Adding some concrete do's and don'ts since you asked:

The professor: definitely mention them. That's your strongest material. Keep the focus on what you did and what it taught you (the kind of work you want to do), then connect it to Michigan Law specifically. One caution: unless they're on the law school faculty, the "supportive faculty" point is really about your undergrad experience. Back it up with something specific to the law school (a clinic, a professor you'd want to take, a program) rather than assuming it carries over.

Friends: mention them briefly, if at all, and never as the evidence. "My friends love it" is something almost anyone could write. What works better is something specific you learned through them that you then followed up on yourself. For example, they told you about a clinic or student org, you looked into it, sat in on a class, or talked to someone, and here's why it matters for your goals. I'd also avoid naming friends who are current students.

Other don'ts: don't spend lines on rankings, prestige, or Ann Arbor being a great town; don't list five clinics in one sentence; and make sure every Michigan detail ties back to something about you. Good test: if you could swap "Michigan" for another school's name and the paragraph still works, it needs more specificity.

I think this is one of the cases where a short addendum is reasonable, as long as it's framed as context, not a defense of the GPA.

The things you listed aren't excuses. They're facts an admissions reader might not know, especially at schools that don't see many service academy applicants: a required technical core no matter your major, 151 credit hours, and military training and duties on top of classes. That's different from "my classes were hard," which everyone could say.

How I'd keep it from sounding like excuses:

• Keep it to one short paragraph. Lead with the facts (credit load, required core, other obligations), then point to the trend ("my last three semesters were my strongest, including a 4.0 in each of the last two").

• Don't argue that the grades should count less, and don't compare yourself to civilian schools. Just give the context and let the reader draw the conclusion.

• Skip anything that sounds like you're grading the courses ("notoriously difficult"). Naming the courses is enough.

Also, your 171 and the upward trend already tell most of this story, so the addendum just helps the reader connect the dots. If any of your schools have an optional "anything else" or military/service question, that's a natural place for it too.

The Why X essay is the main lever, but the trick is to make it about the place and the career, not just the school's resources.

1) Give a reason you'd want to practice there. Schools worry less about whether you'll move for three years and more about whether you'll leave right after. If you can tie the region to your career plan (a practice area that's strong in that market, a type of employer, a policy issue specific to that state, family or community ties if you have them), say so plainly. One concrete sentence like "I want to practice ___ law in ___, and here's why that market" does more than a paragraph about clinics.

2) Show you've actually engaged. Mention a conversation with a current student, an info session, a visit, or a specific clinic or journal you'd join, and why it fits what you've already done in California. Specific beats flattering.

3) Address the California question head-on, briefly. One line acknowledging you've been in California your whole life and that you're ready to build a career elsewhere (and why) is fine. It reads as self-aware, not defensive.

4) Other places it can show up: an optional "anything else" or interest question if the school has one, a short note to admissions after attending an event, and later a letter of continued interest if you're waitlisted.

5) On the "other schools" list, I'd answer honestly and not try to game it. If you're applying to California schools too, leaving them off is risky if it's ever inconsistent with something else in your file, and most schools read that question for yield data rather than as a test of loyalty.