Your student should include specific forms with his request for a letter of recommendation. These include a copy of his transcript, resume, written personal statement, copies of past work in your class, signed LSAC form, institutional form and an addressed, stamped envelope. You should use this information to generate an overview of the student's history in your class. Include specific information about your student from classes that you taught. Your personal overview should site specific instances where your student demonstrated exceptional skills under your teaching.
Identify specific elements of intellectual strength in your student. These include academic achievements, consistent academic success or particular events where your student demonstrated an understanding of material above your expectations. Law schools appreciate this information, as it shows that a student possesses these intellectual strengths and is capable of using them in a meaningful way. For instance, you may remember a question on the student's final, where he demonstrated an understanding of a historical event that was well beyond what you described in your lecture, showing a personal interest and understanding of the subject. Include these strengths in your letter of recommendation.
Law schools appreciate comparative letters: letters that compare your student to the achievements and skills of other students. Avoid using the names or any identifying information about other students, but make sure to compare your particular student's talents and understanding. As an example, you can describe how one of your student's papers showed an understanding of judicial precedent that was superior to that of his classmates. These comparisons show that your student has the ability to excel over similarly educated students, a quality that law schools look for in applicants. They also look for a personal desire to work hard, above the expectations of the rest of the class.
Include information about your student's moral character. Include information about your student offering to help another student or instances where your student showed positive leadership in your class or with other students in a small group environment. Ethics are difficult to teach, and information about students who already possess these attributes is invaluable to law school applicant reviewers.