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Letter of Recommendation question
Posted: Tue Jun 07, 2011 8:21 pm
by GoGetIt
How much would a letter of recommendation from a supreme court judge help someone's application?
Re: Letter of Recommendation question
Posted: Tue Jun 07, 2011 8:23 pm
by echo
GoGetIt wrote:How much would a letter of recommendation from a supreme court judge help someone's application?
This is the LSAT forum, you'd probably be better off in the general admissions forum.
But there was recently a discussion about this...
http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... 2&t=156116
Re: Letter of Recommendation question
Posted: Tue Jun 07, 2011 8:57 pm
by GoGetIt
echo wrote:GoGetIt wrote:How much would a letter of recommendation from a supreme court judge help someone's application?
This is the LSAT forum, you'd probably be better off in the general admissions forum.
But there was recently a discussion about this...
http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... 2&t=156116
Thanks a lot. That thread was great, but in this situation the judge knows my friend personally. I just want to hear some more opinions -- how much of a bump would this letter give someone?
Re: Letter of Recommendation question
Posted: Wed Jun 08, 2011 11:46 am
by OUBobcat
I can tell you that my university held a Pre-Law day ln't ast year. There were admissions representatives from all over the state of Ohio and surrounding region. One of the bits of advice given to us was to NOT have LOR's from senators, legislators, or other various government officials. Their reasoning was that the letter would be very generic and would show no true understanding of you as a person or student (as mentioned). They did add that if you did use these LOR's without truly knowing the person, they the office would get a good laugh and not take you as seriously.
Short version: Don't do it.
Re: Letter of Recommendation question
Posted: Wed Jun 08, 2011 11:54 am
by flounder
If you have directly worked for the Judge, or took a class with them, I would so hell yeah. If not, no.
Re: Letter of Recommendation question
Posted: Wed Jun 08, 2011 12:44 pm
by Bashy
OUBobcat wrote:I can tell you that my university held a Pre-Law day ln't ast year. There were admissions representatives from all over the state of Ohio and surrounding region. One of the bits of advice given to us was to NOT have LOR's from senators, legislators, or other various government officials. Their reasoning was that the letter would be very generic and would show no true understanding of you as a person or student (as mentioned).[b/] They did add that if you did use these LOR's without truly knowing the person, they the office would get a good laugh and not take you as seriously.
Short version: Don't do it.
This relies on the assumption that no senator/legislator/government official could know a candidate on a personal level.
If you clerked/worked directly under the government official in question and that person can go into specific detail about your character, go for it. If you dad banged Justice Kagan in college (what a trooper) and he's guilting her in to it, you should pass.
Re: Letter of Recommendation question
Posted: Wed Jun 08, 2011 1:57 pm
by Audio Technica Guy
I don't think it would be any better because of who it is. It would be good to the extent that it was a good recommendation. Law schools try very hard to escape the view that it's all about connections.
Re: Letter of Recommendation question
Posted: Wed Jun 08, 2011 2:41 pm
by suspicious android
Not as good as a recommendation from Noam Chomsky.
Re: Letter of Recommendation question
Posted: Wed Jun 08, 2011 3:10 pm
by j12
Less than a 180
Re: Letter of Recommendation question
Posted: Wed Jun 08, 2011 3:30 pm
by joebloe
Audio Technica Guy wrote:I don't think it would be any better because of who it is. It would be good to the extent that it was a good recommendation. Law schools try very hard to escape the view that it's all about connections.
Except that it definitely is on a certain level.
Re: Letter of Recommendation question
Posted: Wed Jun 08, 2011 3:33 pm
by Audio Technica Guy
joebloe wrote:Audio Technica Guy wrote:I don't think it would be any better because of who it is. It would be good to the extent that it was a good recommendation. Law schools try very hard to escape the view that it's all about connections.
Except that it definitely is on a certain level.
yeah, though for admissions it's only really about if they think the connections will get the school something. Having a justice write a LOR probably doesn't get the school anything.
It's different when it comes to getting jobs though.
edit: really, if he has that kind of connection, and it's legitimate, he'd be better off having the justice write a separate letter to the school than having him do the LOR.
Re: Letter of Recommendation question
Posted: Wed Jun 08, 2011 3:36 pm
by joebloe
Audio Technica Guy wrote:edit: really, if he has that kind of connection, and it's legitimate, he'd be better off having the justice write a separate letter to the school than having him do the LOR.
I would definitely agree with this.