Last updated: July 7, 2013
Letter of Recommendation and Evaluation Service
1. What is the Evaluation Service?
The Evaluation Service is a new way for law schools to learn about the skills and attributes applicants possess. Evaluators are invited by applicants via e-mail to electronically provide ratings on both cognitive and non-cognitive skills that have been identified as important to success in law school, using a rating scale that represents degrees of a particular characteristic. Evaluators can also include free-form text comments. (source LSAC News)
2. Do schools require applicants to use the Evaluation Service?
Applicants can find which method is being used by the individual schools by reviewing the information found on the Law School Admission Council (LSAC) site under “Letters of Recommendation and Evaluation Service” and then going directly to the following link: https://www.lsac.org/jd/applying-to-law-school/cas/lor-evaluations Each fall LSAC is given updates by the law schools regarding the number of letters of recommendation or evaluations to be used that year.
3. Is there any advantage to using the Evaluations rather than the standard Letters of Recommendation?
No, at this point it is just a matter of preference on the part of the applicant and the requirements of the school. If the applicant is applying to one school that requires only letters of recommendation and to another that has a mix of requirements then the candidate needs to obtain the appropriate number of each.
4. Can a recommender do both a Letter of Recommendation and an Evaluation?
Yes, a recommender can do both a letter and and evaluation if they are willing to do so BUT applicants must not assign both to a single school since schools want to hear from different individuals based on the number of letters of recommendation/evaluations they require, prefer or accept.
5. Can applicants have some recommenders send letters to LSAC and others use the on-line evaluation forms?
Yes, unless a school specifically states that it wants evaluations only.
NOTE: Applicants must still assign Letters/Evaluations to specific law schools in order for the law school to receive them.