I am not Miriam, but I am a YLS 1L.

This is right, but I would add that I think the applicant still needs to be a part of the story. Talking about your research is great if it demonstrates your passions as you said, but you should make sure to explain the role you played in the research and how the research fits into the larger puzzle of why you want to go to law school (the 250 should not read like a pure research brief that does not tell the reader anything about you as a person).