LOR's for older applicants w/long history of self-employment Forum

[spencercross]

I'm applying to law school after a very long time out of undergrad. Fortunately, I've stayed in touch with one of my former professors and he's going to write me an LOR, so I will have at least one that can speak to my academic experience. However, deciding who to ask for the second is a bit of a conundrum. I realize that, barring access to another academic reference, one should use employer references. But I've been running my own graphic design practice for a long time, so the most recent reference from a boss/supervisor I could get would be from somebody for whom I haven't worked for at least 10 years. I am in touch with my first employer after college and he's even still an occasional client, and he would likely write me a glowing recommendation, but he's kind of a "wacky creative" and I'm not sure he'd write the kind of thing that would connect with somebody reviewing law school applications. My only other real option seems to be professional contacts. I have a colleague who is a university professor and I served on a committee under his leadership and did some community organizing with him, but I'm worried that admissions officers will discount those kinds of peer relationships as "friends." So, I guess my question is whether there's a consensus on which is better: LOR's from people who were a direct supervisor of some kind but who's experience with you is not as recent, or LOR's from somebody who has more recent professional experience with you but was not some kind of direct supervisor?

[hillz]

I think either one would be fine. With either recommendation, you want the letter to be as "academic" as possible and to discuss the skills that law schools want to see (i.e. problem solving, effective written and oral communication, etc).

Your former boss works because although he has not managed you during the last few years, he has been a client of yours and has therefore had the opportunity to evaluate your work. If you use your former boss, be sure to give him specifics on what law schools want to see in the LOR.

It is also okay to use a different kind of professional reference, either a client or a peer with whom you have worked recently. It's not a "friend" rec if you truly have worked with your professor colleague and he is able to talk about the work you have done together professionally or in the community. It sounds like your community organizing might be volunteer work, which is great and would be a good thing for law schools to know.

Best of luck to you!

[spencercross]

That's very helpful, thanks.