If you’re feeling nervous about requesting law school letters of recommendation, you’re not alone. Every application season, many students share your anxiety about reaching out to mentors and instructors for recommendations, especially when a lot of time has passed since their last interaction. Perhaps you’re overwhelmed with the other parts of the application, and you’re thinking the recommendation letter is a light responsibility that doesn’t require much work on your part. Or maybe your favorite professor isn’t responding to your emails, and you’re feeling like this part of the application is completely out of your hands.
While recommendation letters can be overwhelming, especially when they feel outside of your control, you have more agency in the process than you think. In this post, we’ll guide you through common questions students ask and get you one step closer to submitting a great law school application.
The number of recommendation letters that you need for law school varies. Some schools may ask for one letter while others require two or three. Some schools offer an option for additional letters. Be sure to check LSAC guidelines and each school’s website for their specific requirements.
Aim for three to six letter requests, and cast your net wide to professors, supervisors, and mentors, which will allow readers to have a versatile, holistic understanding of your strengths.
While your GPA and LSAT scores carry a lot of weight, law school letters of recommendation are critical to your application because they provide qualitative information that can’t always be discerned from grades and test scores. Beyond academic ability, programs are looking for traits like critical and analytical thinking, active class participation, and consistent writing skills in future students. In addition, a mentor who effectively communicates, say, your contribution to their research can significantly enhance a reader’s understanding of your extracurriculars in a way that the CV alone cannot.
The best letters aren’t just glowing, generic praise that could apply to any student. They are specific and complement the other components of your application by painting a holistic picture of your personal qualities, strengths, and growth over time.
Like personal statements, letters of recommendation can break the tie between similarly exceptional candidates. Let’s say there is only one spot left in a program, and the admissions committee has narrowed down to three applicants, who we’ll call Amy, Dev, and Phil. The three have equally stellar grades and LSAT scores. Their personal and diversity statements are equally memorable. The last thing to consider is their recommendation letters:
Clearly, Amy has the best letter of the three.
But did she get lucky? After all, Dev and Phil also have the ability to become excellent law students. Short of reading the letter before it was submitted, how could they have possibly determined how the final letter would turn out?
The answer to each of these questions lies in the candidates’ relationship with their recommender, as well as time management and communication. These factors can go a long way when choosing recommenders, providing the recommenders with necessary information, and checking in at politely regular intervals.
Select your letter writers carefully, and do everything you can to make it easy for them to recommend you. The recommender’s responsibility is to evaluate your ability to perform well in law school, and at the end of the day, they are doing you a favor.
If you give your recommenders less than a month, for example, don’t expect to necessarily hear back. If you do hear back, you can’t always expect an exemplary letter either. It’s important to consider that your mentors and professors are also busy people, often far busier than you are. Your responsibility is to ensure that they have all the information they need to write an excellent letter.
Here are a few things we can learn from Amy’s letter, described above:
Law school admissions especially value letters from faculty members. If they are tenured professors who taught you in a higher-level course, all the better. The best way to approach these potential writers is to reach out as early as possible to begin cultivating a relationship.
In your first or second year of undergrad, start building a rapport with professors you admire. This requires some foresight, as most students haven’t decided on their career path just yet. And they don’t have to! As you explore career options and internship opportunities, don’t be afraid to keep an open mind and ask questions.
Here are a few habits we highly recommend:
Connecting with professors and supervisors can sometimes take a back seat in the early years of college, as students get used to balancing demanding classes and extracurricular responsibilities. And sometimes, professors and supervisors may seem intimidating and unapproachable. However, they’re usually happy to hear from you, especially if they have dedicated office hours for this purpose.
Even so, approaching professors after class or setting up a meeting with the head of your department can go a long way. If you’re attending a small liberal arts college, take advantage of the small classes and close-knit departments.
If you’re at a larger research university, don’t be afraid to inquire about your professors’ research interests and ask thoughtful questions in office hours. Professors may invite you to collaborate on their research after listening to your excitement about an exam or a paper topic. In this way, they can become supervisors, then mentors.
What if you didn’t build these kinds of close relationships in undergrad? What if you can only think of one professor who knows you well?
Maybe you’re a Romance languages major who decided to pursue a career in property law after a summer internship with your school’s legal services. You might feel your French literature GSI knows you better than any professor you’ve had so far. You can certainly ask this instructor as they would likely write you an enthusiastic letter.
Having a strong relationship with a recommender is more important than the status of their position. That said, at least one of your recommenders should be a professor, ideally someone who can speak to your abilities to analyze, reason, and communicate orally and in writing.
