When given the option of submitting "Why X" law school statements, applicants should usually do so. A "Why X" statement is much more likely to help rather than hurt your chances of admission, but you have to be careful when you're writing it; falsity is usually pretty transparent in admissions essays, so at its base, your statement has to be sincere.
So what kinds of things can you write about in a good "Why X Law School" statement? Check out the following ideas for inspiration:
1. The law school's reputation in the area of law you're interested in.
You're certainly not expected to know what area of law you want to practice and express it in your application, but if you do, and that particular school has a strong reputation in that area, feel free to mention it in your "Why X" statement as a reason you're applying to that school--it probably is anyway, right?2. The law school's geographic location.
Is the law school located in the area or state in which you would eventually like to practice? Do you already have ties to that community? These are good things to mention in a "Why X" statement.3. The law school's general reputation.
Conversely, if you don't know where you'll find yourself after law school, you might mention the school's strong national reputation as one of the reasons you've chosen to apply there; as a graduate of a well-respected law school on the national level, the essay might go, you will have the freedom to take the bar and practice anywhere in the country because it is so highly regarded.
This one applies, of course, only if the school does, indeed, have a strong national reputation, and you don't want it to be the only reason you give.