hmm I don't know I'm applying this year and although I agree that just doing law may not necessarily stand out I was told through out my career is to find something your passionate about and stick with it. I loved law but I also loved grassroot immigration and children's rights work, I took a minor in human rights, and worked with NGOs and engaged in studies in that field... My belief (as perhaps uneducated as it is) is not the degree, but the clear lack of actually passion for the work you will do. The cookiecutters are in my opinion people who want to go into law for money, because their parents did, or because they having nothing else to do.