A professional letter of recommendation should be written by someone who has worked with you in a professional capacity. A potential writer could include a work supervisor, internship director, coach, or mentor in an extracurricular activity.

An academic letter of recommendation should be written by someone who can attest to your academic skill set and has taught you in an academic setting. A potential writer could include a Professor or GSI (Graduate Student Instructor).

• Begin early in your academic career. Give your professors a chance to know you by going to office hours, asking meaningful questions, actively participating in class discussions, and seeking advice and then demonstrating that you can follow it. Cultivate these relationships by staying in contact with these professors even after the class has ended and potentially taking a second class from the same instructor.
• If you plan to take time off before applying, request your letters of recommendation before you graduate.

• Choose someone who knows you well. The prestige of the letter writer will have little influence if the letter is superficial and fails to evaluate your academic ability or professional contributions or potential.

• Whenever possible, you should ask to meet with the letter writer in person. This will give you the opportunity to assess their enthusiasm for you as an applicant. When in doubt, politely ask if they are able to write a strong recommendation for you.
• Bring relevant materials such as a résumé, brief statement explaining why you are interested in law school, a writing sample, etc. Your recommender may not want these items, but it is best to be prepared.
• Be sure to discuss a specific deadline for submitting the letter.

• The letter should specifically assess your academic achievement and potential, contributions to class discussion, capacity for analytical thinking, and writing ability. Additional comments that reflect on your character, maturity, insight, organization, commitment, etc. are also valuable.
• Whenever possible, the letter should include concrete examples, such as performance on a particularly challenging presentation or project.

• Most law schools require that applicants use the Credential Assembly Service (CAS) to process all aspects of the application.
• Enter your recommender’s information, including your recommender’s name, title, and email address, into your CAS account. The LSAC will generate and send an email directly to your recommender from your CAS account. Your recommender will then submit their letter directly to CAS.
• The Law School Admission Council, which oversees CAS, provides details about how to manage your letters of recommendation.