How to Use Hobbies to Bolster Your Law School Application

Hobbies. They are not a make or break component of the law school application, but they are an opportunity to provide the admissions committee with a view of the person beyond the test scores and transcripts. Hobbies are also an effective way to demonstrate how you will add to the diversity of the incoming class, showcase qualities you will need as a law student/lawyer, and/or provide insight into how you may relieve stress during law school. With many law schools’ increased focus on student mental health, this is particularly noteworthy. 

Within your application, hobbies might be embedded within your personal statement, included in your resume, or referenced as anecdotes in interview responses. While hobbies can be powerful for demonstrating some of your personal qualities, we recommend considering the following guidelines before you highlight them in your application:

• Be current. If you played the trumpet in the high school band, but haven’t picked it up since then, consider what hobbies are more relevant to your life now. What do you turn to for fun, and what do you see yourself doing for stress relief in law school?

• Be specific in your description. Provide a sense of how often, and how long you have been pursuing the hobby, as well as what the hobby entails. It’s great that you love to read, do yoga, and travel, but so do many others. Consider the unique ways you have engaged with your interests. Did you launch a monthly book club for discussing the NYT best sellers? Write book reviews for the school paper? Did you gain a yoga teaching certification or take part in a unique yoga retreat? Do you travel to particular destinations or did you engage in a volunteer experience while abroad?

• State how your hobby has impacted your personal growth. Did an experience within your hobby contribute to a change in your perspective or influence your decision to apply to law school? What attributes have you developed through your hobby that will benefit you as a law student and lawyer (resilience, effective communication and collaboration skills, the ability to thrive in a diverse environment, etc.)? 

• When possible, provide an experience or milestone that differentiates your involvement in the hobby. Many people play an instrument, but fewer start a quartet or play in the university band. Many people enjoy running or fitness, fewer run the NY marathon to support a favorite cause/organization or start a running club. Providing the specific way(s) that you’ve engaged with your hobby will demonstrate to the admissions committee what you may offer to your incoming class.

What Qualities Do Law School Admissions Committees Look for in Applicants? Persistence

You want your application to tell your unique story—but there are certain qualities that law schools are looking for in applicants, and you must prove you have those through the anecdotes you share in your essays.

Persistence. Law school and the practice of law require commitment, fortitude, and tenacity. Show the admissions committee that you are up to the challenge by providing examples of previous situations in which you worked steadfastly towards a goal, despite setbacks or failures. Show your ability to face adversity and get things done. 

What Qualities Do Law School Admissions Committees Look for in Applicants? Teamwork

You want your application to tell your unique story—but there are certain qualities that law schools are looking for in applicants, and you must prove you have those through the anecdotes you share in your essays.

Teamwork and Collaborative abilities. Law school and the practice of law are often team endeavors. Throughout your application, you will want to showcase your ability to work with others to accomplish a common goal. Consider the role you play within a group and how you help bring out the best in other team members. What has working in teams taught you about yourself? Law schools are looking for a diverse range of students. You don’t need to be the captain of a sports team or a club president to be a highly-effective and persuasive leader. Rather, you need to be able to articulate how your influence and openness promote the best outcome(s) in a collaborative environment. 

What Qualities Do Law School Admissions Committees Look for in Applicants? Critical Thinking

You want your application to tell your unique story—but there are certain qualities that law schools are looking for in applicants, and you must prove you have those through the anecdotes you share in your essays.

Critical thinking. Law schools look for students who are adept at problem-solving. In Psychology Today, Christopher Dwyer, Ph.D., Assistant Lecturer in Applied Psychology at the Athlone Institute of Technology in Ireland, wrote that critical thinking is the process of using analysis, evaluation, and inference to derive a conclusion. Show that you employ this process when making decisions or handling a problem. Demonstrate your ability to combine and review disparate pieces of information to examine a situation and come to a conclusion. 

What Qualities Do Law School Admissions Committees Look for in Applicants? Intellectual Curiosity

You want your application to tell your unique story—but there are certain qualities that law schools are looking for in applicants, and you must prove you have those through your anecdotes. This week, we’ll highlight some traits that you want to show in your Personal Statement.

Intellectual curiosity. Law school is academically rigorous, and schools want students who can not only handle the workload but elevate the classroom discourse by engaging deeply with the material and concepts. Just demonstrating a record of academic success is not enough. Rather, you will want to show the admissions committee examples of situations where you went beyond what was required to better comprehend a topic. Show your commitment to asking questions, taking on additional research, and seeking out learning opportunities. Keep in mind that you can demonstrate intellectual curiosity in an academic environment but also beyond it – at work or in your participation with a charity or hobby. 

