Born and raised in Ohio and now settled in Miami, Florida, the military always has and always will be in my life in many important ways. I would still be on active duty if I had not been injured. My husband is a combat veteran, and my father and grandfather were veterans. Like many African Americans, the military has served us as a vehicle of service, social recognition, and economic survival - for three generations. I am enormously proud of my roots and those soldiers in my family who went before me. I am now preparing for exciting, new career directions because of earning the LLM Degree with a focus on National Security, the area that I have identified as making the most out of my strengths and experience and where my greatest passion lies.
Obtaining the LLM in National Security will allow me to combat terrorism and help to prevent potentially devastating attacks against the US. The National Security LLM Degree program at XXXX University is my first choice because of its sheer quality, scope, and excellent international reputation. I also admire the fact that XXXX hosts the National Security Law Review. As a result of my clerkship experience, I am experienced with legal research and writing and have enjoyed it very much. One of the highlights of my life so far has been assisting a judge in researching, drafting, and editing legal opinions.
At the center of my intellectual interests stand national security, surveillance, and intelligence. I spend most of my free time reading – particularly about intelligence gathering and the parameters of the fourth amendment and domestic surveillance. I feel drawn to special effort and attention to these areas to develop my expertise in how evidence can and should be acquired and evaluated. I am also greatly intrigued by the whole gambit of subjects in law offered by XXXX and could not feel more excited by the prospect of making progress toward my LLM. I keenly look forward to a whole immersion experience at XXXX in international law in its social, economic, and political contexts. I am committed to a professional lifetime of service to the US government. To make my most outstanding contribution, I need the kind of innovative academic experience in foreign affairs offered by the LLM Program in National Security at XXXX. Working as a judicial law clerk has allowed me to make constant progress in my ability to research and frame solid legal arguments. I believe that this will enable me to hit the ground running and excel in your program.
I have long been interested in criminal law and spent my internships in this area. I received several of my highest grades in this area (both international and US criminal law), writing papers about US prosecution of torture committed in a foreign country and the constitutionality of the US Patriot Act. Through this research, I learned more about the Act's purpose, scope, and the debates and controversies surrounding the Act. Hence, the centrality of my dedication to the subject of criminal prosecution and its relationship to national security.
My ideal job would be to serve in the National Security Division of the Department of Justice, dealing with foreign policy and national security matters. I hope to contribute to investigating and prosecuting federal security crimes, including money laundering and terrorism financing.
I joined the Marine Corps to help protect my country. As a Veteran, I would like to continue my service by working in prosecution towards the end of protecting national security. I have worked for the federal government for approximately six years as a Federal Judicial Law Clerk, and I seek professional advancement.
Thank you for considering my application to XXXX.
LLM Criminal Law Personal Statement Sample