Guidance for Letters of Recommendation

Ariana A.

I've received commitments from a few people willing to write me letters of recommendation. Now I'm in the process of putting a packet together to help them write it. What kind of guidance would you give your recommenders? Which qualities should they highlight?

I've been Googling what law schools generally look for in terms of recommendations. Most advice is targeted towards underegrad admissions. I've been out of school for almost a decade, so I realize the letters should highlight my ability to still excel in an academic environment. If anyone has feedback/experience they can share, I would appreciate it.

ALEXAN.S

I’m in a similar position. My recommenders are a former supervisor, client, and undergrad professor.
I met with each in person after I made the request to explain why I wanted to go back to school, share the schools I am applying to and my timeline, and give them a brief explanation of what the LOR should include.
I followed up with each by email with a PDF of my resume, personal statement draft, and “guide” that included a bullet point overview of our relationship, qualities and experiences that I thought were important to stress, and any other notable achievements or data points. I wanted to make it as easy as possible for them and demonstrate, through my own effort, how important the applications were to me.
My directions were pretty much pulled from the 7Sage admissions guide. I asked each to emphasize my analytical ability, oral and written communication skills, thoroughness, and flexibility and creativity, which were supported in the aforementioned bullet points.
I wasn’t a stellar student, but I have been a successful professional in a pretty intellectually rigorous field, so I wanted to focus on that as much as possible.

Cydney L

I sent my recommenders the following:
- My resume
- My personal statement
- Why I'm going to law school
- Papers/project I completed for their class (for professors)
- Notes on my performance in their class (including grades on specific assignments) or as their employee & things to highlight

In my list of traits to highlight, I gave specific examples of how I have demonstrated that quality in my relationship with them. For example, I wrote something like, "I believe that my performance on essays in your class demonstrates....."

Selene Steelman

The relationship between you and your recommender and their knowledge of your work product is important. The best recommenders would have been able to observe you in settings where your skills would factor into success in the law, whether in the classroom or in a professional setting. The most effective letters are STRONG, POSITIVE, and SPECIFIC.

Here are some things the committee might want to read about:

-does she work well with others, can she cooperate and compromise?
-does she work well under pressure?
-is she ambitious and purpose driven?
-is she capable of thorough and deep analysis?
-does she take pride in her work product?

You should also convey to the recommender before hand Why Law, Why Now, and possibly short-term and long-term goals. Good luck!