Recommendations rank among the most important items in your
admissions file. In many cases, they are the most important,
making or breaking many an application. So start thinking about
them as soon as possible. The whole process of identifying good
recommenders, lining them up, and then making sure they follow
through with winning letters can take a lot of time.
Make It Personal
If you're still in college or a recent grad, your college
professors will likely make the best references. Choose people
who like you, and who think you're good at what you do. Choose
good writers who can express their opinions clearly. If a
potential recommender seems less than enthusiastic in any way,
keep looking. That person's ambivalence is likely to come through
in the letter.
The more personalized and detailed your letters are, the
better. So invest the time to make your recommenders' job as easy
as possible. Try to set up an appointment or lunch interview to
discuss your grad school interests with each letter writer. At
these interviews, review your academic performance and see what
other information they'd like. Providing copies of your papers,
portfolios of your work, and the like will help writers make
their letters as focused and specific as possible.
Provide your recommenders with all the info, forms, stamped
and addressed envelopes they'll need. Make sure they're aware of
deadlines and follow up later. By all means, give them as much
time as possible. Writing a good reference takes time and your
recommenders will likely have other competing demands for time —
and other recommendations to write.
Keep your recommendation writers on schedule. Provide a gentle
reminder when a deadline is approaching. Pave the way for this
reminder when you first ask for the recommendation by mentioning
a date for a follow-up call. And, of course, a thank-you letter
at the end of the process is always appreciated.
Out of School for a While?
If you've been out of college for a while, it can be harder to
find someone to write a letter of reference. One solution is to
establish a "credentials file" before you leave college. In it,
keep reference letters on file for later mailing. Most law
schools will make a reasonable accommodation for older students
and accept letters from your bosses or colleagues who can attest
to your intellectual abilities and suitability for law school.
But getting a boss or work colleague to attest to intellectual
abilities that specifically relate to law school can be a
challenge. Sometimes taking a college or grad-level course and
asking that teacher for a reference can be a good solution for
this problem.
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Finally, letters from big-name scholars can certainly get
admissions committees' attention. But the usefulness of a letter
from Prof. Supernova, who can't quite place your face, not to
mention your abilities, is questionable.
Consider These Questions
Ask yourself these questions when considering potential
recommenders:
- Have you worked closely with this person?
- Do you feel this person thinks favorably of you?
- Does this person know you in more than one context (e.g.,
work plus an activity)?
- Does this person know that you intend to go to law
school?
- Is this person an effective narrative writer?
- If this person knows you from previous rather than current
experiences, have you kept in touch?
- Will this person complete your recommendation letter by the
deadline you give?