Letters of Recommendation

[leona339]

Hi there,

I have a few questions regarding letters of recommendation that I hope someone can help me with!
Both of my referees (my Human Rights Law professor and my supervisor at the charity I work for) have asked me to give them some guidance as to what should be covered in a letter of recommendation. That is, they are unsure about whether the focus should be on their opinion of me as a person very generally or on the specific things I've done (work experience/academic research). For instance, should I tell my professor to write about my academic interests and achievements in great detail (what topics I chose for my dissertations, the classes I did very well in, what legal theories interest me the most) or should she focus on the work I've done in her class specifically? Similarly with my supervisor: would she be best advised to talk about her opinion of me more generally or should I tell her to be rather specific about the work I've done for the charity?
I went to university in the UK so none of this is necessarily clear - even to my law professors
Thank you!

[Shannon Parker]

Hi,

LSAC suggests, and I agree, that the most useful letters are the ones that use the achievements, or stories of yours that they have witnessed firsthand to paint a picture of your abilities and character. The actual content depends completely on your relationship with the person writing the letter and what they have experienced. The letters should be candid, honest, and preferably compare you to your peers.


Hope this helps.

~Shannon