So as some may know, I'm currently in the application process for law school.  Out of my three requested letters of recommendation, as far as I know, the first of them was finally completed today.  It was nearly enough to make me tear up.
 

Dear Sir or Madam:

I am pleased to honor the request of my former colleague Melcene to recommend her admission to the Seattle University School of Law.   As someone who graduated from a Jesuit high school in New York City and whose former spouse graduated from Fordham University School of Law, I have an appreciate for the rigorous educational traditions at an institution like Seattle University.

When I joined This Law Firm on March 6, 2006, Melcene was already a seasoned member of the firm’s team as a paralegal.   She was ready, willing and able to support the probate, trust & estate dispute resolution and estate planning areas in which I focus my practice.   Since our small firm is a lean operation, each of us depends on the others to succeed in resolving client problems and adding value to their lives.   Until she left the firm on May 1, 2008, Melcene was an integral and essential member of my practice team with whom I worked on a daily basis.

Melcene assisted me mostly with probate and trust or estate dispute resolution projects.   Occasionally she would pitch in on estate planning documentation or implementation.   Melcene knew the ground-level nuts and bolts of how the Ex Parte Departments of the Various county Superior Courts work in probate.   I learned to rely on her for that.   I came to know her as a diligent, determined, careful and organized person – all necessary attributes in someone to whome the type of legal work I perform is to be delegated.   Melcene also exhibited intellectual curiosity, often serving as a sounding board – someone who would challenge whether solutions I suggested would actually work.

During the period we worked together, I understood that Melcene was attending school while raiding a young child and commuting a considerable distance to work each day.   As someone who completed the final two years of his baccalaureate work while serving overseas in Army Signal Intelligence working shifts that rotated around the clock, and who worked part time as a paralegal his first two years of law school, I respect others, like Melcene, who overcome significant obstacles on the road to achieving long term goals.   I can’t say Melcene always flawlessly juggled the various moving parts of her life without ever dropping a ball.   I can say, however, that she is someone who has and will learn and benefit from whatever mistakes she makes.

Earlier this year I concluded a four year commitment as a tutor for another paralegal colleague in our office who went through the APR 6 Law Clerk Program and passed the bar.   The qualities of intellect and character it took for that person to complete the Law Clerk Program were matched by Melcene when we all worked together.   I am confident Melcene will find within herself the dedication and determination to responsibly meet the rigors of advanced academic work.   She has already demonstrated her ability to overcome adversity and exceed expectations.

Finally, as someone who didn’t begin law school until after his 29 birthday, let me put in a work for the way someone seasons classmates (especially those who have already started their families) contribute not only to the diversity of a class but also to its emotional stability.   Many students who go straight through college and law school have not yet experienced their first big disappointment in life.   They may have never completed an academic period not at or near the top of their class.   Melcene’s classmates will benefit from her maturity.

Again, I am pleased to unreservedly recommend your acceptance of my former colleague Melcene as a student at Seattle University School of Law.   She will make you proud.