How to Write a LOCI: Tips for Law Professionals & Students

A Letter of Continued Interest (LOCI) is one of the most underutilized tools in law school admissions and legal career advancement. When you have been waitlisted by a law school, deferred by an employer, or placed on hold for a clerkship, a LOCI gives you the opportunity to reaffirm your interest, provide new information, and distinguish yourself from other candidates in the same position. Written well, it can be the difference between an acceptance and a rejection.

This guide provides a comprehensive, step-by-step approach to writing an effective LOCI specifically for law professionals and students. Whether you are navigating law school waitlists, judicial clerkship applications, or competitive legal internships, you will learn how to craft a persuasive letter that demonstrates genuine interest, highlights your evolving qualifications, and maintains the professional tone that the legal field demands.

Understanding What a LOCI Is (and Is Not)

A Letter of Continued Interest is a formal communication sent to an institution that has placed you on a waitlist or deferred your application. Its primary purposes are to:

• Reaffirm your interest: Confirm that you remain committed to attending or working at this specific institution
• Provide updates: Share new achievements, grades, experiences, or qualifications acquired since your original application
• Demonstrate fit: Articulate why this particular school or position is uniquely suited to your goals
• Show professionalism: Exhibit the communication skills and attention to detail that the legal profession demands

A LOCI is not an opportunity to reargue your entire application, complain about the waitlist decision, send a generic form letter, or pressure the institution. It should be concise (typically one page), professional, and focused on what has changed since your original application.

When to Send a LOCI

Timing matters. Here are the standard situations and appropriate timelines:

• Law school waitlist: Send within one to two weeks of receiving the waitlist notification. If the school provides specific instructions about LOCIs (some do), follow them exactly.
• Clerkship deferrals: Send within a week of notification, unless the judge's chambers specify a different timeline.
• Legal internship/employment holds: Send within one to two weeks, and consider sending an additional update if significant new achievements arise before the final decision.

If a school explicitly states they do not want additional materials, respect that instruction. Ignoring it demonstrates poor judgment, the opposite of what a LOCI should convey.

Materials and Preparation

What You Need Before Writing

Gather these materials before you start drafting:

• Your original application: Review your personal statement, resume, and supplemental essays so you do not repeat yourself
• The waitlist notification: Note any specific instructions or preferences the institution expressed
• Updated achievements: Compile a list of everything that has changed since you applied, new grades, publications, awards, work experience, volunteer activities, or relevant coursework
• Specific knowledge about the program: Research recent developments, faculty hires, clinics, journals, or events at the institution that align with your interests
• Correct contact information: Verify the name, title, and address of the person to whom you should send the letter

Step-by-Step Guide to Writing a LOCI

Step 1: Open With Clear Purpose

Your opening paragraph should accomplish three things in three to four sentences: state your name and the program you applied to, acknowledge the waitlist decision graciously, and reaffirm that this institution remains your top choice (only if this is true, dishonesty here can backfire).

Example: "Thank you for considering my application to [Law School] for the Class of [year]. I understand the admissions process is highly competitive, and I appreciate your decision to place me on the waitlist. I am writing to reaffirm that [Law School] remains my first choice and to provide an update on my qualifications since submitting my application."

Step 2: Present New Information

This is the core of your LOCI. Detail two to three significant updates that strengthen your candidacy. These might include:

• Improved grades or GPA (if applicable)
• New work experience, especially in legal settings
• Published writing, research projects, or academic awards
• Relevant volunteer work or community involvement
• Additional certifications, skills, or language proficiency

For each update, briefly explain its significance. Do not just list achievements, connect them to why they make you a stronger candidate for this specific program.

Step 3: Demonstrate Specific Fit

Show that your interest is not generic by referencing specific aspects of the program. Mention a clinic you want to join, a professor whose research aligns with your interests, a journal you hope to contribute to, or a recent event or initiative by the school that excited you. This demonstrates that you have done your homework and that your interest is informed and genuine.

