When the time comes to get letters of recommendation for law school, can I ask professors from my first and second year of college? How can I make myself stand out to them and continue the relationship after my class with them ends?

MT: You can ask professors from your first or second years, though usually students ask professors in upper-division courses that tend to be more advanced and demanding, so there is often a greater opportunity to stand out. Meet with your professors during office hours while a student in their course, so they have a greater opportunity to see how you think. In the courses where you do your best work, ask those professors whether they would be comfortable writing a strong letter of recommendation.

TH: The more recent your letters of recommendations are at the time you apply, the better. Older letters of recommendation may not be as effective because they may not reflect improvements and growth made during the last two years of college. Classes taken during the first couple of years of college are generally entry-level courses and not as rigorous as the more advanced major-level, upper-division courses.  Additionally, a professor from three to four years back may not remember you or your work as vividly as is necessary to write a strong and effective letter. 

To make yourself stand out to a professor, you should first focus on doing well in the class. Recommenders who are not confident about a student’s ability to be successful in law school usually do not write effective letters of recommendation. Professors are generally more eager to write a strong letter of recommendation for someone who did extremely well in class and someone they know. Additionally, you may want to set up an appointment with your professor at the end of the term to express your interest in going to law school and ask them whether they would be comfortable writing a letter of recommendation for you. 

PB: Try to keep in touch with your favorite professors. Stop by their offices and update them on your activities. Let them know now that you are thinking about going to law school and hope they can be a recommender.

If possible, try to take another class with them as a junior or senior. They can then see how you have matured both as a person and as a student. This scenario provides the best letters of recommendation.