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LoRs for Old People

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  • Nicole HopkinsNicole Hopkins Alum Inactive Sage Inactive ⭐
    4344 karma
    @"Cant Get Right" said:
    It's that last consideration that concerns me with my pro letters.
    I skipped a professional LOR (and again, I'm your exact same age) primarily for this reason.
  • PacificoPacifico Alum Inactive ⭐
    8021 karma
    I encountered a similar issue in the Army many times. I had several direct supervisors who wrote at about a sixth grade level and while they might have been happy to help, there was no way I would let a law school see a letter that was riddled with grammar and syntax issues. Some schools sometimes say they don't care about stuff like that, but I tend to think it reflects incredibly poorly on the applicant to pick someone who writes poorly.
  • hadikhan75hadikhan75 Member
    41 karma
    @"Cant Get Right" said:
    nce I graduated and it’s nothing
  • David BusisDavid Busis Member Moderator
    7287 karma
    @"Cant Get Right" It sounds like you've answered your own question. Stick with academic letters!
  • LARamsNationLARamsNation Member
    edited June 2016 592 karma
    I know I'm a tad late to this party but I face a similar dilemma. I have one academic locked up, I can easily attain a professional rec, but honestly chances are slim to none that I can find another academic letter from like 8 years ago... So I came up with a quaizi sneaky way to get another academic LoR this summer and wanted some feedback from my fellow sages to see if this could work.

    I plan to take a law related class at UCLA Extension (which is the extension school of UCLA that anyone is allowed to enroll in) or at another community college this summer.. Once there, I'll schmooze the professor for a few weeks, ace the class, and ask for an LoR at the end. I take the LSAT in Sept.. but I don't think adding one class along with my current part time job will adversely dent my study routine .. That being said, do you think admission reps from the respective schools I plan to apply to would catch wind of the stunt I was trying to pull, or do you guys think I can positively spin it to admissions officers by saying I wanted to acquaint myself with the legal field in preparation for 1L?

    Thanks for the feedback!
  • stepharizonastepharizona Alum Member
    3197 karma
    I dont think it will look like a stunt, they wont know the name of your professor, as it is generally not on your transcripts. Nor would they question in. The professor might say in their letter they just met you this summer, but I dont see how that would be an issue.
  • LARamsNationLARamsNation Member
    592 karma
    Wow, you know what, I just realized I completely framed this question wrong lol. I meant to say if any admissions officers, not the LSAC, would catch wind of it.
  • David BusisDavid Busis Member Moderator
    7287 karma
    @LARamsNation Your plan is totally kosher. A lot of admissions officers encourage people in your situation to take another class for the express purpose of getting a fresh rec.
  • solkriossolkrios Free Trial Member
    140 karma
    I wasn't going to submit any from professors, but the two I got and was planning on using were from the managing attorney and director of administration at the law firm I have worked at for 6 years, saying they would hire me as an attorney in a heartbeat and that they'd love for me to go back and work for them post-law. Is this a big mistake? I didn't keep in touch with any of my undergrad professors and was abroad for my entire junior year. Senior year I worked with some good professors, but just didn't make a point to form a relationship with them beyond the classroom (should have, but can't go back now).

    I thought my LORs were strong - anyone have input on this?
  • EmmaWI88EmmaWI88 Alum Member
    213 karma
    I graduated in '10. I reached out to the professors who knew me best or who I had later in my college years. I sent them old papers for their classes to remind them of my work. I went to a really small school though. Not sure what that would do at larger universities. If you worked as a TA under someone, that would be a good person to go to.
  • stepharizonastepharizona Alum Member
    3197 karma
    I was at the LSAC forum in San Fran on Thursday and one of the people in a LSAC class encouraged us to ask admins what that wanted to see if a letter of recommendation and how they were used during our table discussions.

    Almost every single table I spoke to said to try and get an academic LOR as they want to see how you will perform in a school setting. They then encouraged at least one letter from an employer that highlights your leadership and work ethic and then an additional letter is a good option. School repeatedly said they are seeing a trend of 3 letters (if they allow that many). So if you can, get the Academic. I am 16 years post undergrad and they all recommended I try to reach out to one of them. Once they found out I had a Masters degree they said I needed at least one academic letter and I am 5 years out of my last Masters Program.

    And you'd be surprised how easy it is to go back. As you'll see above many recommend sending a paper or a note, something that identifies you to the teacher. A paper you received a high grade on can be good. Call and ask to speak to them, they are used to writing recomendation letters. Its not saying you can't keep the ones you have, but add an academic if you can, especially if you are less than 10 years post undergrad or graduate program.
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