Crafting Your Personal Statement: Lessons from Memoir Writing

A memoir requires more than a recounting of events from your life. Rather, you must show the reader that you’ve experienced transcendence. Marion Roach Smith calls it the “golden rule” of memoir. She writes, “Memoir is not about what you did. Memoir is about what you did with it.” The experience is not the focus or the reason for the writing, just the vessel for sharing a more universal learning with your audience. 

Smith expands this thought when she writes, “Specifically memoir is a promise from me that I experienced something, I’ve given some real thought to it and now know what it is, and now I am going to share what I now know with you. The promise is not that I am going to recreate the experience or make you relive it with me.” 

This approach also aligns with what admissions committees are seeking in your personal statement. From your past experiences, they want to learn more about your potential and character. Show them how a recent discovery helped you evolve, how you’ve refined your abilities in innovation and/or leadership, and/or teamwork. Prove to them that you are ready to pursue a graduate education and career path.

Below, we’ve compiled a few other takeaways from Marion Roach Smith’s approach to memoir that will help you craft a strong personal statement. Also, be sure to check out her memoir manifesto. 

1. Structure. Memoir is created out of three components. Prior to writing, sit down and consider the building blocks of your piece. 1) What is this about (think: universal, e.g., connecting with and empowering your team, trying and trying again to find the right approach to solve a complex problem)? 2) What is your argument (something that you learned based on your experience)? 3) What experiences from your life will you deploy to prove your argument? 

2. Think small. Memoir requires that you share your growth with the audience, which can be done effectively by incorporating small details. Smith notes the power of observation for showing the reader your journey to transcendence. She writes, “Never forget about the small stuff and how it reveals the big stuff of life.” Small details also create a relationship with your reader, drawing them into the experience. 

3. Don’t forget your audience. Your memoir should hit on universal themes that are relatable to the reader. When you’re writing, and more importantly editing and rewriting, keep in mind how your audience will take in what you’re saying. Did you provide enough detail of the experiences to show growth and to make your argument? Did you provide too much or extraneous detail? Were you vulnerable and honest in your writing? 

4. Keep it tight. Focus only on the experiences, sentences, and words that you absolutely need to support your argument and demonstrate your growth in the piece. You want to go deep, not broad. Adding in additional stories can distract the reader, and potentially lose them. Once you have demonstrated growth and made your argument, your personal statement is complete. Fight the urge to turn it into an autobiography or a resume.

Writing Tip: See Feelings as Information

This week on the blog we’re providing you with a to-do list for your personal statement and school-specific essays. Keep these tips in mind throughout your writing process.

See feelings as information. If you can state or allude to how an experience made you feel, you will paint a dynamic picture for the admissions team. You can include "negative" emotions like fear but also positive ones like joy, camaraderie, and pride.

We don't believe in self-aggrandizing but don't self-deprecate either. We think the "pride"-vibe you're aiming for is best explained by organizational psychologist and author Adam Grant: "Downplaying your achievements is not the antidote to appearing arrogant. Humility is acknowledging your weaknesses, not denying your strengths. Generosity is elevating others, not diminishing yourself. Owning your success doesn't make you a narcissist—it makes you a role model.”

(Bonus!) Understand that you will rewrite most things. Embrace it. Know now that having to write several drafts is not a failure. It is a way to success.

Writing Tip: Don't Shy Away From Fear

This week on the blog we’re providing you with a to-do list for your personal statement and school-specific essays. Keep these tips in mind throughout your writing process.

Show fear when it's applicable. Similarly, the "show no fear" image people often want to flaunt in their applications doesn't seem authentic because it isn't. You have many terrific qualities; being 100% fearless isn't one of them. You've experienced fear, whether it was about not finishing your Honors thesis on time or confronting a colleague about a sexist comment. Good. Fear helps you assess a situation, prepare yourself to address it properly, and take (sometimes very cautious) action. Addressing a fear can be quite humbling—it's another way to show vulnerability in your application. And fear can be a pathway to courage.

Writing Tip: Show Self-Awareness

This week on the blog we’re providing you with a to-do list for your personal statement and school-specific essays. Keep these tips in mind throughout your writing process.

