Letters of rec

hopexfaithx

Am I allowed to ask a professor for a letter of rec now and then apply to law schools in the next 2-3 years? Will LSAC still keep that rec? And will that rec still be fresh for Law School Admission Officers?

JustAParalegal

Hi there,

I don't necessarily know the best practice for this, but I would recommend (if others have insights please chime in if I am correct in my thinking) that you ask your professor to write you a letter for law school applications, let them know that you will be applying in the next 2-3 years, and that you hope they can write it now (assuming you've been in school recently) so that your performance in school is fresh in their minds. In my opinion, I am a couple of years out of school, I would feel awkward asking for a letter from a professor after not having been in class with them for three years. The professors I am asking all have written letters for me in the past so I know they have something written for me already and I feel comfortable asking for a letter in a year or so.

That being said, I don't know much about how LSAC accounts work, but I don't know if its the smartest thing to ask for letters to be uploaded to an LSAC account now, seeing as the letter will be out of date by the time you apply and circumstances might have changed.

One thing that might help when asking is sending them your current resume, personal statement (if you have one) and a short blurb (more informal than a cover letter) about why you want to go to law school. This is so that when they're writing it they have it in mind. Furthermore, if they don't write it right away, or if they do and your resume changes in the next 2-3 years, whenever you ask for them to upload it, def send an updated resume etc so they can adjust the letter accordingly.

Hope this helps!