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Letters of Recommendation for Prelaw Students: Basic Procedures

Most law schools require letters of recommendation (LOR) from persons who can evaluate your potential. In general, they use letters as another tool in predicting whether you will be successful in law school classes. If a law school says that letters are optional it is still highly recommended to submit them. The importance of these letters varies from school to school, but generally the following statements apply:

Introduction—LOR for Law Schools:

Recommendations are most influential when the applicant's grades and test scores are borderline for the particular school, or the student is an average applicant (neither an automatic accept or deny). However, at certain schools, especially those that are extremely competitive, recommendations can play a major role. Having an extraordinary letter is always a big plus.
Law schools vary in the number of letters they want (usually either 2 or 3). Most prefer academic letters. Writers need only supply one copy of their letter. It will be distributed to all law schools to which you apply via the the Credential Assembly Service (CAS).
Most letters of recommendation will be generic—that is, they will be able to be sent to any law school to which you will apply (the CAS calls these “general letters”). However, if any of your writers has a connection to one of your schools (e.g., they attended the law school themselves), such that they could write about their specific knowledge of the school, their knowledge of you, and what a good fit you’d be for their institution, for example—so much the better (the CAS calls these “school-specific letters”). But it would be relatively rare that you might encounter such a writer. If you do, in addition to the school-specific letter you should request a generic version that could be sent to all other schools to which you will be applying.
Advance planning can make getting letters of recommendation much easier. Consider opening a file with HPPLC in your sophomore or early junior year. Ask for letters to be written ahead of time, when the writer's memory of you is freshest. The letters will be sent to HPPLC and kept in your file until you are ready to submit your applications.
It's usually ok, but it can be risky to wait until senior year to ask for letters. Keep in mind that some writers will go on sabbatical, change jobs, retire, etc. Others may not deliver their letters on time, and some may not come through at all. Most writers provide their letters promptly, but there are always individual exceptions.. Plan on asking for more than you will need. Be proactive now to minimize stress later.
Ideally, all applicants should have at least two letters in their file by the end of the junior year. Remember you should submit all application material before Thanksgiving of your senior year if possible; by January 1 at the latest (thereafter you may be at a competitive disadvantage at some schools).
The most valuable recommendations come from those recommenders who are very familiar with your particular strengths and weaknesses. These are difficult to obtain if you go through college anonymously. Taking small, discussion-oriented classes, taking multiple classes from the same professor, participating actively in class, and visiting instructors during office hours (even if you don't have questions about the material) are a few ways to develop the academic and personal relationships necessary to obtain effective recommendations.
We recommend: starting junior year, target at least one professor per semester. Resolve to always be prepared, to arrive early, to sit near the front (writers often note this in their letters), to speak up in class, to visit office hours several times, and to do well!
HPPLC has guidelines for writers (see the relevant section below)—we tell them what to include in a letter and how to make it effective for law schools. For those using the HPPLC recommendation service, we also have pre-addressed campus mail envelopes for their convenience. Pick these up at the HPPLC office.

Who to ask:

In general, law schools will say they prefer academic letters. Therefore, choose professors, AIs, or graduate students who you have had in a class and who have given you a grade. It is preferable to have a letter from a graduate student who knows you well and who can write about you in detail, than from a famous professor with whom you've had limited contact. If you do not have at least one academic letter, the law schools will wonder why.
Others with whom you have had at least a semi-professional relationship can also provide meaningful letters. [Admissions officials sometimes sum this up by saying they look for letters from people who could "fail you or fire you."] Thus, employers, internship or volunteer supervisors, coaches, etc., might also be considered as sources for supplemental letters. Many applicants make the mistake of asking the famous politician or university official in whose office they interned (but with whom they had little, if any, contact) to write a letter. The result is often a short boilerplate or form letter that says little about the applicant's abilities. While the name itself may be impressive to the general public, it carries little weight with law school officials. Instead, it is usually preferable to ask the immediate supervisor who is much more familiar with your performance.
If you have been out of school for a number of years, the law schools are more understanding about a lack of academic letters. However, such a situation should be explained in a letter of addendum or cover letter.
If you know that you will be taking some time off after graduation and before applying to law school, then it is especially important to open a recommendation file with HPPLC and have academic letters written while the writers' memory of you is fresh. As an alumnus, you may use HPPLC's services 100%, and you don't have to be located in Bloomington to do so.
What law schools generally do NOT find useful are letters from persons with whom you have not had a professional relationship: for example, family friends who may be attorneys, judges, etc., who can say little more than you are a fine person from a good family. Local politicians, relatives, high school teachers or counselors, clergy, or other "character references" are similarly not so useful. The one exception may be the attorney who knows you and who attended a law school to which you will be applying. In this limited case, a single "school-specific" letter that discusses what a good fit you'd be for that particular school may be useful.

