Hi,
I am a current undergraduate who will be applying to law school in the fall. I have my eyes on the T14, and ideally, the T6.
I know law schools typically require at minimum 2-3 letters of recommendation, and if you are a recent graduate or current undergraduate, they want at least two academic letters of recommendation.
I attend a top university, that is notoriously competitive and typically has class sizes of well over 200-300 students, and consequently it’s difficult to get in contact with professors. Usually, we have graduate student instructors (PhD students) instruct our class in smaller divisions - and they are the ones who hold office hours.
I am wondering if it is acceptable to have a PhD student - who is much more familiar with me, my capabilities, and contributions as a student - to write my letter, or have someone I interned under write an ‘academic’ LOR for me.
I would strongly recommend not having some one that you interned under write an "academic’ recommendation LOR for you, because they did not teach you and cannot write about you in an academic capacity. You really must make an effort to build a relationship with your professor to get academic recommendations. You can talk to your GA to find out the professor’s process for getting a recommendation.
Please go to the career services office at your school. They will have a pre-law advisor who can answer your questions and advise you as who should be writing your recommendation. Some schools will also set up credential files, so that professors can submit their letters and this way the school will have them for release. your career services office will also be able to provide you with data points from your school regarding LSAT and GPAs from your school of students who have been accepted to T14 (T6).
What school is this? Even the mega Universities that I’m familiar with have much smaller classes in upper division.
Does your major not offer any seminars? How about taking a grad-level seminar as an undergrad?
Second sybbie’s point. While you could use grad-student recommenders, your application would be at a decided disadvantage since others with your numbers – your competition for an admission slot – will be presenting with recs from Professors.
@bluebayou I am currently a junior (transferred from online Community College) and most of my classes are 80-200 and I’ve never had a professor more than once. Should I even bother asking any professors that do not know me for a letter of recommendation?
sry, Tiburtius, I really don’t have any insight into transfers from online programs.
But for LS, just wait until after you graduate to apply. That way you can hopefully get to know some profs in your señior year classes.