<p>Just curious. I know some schools don't even require them. If you have a really good GPA and LSAT, along with a well written personal statement, do letters of rec even make a difference?</p>
<p>It depends on where you want to go. If you get a great LSAT and GPA you can get into a lot of places without great recs. If you want to get into a place like Yale and a good number of T14s you need good recs. They aren't as hard to get as a 4.0 or a 180. You just need to make sure you spend time meeting your professors and discussing the (class) material with them.</p>
<p>Experienced posters on this board have suggested that if your numbers are at the 75th percentile or so, numbers alone can often do the trick. But 75% of the kids who eventually matriculate are below that -- so in their case, something else had to be a push factor, however slight (perhaps even just a tiebreaker). LORs are one of them.</p>
<p>Remember, though, too, that great grades with mediocre to weak recommendations might send the wrong signal to law schools, and may cause you to be one of the people with great grades/LSATs that doesn't get in. You don't want to raise questions about inconsistencies in your application file in the minds of the admissions officers. I think that if you grades and LSAT scores are very high, you need for the other parts of your application to support your stellar stats -- this would include having solid recommendations, among other things.</p>
<p>One of my professors went on to become a Senator in my state. I had only one class with him, but I also spent a week with him an other students in England as part of a study abroad program. He was always commenting on the good work I did. So would he be an obvious choice? Also, I've actually been out of undergrad for over a year, I've been working full-time in a job that is semi-related to law. It's a small business, only about 10 to 12 people. Should I get my boss to write me a rec. or should they all be from professors? I would imagine for those who have been out of undergrad for some time, that professional recs. would be expected.</p>
<p>If you've been working full time post-graduation for at least a year, you might want to consider getting a recommendation from your boss/colleague, etc. I would contact the admissions offices at the law schools you are targeting to determine what would be best for you. The best recommendation does not necessarily come from the person who is famous or a well-known politician -- it will come from the people who know you best and who can speak to your individual strengths, particularly if they can cite specific examples.</p>
<p>Well, although my former prof is now a Senator. He was my prof first. I knew him before he became a Senator. Like I said, I spent a week with him and about 10 others during a study abroad program. The work I did in his class was good, the work I did in the program was good, and I am also going to be volunteering for him. Regardless of his senate status, I think he knows my academic strengths pretty well.</p>