How the LOR service actually works
Electronic letters submitted through the service are typically available as soon as LSAC receives them; a paper letter can take up to five business days to process. Set recommenders up through the electronic service well before any deadline.
Choosing recommenders who can write a specific letter
A recommender's title matters far less than what they can concretely describe. A professor who graded your work closely, supervised your projects, or worked with you over a full semester or longer can typically write a more specific, useful letter than a well-known name who barely knows you.
Give any recommender real material to work with: your resume, the paper or project they supervised, and a short note on what you'd like the letter to emphasize. A recommender working from memory alone tends to produce a generic letter regardless of how much they like you.
- A professor or supervisor who knows your specific work, not just your name
- Someone who can describe your academic or professional performance with detail
- At least one academic recommender for most J.D. applications
- Enough lead time for a thoughtful letter, not a rushed one
What LSAC says about its Letter of Recommendation service
LSAC says access to its Letter of Recommendation service is included in CAS registration. Recommenders submit each letter once to LSAC, even if you use it in every application. LSAC makes copies of each reference's original letter for your CAS reports. You must assign the appropriate letters to each law school or they will not be sent. Assignments can be changed through JD Services if you change your mind early enough.
Most ABA-approved law schools accept the service, but unless a school says you must use it, you may choose not to. Recommenders can upload letters after an email request. LSAC also accepts paper letters, which must arrive with the LOR Form printed from JD Services and signed by the recommender or they are returned. LSAC pages give both up to five business days and two weeks for processing paper letters, so allow the longer time. Choose recommenders early.
Who should write the letter, and what happens to it
LSAC says the most effective letters come from professors or work supervisors who know you well. They can describe your achievements and potential with candor, detail and objectivity. Letters comparing you with your academic peers are often the most useful. Most schools do not consider general, unreservedly praiseworthy letters helpful.
Letters sent to LSAC remain LSAC's property for the life of your file and are neither returned nor copied for you. If you reuse a letter for another admission year or a different program, LSAC suggests contacting the recommender first as a courtesy. A recommender may rescind a letter that was repurposed without permission. Campus credential services may send copies to LSAC, but each letter still needs its own LOR Form. Never reuse a letter without asking.
Common questions
How many times does a recommender submit a letter to LSAC?+
Once. LSAC says references submit each letter one time and LSAC makes copies for every CAS report you send, so it goes to every school you assign it to.
Do I have to assign my letters to each law school?+
Yes. LSAC says you must assign the appropriate letters to each law school you are applying to or they will not be sent, and you can reassign them through JD Services.
Do I have to use LSAC's Letter of Recommendation service?+
Not unless a school says you must. LSAC says most ABA-approved law schools accept the service, but the requirement is set by each school.
Can my recommender send a paper letter?+
Yes, with the LOR Form printed from JD Services and signed by the recommender. LSAC returns paper letters that arrive without the form or without a signature.
Who writes the most effective law school recommendation letters?+
Professors or work supervisors who know you well and can describe your achievements with candor, detail and objectivity, according to LSAC. Letters comparing you with peers are often the most useful.
Does LSAC return or give me a copy of my letters?+
No. Letters sent to LSAC remain LSAC's property for the life of your file and are neither returned nor copied for the candidate.
Can I reuse a letter in a later application year?+
Possibly, but LSAC suggests asking the recommender first as a courtesy, since a recommender may rescind a letter that was reused without permission.
Can my college's credential service submit letters?+
Yes, LSAC accepts copies from campus credential services, but each letter must still come with its own LSAC LOR Form and list the recommender's own name and contact information.
What to do next
- 1
Ask at least a month before your earliest application deadline.
- 2
Provide each recommender your resume and any relevant graded work.
- 3
Set every recommender up through LSAC's electronic LOR service.
- 4
Follow up politely, but don't rewrite the letter for them.