[eljay1103]

Hello everyone I just need some help with writing a letter of recommendation. Not what to say about the person but just how to word it how to start it and end it. Hes someone I know so its not like I don't know what to say about the person he's great like a part of the family my 2 year old daughter loves him just made some messed up decisions its not for a job is for a lawyer I just need a professional way to write my letter. Please some tips I need to write this tonight.

[colbtech]

Before you start writing... don't lie with anything you write. Second... don't exaggerate (same as lying but only a little). If you exaggerate too much, he'll sound like an angel from the Lord himself!

Start with your contact details in the top right corner. Someone may contact you about what you have written.

See attached ref.txt for the bulk

End with "Sincerely yours,"

And sign it.

[Clough]

Hi, eljay1103!

I think that the above answer by colbtech is excellent! I know that you needed this information yesterday, but just in case you're not done, and even if you are, I thought that it might be a good idea to add something in case others might come along wanting to know about how to write a reference or recommendation letter on behalf of someone who has been convicted of a crime, or has been arrested.

Now, I put the words the way that I did on purpose in that last sentence so that people will be more likely to find this thread when doing searches on the Internet for how to write that kind of letter to a judge, attorney or anyone else, for that matter.

What I'm posting here is by no means definitive. It's my perspective on how to do this type of thing. There could be any number of ways to write these types of letters. This is just so there's a couple of examples available.

Here's how I like to begin mine. I start with the contact information for myself like colbtech suggests. Then I put the date and then the contact information for whom this is being addressed.

Then comes the salutation. It's best to be addressing the letter to someone's name and title by which they are normally addressed. For instance, to a judge, it might be to "The Honorable [Name].

[Name] has asked me to write a letter on her behalf as part of her pre-sentence investigation. This is a task I take seriously and one I hope to fulfill responsibly.

You might go on to describe how you know or have a relationship of any kind with the person, how long you've known them, your concerns for them, how you hope or know how the person has learned from whatever it is that they've done.

Listing your background might go something like the following: "To give you some background on myself, I submit the following: I have been a... for X amount of years and also a... for X amount of years. I have a [listing of your degree, etc.]"

You could then list some things about the good that you know about what the person has done in their life. "I have been witness to... " could list good things here as well as some areas in which the person might need to improve, the reasons that you think the person got themselves into trouble, etc.

The letter could go on, depending on the specific purpose for what it's intended. Other things that might be added: your wishes and recommendations concerning the person, how you think that person might be a productive member of society if they would...

I like to end mine something like, "I would be happy to answer any questions that you might have of me concerning [Name], and, I hope that the foregoing has been beneficial in establishing sentencing criteria for [him or her].

As colbtech suggests, Sincerely Yours, and then your name works well for the closing.

Hopefully, others will also be along to add what they think would be good ways to write these kinds of letters.

Thanks!

[eljay1103]

Thanks Guys!

[Clough]

You're welcome, eljay1103!

We wish and hope that everything turns out for the best!

Thanks!