When you apply to a school, you get to choose which letters to send. Thus you can ask for more letters of recommendation than you may need and choose which ones to send later, when you actually apply. More does not always equal better.
Two stellar letters plus one mediocre letter is less effective than two stellar letters on their own. That said, you generally won't go wrong with two academic letters. If you've been in the workforce for a few years, you generally won't go wrong with a professional letter as well. The LSAC says it may take two weeks to process a snail-mail letter; if your recommender uploads her letter, it should be available almost immediately.
In a word, yes. Then again, some do. But what exactly are you waiving? First, your professor is apt to write a more effective letter while you are still in college and in regular contact with him or her. During the interim period, make sure to cultivate your relationship with the professor by staying in regular contact, providing short updates every 6 months or a year on career and life developments.
Maybe you performed high-level market research at a financial services firm, and your work-product formed the basis of presentations your boss made to secure client business. Or maybe you analyzed reports for a non-profit and synthesized this into a page report on the state of academic and interest-group research on climate change that your boss used to prepare for industry panel discussions.
These kinds of close work relationships and work-product allow a boss to write a letter that goes well beyond commending your ability to show up at work on time. Beyond the typical college professor and career boss recommendation letters, you should carefully consider the particular strengths, themes, and stand-out achievements that can elevate you above a pack of applicants with your same academic credentials. Whatever these unique characteristics are, make sure that those who write your recommendation letters stress at least some of them, and if your professor or boss is not in a position to do so, then you should consider asking a non-traditional recommender to write a letter on your behalf that speaks to 1 or more of those characteristics.
Helping your recommenders write effective letters is easy. Just give them the information they need, when they need it. You should contact your professors to schedule an in person meeting no later than the first week of your senior year to discuss the possibility of them writing letters of recommendation. If you have already graduated from college and cannot meet in person, then make sure to set up a phone call during late August or early September before you apply to law school later that Fall.
If they display any reluctance or you otherwise feel they would not write a strong, ringing endorsement of your law school candidacy, then politely move on to the next professor. At the meetings you set up, you should bring all the materials listed above, discuss the reasons why youwant to attend law school, and ask whether your professor is willing to write an enthusiastic letter of recommendation on your behalf. Be patient and offer to answer any questions your professor may have—remember, this is your time to convey in no uncertain terms that you greatly value a legal education and believe you would excel in law school and beyond.
While, in a perfect world, you would want to coordinate the submission of your law school applications with the forwarding of your reference letters, official transcripts, LSAT scores, etc.
Please follow individual law schools' preferences if provided, but in general, a good rule of thumb is to submit materials as they are ready and become available. Toggle navigation Toggle search. Law school reference letters You are here Home » Law school reference letters. FAQ How many reference letters do I need? Who should write my letters? How do I get strong letters? What should the letters cover? How do I obtain letters from my writers?
When should I send my letters? A word of advice Gathering reference letters always takes much, much longer than anyone had anticipated, so do not procrastinate and get going with this time-consuming but very important task. How many reference letters do I need? We also encourage you to avoid submitting recommendations from family members or friends. Your recommendations should describe your academic qualifications, intellectual ability, and strengths as a student or professional.
This includes information about your intellectual curiosity, research and writing ability, analytical skills, motivation, work ethic, and capacity to think critically and challenge yourself. Personal characteristics such as maturity, professionalism, leadership potential, and ability to work with others are also relevant. The most helpful letters discuss the qualities described above and contain specific and substantive discussion of your abilities as a student.
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