Show that you're self-aware. Many of our clients shy away from sharing examples of their weaknesses or times they've made mistakes in their Personal Statement. But replaying a fumble is an opportunity to then share actions you took to remedy a situation and lessons you learned. That said, not every issue you present must be one that you've fully resolved. For example, say you're great at presenting ideas on paper but you have a hard time speaking up in professional settings. Likely, one beautiful, clarifying moment didn't change that forever. That's something you work on over a long period. You may share an anecdote where you spoke well in front of an intimidating group and how you prepared to do it. Then say how you will continue improving your verbal communication skills and how you plan to exercise that muscle regularly in the future. That's a stronger, more realistic take than "I will never have this problem again!”

Writing Tip: Remember what Resonates

This week on the blog we’re providing you with a to-do list for your personal statement and school-specific essays. Keep these tips in mind throughout your writing process.

Remember what resonates most with reviewers: Passion. Depth of Impact. Potential. We probably don't need to explain passion to you. Depth of impact means expressing how much an experience and your actions during it changed things within you and/or outside of you. Potential is you exemplifying one or more qualities that medical, law, or business schools admire: Leadership, collaboration, critical thinking, etc. You know these from your brainstorm “buckets."

Writing Tip: Emphasize Past Experiences

This week on the blog we’re providing you with a to-do list for your personal statement and school-specific essays. Keep these tips in mind throughout your writing process.

Emphasize past experiences. Focus on what you've done more than on what you want to do. So many of our clients think their essays should exclusively be about their fantasy future. But this isn't a magic carpet ride. Your rug must be on the ground. What you have accomplished and learned is the only proof that you are committed to the study and practice of medicine, law, or business. (Take note of that phrase because you should be reinforcing this commitment throughout your application.) 

Your Chronotype: Your Performance

Our society puts a lot of emphasis on external knowledge-gathering. Obtaining degrees, certifications, and reading the latest developments in industry publications. We are taught to be conscious of ways that we can improve our knowledgebase and skillset. Yet, many of us are overlooking an opportunity to value-add by looking inward and positioning ourselves accordingly. 

“For decades, organizations have optimized for efficiency of systems,” said Michael Platt, Faculty Director of the Wharton Neuroscience Initiative. “The next frontier is optimizing for the human brain. When we align work with how our brains actually function, adaptability becomes a structural advantage, not just a cultural aspiration.” 

One component of this alignment is chronotype. Research by the Wharton Neuroscience Initiative in collaboration with the Slalom HabLab has shown working in tandem with your chronotype positively impacts individual and team performance. Let’s dive in.

What is a chronotype?

You’re probably familiar with circadian rhythms, or the 24-hour cycle where the body catalyzes necessary functions, including wake and sleep times, hunger and digestion, energy use and rest. Your chronotype, then, as described by UCLA Health, is the “subjective way you experience your circadian rhythm” within the day. In other words, some people have a chronotype that syncs with the sun, whereas others may not. Pop culture references the idea with terms like “morning birds” and “night owls.” 

Your chronotype is predominantly genetic. Although it may shift some with age (see: your toddler self’s versus your teenage self’s wake-time preferences). While outside factors, such as light exposure and lifestyle choices can make mild impacts, it is preferable to notice and work with your natural tendency rather than fighting to overcome it.  

Mt. Sinai Health recognizes neuroscientist Dr. Michael Breus’ four chronotype categories:

1. Lions: (15 percent of people) These are the folks who tend to wake around 5 AM and retire around 9 or 10 PM. This group is most productive in the morning. 

2. Bears: (40 percent) Bears generally wake and sleep with the sun and are most productive between 11 AM and 6 PM.

3. Wolves: (30 percent) Up late howling at the moon, wolves typically wake around 9 AM and go to sleep around 12 or 1 AM. They are most productive at night. 

4. Dolphins: (15 percent) These light-sleepers often experience insomnia and/or sleep anxiety. Dolphins fight sleep and wake frequently throughout the night. They are most productive mid-morning, generally between 10 AM and 2 PM. 

Why does it matter?

It’s simple. “Timing is a hidden variable in performance,” executive director of the Wharton Neuroscience Initiative Elizabeth Johnson said. “We scrutinize talent, strategy, and technology, but rarely ask whether we’re engaging people at the moments their brains are best equipped to deliver.” 

But it’s also nuanced. Your energy ebbs and flows throughout the day, providing varying peak output times based on task type. Some cognitive functions do not vary based on chronotype, while others – research shows attention and alertness – are quite impacted by time of day. 

