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?
LORs: HAVE to be academic? Forum
- mrtoren
- Posts: 733
- Joined: Wed Dec 29, 2010 9:43 pm
Re: LORs: HAVE to be academic?
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
- Posts: 6649
- Joined: Sat Jan 29, 2011 7:17 pm
Re: LORs: HAVE to be academic?
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