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A law school recommendation letter is a referee's support for your application. A professor or employer writes it to describe your academic skills, character and promise as a law student. This page offers law school applicants a free template, sample letters and a writing guide.
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A law school letter of recommendation sample shows how a referee introduces the applicant, gives concrete examples of their work and closes with a clear endorsement. The samples below come from an employer, a supervising attorney and a professor. Each sample leaves blanks for names, dates and contact details.
Before you use a sample, go through this short checklist:
Samples are starting points. Fill in every blank with your own facts, and remove anything that does not fit the candidate.
An employer's letter speaks to the applicant's reliability, workload and teamwork. It suits applicants who have worked before or during their studies.
Law School Recommendation Letter
Dear Law School Admissions Committee,
My name is _____________ (your name), and I am pleased to recommend _____________ (applicant's name) for admission to your law school for the _____________ (year) entering class.
I have been _____________'s (applicant's name) employer for the past year. During this time, _____________ (applicant's name) combined a full-time job as an assistant bookkeeper in our company with university studies. In my experience, I have rarely worked with someone so responsible.
_____________ (applicant's name) also volunteers at the local shelter and helps coworkers with their tasks when time allows. Our team relies on _____________ (applicant's name) because he/she follows through on every commitment.
I am confident that _____________ (applicant's name) will be an excellent law student and, in time, an excellent lawyer.
If you have any questions, please contact me at any time.
Best regards,
_____________ (signature) _____________ (date)
Phone number: _____________
Email: _____________
An attorney's letter shows the applicant's early exposure to legal work. It fits applicants who interned or worked at a law office.
Law School Recommendation Letter
Dear Law School Admissions Committee,
I am writing to recommend _____________ (applicant's name) for admission to your law school for the _____________ (year) entering class.
My name is _____________ (your name), and I have known _____________ (applicant's name) for one year. He/she interned at our firm last summer. While other interns completed the basic assignments, _____________ (applicant's name) volunteered for research tasks outside his/her area and finished them carefully.
Above all, I see in _____________ (applicant's name) a real interest in the law. He/she asks good questions, writes clearly and accepts feedback well.
I believe _____________ (applicant's name) will thrive in law school and in legal practice.
For more information, please contact me.
Sincerely,
_____________ (signature) _____________ (date)
Phone number: _____________
Email: _____________
A professor's letter speaks to the applicant's academic work: writing, research, analysis and class discussion. Admissions committees read it as evidence of how the applicant will handle law school study.
Law School Recommendation Letter
Dear Law School Admissions Committee,
I am _____________ (your name), professor of _____________ (subject) at _____________ (university). I am glad to recommend _____________ (applicant's name), who took my _____________ (course name) course in _____________ (term and year).
_____________ (applicant's name) wrote the strongest research paper in a class of _____ students. The paper, on _____________ (topic), used primary sources well and built a careful argument.
In discussion, _____________ (applicant's name) listened closely, answered objections calmly and helped classmates sharpen their own points.
I recommend _____________ (applicant's name) without reservation and would be glad to answer any questions.
Sincerely,
_____________ (signature) _____________ (date)
Phone number: _____________
Email: _____________
A law school letter of recommendation follows a business letter format: a title, a greeting, an introduction, a main body, a conclusion, the writer's contact details and a signature with the date. Keeping this order makes the letter easy for an admissions reader to scan.
The parts of the letter, from top to bottom:
The title is a short phrase, such as "Law School Recommendation Letter", centered at the top of the page in bold. Common greetings are "Dear Law School Admissions Committee" and "To Whom It May Concern".
The introduction names the writer and the applicant and says how they know each other. It states the recommendation in a sentence and leaves the details for the main body.
The main body explains why the applicant deserves a positive recommendation. It gives specific examples of the applicant's work, skills and character instead of general praise. A good main body compares the applicant with others the writer has taught or supervised, where the writer can do so honestly.
The conclusion restates the endorsement in a few clear words. It sums up the letter and ends on a confident, positive note.
The writer's contact details include their full name, mailing address, email and phone number. The writer then signs the letter and adds the signing date.
Tip: Before the letter goes out, read it once more and check the names, dates and phone number. A quick proofread catches typos that would distract the reader.
A law school letter of recommendation template is a blank letter in the standard format, with a bracketed prompt for each part the writer fills in. Writers who prefer to start from their own words can use it instead of a finished sample.
