Letter of Recommendation Questions

[RyanM12]

Hello,

Is it advisable for me to get letters of rec now as a UG Senior than when I apply? I likely plan on taking at least one year off of school to attend a religious institute (mostly for personal growth reasons- not career as I'm planning on law).....I would plan on applying in 2017 for Fall 2018 admissions.

I want to get my LOR's now because I believe a better quality LOR from 2016 will be better than a 2017 one when the professor may not be able to remember as many specifics about me. Especially given that law school is an academic endeavor, they want to see at least one if not two LORs that are academic sources even if the applicant has had several years off between UG and applying to law school.

From your experience what is generally the response by recommenders to those that want to get ahead of the game like I do? My one hesitation is that the recommender will agree to do it, but yet put it off because they know the letter won't be needed for a while because they would likely ask by when I need it by. Lastly, is it impolite to follow up with the status of an LOR if mine won't be needed for a while? If someone for example agreed today and I waited 6 weeks, would that be okay to check in?

I believe that equally as advantageous of getting a better quality letter, another big reason why I want my LORs in the near future is because since professors and recommenders have busy lives, I have heard that some may take a while in writing their letters. By getting my LORs sooner, I can avoid that stress and focus on the other parts such as personal statement, diversity statement, Why X essays, LSAT and all the other parts of the application.

Thanks!

[Nikki Siclunov]

Hi Ryan,

There is no reason for waiting to request the letter of recommendation, even if you won't be needing it for awhile. Make sure you have an LSDAS account so your professors can submit the letter directly with the LSAC. Give them a reasonable deadline, and definitely follow up between one and two months after your initial request. There is nothing wrong with that. Neither your professors, nor the law schools to which you'll be applying, expect that you use any letters of recommendation immediately upon receipt. It's also preferable to request the letter at a time when your professor is likely to remember your accomplishments and contributions to class. It's in your interest, as well as theirs, to request such letters as soon as you know you'll need them.

Good luck!