How to ask for a letter:

For detailed suggestions as to how to ask for a letter, please read "Recommendation Request Letter" (link provided below).

Guidelines for the writers:

If your writers need suggestions as to what to include, here are some references:

A checklist of information for the writer to include: "Evaluator of professional or graduate school applicant." (link provided below).
Guide for writing an effective letter to law schools: "A Dean's Suggestions to Faculty for Reference Letters" (link provided below).
We also recommend that you give your writers a resume, a draft of your personal statement, a short autobiographical statement, and a copy of any work you have done for them. For details as to how to ask for a letter, read "Recommendation Request Letter" (link provided below).

Getting your letters to the Law Schools (in brief):

I. HPPLC's Recommendation Service:

The Health Professions and Prelaw Center offers an optional Recommendation Service for Indiana University students. This service does NOT replace the Credential Assembly Service (the "CAS" -- which is required of all applicants -- see below for more information about this organization). The HPPLC service allows you to collect recommendations over several years from professors as you go through undergraduate courses and to store the letters in your file. Then, at your request, the Center forwards the letters to the CAS and/or directly to law schools. Note that most law schools require that your LORs arrive via the CAS. Once you request that your letters be sent, our professional recommendation secretary will make sure that your letters are sent in a timely manner, to the proper address, in the correct format, properly signed, and with the correct forms. For more detailed information, read the Recommendation Service section of this website, which includes the publication Why You Should Use the Recommendation Service. (link provided below). For a brief "Guide to the HPPLC Recommendation Service for Prelaw Students", click HERE.

If you have a file with HPPLC, be sure to give your writers a signed (by you) copy of the HPPLC "waiver" form. The LOR and the waiver form should both be sent by the writer directly to the HPPLC Recommendation Service.

II. The Credential Assembly Service Basics:

The Credential Assembly Serivice ("CAS") provides a way of centralizing and standardizing undergraduate academic records, including LORs and transcripts, to simplify the admissions process (from the law schools' perspective, that is). For the applicant, it is a confusing and expensive process. Official information about it can be found at www.lsac.org. HPPLC's step-by-step instructions for setting up your account can be found by clicking HERE.

All applicants to law school MUST use the CAS, even if you have a file with HPPLC. No exceptions. They create a "Candidate Report" for each applicant that includes the LSAT score, writing portion of the LSAT, copies of your transcript, the LSAC's standardized transcript analysis, and your LOR. You do not and cannot tell the CAS where to send its report. It will be contacted by each law school individually after the school receives your application.

Unfortunately, the CAS is not always the most "user-friendly" organization. They can and do make mistakes (such as misplacing one or more of your letters). You must double-check everything. Confirm that the CAS has received and processed everything you've sent them; that they have sent everything you've submitted to the law schools; that the law schools have received everything. YOU will be held responsible for the mistakes of others. Seemingly innocent, undetected clerical errors on their part have resulted in missed deadlines and admission denials. Please be thorough!!

If you have questions or encounter problems, contact a HPPLC Prelaw Advisor.

Note: registration for the CAS is separate from registering for the LSAT. Each requires a separate registration; each costs around $130.00. Just because you have an LSAC account number does NOT mean you are registered for the CAS! You do not need to register for both the LSAT and CAS at the same time, although you certainly may. The absolute latest you should register for the CAS is about four to six weeks prior to mailing your applications. Note that the CAS may take two to three weeks to process your material, and they occasionally (but rarely) make mistakes, which take time to detect, and then correct.

