quote:

Dear Colleagues:

I have been pestered and harassed into writing this letter on behalf of <name redacted>. When Ms. <name redacted> first asked me for a letter of recommendation in support of her application to your law school, I respectfully declined. She then began to come to my office on a near-daily basis, hounding me to change my mind. She argued that because she had taken three classes from me, and because I am an attorney, I was in the best position to write such a letter advocating for her admission to law school. I explained to her that she never earned a grade higher than a “C” in any of the assignments she submitted in my courses. I further explained that she was frequently absent or late to my classes. When did attend, she was rarely prepared for class. In fact, I could not recall a single instance in which she performed well in a Socratic dialogue. I, therefore, could not recommend her admission to law school in good conscience.

In spite of my explanations about her unsuitability for law school, Ms. <name redacted> and her mother came to my office to demand I write a letter on Ms. <name redacted>’s behalf. In fact, Ms. <name redacted>’s mother threatened me with legal action if I did not write her daughter a letter. She yelled and cursed at me, saying, “I pay your f#%&*@ salary! I will make sure you are denied tenure for failing to attend to the educational needs of your students!” So, I agreed to write this letter. Here is my honest assessment of Ms. <name redacted>:

In my opinion, you should not accept Ms. <name redacted> into your entering class of law students. She is neither smart enough nor mature enough to handle the rigors of law school. Moreover, she represents the exact type of personality that is likely to bring disrepute not only to your law school, but to the legal profession as a whole. Accordingly, I urge you to reject her application.

Sincerely,

<removed>, J.D., Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Law and Justice
Pre-Law Advisor