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Hey everyone, just a quick question...

I have been preparing to apply to law schools and noticed that in addition to multiple LORs, the majority of law schools require that a LOR come from a recent professor. While I have suitable LORs from various backgrounds, unfortunately I have never asked any professors of mine to consider writing for me. In addition to that, over my final year as an undergrad, I didn't really have any professors I was particularly close with or developed a significant relationship with other than that of an average student/professor relationship. Due to this fact, I have been very hesitant and somewhat nervous to approach any professors about writing a LOR for me. I have always achieved above average grades, and am proud of my overall GPA and performance in undergrad, I was just concerned that it would be difficult for me to convince any professors to write a worthy LOR without knowing much about me beyond the classroom.

I was curious if anybody has been in any similar situations and would have any sort of advice or support for me. Any kind words would be appreciated.

Thanks a lot

I am also in the same situation (sorry didn't mean to piggyback but a second thread seemed unnecessary). I have been out of school for 3 years now and I never made any relationships to my professors. Another problem is that my grades were weak so it will be difficult to get someone to put their reputation on the line for me.

Would contacting the pre-law advisor at my UG campus be a good place to start? I really want to avoid being rude and asking improperly.

sam62188 wrote:I really want to avoid being rude and asking improperly.

It's hard to ask improperly.

Part of the job of being a professor is writing letters of recommendation and, if you went to a large school, writing them for students you don't actually remember. You want to be polite, ask in person if possible, and make the professors job as easy as possible.

That means you fill out all the forms ahead of time, bring a copy of your resume, bring a writing sample from the professor's class, bring a draft of your personal statement if you have one completed, and bring a cover letter that 'nudges' them in the direction of what you want them to say (such as, "I really enjoyed the lively discussions in class" if you want them to talk about your class participation; even if they don't remember you participating). Make sure you can answer the question of why you want to go to law school. As long as you go in with all of this and ask nicely, it won't be an issue.

If you haven't developed a particularly close relationship with any professor, be sure to include a short cover letter giving them an overview of your law school goals, interests, etc. just so they have an idea of who you are. Also include a copy of your best work from the class so the teacher will have the basis to write you a strong letter going over your intellectual/analytical strengths.

Would it be best to introduce/reintroduce myself with an email and then proceed to an in person meeting?

I was nervous about asking professors but its easy. An email will be ok, with a short few sentences reminding them of who you are/when you took them.