L-O-R Purpose/Goal ?

Shownuff

I just asked probably the best boss in the world if they would write me a LOR; after agreeing to do so, he asked what sorts of things are the law schools looking to know about applicants? I told him I'd get back to him on this and could use any helpful suggestions you guys/gals may have. Thanks in advance!

Pacifico

As a very broad and general rule, law schools favor LORs from professors while business schools favor LORs from bosses/managers/supervisors that you have had at a job. Law schools are most concerned with your academic work ethic and potential for success while business schools want to know how business savvy you are, what your general work ethic is like, and if you have management/leadership skills or potential. Now if you have been out of school for 5-10 or more years then usually you can write an addendum but generally law schools want at least one to come from a professor even in such a situation. If I were you I'd use that boss for an excellent general LOR for future employment because it's doubtful he could speak to your academic prowess with any authority. Or if you're into the JD/MBA track then he'd be a great recommender for the latter side of that. Before you make a decision though, make sure you know what schools you want to apply to and then read each school's rules concerning LORs. I hope this helps, feel free to hit me up if you have any additional questions.

nicole.hopkins

@Pacifico said:
As a very broad and general rule, law schools favor LORs from professors while business schools favor LORs from bosses/managers/supervisors that you have had at a job. ... Now if you have been out of school for 5-10 or more years then usually you can write an addendum but generally law schools want at least one to come from a professor even in such a situation.

This greatly depends on how long you've been out of school and what kind of academic record you have. While a splitter (high LSAT, GPA below median) could possibly bolster that lower number with an academic LOR even 5-10 years removed, what someone who knew an applicant at <22 years old has to say is not necessarily as relevant for someone who's 27–32 years old. An addendum is likely only necessary if there is something that actually needs to be explained in a transcript—e.g. a disastrous semester or any aberrant grade received below a C-.

Pacifico

Nicole raises a good point and after looking at some schools that I'm not applying to it seems there is some more variability in what certain schools are open to. Most are still looking for someone to tell them how well you could succeed in law school as I said before, but some schools are okay with an employer saying that rather than a professor. I think I'm just biased because I haven't had a boss in a long time that I would let write me an LOR simply because of their writing ability, but since I've been working on my masters for a few years now, I now have several professors to choose from for LORs. And I should have clarified that the addendum I was referring to was for business school if you were going the JD/MBA route so definitely follow Nicole's advice on when an addendum is necessary as well.

Shownuff

Thanks Pacifico (aka The Dude) and Nicole for taking the time to share your thoughts with me. What I've got presently got to choose from is my employer; fortunately, he's got good things to say and knows how to say it on paper. I did have a former professor submit one already, but I wanted someone to also speak on what it is like having me as a part of their team nowadays as appose to years back. Since I find all of this helpful, please feel free to share anything else that comes to mind. Cheers!

emli1000

Some schools have a list of what could be included in their LOR. If you check on their website under LOR there may be some information for you to send to your boss. My boss wrote a LOR and it mainly focused on my work ethic and personally traits.

Shownuff

Thanks Emli. I think mine will most likely consists of those two things as well.

emli1000

@"C-A-T spelt dog" I'm sure your boss will have great things to say about you!

Shownuff

Hey guys n' gals,

In case you’re in the same boat as me, here is what I’ve got regarding letters of recommendation to law schools from employers.

You probably know some of this already, but a careful, thoughtful letter shedding light intellect, imagination, dedication, integrity, reliability, and diligence is highly recommended; in other words, anything addressing your likelihood to be competitive in a professional setting (such as law school), overall work ethic, and exceptional personality traits could work wonders in this application process.

Generally, a candid letter, that’s more personal in its substance, and sheds deeper insight on you as a person is what they are looking for.

I’ve been told that it’s best to ask for letters from people that have know you for some time.

I also heard that it can be helpful to meet together for 30 minutes (before the writing process starts) to help facilitate things.

Woop there it is... hope this helps-Cheers!