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Letters of Recommendation for Law School (FAQ)

  • How important are letters of recommendations?
    • LSAT score and GPA are the two most important pieces of information about you that admissions committees will consider; however, strong letters of recommendation are important for your law school application as well.
  • How many letters of recommendation do I need?
    • Generally two to three. Send only the number of letters requested by each law school; nothing more 
  • Whom should I ask for letters of recommendation?
    • The best letter writers are those that know you well and can provide an evaluation of your ability to perform and succeed at law school.
    • A professor that can particularly address your reading, writing, critical thinking and analytic skills, and a professional who has supervised you in a job or internship in the legal field make the best letter writers
  • How do I approach potential letter writers?
    • Set up an appointment to discuss your request in person. Second best, talk with your proposed letter writer on the phone. Do not make the initial request via email. Be prepared to articulate your interest and reasons for attending law school. Ask potential letter writers if they are willing to write you a strong letter. If you sense reluctance or the answer is “no”, move on and ask someone else
  • When should I approach letter writers?
    • Approach them at least two months before you need the letter
  • What if I plan to take some time off before I go to law school?
    • If you plan to take some time off before going to graduate school you can open an LSAC account and pay for the Credential Assembly Service (CAS). You can then have your letter writers send letters to your LSAC CAS account and they will be stored in your CAS account until you are ready to apply to law school
  • How can I go about getting good letters of recommendation?
    • Make an effort to get to know your professors and/or supervisors. Speak up in class, select courses with small class sizes, take more than one class from a professor, do research for a professor, take on optional projects, and regularly attend office hours. 
  • What information is recommended to give my letter writers? 
    • A cover note to your letter writer that includes: What you would like emphasized in each letter, a  list of law schools to which you are applying and due dates, with the earliest due date at the top, and any other information that is relevant, like your contact info incase you need to be reached in the process 
    • Your unofficial transcripts (note courses you took with them)
    • A draft of your personal statement
    • A copy of your best work in the course (with instructor comments on it), lab evaluations, projects, etc.
    • Your resume
    • Make sure that you letter writer has the LSAC recommender form to send with the letter, or the email request from LSAC in order to send the form in to your LSAC account electronically
  • My Teaching Assistant really knows me; can I use a letter from him/her?
    • Yes, you can, but as a general rule, it is better to have letters written by professors rather than TAs. The professor may be in a better position to evaluate you and to compare you to current and previous classes of students.