When brainstorming potential recommenders, aim for combinations that speak to your range and your ability to succeed under different kinds of pressure. Here are two possible combinations:
Combination 1
Combination 2
Ultimately, the best recommendation letter writers know you well, can attest to your strengths in the classroom and beyond, and are enthusiastic about recommending you.
Finally, note that letters from family friends, political figures, and famous people are highly discouraged
Ideally, nontraditional applicants should still obtain an academic letter of recommendation. Even if you’ve been out of school for several years, it’s worth getting in touch with your old professors (we provide a sample email below). You might be pleasantly surprised by what they remember about you and their willingness to help.
That said, admissions committees will usually be forgiving if, as a nontraditional applicant, you can’t reach your old professors or you can’t secure an academic recommendation that’s adequately detailed and strong. In that case, letters of recommendation from supervisors and other professional contacts will typically suffice.
In fact, even if you’re able to get an academic letter, we still suggest that you provide at least one professional recommendation if you’ve been out of school for a few years or longer. Law schools value work experience, and they’ll expect to see evidence of how your professional life has made you a worthy candidate.
Start early. Having an application timeline or checklist can keep you organized.
Remember, the easier you make this process for your recommenders, the better their letters will be. We encourage you to reach out at least two months in advance, providing all the information they need, and checking in at polite intervals.
Ideally, at least one of your recommenders should be someone who’s offered you career advice and observed your growth. If you’re not sure how best to reach out to a former mentor or advisor, view our sample outreach message, along with an in-depth example of a follow-up email.
Professors can also be good resources when applying to unique in-school programs. Consider this initial email from a University of Chicago student referencing a previous discussion regarding graduate programs:
I hope this message finds you well. I am applying to law schools this fall, and I am writing to ask if you would be willing to provide a letter of recommendation. Our conversation this winter about graduate programs really helped me focus my interests, and I am now sure that law school is the path I wish to take.
If you are able to provide a letter, I would be happy to meet at your convenience to discuss my goals and plans for law school in more detail. I will be taking the LSAT in September, and I plan to apply early decision to the Chicago Law Scholars Program, along with several other schools.
If you have any questions or need additional information, please do not hesitate to contact me. Thank you for your support and consideration.
It’s very common for students to lose touch with their recommenders. You might be applying to law school after several years in the workforce. Perhaps you juggled several part-time jobs during college, and you didn’t get much of a chance to establish relationships with professors to begin with. Or maybe you have one mentor who knows you well, but you need three letter writers.
While it’s not good practice to assume that a professor remembers you after more than a year, you can still make an effort to get back in touch. Remind the professor of who you are, let them know what you’ve been doing since they saw you last, and explain your plans for the future. If you are in the same location, you can also write to request a meeting in person even if you have not had much interaction.
Responses may vary, but it never hurts to try. Your email might look like this:
Dear Professor Williams,
I hope this message finds you well. I am reaching out to ask if you would be willing to write me a letter of recommendation as I am applying to law schools this fall. Three years ago, I was a chemistry major venturing into the humanities for the first time. In your Human Rights Literature course, I was introduced to the likes of Hannah Arendt and Edward Said. I have since pursued an internship with Amnesty International, and I currently work at an immigration law firm in Boston.
If you are able to provide a letter, I would be happy to meet at your convenience to discuss my goals and plans for law school in more detail. I am also happy to send you a paper I wrote for your class, alongside my application materials. I recently took the LSAT, and I am awaiting my scores.
If you have any questions or need additional information, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Thank you for your support and consideration.
Sincerely,
Mary Jane Sanders
It’s good to keep this preliminary email short. Note that this message does not include several attachments. You don’t want your message to overwhelm, and you want to be considerate. Once they express their willingness to meet and/or write you a letter, then you can send the necessary information as you follow up.
In your follow-up email, include:
Now that your professors, supervisors, and mentors have completed and submitted your letters through LCAS, you’re ready to go!
Send a thank you note. Forgetting to send a thank you note is a common mistake that applicants make. Whether it be a card, an email, or a small gift, showing your appreciation tells the recommender that you recognize the amount of time and effort they spent in helping you put your best foot forward. It’s also a way of keeping the door open. If you didn’t have a connection with this person before, now you can continue it.
Finding the right people for law school letters of recommendation can be tricky and requires an understanding of who is among your greatest academic or professional advocates. You can increase the likelihood of receiving a stronger letter by asking for a letter early and giving your recommenders the materials that highlight you, your growth, and the impact you will have at your chosen program.
Dr. Shirag Shemmassian is the Founder of Shemmassian Academic Consulting and one of the world's foremost experts on law school admissions. For nearly 20 years, he and his team have helped thousands of students get into law school using his exclusive approach.
