| Avoid jumping all over the first person who | | | | Lectures Why? Because your professors get to |
| offers to write you a "great recommendation." | | | | know you in seminars in a way they can't in |
| Recommendation writing is both an art and a | | | | lecture classes. The more class participation |
| science, and few people do it really well, either | | | | opportunities you have, and the more substantial |
| because they don't know you well enough to | | | | the writing and research you do for a class, the |
| address the things admissions officers care about, | | | | better able your professor will be to discuss your |
| because they can't be bothered, or because they | | | | academic talents. If you're reading this book in |
| don't know how.Recommender Tip #1: Academic | | | | your undergraduate years, try to take multiple |
| Recommenders Many law schools state an | | | | seminars with a professor with whom you really |
| express preference for academic | | | | hit it off. Even better, take on a major project |
| recommendations, meaning someone who has | | | | with a professor, like a thesis.Seminars tend to be |
| taught you in college and can speak to your | | | | higher-level classes, so you probably won't be able |
| strengths as a student and a scholar. The reason | | | | to take them until your junior year, at the earliest. |
| they do that is because they look to your | | | | Your professor will need at least the entire |
| recommendations to try to predict, as best they | | | | semester, if not multiple semesters, to get to |
| can, how you'll do in law school, so they want to | | | | know you and your work, so plan ahead. You'll |
| get a sense of your talents in the classroom. If | | | | need time to cultivate those |
| the LSAT score is meant to give them an idea of | | | | relationships.Recommender Tip #4: Willing and Able |
| your intellectual horsepower, your | | | | It's human nature: People are busy at best, lazy |
| recommendations (along with your transcript) are | | | | at worst, and don't like writing bang-up |
| supposed to let them gauge what you do with | | | | recommendations except for the few pet |
| that horsepower. We all know people who are | | | | students and employees they really want to go |
| whip sharp but slackers in the classroom, and | | | | to bat for. And that's under the best of |
| people who have to work their buns off to | | | | circumstances. With the huge upsurge in law |
| perform well -- admissions officers want to figure | | | | school applications in recent years, professors and |
| out where you fall on that continuum.If you've | | | | bosses are bombarded with recommendation |
| been out of college for more than two years, | | | | requests, and they grant many that they |
| admissions officers understand that it can be very | | | | shouldn't. Why? Because they are usually nice |
| difficult to track down your old college professors, | | | | people who don't have the heart to say no, even |
| and they'll cut you some slack. If you're in a | | | | though they don't have the time or the energy or |
| graduate program, you can ask one of your | | | | the knowledge to write meaningful letters, letters |
| graduate professors to write a letter. If you're | | | | that will really help your cause with admissions |
| out in the working world, you can ask your boss. | | | | officers. So be smart about how you approach |
| If an undergraduate recommendation is at all | | | | people. You should ask professors to be candid |
| possible, though, you should try to drum one up, | | | | with you:Do they have time to write a |
| and submit a second, nonacademic one (if | | | | recommendation for you? Tell them you |
| required) from one of these alternate sources.Of | | | | understand that they are deluged with requests |
| your various professors, the most useful ones | | | | and that a well-crafted and effective |
| are going to be those who taught classes that | | | | recommendation letter takes time and effort. Ask |
| approximate law school the best: classes that are | | | | them politely to decline if they don't think they |
| heavy on analytical reasoning, reading, research, | | | | can make that commitment right now. This also |
| and expository writing. Recommendations from | | | | gives them an easy out if they don't think they |
| classes like Theater, Communications, Creative | | | | can write you a favorable letter. |
| Writing, Statistics, and Conversational French | | | | Do they think they can write a very strong |
| won't be as useful.Recommenders that are almost | | | | letter on your behalf? If they say no, be gracious |
| always useless for the purposes of law school | | | | and thank them for their honesty. Make clear that |
| admissions include your state senator, friends of | | | | you're happy to approach someone else if they |
| the family, relatives, famous people and | | | | have any reservations at all, and explain that |
| muckety-muck judges who know you only | | | | you'd still love to hear their constructive feedback |
| socially (if at all), your lacrosse coach, and your | | | | for your own benefit. |
| choir director.If you're still in school or a recent | | | | If there is any resistance or push-back or |
| graduate, and you have some experience working | | | | wavering, anything less than an enthusiastic |
| in a legal capacity (as a paralegal, say, or an intern | | | | commitment right off the bat, let it go. Thank |
| at a legal clinic), you can certainly submit a | | | | them and move on. There will be times when you |
| recommendation from the people you've worked | | | | have taken a number of classes with a professor |
| for. Just make sure they are supplemental | | | | or worked very closely with a boss who has |
| recommendation letters rather than substitutes | | | | gotten to know you very well, but you suspect |
