LOR - Who to turn down?

Victoria14Victoria14 Alum Member
in Law School Admissions 776 karma

Hey everyone,

I know i'm still studying like a mad-man for the LSAT, but I want to get my ducks in a row regardless of if i'm taking the September or December. As of today i've had four LOR offers from various people and I'm not quite sure who exactly I should take since I believe the typical amount is 3. I've heard four is overkill, but please correct me if i'm wrong!

Head of my major - I took his course and was the only person to receive an A in his class. I routinely went to office hours and he had me organize review groups before exams to help those who were struggling. I have a great relationship with him and he's even offered to proof my applications and personal statements.

Congressman - I am a summer intern for this Congressman who i've had a great experience with. There is a good handful of us who are interns, but I routinely get pulled to attend exclusive meetings/summits/interviews/roundtables/etc by him. I know the LOR would be a solid one, as he has told me himself that he would love to write one for me for law school.

Senator - I was a fall intern for this Senator who has remained in touch. This was another incredible experience from start to finish. She has well offered to write me a LOR due to the extra hours I always put in and flexibility in rather crazy situations. This woman threw me a surprise birthday party to put this into perspective.

PHD Professor - This professor was an amazing class with an even more amazing professor. She was incredibly kind, informative and helpful. She always took the time to send me detailed notes on my work and offered at the end of the semester to write a LOR for getting an A in her course. She's the youngest tenure professor in my major.

I've heard academic is always a better option but I feel all four would be excellent LORs that I'm lucky to have. What should I do? Who should I turn away? Should I take them all? I also still have two more semesters to get LORs if need be and I have a couple of tentative offers as well if you guys think these aren't a good fit.

Thank you so much!

Comments

  • Nabeha SNabeha S Alum Member
    17 karma

    I say take all four and then pick three after you read the letters. Friends who got into law schools said that their best letters came from those individuals who spoke genuinely in their recommendation. So accept all four and pick the top three based on how well they are written and the relationship they highlight.

  • 1000001910000019 Alum Member
    3279 karma

    I don't think you need to turn anyone away. You get to decide which LORs you will send out. Get all of the LORs, and then decide later on which to use.

  • calcal101calcal101 Alum Member
    582 karma

    I'm a newbie to this whole process and saw the above recommendations to get all the LORs and then choose from there...is it typical to not waive your right to see your LORs? I was under the impression that it would look bad, but I could be totally wrong!! Will the people writing your LORs and the law schools see that you did not waive your right?

    Regardless, OP, sounds as though you have some wonderful options and lots of people rallying behind you!! It might be a hard decision, but you'll end up with some great letters no matter what :)

  • LSATcantwinLSATcantwin Alum Member Sage ⭐
    13286 karma

    @cal270 said:
    I'm a newbie to this whole process and saw the above recommendations to get all the LORs and then choose from there...is it typical to not waive your right to see your LORs? I was under the impression that it would look bad, but I could be totally wrong!! Will the people writing your LORs and the law schools see that you did not waive your right?

    Regardless, OP, sounds as though you have some wonderful options and lots of people rallying behind you!! It might be a hard decision, but you'll end up with some great letters no matter what :)

    Unless the person writing the LOR is a monster, in my experience they will offer to send a courtesy copy directly to you. Once in the system you can decided which schools get which letters

  • AlexAlex Alum Member ⭐
    23929 karma

    I suppose securing them all wouldn't hurt, but honestly, if it comes down to choosing, The head of your major and professor would be your best bet since they can speak to your academic credentials.

  • TheMikeyTheMikey Alum Member
    4196 karma

    I would say the PHD prof and head of your major. How far out of UG are you? Schools prefer to see academic letters if you're a K-JD or not too far out of UG.

    I had a chance to get a LOR from a judge I interned for and didn't take it because of the above reason. It's not that it would've been a bad thing, but academic ones are just better.

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