Letters of Rec

[Alabama Slama]

Okay, but I read on some law school websites that if you don't have a teacher rec and you haven't been out of school for a long time, they'll really look at your app weird and wonder why you can't get a prof to reccomend you. So what do you do then?

[Anne]

Okay, but I read on some law school websites that if you don't have a teacher rec and you haven't been out of school for a long time, they'll really look at your app weird and wonder why you can't get a prof to reccomend you. So what do you do then?

You should definitely to try get an academic recommendation; like you said, if you don't have a teacher recommendation and you haven't been out of school for a while, then AdComs will likely wonder why. If you haven't become close with any professor, that's not necessarily an impediment to getting an academic rec (or recs). Think about who else knows you academically; it's very likely that TAs in various classes know you well academically, and can speak to your abilities. Consider asking one of them.

In any case, even if you feel the person knows you well, you should still approach them with the mentality that they don't, and provide them with all the information they'll need to write an informed letter: A copy of the résumé you'll be submitting to law schools, a copy of your personal statement, a copy of any major papers you wrote for the class the prof (or TA) taught. In addition, plan to not simply drop these things off and say "Please write me a letter and let me know if you have any questions"--instead, plan on meeting with the recommender for at least an hour to discuss what you would like out of the recommendation, any specific highlights you'd like the recommender to hit, which schools you're applying to, what your law school and career goals and ambitions are, etc. This will make sure that the recommender is as informed as possible about you and your plans, and can speak intelligently about them.

So see, even if you DON'T have a really close relationship with a prof, you can still create an INFORMED relationship with a prof that will yield a good, solid letter (even if it won't be the same as a letter from someone that's known you for years). You will definitely have to try to create a relationship though.

[clarissa]

Quick question.  Does the date on your LOR matter.  If I ask them to write the letter now and say I don't end up applying until next fall do admissions people look at that.  I figure it's better to have a professor write the letter while he can still remember me...but then there will prob be a fair amount of time b/w the letter and my overall applciation.

[Anne]

Quick question.  Does the date on your LOR matter.  If I ask them to write the letter now and say I don't end up applying until next fall do admissions people look at that.  I figure it's better to have a professor write the letter while he can still remember me...but then there will prob be a fair amount of time b/w the letter and my overall applciation.

As long as it's not 5 years old, you should be good. Many students get LORs from their college profs and don't use them until 2 or 3 years later when they apply. AdComs will still take them at face value because they reflect your academic abilities while you were in school, which is what they're looking for. Just over a year will be fine.

[Teresa]

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[Anne]

The two people who have agreed to write them are directors of small non profits where I have volunteered.  They know me and know the reason I want to go to law school, why I do what I do, etc. The problem is both say that they are too busy to write the letter right now but if I cannot wait then I can write the letter and they will sign it and send it in.  I can't can I?  That doesn't quite sound legit to me.  Don't people check LOR's sometime in the future?  A phonecall, an email, etc?  Is that common practice?

Writing your own recommendation letter really isn't advisable. You not only run the risk of getting caught (in the event that whoever reads it decides to check up on it and the alleged writer doesn't have a clue what you wrote), but admissions staffers are well-versed in spotting self-written letters from a mile away. My suggestion? Don't do it! Instead, help your recommenders by giving them a list of specific points that you'd like them to hit, providing them with ideas for anecdotes that will illustrate those points, and giving them an idea of the traits you'd like law schools to know about you. Don't write it for them; just give them a solid outline of what you'd like covered, and ask for them to give it to you in a month. You waited until pretty late in the game to ask, so you'll just have to make do with what their schedule is (within reason). It's not unfathomable for them write a letter for you in a month; you'll just have to keep on them to get it to you by mid-November and hope for the best.

Also, would it matter if all 3 LOR's were from non profit directors?  I want to go into public interest law and work for a non profit if I possibly could.

As good as it is that you're getting letters from non-profit directors, which correlates nicely and supports your desire to work for a NPO doing public interest once you graduate, if you're currently in school (which it seems like you are, based on your original post) it will look awfully strange that you have NO academic recommendations from professors. Is there absolutely not a single prof that you can get a letter from? If they've ALL been adamant about that fact that they won't write you one, then don't push it (the last thing you want is a bad letter written grudgingly), but definitely make sure you've exhausted your options. Ideally, you should have at least one academic LOR, if not two. That's what law schools care about the most: Your academic ability.