{"id":1415,"date":"2023-03-05T17:57:00","date_gmt":"2023-03-06T01:57:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/careerpathways\/?page_id=1415"},"modified":"2023-10-05T12:56:39","modified_gmt":"2023-10-05T19:56:39","slug":"prelaw-letters-of-recommendation","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/careerpathways\/pre-law\/prelaw-letters-of-recommendation\/","title":{"rendered":"Letters of Recommendation"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n \n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
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Most law schools will require two (2) letters of recommendation.\u00a0 Occasionally, you will be asked for one, three, or even four letters of recommendation.\u00a0 The LSAC Credential Assembly Service (CAS) will process up to four letters and LSAC will send as many letters as the school accepts.\u00a0 It is to your advantage to submit as many quality letters of recommendation as you can that attest to your capacity to succeed in law school and as a lawyer.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Most law schools are highly interested in your academic abilities.\u00a0 Professors are preferred recommenders because they are likely the most familiar with your academic work.\u00a0 Teaching assistants are an appropriate choice as well, as long as they know your quality of work.\u00a0 If all three recommenders are academically-focused, that\u2019s great.\u00a0 The academic department the professor or TA are in does NOT matter for letters of recommendation- it is more important to select who know you well and who can speak in some detail about your academic prowess.\u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\n

You might choose to have a supervisor or employer act as your second or third recommender – this is perfectly acceptable, especially for alumni that have worked prior to applying to law school.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

After selecting your recommenders, provide them with the following items:<\/strong><\/p>\n

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  1. Letter of recommendation guidelines: \u00a0For professors <\/a>\u00a0 \u00a0For employers<\/a><\/span><\/li>\n
  2. A packet of materials, including a resume, a copy of your transcript (if your grades are good), a draft of your personal statement, copies of written work submitted for the recommender\u2019s class, and anything else that the recommender specifically requests. Share your reasons for wanting to become a lawyer, the schools you are interested in applying to, and the traits you would like them to focus on in their letter.<\/span><\/li>\n
  3. A signed Letter of Recommendation (LOR) Waiver Form and a stamped, addressed envelope– if the recommender wants to send in a hard copy of the letter.\u00a0 Most recommenders will elect the electronic process through CAS.\u00a0 Contact your professor before putting their information into the LSAC website.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Approach your recommenders early\u2014at least 6-8 weeks in advance of the date you\u2019d like the recommendation mailed.\u00a0 Be very clear about the date you need the recommendation to be mailed, and make sure the recommender understands\u2014and is committed to\u2014your application timeline.\u00a0 Check in with your recommender every two weeks until the recommendation is received by CAS.\u00a0 If you find that a professor is not meeting the agreed-upon deadlines, find another recommender ASAP.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n <\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n \n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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    \n Related to letters…\n <\/h2>\n\n\n<\/div>\n \n \n
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    Certain law schools ask for a letter from the Dean\u2019s office regarding your standing as a student.\u00a0 Please <\/span>email <\/span><\/a>the Vice President of Student Affairs\u2019 office with the following two documents attached in the same email: 1- A completed <\/span>FERPA release form<\/span><\/a> and 2-The law school\u2019s form requesting the letter.\u00a0 Make sure the directions on how\/where to send the letter are included.\u00a0 Please use the following for your subject line: Dean\u2019s letter request for [insert your name].\u00a0 The process to get the letter to the law school should take less than five business days.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n \n <\/div>\n\n <\/div>\n\n\n\n <\/div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":300,"featured_media":0,"parent":1243,"menu_order":4,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-1415","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nLetters of Recommendation - 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