The Wharton Neuroscience Initiative and the Slalom HabLab explored chronotype and its impact on creative output. Participants completed both a chronotype assessment as well as an assigned creative task. The task was scored on four attributes: productivity, diversity of ideas, originality, and depth. Researchers then compared the average task scores for participants who completed the task during their peak time period based on the chronotype assessment and those who did not. The preliminary findings were clear: The group that completed the task according to chronotype, scored higher on average, across the four evaluation areas. Noteworthy differences emerged in the scores for originality and depth in particular.

“What this study shows is something neuroscience has long suggested: The brain is not uniformly optimized across the day,” said Michael Platt, Faculty Director of the Wharton Neuroscience Initiative. “When leaders expect peak performance at all hours, they’re operating under a biological illusion. High-performing organizations recognize that timing is a cognitive variable. Aligning work with neural readiness isn’t a perk, it’s a performance strategy.” 

If I know I’m a night owl, is that enough?

Importantly, about 27 percent of participants in the Wharton study self-identified with a chronotype that did not match their assessment results. This suggests that on occasion, a disconnect exists between perception and reality. 

We recommend the Morning-Eveningness Questionnaire (MEQ) for a scientifically-validated method to determine your chronotype. This assessment uses your reported behaviors to provide you with your placement on a continuum from “super lark” to “super owl.” In addition to your placement on the scale, this tool will provide suggested times when you may maximize your productivity for different tasks. 

Additionally, we encourage you to incorporate this finding into daily life. Here are three ways to make the most of your results, and increase your productivity at work:

1. Share your chronotype with teammates and let them know your preferences for allocating time. Additionally, ask those you work closely with how they work best. 

   If you’re a night owl and your co-worker a morning lark – kismet! You can pass work off between you efficiently. Two night owls? Again, kismet! You can work creatively together later in the afternoon, or you can meet for administrative discussions earlier in the day and block time for deep work during your productive late afternoon hours. 

2. To build on the last idea; when possible, block out your calendar based on your chronotype. Place tasks that are more creative, analytical, or administrative in nature where they might make the most sense for you in your day. The MEQ will provide key insights for understanding this timing.

3. Generally, attempt to adhere your schedule to your chronotype for both work and social activities. Determine when deep work makes sense, as well as exercise and social activities. For example, dolphins are generally suited to morning exercise to stave off grogginess, whereas bears may choose to work out in the morning or in the early evening to match their energy peaks. Finally, when looking to socialize, consider if a morning coffee or an evening happy hour would better suit your sleep needs than a late night. Prioritize sleep and wake times that will maximize your energy.

Common Mistakes to Avoid When Writing Your Personal Statement (Part 5)

In this five-part blog series, we’ll highlight some of the most common mistakes we see applicants make as they approach the Personal Statement. Try your best to avoid them.

• Having too many readers: Having too many readers review your Personal Statement is a common mistake. If you're an Apply Point client, consider asking two people besides your two Apply Point advisors (who work as a team) to read your essays. If you're not working with a consultant, you could ask up to four people to read your work but make that the maximum just so you won't be overwhelmed by input.

This is certainly not us saying that you shouldn't have any readers at all. You want eyes or ears on this, especially if they're attached to someone you respect who knows you well. In fact, the top question you should ask them is: "Does this sound like me?" Friends, family members, or a mentor can confirm if your essay gets your personality and best qualities across. That said, send them the edited, polished draft rather than your raw first draft. This way their suggestions and questions won't psych you out because you already have a good idea of what you want to present in your statement.

One more note on having too many readers: Never post your essay in an online forum, such as Reddit. Sharing thoughts and advice on the overall application process online with other prospective students is great, but if you post your essay, you'll have too many strangers giving input and you’ll be vulnerable to plagiarizers. 

Common Mistakes to Avoid When Writing Your Personal Statement (Part 4)

In this five-part blog series, we’ll highlight some of the most common mistakes we see applicants make as they approach the Personal Statement. Try your best to avoid them.

• Using long quotes: A short conversation you had in an intense circumstance can be illustrative in a Personal Statement. It helps a reader picture the event. But making the point of your essay completely revolve around a long quote of someone else's thoughts about medicine, leadership, integrity, or whatever, makes it their essay, not yours. No literary celebrity, professor, professional you worked with, or dad is supposed to be the star of this show. 