| for your academic recommendations.If a school | | | | that she is not one of your greatest fans for one |
| states no preference for the type of | | | | reason or another. Maybe she doesn't like your |
| recommender they're looking for, assume they | | | | writing style. Maybe he doesn't like your view of |
| prefer an academic one. And if any school gives | | | | Plato, or how you handled the Crisco account. |
| you instructions that contradict what I'm telling | | | | Maybe she's sick of losing her top people to law |
| you here, follow those instructions.Recommender | | | | school. Maybe you'll lose your bonus if he gets |
| Tip #2: Closeness Trumps Rank Remember poor | | | | wind that you'll be bailing. Whatever the reason, |
| old Matthew from the beginning of the chapter? | | | | you're better off finding someone else. Closeness |
| He made a classic mistake: He assumed that a | | | | and status don't help if a recommender isn't going |
| recommendation from a Nobel Prize winner was | | | | to say great things about you.Recommender Tip |
| too good an opportunity to pass up, and he didn't | | | | #5: Collaboration Also try to gauge whether your |
| stop to ask himself what that professor would be | | | | potential recommenders would be willing to work |
| able to say about him. Matthew would have been | | | | with you on the letter. They should be grateful to |
| much better off asking his TA for that class to | | | | receive that offer of help -- and many will be -- |
| write his recommendation (or picking another class | | | | but some won't be open to collaboration at all. All |
| entirely for his recommendation). His TA would | | | | else being equal, pick the person who is willing to |
| have been able to base his recommendation on | | | | work with you and understand why you're |
| their weekly discussion groups and weekly | | | | applying to law school, what you're trying to |
| assignments that the TA graded. Many law school | | | | communicate in your applications, and how you're |
| applicants attend colleges that do not enable | | | | trying to present yourself.For example, I recall |
| up-close-and personal relationships with professors | | | | reading an application essay that set forth all the |
| -- some people spend four years interacting only | | | | compelling reasons why that particular applicant |
| with graduate students -- and they shouldn't | | | | wanted to leverage his banking and finance |
| worry that they are at a disadvantage with | | | | experience as a corporate lawyer. You can |
| respect to their recommendations. The person | | | | imagine my eyebrow cocking when I got to the |
| writing the recommendation should be able to | | | | recommendation letter written by his boss at the |
| speak with experience and authority about you in | | | | bank, who explained that the applicant wanted to |
| the classroom, and if that means you have to | | | | go to law school so he could be an "agent for |
| forgo the Nobel Prize winner, that's okay -- you're | | | | social change." Those things aren't inherently |
| better off with the TA. The same principle applies | | | | exclusive of each other, but the recommendation |
| if your recommendation is coming from the | | | | just wasn't in sync with the rest of the |
| working world. You're better off requesting a | | | | application, which hadn't talked at all about wanting |
| letter from the congressional staffer you worked | | | | to bring about social change. It felt like something |
| with and reported to every day than the bigwig | | | | the recommender had just thrown in there |
| senator who still mispronounces your name or | | | | because he thought that must be what law |
| confuses you with the aide who worked for him | | | | schools want to hear.How do you make sure that |
| three sessions ago.Once you've cleared that | | | | your messages are in sync? By being prepared |
| hurdle, if you're choosing between someone with | | | | and giving them the information they need to |
| less teaching experience and someone with more, | | | | write their letters. Collect the information that you |
| pick the latter. Being able to speak from the | | | | want your recommenders to have:A letter |
| experience of teaching ten years' or fifteen years' | | | | explaining |
| or even decades' worth of undergraduates will | | | | why you're applying to law school; |
| give a teacher's opinion more weight. A TA won't | | | | what schools you're applying to (your list doesn't |
| have been teaching that long, and calling you the | | | | have to be final, but if, for example, you're |
| best student he's ever taught won't sound | | | | applying only to New York or D.C. schools, your |
| impressive if this is his first year teaching.A | | | | recommenders should know that, and why); |
| caveat: While it's generally true that law schools | | | | how you're positioning yourself in the rest of |
| prefer academic recommendations over | | | | your application (if you're far enough along with |
| professional ones, there's a tipping point for older | | | | your drafts, you should include your personal |
| applicants where it starts to look funny if you | | | | statement or statement of purpose; good |
| don't provide a recommendation from your | | | | recommenders will demand them); |
| employer. Unless you've been out of college for | | | | which qualities you want them to address in their |
| at least seven or ten years, though, or unless a | | | | letters (you'll compile that list from the individual |
| school specifically prefers or requires a | | | | law schools' recommendation forms), along with |
| professional recommendation, you're still better | | | | suggested anecdotes and examples to illustrate |
| off trying to drum up at least one academic one | | | | them; and |
| if you can.Recommender Tip #3: Seminars Trump | | | | when the letters are due (i.e. |