. Approach it carefully so that you don’t come across as disingenuous, unprofessional or irresponsible.
[READ: 7 Deciding Factors in Law School Admissions]
When Should an Applicant Write an Addendum?
Use an addendum to explain an issue arising from another part of your application. Common situations include:
A Complicated Transcript
For example, you might include an addendum to your transcript if you attended multiple institutions as an undergraduate or an institution with nonstandard grading systems.
Withdrawal From Classes or Leave of Absence
If your transcript shows multiple course withdrawals or a leave of absence, use an addendum to share the circumstances of your departure.
Low Grades
If you had a bad semester or year, or specific courses that went poorly that lowered your GPA, you might write an addendum to explain what happened.
Low LSAT Scores
Write an addendum if there are specific reasons why your test scores don’t reflect your potential, such as a history of underperformance on standardized tests.
Substantial Increase in LSAT Scores
Law schools generally take your highest LSAT score and you do not need to justify retaking the test. However, if your scores differ by 10 points or more, write an addendum to explain the jump. Some law schools even ask for an addendum for a score increase of five points or more.
Disciplinary Issue or Academic Misconduct in College
Use an addendum to elaborate on disciplinary issues disclosed in answering the character and fitness questions of the application.
Legal Violations
Law schools vary in how much information they ask about past legal violations. Some include anything beyond a parking citation, including speeding tickets or other traffic violations. Others ask only about more serious offenses. Provide an addendum to clear up what happened.
Resume Gaps
If you have a gap of more than a few months that your resume doesn’t cover, consider an addendum to explain why.
When Not to Write an Addendum
An addendum should concern something noteworthy. For example, most college students do worse early on, so you don’t need to explain the fact that your grades went from B’s to A’s.
Likewise, law schools are used to seeing former premeds who performed poorly in science classes early on before switching their career focus. Admissions officers understand that STEM classes have difficult grading curves.
[Read: What Is a Good College GPA for a Law School Applicant?]
Don’t write an addendum if it conveys information made obvious by other application materials like your transcripts, resume and essays.
For example, while an addendum is appropriate to explain that you took time off from college due to a family situation or health emergency, it is unnecessary if you already explained this in your personal statement.
Don’t write an addendum without a reasonable explanation. If you got poor grades because you spent too much time goofing off or procrastinating, it would be better to say nothing.
In contrast, if the story behind your addendum is so complicated and important that you cannot reduce it to a few paragraphs, write about it in another essay, like your personal or diversity statement.
If you are writing about a serious disciplinary or legal issue related to personal integrity, like an abuse of trust or financial crime, consider speaking with a legal expert on disciplinary issues to first determine whether it would disqualify you from passing the character and fitness requirements of the bar exam. It would be heartbreaking to apply to law school if you are ineligible to become a lawyer.
How to Write an Addendum
An addendum is a statement of relevant facts, not a personal essay. Simply write what happened, including contributing factors and consequences. It should be under one page, typically one to three paragraphs long.
It can be tempting to write a long, full account of what happened. But it serves the reader better to focus on key points and relevant details.
[Read Law School Admissions Process: A Month-By-Month Guide.]
If the addendum is about something positive, like an increased LSAT score, there is no need to sound guilty or self-justifying. Present the facts in a straightforward and upbeat way.
If the addendum is about something negative, like a family tragedy, try to let the facts speak for themselves. Self-pity or anger can sound unprofessional or one-sided.
If the addendum is about something you regret, accept responsibility for your role in the situation and explain why it won’t happen again. Avoid blaming others, making excuses or overdramatizing the situation.
It is important to make clear the situation is resolved and will not affect your studies or legal career. Try to end with a silver lining to the situation, like a key lesson or positive personal change.
Contrition, resilience and the ability to learn from your mistakes are positive traits for an aspiring lawyer. In some cases, they may even convey personal courage.
Approach the addendum as an opportunity to provide missing context and showcase your professionalism. It is not a place for lengthy justifications. Time that an admissions officer spends reviewing your addendum may be taken away from reading your personal statement, resume or letters of recommendation. Ultimately, those materials make a better case for your admission.
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How, Why to Write a Law School Addendum originally appeared on usnews.com