Each bracket asks for a fact only the writer knows. Replace every bracket, delete the prompts and keep the paragraph order.
Law School Recommendation Letter
Dear Law School Admissions Committee,
[Introduction: your name, your position, and how and for how long you have known the applicant.] I am pleased to recommend [applicant's full name] for admission to your law school.
[Main body, first paragraph: the applicant's strongest academic or work quality, with a specific example such as a paper, project or task.]
[Main body, second paragraph: a second quality, such as writing, analysis, leadership or integrity, with another example.]
[Comparison, if you can make it honestly: how the applicant ranks among the students or employees you have taught or supervised.]
[Conclusion: a short, clear endorsement.] Please contact me if you have any questions.
Sincerely,
[Signature] [Date]
[Full name, title, organization]
[Mailing address]
[Phone number] [Email]
To build the letter with prompts instead, use the free builder below and download it as a Word document or a PDF.
A law school letter of recommendation includes the writer's and applicant's full names, their relationship, concrete examples of the applicant's strengths, the writer's contact details and a dated signature. A letter without these parts leaves the admissions committee guessing.
The best writer of a law school letter of recommendation is a professor, teaching assistant or employer who knows your work closely and can describe it with examples. A detailed letter from someone who taught or supervised you carries more weight than a short letter from a well-known name.
A professor can speak to your writing, research and reasoning. An employer or supervisor can speak to your reliability, judgment and work with others. A recommendation letter from either is stronger when the writer has seen your work over time.
| Writer | What the letter can show | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Professor | Writing, research, reasoning, class discussion | Applicants still in college or recently graduated |
| Teaching assistant | Day to day class work and seminar participation | Applicants from large classes where the professor knew them less well |
| Employer or supervisor | Reliability, judgment, teamwork, workload | Applicants who have worked before applying |
| Attorney you worked for | Early exposure to legal research and office work | Applicants who interned or worked at a law office |
Choose writers who know you through study or work rather than friends or family. For other student letters, see our letter of recommendation for student template.
Ask for a law school letter of recommendation early, politely and with a short packet of background material, so your writer has time to choose strong examples. A well-prepared request makes it easier for a professor or employer to say yes.
A short request email can look like this:
Dear Professor _____________,
I am applying to law school this fall and would be grateful if you could write a letter of recommendation for me. I took your _____________ (course name) course in _____________ (term), and my paper on _____________ (topic) is the work I am proudest of.
I have attached my resume, transcript and personal statement draft, with the list of schools and the date each letter is due. Thank you for considering it.
Best regards,
_____________ (your name)
Many law schools take recommendation letters through the Credential Assembly Service of the Law School Admission Council (LSAC). With that service, you name each writer in your LSAC account, and the writer sends the letter to LSAC directly. LSAC then passes the letter on to the schools you apply to. Each school's application instructions say whether it uses LSAC for letters, and LSAC's own letter instructions give the steps for writers.
A strong law school recommendation letter is specific, honest and formal in tone, and it avoids vague praise. Use the two lists below as a quick checklist before the letter is signed and sent.
Choose someone who knows your work and character well, such as one of your professors, a teaching assistant or an employer. A writer who can describe concrete examples of your work gives the letter more substance.
Specific examples of your work, your skills and your character, written by someone who has seen them first hand. A short story about a project, a paper or a challenge you handled well says more than general praise.
Aim for about one page. A short letter with concrete examples is easier to read than a long letter full of general praise.
Yes, a law school reference letter and a law school letter of recommendation name the same kind of letter, so the samples and the template on this page fit both. Whatever the school calls it, the letter gives a referee's account of your work and character.
Use the samples as a model, not a final draft. Replace each blank with real facts and add your own examples so the letter reflects you.
The samples on this page work as an LSAC letter of recommendation example, since the writer's letter reads the same however it is sent. When a school uses LSAC, the writer, not the applicant, sends the letter to LSAC through the steps in LSAC's letter instructions, so you do not collect and forward it yourself.
Select Create My Document at the top of the page and answer a few questions. FormsPal saves your progress, so you can finish on any device, then download and print the letter. You can also download a Microsoft Word version, then keep editing in Word or Google Docs, or send a PDF by Gmail or Outlook.
General information, not legal or tax advice.
