What is the difference between a letter of recommendation and an evaluation?

A letter of recommendation is a signed letter mailed to LSAC by your recommender. An evaluation is a questionnaire completed online by the evaluator to rate applicants on noncognitive attributes and skills related to success in law school and the legal profession. (information found at lsac.org)

Who Should I Choose to write Letters of Recommendation/Evaluations and Why?

It is very important to choose recommendation/evaluation writers carefully. Along with your personal statement, your letters of recommendation/evaluations are the items in your application that say the most about who you are and what you will contribute to your law school.

Faculty

• They can put your transcript into context (e.g., explain what a "B" in their class means),
• Highlight your strengths (e.g., writing, speaking, and critical thinking skills),
• Emphasize your personal qualities (e.g., persistence, empathy, etc.)

Supervisors

• They can emphasize your personal qualities
• Confirm your achievements
• Confirm your commitment of time and energy
• Highlight other successes relevant to success in law school.

Who should not write your letters/evaluations?

• High school teachers - High school teachers should not write letters of recommendation unless you have done recent work with them.
• 'Influential' people - Be careful of selecting influential people, especially judges or politicians unless they know you (not your parents or family) personally.
• It will not be beneficial to have any individual write a letter of recommendation if they are unable to express anything unique or profound that is not evident in your application packet.

How to request letters of recommendation/evaluations

• Think about the relevance of your experience with the writer, not his/her status.
• Select the appropriate number of people to ask.
• Notify your letter writers 3-5 weeks in advance of the time the letters should be sent.
• Make an appointment to talk with the prospective writer. Bring the following to the meeting:
  • A copy of your law school resume
  • Good examples of past papers / writing samples for the writer
  • A copy of your personal statement
  • Depending on how you want the LOR submitted you could bring either of the following with you to the meeting:
    • Stamped envelopes to:
      • Law School Admission Council
        662 Penn Street
        Box 8508
        Newtown, PA 18940-8508
      • A Letter of Recommendation Form from your LSAC account
    • A copy of the email address from which the electronic request to submit the LOR will be sent (lsacinfo@lsac.org) to ensure that the request is not sent to junk mail.
  • A time-line for when the letter should be mailed
  • If your recommender hasn't written a LOR before, this document might help guide them
• Follow up with a thank you note 1-2 weeks later

For more information on Letters of Recommendation and Evaluations, please visit www.lsac.org

A Guide for Writing Law School Recommendations