3rd LOR: could it hurt more then it helps?

[nathanielmark]

sdfhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

[!@#$%]

I agve my employer the following handout:

http://www.virginia.edu/career/grad/lawrecletter.doc, as well as a list of my accomplishments for the last year.  I think if you do a lot of the legwork, then you can probably go a long way in directing the tone of the letter.  Just make a list of the qualities you'd like to emphasize and the achievements you had that demonstrate those characteristics, and you'll probably get exactly what you ask for.  I did.

[nathanielmark]

this is what i should have done, but i jumped the gun and asked her before i ever learned the correct LOR process.  the letter has been sitting in my file since june, so its a done deal.  my question is would it be better to hedge my risk and dump the letter, or would it be riskier to neglect to include an employer LOR with 4 years WE?

[TDPookie1]

Not having an employer rec shouldn't be a bad thing.  They should give you the benefit of the doubt, because maybe you haven't told your employer that you're planning on going to law school.  Law schools must understand this.

[nathanielmark]

thanks, i was thinking this also.  im sure i cant be the only miserable corporate drone either who is going back to school and isnt always bright and cheery at work.

Not having an employer rec shouldn't be a bad thing.  They should give you the benefit of the doubt, because maybe you haven't told your employer that you're planning on going to law school.  Law schools must understand this.

[TDPookie1]

thanks, i was thinking this also.  im sure i cant be the only miserable corporate drone either who is going back to school and isnt always bright and cheery at work.

Not having an employer rec shouldn't be a bad thing.  They should give you the benefit of the doubt, because maybe you haven't told your employer that you're planning on going to law school.  Law schools must understand this.

Exactly.  But this won't necessarily be what AdComms think.  You could very well be bright and cheery at work, but it may still not be right for you to tell your employer a full year in advance that you're planning on going to law school.  Even if you're doing the part-time program, the benefit of the doubt would include the possibility of this decision affecting your work, for example, if you work long hours now and are planning on cutting pack, or if you are going to leave your job entirely and work a different job while going to school part time.

[nathanielmark]

this makes sense, so if you were in my shoes, would you hedge your bet and drop the LOR?  i think it is probably positive, but even with say a 20% risk of there being some negatives, it might be worth dumping it.

thanks, i was thinking this also.  im sure i cant be the only miserable corporate drone either who is going back to school and isnt always bright and cheery at work.

Not having an employer rec shouldn't be a bad thing.  They should give you the benefit of the doubt, because maybe you haven't told your employer that you're planning on going to law school.  Law schools must understand this.

Exactly.  But this won't necessarily be what AdComms think.  You could very well be bright and cheery at work, but it may still not be right for you to tell your employer a full year in advance that you're planning on going to law school.  Even if you're doing the part-time program, the benefit of the doubt would include the possibility of this decision affecting your work, for example, if you work long hours now and are planning on cutting pack, or if you are going to leave your job entirely and work a different job while going to school part time.

[TDPookie1]

this makes sense, so if you were in my shoes, would you hedge your bet and drop the LOR?  i think it is probably positive, but even with say a 20% risk of there being some negatives, it might be worth dumping it.

thanks, i was thinking this also.  im sure i cant be the only miserable corporate drone either who is going back to school and isnt always bright and cheery at work.

Not having an employer rec shouldn't be a bad thing.  They should give you the benefit of the doubt, because maybe you haven't told your employer that you're planning on going to law school.  Law schools must understand this.

Exactly.  But this won't necessarily be what AdComms think.  You could very well be bright and cheery at work, but it may still not be right for you to tell your employer a full year in advance that you're planning on going to law school.  Even if you're doing the part-time program, the benefit of the doubt would include the possibility of this decision affecting your work, for example, if you work long hours now and are planning on cutting pack, or if you are going to leave your job entirely and work a different job while going to school part time.

I think I would drop it.  I've only asked people who would have nothing but positive things to say about me.  Which limited me to exactly three, pretty much, after I also took out TA's.

[Nylo]

Is there any way at all you can get your hands on that LOR so you can actually see what was written? I know you're not technically supposed to do that, but in the big scheme of things, does it really matter? It's not like you're writing the LOR yourself and then faking your boss's signature. I mean, the LOR has already been written and sent. What would be the harm in asking to see what she wrote? Personally, I would never consider dropping the LOR without first looking at it. What if it was a stellar LOR?

Also, despite what TDPookie said about adcomms understanding that some employees can't afford to let the cat out of the bag at work a year in advance, if you did *not* include a LOR from your current employer, I think it'll look odd and you'd have some explaining to do in an addendum. In my case, I've been out of school for 5 years and working at the same company this whole time. I agonized about what to do for the longest time but ultimately decided that I had to take a risk. I think adcomms will find it questionnable if I don't have a LOR from my employer of 5 years, and unlike you, I don't have anybody better to turn to.

That said, I'm planning to have "The Talk" with my boss right after Labor Day and I'm  completely terrified. But that's another story!   

[TDPookie1]

Also, despite what TDPookie said about adcomms understanding that some employees can't afford to let the cat out of the bag at work a year in advance, if you did *not* include a LOR from your current employer, I think it'll look odd and you'd have some explaining to do in an addendum.

Okay, so explain in an addendum that there's no letter from your employer because you are not in a position to be able to tell them that you're planning on going to law school.