• Dwelling on childhood stories: Saying you played lawyer / doctor / businessman as a kid should not feature prominently in your Personal Statement. In fact, we'd skip it: It's not a unique sentiment. Schools don't care how long you've dreamed of taking this step—they care if you have the potential and drive to make it happen.

This doesn't mean that a flashback scene is never relevant. If your mom had cancer when you were eight years old, you grew up fast, and you learned things about the healthcare system and doctor-patient interactions that influenced your professional goals. That is noteworthy. But you need this essay to focus on your recent impactful experiences. Ones that reinforced your interest in this career path and gave you the skills applicable to excelling in a program. 

Common Mistakes to Avoid When Writing Your Personal Statement (Part 3)

In this five-part blog series, we’ll highlight some of the most common mistakes we see applicants make as they approach the Personal Statement. Try your best to avoid them.

• Staying linear: You don’t need the essay to be linear. Imagine your intro paragraph as the opening sequence of a movie—the most thrilling ones start mid-scene. You want to see an action star in action, not waking up to a buzzing alarm clock. Don't save the excitement for many scenes later. Show yourself there, then explain how you got there. 

• Overusing passive voice: Keep most of your sentences active. Passive voice can minimize your contributions and slow down your essay's momentum. Active sentences move the statement forward. 

There is flexibility, of course. Some passive sentences aren't slow-going or unnatural. Take the passive "My research has been accepted for an oral presentation at the National Impressive Conference." vs. the active "The National Impressive Conference has accepted my research for an oral presentation." Honestly, both sentences are fine. Neither goes on too long nor is confusing. Both read as a natural way of speaking—the passive one might be a little more natural. 

There are also times when you'll use passive voice for effect, accuracy, clarity, or flow. Just be mindful of how often you're doing it. 

Common Mistakes to Avoid When Writing Your Personal Statement (Part 2)

In this five-part blog series, we’ll highlight some of the most common mistakes we see applicants make as they approach the Personal Statement. Try your best to avoid them.

• Being uptight: A personal essay is more like journalism than an academic paper. You're telling a story, and this one is about you. You want to sound intelligent and respectful but being a bit colloquial makes you appear confident and relaxed. As if to say, "This is who I am. This is who I plan to become." Boom.

Also, a profound statement is often a simple one. We've heard more than one app reader complain about needing to consult a dictionary because an applicant had been over-consulting a thesaurus. Another reason to write less formally: You're going to interview at these schools. (Hopefully!) If you don't speak at all how you write, they're going to be confused about who you really are. 

• Getting too poetic: Being a little poetic can show style, but if your point isn't clear, a beautiful turn of phrase is meaningless. One of our mottos is: "Clarity above all things." Leave no room for misinterpretation. The reader needs to see the story how you do. Crisp and untangled writing is also best given the character count limitation and how much you need to share. There is room for imagery but there isn't a lot of room for showiness. 

• Spouting off clichés: Nothing says, "I don't think outside of the box" quite like the phrase "I think outside of the box." We also read a lot of first drafts that include "puzzle pieces"—skip 'em, they're going to be in a thousand other essays. 

Common Mistakes to Avoid When Writing Your Personal Statement (Part 1)

Writing a Personal Statement is a massive undertaking. In a relatively short document, you’re trying to show the admissions committee who you are and what you value, while simultaneously building a case for why you will succeed in the program and, later, in your career. It’s a lot. But we can help. 

In this five-part blog series, we’ll highlight some of the most common mistakes we see applicants make as they approach the Personal Statement. Try your best to avoid them.

• Trying to include everything: You cannot fit every experience you've ever had into this essay—and hey, that's why you also submit a Resume or a Work and Activities section. Stick to one or two key experiences that prompted growth and reinforced your interest in the program. The Personal Statement is about showing depth. 

• Telling instead of showing: The admissions committee is looking for more than a list of your strengths and traits. Not only is that boring, it is unreliable. A good rule of writing is: “Show, don't tell." Listing off your qualities is meaningless if you're not backing them up with real-life examples. Instead of telling the reader, “I am a good leader because I am diligent and organized,” provide a leadership anecdote that will show you empowering your team. 

Similarly, don’t tell the school what you will do in the future without showing them why you are capable of achieving such things. We've said it before: Sharing goals works when what comes before it exemplifies your strengths and abilities. More than what you want to do, what you have done tells us who you are.

