I am submitting applications for the second time this fall, with the plan to attend law school in the Fall of 2027. I have two letters of rec that I used last cycle from my college professor and college debate coach. I have been working for almost a year now as a legal assistant, and I am trying to decide if adding a third letter of recommendation would help for my applications (for places where three are accepted). If I do include one, I would also need to decide if I ask someone I work with now or a professor from college. Does anyone have advice on how to decide the number of letters and who to ask?
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A couple thoughts from the admissions perspective!
1) As a reapplicant, you could just reuse your letters of rec. I don't think that's the best option in your specific case (as I'll note below) but I'm just throwing this out there for any other reapplicants reading this post in the future.
2) If I'm reading your app and I see that you've been working as a legal assistant for a year, I would expect to see a letter of rec from someone supervising you at that job. In fact, it'd be kinda odd NOT to see an LoR from this position. So I think this is a slam dunk - go ask a supervisor/manager/lawyer you've worked with for a letter.
3) I'd then suggest either submitting all three letters (the two old and the one new) or the new letter plus the old letter from your college professor. Why not the debate coach? Because the purpose of an academic letter of rec is to learn what you bring to the classroom setting. Debate is an academic activity ... but it's also an extracurricular activity. It's not the same as a class. Class >> activity for LoRs.
I hope that helps!
@JacobBaska Thank you!!
I'm no expert, but I would think about the dimension that each (potential) additional letter would add. Will the other college professor be able to gas you up in a different way than the first professor and debate coach, or would it be a lot of repeated information?
As for number of letters, it seems cliche, but quality over quantity is always the guide. If you think a letter would add something substantive, go for it!
@PhoebeHopp Thank you!!