How to Ask For a Law School Letter of Recommendation

If you plan to attend law school next fall, you are probably working on your application.  It's a highly stressful time.  This is do or die.  This is everything you've been working for!

Aside from your fabulous GPA and LSAT score, admissions officers will consider your letter of recommendation.  They usually ask for 2/3 letters. To maximize the likelihood that your letters are accurate reflections of you, I have a few tips for you!



Prepare in advance!

Save your work that you've completed for your recommender.  An English professor told me that having previous work to refer to is most helpful for her when writing letters of recommendations for students.  This would be especially beneficial for students who attend large Universities. 

Have all your information ready and organized! Give your recommender a copy of your resume, personal statement, and the list of law schools you want the letters to be sent.  Since these letters must be submitted to the Law School Admissions Counsel (LSAC), it would be helpful to also submit a page of clear instructions on how to submit the letter.  Make sure you ask the person who you want your letter of recommendation well in advance so that they have enough time to complete it.  I would suggest asking two to three months in advance to give them enough time to write a good letter.

Ask Professors that know you and know your work

Make a list of professors who you may plan to ask. Then recall what grade you received in the class you took with them.  Ask professors from whom you've received a grade of a B or higher. I would also recommend asking professors whom you've taken more than one class with! 

Make sure the professor is willing to recommend you.  I have heard many horror stories of students who have asked professors who could not present them in a positive light on paper and those letters were submitted to the law schools.  A bad letter of rec is the last thing you want attached to your law school application!

Law schools are mostly interested in your academic work.  If you have been out of school for a while and have acquired notable work experience, then it would be appropriate to ask your employer to write your letter.  But for most of us, you're going to ask people who can comment on your academic abilities.

Talk to your recommender about why you want to go to law school

Your recommender should be able to comment on your academic abilities but it helps if they also know a little bit about your background and what drives you to go to law school.  I'm not telling you to share your entire personal life with your recommender, but sharing your life outside of school also helps them understand the type of person you are from a broader perspective.

Put your self in your recommender's position and think about the kind of information you would want to write an adequate letter of recommendation.  Show your recommender that you are professional by asking in advance and being prepared.