Example: "I was particularly excited to learn about [Law School]'s new Environmental Law Clinic, which aligns directly with my research on water rights policy during my senior thesis. I would welcome the opportunity to contribute to this clinic while developing practical advocacy skills."

Step 4: Close Professionally

End with a brief restatement of your enthusiasm, an offer to provide additional materials if helpful, and your contact information. Thank the reader for their time and consideration.

Tips for Effective LOCI Writing

Precision in Language

Legal writing demands precision, and your LOCI should demonstrate this quality. Choose words that convey exact meanings without ambiguity. Avoid vague phrasing like "I have been doing a lot of legal work", instead, write "Since November, I have completed 120 hours of pro bono work with the Legal Aid Society, focusing on housing discrimination cases." Specific details build credibility; generalizations erode it.

Maintain consistent terminology throughout the letter. If you refer to the institution as "Georgetown Law" in the first paragraph, do not switch to "GULC" or "Georgetown University Law Center" later. Consistency signals care and attention to detail.

Verify Every Fact

Double-check all facts before submission. Errors in dates, names, or program details undermine your credibility and suggest carelessness, precisely the opposite of what you want to convey. If you reference a professor's research, verify that it is current. If you cite a program or clinic, confirm it still exists and is accepting students.

Keep It to One Page

Admissions committees read hundreds of LOCIs. Respect their time by keeping yours concise, ideally three to four paragraphs on a single page. Every sentence should serve a purpose. If a sentence does not reaffirm your interest, provide new information, or demonstrate specific fit, cut it.

Have Someone Review It

Before sending, have a pre-law advisor, mentor, or trusted colleague review your LOCI. A second set of eyes catches errors you may have overlooked and can assess whether your tone strikes the right balance between enthusiasm and professionalism.

"The most effective letters of continued interest do three things well: they are genuine, they are specific, and they are short. Admissions committees can spot a form letter instantly, and it never helps."

-- Mike Spivey, founder of Spivey Consulting and former law school admissions dean

Common Mistakes to Avoid

1. Sending a generic letter that could apply to any school. If you could replace the school's name with any other school and the letter would still make sense, it is not specific enough. Reference programs, faculty, clinics, and opportunities unique to that institution.
2. Repeating your personal statement. The LOCI should contain new information, not repackage what they have already read. If you have no genuine updates, focus on demonstrating specific fit with the program rather than rehashing your application narrative.
3. Being overly emotional or desperate. Phrases like "this is my dream school" or "I will be devastated if I am not accepted" are counterproductive. They shift the focus from your qualifications to your feelings, and admissions committees make decisions based on merit, not sympathy.
4. Sending multiple LOCIs too frequently. One well-crafted LOCI is sufficient unless you have genuinely significant new information to share (such as a substantially improved GPA or a major award). Sending weekly updates signals anxiety, not interest.
5. Ignoring the school's specific instructions. Some schools provide explicit guidelines about LOCIs, when to send them, how long they should be, what format to use, or whether to submit them at all. Failing to follow these instructions demonstrates exactly the kind of poor attention to detail that law schools are trying to filter out.

Sample LOCI Paragraphs

To illustrate the difference between weak and strong LOCI writing, consider these examples:

Weak Update Paragraph

"Since applying, I have been doing more legal work and my grades have improved. I continue to be very interested in your program and I think I would be a good fit."

This paragraph fails because it provides no specifics. What kind of legal work? How much did grades improve? Why would you be a good fit? Every claim is vague and unsubstantiated.

Strong Update Paragraph

"Since submitting my application in October, I have completed 120 hours of pro bono work with the Legal Aid Society of Philadelphia, focusing on housing discrimination cases under the Fair Housing Act. Additionally, my fall semester GPA rose to 3.78, bringing my cumulative GPA to 3.65. I also co-authored a policy brief on equitable zoning practices that was published in the Penn Urban Policy Review in January 2026, further deepening my commitment to housing justice."

