1. Assume that schools prefer academic recommendations unless they specifically request a professional one. An academic recommender is someone who has taught you in a college classroom environment, graded your papers, led your discussion sections, etc.

2. Law school recommendations are not meant to be character references; they should focus on you as a student.

How many recommendations are too many? Is there such a thing? Here are some simple rules.

Have you summoned up the courage to ask a professor or an employer for a recommendation, only to have that person say, "Sure, send me a draft and I'll sign it?"

That happens a lot, mostly with professional recommenders, but sometimes too with professors. It puts applicants in quite a pickle.

I'm no longer surprised by the number of law school applicants who report that their professors make them write their own recommendation letters.