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Hi all! I plan on taking the June 2021 LSAT for the first time and hoping I won't need to take it again. I've been out of undergrad for 3 years, and I was curious to know, when should I start asking for LOR? I plan on diversifying my recs with a professor, senator, judge, and past employer (post grad). I want to respect the time of the people I ask, but also, I'm nervous about asking too early and not getting the score I wanted and prolonging me going. I'm also very interested in applying early so that I can potentially secure an early admissions spot.
TL;DR - How far away from the application cycle should you start asking for letters of rec and how long are they generally still "good" for?
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5 comments
Definitely diversify. I had 2 letters from previous professors (I graduated 3 years ago) and had 1 from an employer. If you wrote a paper and recieved a good grade from one of the professors, attach it to the email. I did this and the professor found it super helpful. Good luck!!
I would give them at least a few months in advance to write their letters - plenty of time!
I would also keep in mind that most applications limit your letters of recommendation that you can submit to 2-3.
Thank you so much to you both. That is helpful!
You might find this general LOR information to be helpful: https://classic.7sage.com/admissions/lesson/how-to-get-the-best-letter-from-your-recommenders/.
As a former admissions officer, I would say that if you plan to apply early in the upcoming cycle, you should reach out to your recommenders soon and give them a deadline of July/August to submit their letters. This builds in a cushion in case they are late.
The recommender may find a copy of your current resume and a draft of your personal statement or narrative (why law, why now, your future professional plans) to be useful in drafting a LOR.
LSAC will hold your LORs in its letter bank for up to 5 years, but if a letter date is more than 2 years from the date of submission, it could be perceived as "stale" by an admissions reader. Good luck!
Can't advise for the first part of your question (other than recommending that you ask as far in advance as possible to give recommenders ample time), but I believe they last in LSAC for 5 years after submission.