This paragraph succeeds because every claim is specific, quantified, and connected to a clear narrative of the candidate's development. It provides the admissions committee with concrete new information they did not have when making the initial decision.

Weak Fit Paragraph

"I love your school and it has been my dream to attend since I was young. I think the programs you offer are amazing and I would really thrive there."

Strong Fit Paragraph

"Georgetown Law's Institute for Public Representation aligns directly with my commitment to civil rights litigation, and I was excited to learn that Professor Emma Rodriguez recently joined the faculty with a focus on fair lending enforcement, an area I explored extensively during my undergraduate capstone. I would welcome the opportunity to contribute to the Housing Rights Clinic while building the litigation skills necessary for a career in civil rights law."

Writing a LOCI with ChatGPT

AI tools can help you draft and refine your LOCI, but the final product must reflect your genuine voice and real accomplishments. Here are specific prompts:

Always verify that any AI-assisted draft accurately represents your real achievements, correctly names programs and faculty, and reads as authentically yours. Admissions professionals can often detect AI-generated text, so use it as a foundation that you then substantially personalize.

Troubleshooting Common Issues

You Have No Significant New Achievements

If nothing substantial has changed since your application, focus your LOCI on demonstrating specific fit rather than updates. Research the program deeply and articulate exactly why this school is uniquely suited to your goals. You can also mention ongoing activities, a research project still in progress, a course you are excelling in, or a volunteer commitment you have deepened, even if they were part of your original application.

You Were Waitlisted at Multiple Schools

Write a separate, tailored LOCI for each school. Never send a generic letter to multiple institutions, the "specific fit" section must be genuinely specific to each school. If one school is your clear top choice, make that evident in your letter. For other schools, focus on program-specific fit without claiming each is your "number one" choice.

The School Has Not Provided Instructions

If no specific LOCI guidelines were provided, send a professional one-page letter via the application portal or to the admissions office email within two weeks of receiving the waitlist notification. When in doubt, call the admissions office and ask whether they accept additional materials from waitlisted candidates and whether there is a preferred format or submission method.

Conclusion

A well-crafted Letter of Continued Interest can meaningfully improve your chances of moving from a waitlist to an acceptance. By combining genuine enthusiasm with concrete updates, demonstrating specific knowledge of the program, and maintaining the professional precision that the legal field demands, you create a letter that makes the admissions committee's decision easier. Keep it focused, keep it honest, and keep it to one page. In law, as in LOCI writing, every word should serve a purpose.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a Letter of Continued Interest (LOCI) in a legal context?

A LOCI is a formal letter sent to a law school, clerkship, or legal employer that has waitlisted or deferred your application. It reaffirms your interest, provides updates on new achievements or qualifications, and demonstrates specific fit with the program. Its purpose is to strengthen your candidacy during the final decision-making process.

Why is specificity important in LOCI writing?

Specificity demonstrates that your interest is genuine and informed rather than generic. References to particular programs, professors, clinics, and initiatives show that you have researched the institution thoroughly and can articulate exactly why it aligns with your goals. Generic letters suggest a candidate who is applying broadly without real commitment.

When should I send a LOCI?

Send your LOCI within one to two weeks of receiving a waitlist notification, unless the institution provides different timing instructions. If significant new achievements arise later, a brief follow-up update may be appropriate. Avoid sending multiple letters unless you have genuinely substantial new information to share.

How long should a LOCI be?

A LOCI should be one page, typically three to four paragraphs. Conciseness is essential, admissions committees read hundreds of these letters, and a focused, well-organized one-page letter is far more effective than a rambling multi-page one.

What are common mistakes in LOCI writing?

The most common mistakes include sending generic letters that could apply to any school, repeating your personal statement instead of providing new information, using emotional or desperate language, sending too many follow-up letters, and ignoring the school's specific instructions about additional materials.