Personal Statement

Applied Program: Economic Law

It was totally unexpected that a traffic accident that occurred to me changed the entire course of my life. In an early summer morning in 1994, I, then busily involved in preparing for high school entrance examination, was knocked down from behind by a taxi on my way to school. I was seriously injured and instantly lost consciousness. The following year saw me receiving medical treatment and during this seemingly interminable period of therapy I not only had to endure the tremendous physical agonies and the miseries of suspending my normal education but also had to experience, as victim of the accident, the difficulties and helplessness of instituting legal procedures against the accident-causing taxi-driver. The imperfections of China’s legal system made the claims difficult to materialize. Ultimately I should be grateful to the lawyer who represented me in the case. It was he who, with his professional expertise, protected my legitimate rights. This experience exposed me to the usefulness of law, which in turn ignited my serious interest in the mysterious yet sacred law.

Seeking to ride the tide of the times in an era of reforms and opening-up, I chose International Economic Law as my major. Growing up in ShenZhen, China’s first special economic zone, I witnessed how this former fishing village became an international metropolis in China with the most vibrant economy and modern atmosphere. I grew to be particularly interested in all the laws related to economy. Therefore, when I entered college, without any hesitation I chose to specialize in International Economic Law. Out of my interest in and love for economic law, I devoted myself to the reading of many erudite legal works which helped me establish a solid theoretical foundation. On the other hand, all the courses in my specialty exposed me to a wide variety of in-depth knowledge. Law of Corporation, International Investment Law, International Trade Law and WTO Law are some of the courses that fascinated me most. My studies of those laws allowed me to appreciate the comprehensive and well-developed legal systems in the United States and in other advanced western countries. By comparison, China’s legal system, especially in the economic field, appears to be woefully underdeveloped. This comparative gap has all the more aroused a sense of urgency on my part to seek academic excellence so that when the day comes for me to make my own contributions I might be better equipped to offer my knowledge and talents. In the course of the four-year undergraduate studies, I have stayed among the top 5% students in my class of 68 undergraduates and my overall GPA and my specialty-related GPA have reached 3.4 and 3.6 respectively. My numerous scholarships and honors also attested to my excellence and academic achievements.

But

the real benefit I have achieved in the university is not awards and honors, but a much-broadened vision. I am clearly aware that, as a student of law, it is imperative for me to be closely connected to the world of reality, as law is a discipline that requires practical application and we are bound to become the shapers of future society. Guided by this understanding, I took every chance to go beyond my textbooks and wet my feet in several extracurricular activities. I have always served as one of the ministers of the University’s Students Union and this position has trained me to work with greater determination, greater enthusiasm and more methodically. As I myself have undergone special experiences of helplessness and personal difficulties, I actively participated in the activities of Mutual Welfare Association and Tutor Group. My hope is that by those activities I may benefit the society of which I am a part, and show concern for the weak and the needy. In addition, my participation in the speech contests organized by College Debating Team significantly improved my oral expressiveness and instant logical reasoning ability. I know that I will benefit from those experiences for a long time to come.liuxuepaper.com