LORs: HAVE to be academic?

[tasteofred]

I'm applying next cycle, but graduating December 9th. Should I start gathering LORs from professors now?

Now, my more important question... at risk of sounding cheesy, I really tend to blossom in a work environment more so than in school. I write just fine, 3.85 GPA, but I haven't really built a relationship with a professor. I have two people that worked with me on internships that involved some research and writing, is this enough? One is a professor who organizes an internship program where I worked for a senator and the other is an upper level employee of the organization I worked for who worked with me directly on a document that was eventually published. There was a professor leading the second internship, but I don't know her as well so although she was impressed with the work, I don't know if she would write as strong of a letter. Is it a problem to have no LORs speaking to my in-the-classroom capabilities? Or will law schools be more concerned with seeing "Jane Doe, PhD, professor of blahblah" in the signature?

Also, I'll be out of school for 9-10 months before applying, but I've worked throughout college as a legal assistant. Again, my stronger LORs would come from my current and prior employers, should I stick to academic ones instead? Maybe ask a current professor for an LOR while I'm still in his class?

[mrtoren]

You need at least one academic LOR, especially if you're only going to have been out of school for that long. Get it now, while professors still somewhat remember you.

[JamMasterJ]

while a great, personal letter can help an app a little and a bad one can slightly hurt, they are, for the most part, something to be checked off a list. Get at least one academic, your internship advisers to do it. You'll be fine