News » RECOMMENDATION LETTERS, REFERENCES & NETWORKING

Rarely are law students asked to provide full letters of recommendation with their application materials. Of course, the major exceptions to this rule are judicial clerkship and fellowship applications. However, you will need references with almost every application. Make sure to keep those serving as your references updated on your job search so that they are not blindsided by a call. This is especially true for organizations with which they may be less familiar. When a reference knows more about an organization, they will be able to better tailor their comments to reflect their mission and your strengths and interests.

Also, as with the other contacts in your network, keep in touch from time to time when you are not actively engaged in a job search so that you can keep the connections alive and healthy. Often, this helps your contacts remember where you are and in what you are involved, in case they need to tap into your network or expertise!