Law School Personal Statement and Letters of Recommendation

Law School Applications:
Obtaining Letters of Recommendation and Writing the Personal Statement
Outline of Remarks
Dr. Mark Richards, GVSU Pre-law Advisor
February 1, 2007

Letters of Recommendation

1. Usually at least two letters should be from professors.

2. Best to get letters from professors who know you and can speak to your qualifications. Take more than one class from a professor and cultivate the student-professor relationship.

3. The LSDAS website contains a form for your letter writers. Print out a copy for each reference, sign it, and give it to him/her. You should get everything to your reference at least several weeks in advance.

4. Provide your letter writers with the following:
-a signed copy of the LSDAS recommendation form
-a resume
-a copy of the personal statement
-a stamped envelope addressed to LSDAS
-a list of courses that you have taken with the professor, with your grade and the semester you took the course
-a deadline

5. How to write the letter
Schools desire to know how long the reference has known the applicant, the context of their relationship, how well the reference knows the applicant, and relevant information about the applicant's characteristics and achievements. Detailed examples are helpful.

Personal Statements

1. Overcome writer's block.

2. Circulate and iterate.

3. Be professional, formal, truthful and courteous. Exhibit the personal characteristics that clients would want to see in their attorneys.

4. Answer the question(s). Tailor the statement to the school.

5. Don't take the "personal" in "personal statement" too far.

6. Write carefully and precisely when dealing with subjects like religion, politics and race.

7. Be aware that there is contradictory information available about what is the best type of letter. Keep in mind context and your own sense of what is right for you.

8. Avoid the laundry list of accomplishments.

9. Possible types (themes) of personal statements:
-Overcoming difficult circumstances.
-Diversity. Diversity is diverse, so think creatively. Both intellectual and experiential diversity matter.
-Focus primarily on a single event, experience or story. Think about work experience, travel, study abroad, important personal experiences, or how you dealt with a difficult situation. One story can say much about your personal characteristics.
-Why I want a law degree. Some people will counsel that you should not do this but if you have a sophisticated understanding, this can be an effective letter.
-Academic reflections on an aspect of law. Connect your major field or other subjects you have studied to the law.

10. Keep in mind that a competent, well-written statement that does not blunder can be good enough to get you accepted. You do not need to write the best letter ever.