LOR Advice

[Which option should reign supreme?]

Which option should reign supreme?

Persons A and B

Persons A and C

All Three (A, B, and C)

[James Madison]

As best as I can tell schools prefer academic recommendations but no school finds employer recommendations unacceptable.  Also, correct me if I'm wrong, but schools appear to really dislike getting more than two letters.  With that in mind, please help me choose from my options.  I have the following three recommenders to choose from and I have been out of school for one year.

A: A professor who will probably write a very good letter.
B: A professor who will probably write an incredibly average letter (Good, but probably identical to 75% of letters that adcomms see)
C: My current boss who will probably write a fantastic letter.

[I am Penny Lane]

You need to post a poll.... I love hitting buttons.

Ask all 3. You don't have to use them all, and if something happens to one of the other 2, you will have a back up.

[James Madison]

Poll officially added, click away.

[juliemccoy]

Schools dislike being sent less than or more than the required number of letters. You can't generalize.

You need at least one academic LOR. Go with the prof who will write the better letter, and your employer. Read Anna Ivey's book for an excellent chapter on what a rec letter should address and share these tips with your recommenders.

[Matthew]

Schools dislike being sent less than or more than the required number of letters. You can't generalize.

I don't know that they dislike more than the number required.  I think they dislike a bunch saying the same thing, but many schools prefer the LSDAS LOR service and would know that you have to submit more letters to certain schools than theirs, and you can't control how many LSDAS sends to each school.

[I am Penny Lane]

I volunteered it... to make it easier to for them to think of wonderful things to say about me.

[Matthew]

Is it essential or incredibly rude if i don't give my LOR profs a copy of my PS and resume unless they ask for it? Or should I just volunteer it? I'm stressed

I can't possibly see it as rude to not give your PS upfront.  Some kind of list of what you've done is customary.

[juliemccoy]

Is it essential or incredibly rude if i don't give my LOR profs a copy of my PS and resume unless they ask for it? Or should I just volunteer it? I'm stressed

It's not rude at all. They don't know what to write about if you don't give them a guide. If you want zero input into what will go into an LOR, don't provide them with anything.

If you actually want them to write a good LOR, you will give them your resume and draft of your PS or some statement related to why you're interested in law school. You might even type up a bulleted list of points the LOR should cover. You can also share the experts' advice on LOR writing. Anna Ivey's book has a great chapter with advice on what goes into a strong LOR.


To get a good LOR, you need to do some work beyond getting your writer to say yes.