Could someone take a look at my Personal Statement for my Master's application? (600 words) - Thank you so much :)

My application for the xxx programme at xy university is essentially due to the desire to pursue a more interdisciplinary path before starting my legal traineeship, i.e. the final part of my legal education in Germany.

During my studies and my PhD, I was able to acquire in-depth knowledge with regard to legal research methods and considerably expanded my ability to think in logical and dogmatic structures, but at the same time I had little contact with other disciplines that I am also particularly interested in, especially feminist legal theory and other critical approaches to law.

My dissertation period in particular, during which I explored a topic that intersected with other disciplines, made me realise that I had found my education somewhat too one-sided up to now and would like to use the time after my PhD to bridge this ‚deficit‘ and thus not take the path of a ‚standard‘ LL.M. degree, but choose a programme that takes into account different ways of legal thinking.

What I find particularly exciting about the xx programme is the fact that it aims to question the sub-areas of practice/theory and academic/activist. Against the background that legal education in Germany places almost no emphasis on practical experience, this approach might be a particularly valuable experience for me.

I also find the possibility of supplementing the compulsory subjects of the xx programme with a wide range of electives particularly interesting, which allows for an individual design of the degree programme tailored to personal interests. In my own case, this would mean that I would try to combine my background in Islamic Studies, in which I started another undergraduate degree during my PhD, with the general topics of the LL.M. and therefore focus in particular on gender studies in Islamic countries.

Furthermore, I am convinced that uni xy offers ideal framework conditions for diving into more critical approaches to classical legal education because of its very diverse environment. I would find it incredibly inspiring to study together with so many different people of different nationalities and cultures and to learn from and with them, especially because I myself do not have a diverse cultural background. So all in all, I am positive that universityxy provides an ideal platform for me to challenge my own accustomed ways.

I think that I am very well suited for this programme, partly because of my broad-based education in the legal field, but also because of my activities in non-legal fields.

So far, I have focused on international law, especially human rights law, within my legal education; I am therefore confident that my already existing knowledge in this field will help me in this programme, as I am planning on focusing especially on taking additional courses that have an international dimension.

In addition to my studies, I have always tried to do justice to my many non-legal interests, which led me to initially pursue two parallel careers, working as both a professionally trained violinist and a legal research assistant, and it was only after a few years that I decided to focus on the latter path. I am convinced that the skills I had to acquire during this time, such as organisational skills, time management and resilience, are important prerequisites for successfully completing an interdisciplinary and demanding programme like the LL.M. xx.

With regard to my professional future, I am not planning a ‚classic‘ legal career, but would like to try to work as interdisciplinary and internationally as possible, for example in an internationally oriented NGO or in an international organisation, preferably with a focus on human rights of vulnerable persons or intercultural exchange. Especially with regard to working in NGOs, I think it is indispensable not only to have enjoyed a thorough legal education, but also to be familiar with interdisciplinary work, which is why I believe that this programme will bring me a decisive step closer to this career goal.