Letters of Rec 4 Years Out of School Forum

[FutureLawyer92]

Hi all,

I'm currently applying for Fall 2020 entry and would love to get some insight on LORs. I graduated from a top public university in 2015, and have spent the past 4 years working full-time. Regrettably, I have not much kept in touch with many of my professors and worry that, even if I reached out to them now, the letters of rec I'd be able to get would be impersonal at best. My employers from the past several years, on the other hand, know me and my capabilities much better and I think would be able to write letters that much better reflect who I am and why I am applying to law school.

I currently work in research and my boss has a Ph. D. from an Ivy League university and used to teach graduate students - so I'm hoping that because she has "faculty-esque" experience, and can speak to my writing/reading/research capabilities, her letter can serve sort of the purpose that an academic letter would. My second letter is from a former supervisor who oversaw the work I did creating policy recommendations (which led to successfully enacted legislation) at the local government level - an experience that was a large motivator in my decision to apply for law school and that I plan to speak about in my PS.

Will having LORs from these two recommenders give me a decent chance at a T14/T20? Other relevant stats include the fact that I'm very much a splitter (3.28 GPA, but expected high-160s to low-170s on LSAT), a first-generation college student (planning to write a diversity statement on this, as I grew up with a single parent working minimum wage jobs and it has had a major impact on my life and what I think I will bring to a law school campus), and my professional background includes a combination of teaching in the classroom and working on federal, state, and local education policy. I know my numbers (at least my GPA) make me an unlikely candidate for the schools I have my eye on, so I really want to ensure the rest of my application is as strong as possible.

Would very much appreciate any insight on these letters and whether these are the right people to write them, or if it might be worth reaching out to a professor anyway if they can add an extra dimension to my application. Thanks in advance!

[cavalier1138]

Your LSAT is going to be far more important than your LORs, but I'd strongly recommend reaching out to professors. If you knew them well in undergrad, I think at least one is likely to remember you. Your boss at your current job will be fine, but adcomms really want to see at least one letter from someone who can speak to your performance in an academic context.

[FutureLawyer92]

Thanks for that insight! Definitely helpful. Why do you say LSAT will weight more than LORs? Is that a result of my low GPA, or just standard for how adcomms weigh them relative to one another?

[dvlthndr]

You should try to get at least one academic recommendation letter. Having none at all is a bit weird. The worst thing that happens is that they write something impersonal ("I knew this person at one point, they did well in my class, I think they would be fine in law school.") They might ask you to write up a first-draft summarizing your interactions and reminding them of your academic performance.

Most schools will let you submit a third letter. If you think that your current boss and former supervisor are both going to write stellar recommendations, consider getting both of them to write the "real" recommendation letters, and throw in the academic LOR as a third.

[cavalier1138]

Thanks for that insight! Definitely helpful. Why do you say LSAT will weight more than LORs? Is that a result of my low GPA, or just standard for how adcomms weigh them relative to one another?

Both. LSAT/GPA are 90-95% of the admissions equation. Your GPA is low for any T13 school, so your LSAT is going to be the crucial factor. If it's not above the 75th percentile for a given school, your chances of admission are relatively low. A great LOR might be a plus factor, but it's more likely to just be neutral. That isn't to say you shouldn't get good LORs; a bad LOR is still going to weigh against you.