Page 1 of 1

.

Posted: Sat Aug 10, 2013 7:56 pm
by chneyo
...

Re: Heavy hitter recommendations: general or targeted?

Posted: Sat Aug 10, 2013 8:23 pm
by Ramius
Forget about tailoring to the school unless they graduated from the law school or taught at that law school. The more important point will be them focusing on how well they think of you and how well they can speak to your intellectual abilities.

Make the LOR about you, and if they have that much pull at their alma mater, have them make a phone call and you'll be golden.

.

Posted: Mon Dec 09, 2013 8:39 pm
by chneyo
...

Re: Heavy hitter recommendations: general or targeted?

Posted: Mon Dec 09, 2013 8:41 pm
by PalmBay
Have them right LORs that speak to your abilities, potential, and character, don't worry about targeting certain schools.
Just my opinion.

Re: Heavy hitter recommendations: general or targeted?

Posted: Mon Dec 09, 2013 8:51 pm
by midnight_circus
They're national figures, but were they your professors? T14 schools especially emphasize that they want academic recommendations. They'll substitute letters from employers under certain circumstances. If these LORs would be in addition to academic recommendations, that's great. Don't have them target to specific schools unless they have something really compelling to say, general would be fine.
If these LORs would be instead of academic recommendations and they did not employ you, reconsider your application. They are not "great recommendations" because, national figures or not, they won't say what adcoms want to hear. Chicago phrases it nicely:
Do not ask a politician, public figure, judge, or alumnus based on their name and title alone. It is not necessary to have a letter from an attorney. Choosing a recommendation solely on that basis usually does not result in a helpful recommendation. The most important thing about a recommendation is the content, not the title or stature of the writer.
For more evidence, see the following:
http://www.law.yale.edu/admissions/abou ... dation.htm
http://www.law.uchicago.edu/prospective ... mendations
http://www.law.berkeley.edu/47.htm#Q12
http://www.law.georgetown.edu/admission ... ations.cfm

.

Posted: Mon Dec 09, 2013 9:00 pm
by chneyo
...