Letters of Recommendation

The Credential Assembly Service

At your direction, the individuals writing letters of recommendation for you will send their letters electronically to your Law School Report file via the Credential Assembly Service.  It is important that you fully understand how the service works and what your role is in it. You can find information about each  law school’s letter requirements/preferences by clicking the “LOR Requirements” link beneath the school names on the Letters of Recommendation page of your CAS account once you have established it.  Most law schools require two letters and might allow three-four. You should not feel the need to generate letters to meet the upper limit; what you want to do is request recommendations from people who really know you and can speak authentically about your talents and abilities. Most Lafayette applicants plan to submit a minimum of two letters from professors who know them well. Feel free to speak with Maureen Walz as you develop your recommendation letter strategy.

Requesting  Letters of Recommendation

Letters of recommendation are an important component of a strong law school application. Lafayette students who take advantage of opportunities to interact with their professors in any number of ways over time make it possible for those professors to respond favorably to a request to provide meaningful/strong letters of recommendation. Letter writers need to explain the context(s) in which they have known you and substantiate their observations of you.

Because law school applications are sent throughout the fall of the senior year, juniors in their spring semester are encouraged to start thinking about which professors know them best and to consider having a conversation with them. It is a good idea to be prepared to share your reasons for having chosen to attend law school and to provide a copy of your resume and (eventually) your personal statement. In your conversation with them, clearly ask if they feel they are in a position to write you a strong letter of recommendation and if they are in a position to meet the application deadlines you have.