Law School Early Decision: The Pros and Cons

Considering an early decision law school application? You’ve come to the right place. We’ve summarized the pros and cons to applying early decision below:  

Pros

• Applying early decision will place you in a smaller “yield protection” applicant pool than applying regular decision. This can advantage you if you’re seeking to gain access to a “reach” school, as you have clearly demonstrated a commitment to the program and will definitely attend if admitted. Schools are always interested in protecting their yield. Do note that some schools grant automatic scholarships to all students admitted early decision, which increases the competitiveness of their early decision round (Northwestern and Berkley). 

• If you have a slightly lower than a school’s average GPA or LSAT score, applying early decision may help you to gain admittance to a school you may not have otherwise. 

• You will receive an expedited response—an accept, reject, or move to the regular decision pool. If you are moved into the regular decision pool, your preference for the program, shown through your initial early decision application, may benefit you as schools are looking for applicants who will accept their admission offers. 

Cons

• Early decision deadlines come… early. So you will need to finalize all of your application materials, which includes recommendations and test scores, earlier. For most early decision deadlines, you’ll need to complete the LSAT/GRE by October (confirm the deadlines on the school admissions page). 

• By committing to the law school, you are giving up your ability to negotiate for scholarships. In fact, we recommend that you do not apply early decision if financial assistance is an important factor for you. This is unless you are applying to one of the programs (Northwestern Pritzker or Berkeley) that award assistance to all early decision admittances, and you are comfortable with that financial award. 

• You may not be able to defer your matriculation to the school, if admitted via early decision. If the option to defer is important to you, confirm with the admissions office their policy on early decision deferrals prior to submitting your application. 

• You cannot change your mind. Your admissions decision is binding (you are contractually obligated to withdraw your other applications) and you must matriculate at the school if you receive an early decision acceptance…even if you find out that you’ve been accepted to a more appealing program. 

The bottom line is that applying early decision requires a great deal of commitment on your part. While it can bolster your chances for admission in some cases, you want to be 100 percent sure that you would attend a particular program regardless of financial aid. 

Law School Early Decision: What You Need to Know

Due to the rolling admissions at most law schools, prospective law students should submit their application materials as early as possible in the admissions cycle. But, if early is good, is early decision even better? Well… it’s complicated.

Submitting an early decision application is an appealing choice. Generally, the applicant pool is smaller. Classes are still open and waiting to be filled. Admissions officers provide expedited decisions, which can relieve a lot of stress. And, it provides the applicant a chance to demonstrate commitment and enthusiasm for the program, which can be highly beneficial. However, despite these positives, there are some complexities to consider. 

Early decision applications are (almost always) binding. If you are admitted to a law school early decision, you agree to withdraw all other applications and enroll. There is no leeway. It doesn’t matter if you were also accepted to the dream school that you thought you’d never get into or if your financing falls through and you find yourself in need of merit-based scholarship money. And, for the most part, if an applicant applies early-decision they forego the possibility of receiving any scholarships.  This is because they have already agreed to attend if admitted.  The school doesn’t have to woo them with money. 

Does it still sound like early decision may be right for you? Be sure to check out our tomorrow’s post , where we’ll summarize the pros and cons of submitting an early decision application.

FAQs on Letters of Recommendation for your Law School Application

Frequently Asked Questions

I’m not very close with any of my professors, but have a great relationship with the volunteer manager at the legal aid clinic. Can I use her as a reference?

Law schools specifically look for recommendation letters to provide insight into a candidate’s ability to thrive in a challenging academic environment. You will need to have at least one reference from an academic source. Even if you aren’t close, providing specific examples from class discussions and course work will allow the professor to speak directly to the quality of your work.

Check with the law school, but most will accept supplemental recommendations. So you can also request a recommendation letter from your volunteer manager.

I’ve been out of school and working for a while now. Can I have my current supervisor write one of my recommendation letters?

Yes, if you have been out of school and working for a few years, you may ask your supervisor to complete a letter of recommendation. But you still must ensure you have one academic reference.  

The law school requires two recommendations, but will accept up to four. Do I need to submit four?

You do not need to submit the maximum number. Carefully consider the perspective and anecdotes that each of your potential recommenders could share. Pare down the number if you feel any of your recommenders will provide overlapping views of your abilities. However, if you have four strong relationships and each recommender can provide a unique view of your skills and character, then feel free to submit them all.

What if my recommender asks me, the applicant, to write the letter?

If a potential recommender puts you in a tough spot and only agrees to submit a letter that you’ve written, it is best to move on. It is often obvious to schools when an applicant has crafted the copy because of similarities in voice to other application components.