You can create an account with the LSAC and get a head start on many tasks required by the CAS before you pay the fee. To create your own LSAC account, click here.

It is often necessary to call the CAS and speak to a human being in order to resolve questions and problems with your account. Please do NOT hesitate to do this! Having a valid file with them is essential to being admitted anywhere. Call 215.968.1001 (options 5, then 0, to speak to a representative).

You must arrange to have your transcripts and letters of recommendation sent to the CAS. This section will focus on LOR. Detailed, step-by-step instructions on how to submit transcripts, LOR, and how to set up your law school applications online are available HERE or by email from your HPPLC Prelaw Advisor.

The CAS needs only ONE copy of each LOR and transcript—they will make copies and send the items to each of the law schools to which you apply. The CAS will not accept these documents directly from applicants, so the registrar (re: transcripts) and your letter-writers (or HPPLC if you have a file there—see below) must send this material directly to the CAS.

All other documentation (e.g., personal statement, resume, addenda letters, etc.) should be sent by you directly and separately to each individual law school along with your other application material. Most applicants use the electronic application feature of their LSAC account to apply.

The CAS will accept an unlimited number of LOR. You will later assign specific letters from your CAS account to go to each of your schools, depending on the number they will take. Most schools will ask for 2 or 3 letters, although many will read 4 (or more).

NOTE: Each LOR submitted to the CAS must be accompanied by the CAS's own LOR form, which contains, among other information, contact information of the writer . The CAS requires that their LOR form (which you must print out from your account) accompany every letter. If a letter arrives without this form, it will be returned to the writer. [Note that currently there can be problems printing out this form with a MAC computer.]

Sending Your Letters to the CAS

If you do NOT have a LOR file with HPPLC, make sure you give the CAS LOR form to EACH of your writers, and make sure that the writers mail the form together with their letter (in the same envelope) directly to the CAS. The address is located at the top of the LOR form.

If you DO have a file with HPPLC, please bring in one LOR form for each letter to the recommendation to the HPPLC receptionist in Maxwell 010. You must do this at some point before you request that your letters be sent. If you have any questions about this, please call 812.855.1973 or email hpplc@indiana.edu.

When you want your letters to be sent to the CAS, you must notify the HPPLC office (Maxwell 010) by providing a hard copy (submitted in person, by fax, or regular mail) of a very short form [called Request for Letters to be Sent (link provided below)], signed by you, authorizing the service to send out your letters. It takes about 30 seconds to fill out this form. Please note that all letters and forms must actually be in your file in order to request that they be sent. Requests cannot be held pending the future receipt of letters.

Usually HPPLC sends out letters within 72 hours, but during peak times (e.g., November, December, and January) there is often a delay of several days or more. HPPLC's official policy: You must allow 10 business days' notice when requesting letters to be sent.

Will HPPLC automatically send out my letters?

No! You will need to provide a signed "Request for Letters to be Sent" form (link provided below).

Can I have HPPLC send out my letters if I'm out of town?

Yes. If you have your letters with HPPLC and you are out of town, download the following form, fill it out, SIGN IT, and FAX it to us at 812.856.2770: Request for Letters to be Sent (link provided below). Then follow-up with a phone call to make sure the fax was received.

Note: it can take the CAS up to two weeks to process each of these items (I. and II. above)--longer is possible during the peak season. So plan ahead!

Conclusion:

The above represents a brief and necessarily incomplete introduction to the issue of LOR for law schools. Do not expect everything to make sense. If you have questions or encounter problems in dealing with any of these organizations, we urge you to contact a HPPLC Prelaw Advisor (a quick email note is fine) and resolve the issue ASAP. Remember, when applying to law school, you must do everything right, and do it early. YOU will be held responsible for the mistakes of others.

Remember that HPPLC is here to help you succeed! Please make an appointment to meet with a HPPLC Prelaw Advisor at some point to go over your individual needs and situation.

Links to publications and forms referred to above:

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