I M a Prelaw Student Ready to Ask for a Letter of Recommendation (LOR). What Should I Do?

I’m a Prelaw Student Ready to Ask For a Letter of Recommendation (LOR). What Should I Do?

Thinking of setting up a recommendation file with Interfolio? First, you must understand that in the end, all LOR must wind up in your Credential Assembly Service (CAS) account. It is required by the law schools. [For an introduction to the CAS, see: http://lsac.org/jd/applying-to-law-school/cas.] Thus, even if you open an account with Interfolio, you will still have to use, and pay for, the CAS—no exceptions. Therefore most law applicants simply have their writers send LOR directly to their CAS account.

However, you can have your letters sent to Interfolio before sending them to the CAS. Using Interfolio is completely OPTIONAL and is in ADDITION to (NOT instead of) the mandatory CAS. Even if you use Interfolio your LOR will later have to be sent to your CAS account.

Why consider Interfolio? Interfolio provides additional services that may be beneficial to you—however, not all students need them.

What is Interfolio?

Interfolio is the premier web-based LOR management service used by over 200 universities around the country, including many elite schools and most of the Big Ten. Their students express great satisfaction with how Interfolio manages letters of recommendation. It acts as a repository for your letters, and when requested will send them to your CAS account, to individual law schools, or to whichever institutional recipient you choose (such as scholarships, internships, graduate schools, etc.).

From your Interfolio dashboard you can quickly and easily send a letter request to your writers, check to see which have arrived, arrange deliveries, and completely manage your account—and you may do so from any smart phone, tablet, or computer 24/7. They guarantee a one-day turnaround on all delivery requests, including weekends. See www.interfolio.com for details, or read this Review by the Chronicle of Higher Education, which describes Interfolio as “enormously helpful and most highly recommended”: http://chronicle.com/blogs/profhacker/using-interfolio-to-manage-your-professional-documents/24094.

Why use Interfolio? There are advantages and disadvantages…..

1. If you choose, you can “affiliate” your account with HPPLC at no extra charge. Then our advisors can read your letters, including confidential letters, and provide guidance and feedback, such as checking them for errors (e.g., referring to John Jones as “she”; mentioning the wrong law school), and the relevance of comments made (for example, some letters are detailed and personal, while others are more “boilerplate” and less useful). HPPLC Advisors cannot access letters in your CAS account.

2. You can request letters at any time during your college career. Letters are often more detailed and stronger if written right after the class or experience, when the writer’s memory is freshest.

--thus if you can get a strong letter early in your college career, Interfolio may be a good idea.

--if you start asking for LOR as a second semester junior or later, Interfolio may be of less value.

3. If you will be taking time off after graduation, it may be a good idea to obtain academic letters before you leave campus and store them with Interfolio until you apply.

4. If LSAC misplaces a letter (happens to 1-2% of those received), Interfolio can immediately resend it and you would not have to ask your writer for another copy.

5. Interfolio is an extra expense: currently $19 for one year. There is also a fee for sending letters.

6. While Interfolio processes letters received within 1-3 days and your delivery requests within one day-- it is another bureaucracy (although hopefully a friendly and helpful one!) and another delay in the process. If deadlines are fast approaching it may be better to have your writers send their letters directly to your CAS account. If you plan ahead, using Interfolio should be fine.

Questions? Ask a HPPLC Prelaw Advisor at .