Since we are on the excruciating last part of the decision wait and granted that some opinion exchange is always helpful for future reference, I would like to pose the following question:

What bearing, if any, do you think the Personal Statement (especially the part which requires you to "briefly describe either an important issue in your field of interest or a current legal problem facing a particular country, region, or the world, and then propose a theoretical framework or a legal analysis or strategy to address this issue.") holds on your application?

Of course we can only speculate here unless some already admitted students could shed some insight light on the issue. I personally am divided. On the one hand if I were to assess an application for a LL.M I would most certainly value this writing sample to evaluate the essay writing ability of the candidate. On the other hand I know some will say that it is doubtful whether all applicants have indeed written their own PS. Any thoughts?

I think it is the most substantive and important part of your application.

I applied for 2010-2011 and was denied admission. I believe my credentials are very strong (I am a US JD recipient) and I have a profile that comports with what HLS says it is seeking in an American applicant. That said, I was unsure what the school was seeking in a statement and believe it was the weakest part of my application.

I have contemplated reapplying and may do so in the future, but I sat out this admission cycle in order to get more work experience and additional publications to my name. Good luck.

Supranote thank you very much for you insight. It is in line with what I initially thought myself to be the case. Could I ask you why you thought your statement was the weakest part of your application, in other words what did you feel it was lacking? I wish you all the best when you decide to reapply and I am sure that if you go for it your previous experience will serve as an excellent tool to make the new application a successful one!