Recommendation Letter Idea Needed

Not Ralph Nader

I asked my university professor if he could give me a recommendation letter for law school and he told me to prepare a draft and send it to him and he will sign it. I do not know what to put in, is there any guidelines or sample that I can use? It would be great if you could give me some tips and ideas about what to put in since he gave me a blank check.

Pacifico

Don't do it. In almost all circumstances it is super obvious when someone writes their own LOR and it takes a very elite level of writing ability (and humility) to pull it off, which I'm guessing might be an issue for you since you're here asking for ideas. That doesn't even get into the ethical quandary of such an arrangement. If you are hell bent on doing this then I recommend finding someone who knows you well to write it for you and tweak it from there. But really my best advice is to find someone else to write an LOR. If someone is too lazy or unenthusiastic about you to write it themselves then find someone where that is not the case.

Cant Get Right

Yeah, it’s going to be really obvious that you wrote it. Voice translates in writing more than people realize and yours is actually fairly distinct. So, do with that what you will, just know with 100% certainty that they will know you wrote it if that’s the direction you take.

Sprinkles

Agree with above. Don't do it. Also if you feel he won't write a strong one, ask someone else. Also also, always make sure you waive the right to view your LORs when they're submitted to LSAC. Law Schools hate to see that you were able to view the LOR. It poses the possibility of a not so genuine letter.

Nanchito-1-1

Recommendor- The person whose name appears above is applying to one or more Credential Assembly Service participating law schools. This applicant has requested a letter of recommendation from you, and it would be very helpful if you submit your signed letter as soon as possible. Law schools value your candid appraisal of the applicant's ability, academic and
otherwise, to study law, including qualities of mind and character, dedication, responsibility, and readiness for the rigors of advanced academic study. Evidence of overcoming adversity, rising to challenges, and achieving beyond expectations are helpful in assessing candidates for admission. You may wish to include how well you know the candidate and in what capacity,
your assessment of the relative strength of the candidate within the reference group in which she or he is being compared, and how the candidate will add to the diversity of the law school.

This is from the lsac. I wouldnt draft the letter. I would tell him, or email him what qualifies you as a law school candidate. Once he gets the email from lsac he will know what to do.

Pacifico

No way... If someone asks you to write the letter for them they are never going to write a good one. Run away.

runiggyrun

@nader.parham - I feel your pain. I think the "write your own letter and I'll sign it" might be more common outside of the US, and it doesn't necessarily mean the professor doesn't care. It can also mean they are not familiar with the requirements for a US Law School LOR, so they'd rather have you write it.
But yeah, it's going to be less than ideal, and might be pretty clear to the AdComms that you wrote the letter yourself.
Depending on your relationship with this professor, you might try (very nicely) to tell them that you are not comfortable writing your own letter, but you would be happy to provide a lot of details about what you'd like to go in it. That might make them more amenable to writing it (basically you provide the content, they provide the "voice").
If not, the second best option would be to contact someone else for a LOR.
The third would be to try Pacifico's suggestion and have somebody other than yourself do the actual writing, based on facts you provide them. At least it won't sound like yourself. I think this is less desirable than finding a faculty member who's willing and able to give you a good letter they actually wrote, so I'd try the first two options first.
As for content, the LSAC requirements posted above are a good start. Make sure the recommender states how they know you and for how long and only comments on those qualities they had directly observed. Anecdotes are always better than unsupported statements, so think about things you've done that would show the qualities the schools are looking for. For example instead of saying "Nader has excellent analysis skills", talk about a paper you wrote that maybe was above what would be expected for the class and give examples of analytical insight from the paper. Proceed similarly for the other qualities (writing ability, work ethic, determination, sheer intelligence, intellectual curiosity, engagement and so on). Obviously not every recommender will be able to comment on all of the above, so pick and choose the ones you can most strongly support with anecdotes. Perhaps once you provide this info your professor will be more willing to draft the letter.

Not Ralph Nader

I did not thought about it that way I am not applying through LSAC. I live in Canada, Law Schools expect me to mail them my LORs. I will try to ask my other professor who I think will write one herself. I put together what is expected to be in the letter using @runiggyrun and @nanchito comments and ask him if it is possible to write one, if not, I look for other people

Thanks guys for your helpful comments, I am glad i did not go anywhere else for advice

Sprinkles

InshaAllah khair @nader.parham! I feel the same. I love asking 7sage about anything law school related

Nanchito-1-1

Canada makes you mail your LORs, and you don't apply through lsac? You learn something new everydaaaayyyy

MrSamIam

Just hopping on the "don't do it" bandwagon. It'll be obvious if you do - think about it, of your 2-5 LoRs, it'll be the odd one out.
If at all possible, see if you could email the professor a list of traits and accomplishments that you displayed around him, just to job his memory. Ask if he would be willing to write the letter if you provide that list.

David Busis

@nader.parham I think the real question is, do you have other options? If so, explore them. If not, try continuing the discussion with the professor to find out whether he might be able to write his own letter if you give him your resume and note some of your accomplishments. I once had a professor who also asked everyone to write their own letters, but it turned out that he rewrote them in his voice.

Not Ralph Nader

@david.busis Thanks for the comment. I asked for LOR from another professor and she agreed to write one. Do you think it would be a good idea if I showed her LOR to the first professor alongside my resume and some of my accomplishments and ask him to write a letter?

Nicole Hopkins

@Pacifico said:
No way... If someone asks you to write the letter for them they are never going to write a good one. Run away.

WORD.

runiggyrun

@nader.parham said:
Do you think it would be a good idea if I showed her LOR to the first professor alongside my resume and some of my accomplishments and ask him to write a letter?

Ideally you'd want your two letters to showcase different strengths, and if you do share the first one there might be a risk that the two letters end up being very similar - especially if the "reluctant" professor is reluctant because he's not sure what to write. If you do end up sharing the letter, still provide a list of accomplishments you'd like him/her to talk about, and maybe make a note of the ones the first professor already highlighted.

Pacifico

Definitely don't share the LOR. Too much risk of some lifted phrasing or something along those lines that will be very suspicious. I would drop the first prof, go with the second, and find another.

Deanna Hammoud

@nanchito said:
Canada makes you mail your LORs, and you don't apply through lsac? You learn something new everydaaaayyyy

Whomever writes your LOR will be tasked with mailing it in to OLSAS (in Ontario at least) who will then forward it to the law school as a package, together with your application. You do learn something new everyday, indeed!

Not Ralph Nader

@Charles you are right about OLSAS, my bad for generalization, but I am not applying to any of laws schools in Ontario, schools, I am applying to do not use OLSAS
@Pacifico and @runiggyrun I forget about the "reluctant" professor, hopefully I will manage to find another professor

David Busis

@nader.parham, I agree with @Pacifico. Is there anyone else you can ask? If not, go back to plan A, or B, or whatever it was—have a long conversation with your professor, try to give him as much help as you can without qutie writing the letter for him.

Chipster Study

I agree with the above about not writing your own draft. I think it is more than fine to supply a list of bullet points about qualities that might be covered or commented on. But, the words should come from the reference.

Not Ralph Nader

I just want to say thank you guys fir your help, I managed to get LOR from both professors and they wrote the letters themselves

runiggyrun

Wonderful news - I hope the letters are great!

Nanchito-1-1

Awesome Nader!