Hi, I have a query regarding the first part of the Harvard LLM Personal statement. While the instructions specify that it could be either on an important issue in your field of interest or a current legal problem facing a particular country, how detrimental would it be if I write the essay on a current legal problem facing a country on a law which has nothing to do with the laws which are of interest to me in the application?

[quote]Hi, I have a query regarding the first part of the Harvard LLM Personal statement. While the instructions specify that it could be either on an important issue in your field of interest or a current legal problem facing a particular country, how detrimental would it be if I write the essay on a current legal problem facing a country on a law which has nothing to do with the laws which are of interest to me in the application?[/quote]

Hey, Shreya! I think it should be connected to the subjects that you list as areas of interest in the application. During the years when I planned to apply for Harvard LLM program, I reviewed 2 essays of my friends who successfully graduated Harvard now. One of them strictly followed the rules and replied to A and B exactly as requirements asked for. The second however, made the part A directly connected with part B personal statement. The essay structure was construed in a way that reflected her experience she was facing at that moment.
I think anyway you choose to structure, It works as long as it is creatively construed and not overly out of the structure requirements. Better go safe and make the topic connected with interests listed in the application, unless you have strong feeling with your guts that your chosen structure would fire 100/100.

Good luck!