Quick Law School Recommendation Letter Tips

The below quick tips on law school recommendation letters are from A Guide to Law School Recommendations.

-Be sure to include the signed required form with your letter; otherwise, it will be returned to you.

-The letter should be printed in black, using a standard font and standard letter format and signed.

-Ideally, the letter will be no more than one single-spaced page.

-Make it personal—the admissions committee strongly favors information from those who know the applicant and can speak in specifics.

-Use illustrations rather than just adjectives to highlight the applicant’s strengths.

-Make comparisons to other students, employees or similarly situated people you’ve worked with in the past—the committee needs to know how the applicant measures up in the crowd.

-Include a brief statement of how long you’ve known the applicant, in what context, and what opportunity you’ve had to observe/get to know him.

-Most letters of recommendation should focus on academic ability; if you’re an employer or other recommender who knows the applicant in a non-academic context, think about where the applicant has demonstrated traits like analytical ability and critical thinking or has shown skill in writing or other characteristics that will be important in an academic environment.

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