REQUIREMENTS FOR LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION I am happy to consider writing letters of recommendation to law school, graduate school, or programs/jobs for students who have performed well in my classes or who have served as research assistants on projects. Some suggestions:
To write a good letter, I need to know you well. You should thus be reaching out to me to discuss your goals and plans on a regular basis.
For current or past students: to request a letter, I require that you receive an A in my class.
If this is the first time you are requesting a letter from me, please follow the guidelines below:
Contact me ASAP to discuss the letter (at least THREE weeks before the letter is due!). You will need to sign-up for office hours to do so. We will discuss whether I am the most appropriate letter writer, the programs you are applying for, and your career plans. Meeting with me is mandatory and if you do not respect the three week deadline, I will unfortunately be unable to provide you with a letter.
If I agree to write the letter, you will send me a Google Calendar invitation (entitled: YOUR NAME - Letter of Rec - PROGRAM) on the due date for your letter(s) with the following (also at least THREE weeks in advance):
The program for which you are applying (any relevant links or descriptions)
Specific instructions on where I should send the letter (do I need to send it to an email address? Upload on a website?)
Any forms waiving your rights to view the letter, if applicable.
A link to a Google Drive folder with the following documents:
an updated CV
an updated unofficial transcript
A brief statement about why you are interested in the position, what you hope to get from the experience, how your experience in my class relates (1-2 short paragraphs maximum, or, better yet, a few bullet points)
Any other details you want me to know about you or the position
You should send me a Google Calendar invitation for each due date with specifics for each program.
Once your application cycle is finished and you start to hear back from the opportunities for which I provided a letter, please be courteous and let me know how things go! I want to be able to celebrate your successes with you, commiserate with you on rejections, and strategize on next steps!
If I have already written you a letter, you are not required to meet with me, unless your circumstances have changed. Please complete steps 2-4, however.
If you have any questions, please send me an email.