Tips for Requesting a Letter of Recommendation for Law School

Your letter writer should be someone with whom you have had contact recently, not in the distant past.  For academic references, ask professors who have taught you in a course and who think highly of your abilities.  “Would you have time to write a strong letter of recommendation for me?” is a great way to ask. This gives the potential writer an out if they know they are unlikely to have time and it will prompt them to consider if they can strongly recommend you.   Many of the most selective law schools require or prefer letters of recommendation from two professors. If you are applying to law schools where your undergraduate GPA is below the school’s median for admitted students, it is wise to have more than one letter of recommendation written by a professor. 

Law schools are not impressed with letters from famous people or people with impressive titles who don’t know the applicant. For example, if you interned in a Senator’s office, it is better to have your supervisor who may be only a few years older than you but worked with you every day write a letter than it is to provide a letter from the Senator with whom you did not interact or work closely. 

Helpful information and documents you should provide to your letter writer: 

• Your resume 
• A reminder of which course(s) you took from the writer in which semester(s) 
• A couple of paragraphs describing your experiences, activities and accomplishments that are relevant to the position/program.  Why you are interested in attending law school?   
• Possible paths you may want to pursue after law school 
• And, if they would like them, digital versions of any lengthy papers you wrote in the course 

Be sure to let the writer know: 

How they will receive a link to upload their letter and the due date 

If they do not usually write letters of recommendation for law school, the factors the decision maker(s) will consider about candidates during the selection process (how your work compares to other students they have taught in your career, intellectual ability, critical thinking, written and oral communication, interpersonal skills, research, maturity, judgement, and leadership). 

Be sure to thank your letter writer once the letter is written and let the writer know the outcome of your applications.