When thinking about university, and a future career, the subject that stands out most clearly to me is law.

It is the fundamental framework of our society, and really fascinates me, because it provides the basis for every part of life; be it crime, family, finance, or even history. Without law, the world would be an unstable place, and it is for this reason that I think it is one of the most important aspects of our lives. The areas of law that I find myself most drawn to are international law and criminal law; through travelling, I have developed a great interest in other cultures and other legal systems and their relationships with each other. Reading books such as Letters to a Law Student, has further focused my enthusiasm for studying law at university. I found it incredibly interesting, as it covered the whole spectrum of studying law from cases and arguments, to reading and writing as a law student, and increased my certainty that it is a subject that I would enjoy and excel in. I am currently studying for the IB Diploma, with my three standard subjects being French, Mathematics and Biology, and my higher subjects being Spanish, English and Economics as well as studying the extra course of Theory of Knowledge. I chose Spanish and French because I believe it is important to understand other cultures and languages, and studying these has greatly enhanced my enthusiasm to understand and work with people from other countries. Taking part in several foreign exchange programs, staying in Madrid and Jrez respectively, has cultivated this skill, and firmly established my love for speaking Spanish, and learning about the structure and way of life in other societies. Theory of Knowledge has given me a great understanding of the world around me, and taught me to look at things with an open mind. This, combined with my other subjects, particularly English and the logic section of my Maths course, has taught me to think about things analytically, to reason, and also use my knowledge to form a conclusion and judgement of a situation. For the past year, I have been taking part in my schools European Youth Parliament team. So far, we have won the regional section of the competition, and it has given me a taste for looking at legal and international cases, and the complex issues surrounding them not to mention the confidence to discuss these matters with an open mind. A debate which has piqued my interest long after the event itself is that about

Following this, to gain further insight into the law profession, I arranged for myself a weeks work experience at EMW Picton Howell Law Firm. Although I was shown all departments of the company, most of my time was spent in Property and Litigation. I spent a lot of time researching property and contract law, and have since developed a real enthusiasm for learning about different laws and the way they affect both society and individual people. This enthusiasm has also helped immensely in writing my extended essay; Im writing it on a favourite book of mine, Life of Pi by Yann Martel, and the essay explores the portrayal of Martels messages about religion, and mans belief in reality and God. A lot of research into academic literature, religion and philosophy is needed, and I have enjoyed researching and writing about it. Perhaps the most valuable skill I have learnt from this is to analyse what I find, and to take from it only the most relevant, informative points. Further to this, I also spent a day at a Pre-law course, where I was able to speak to solicitors and barristers about their experiences studying law at university. The main thing I learnt from this course was the type of characteristics needed for studying law; this of course

attention to detail, commitment, and analytical thought and reasoning. I believe that through the various activities and experiences which I have spoken about, I possess these characteristics and use them in many aspects of my academic life already. During this day, I was also able to witness a mock trial, regarding a case about theft, and the dubious nature of the witnesss claim. This cemented in my mind the fact that the law which pertains to a case is rarely simple; there are many factors which have to be taken into consideration to be able to decide how the law should apply to an individual or event.
I feel that studying law at university would not only challenge me, but also give me the opportunity to challenge myself, and learn about something which has drawn my interest for a long time. Furthermore, Im certain that I would excel in a university environment, and that I have a lot to both offer and gain from the experience.