Here is an excellent example of a letter of reference written by a supervisor for a student for doing volunteer work in the healthcare sector. The student was admitted to the law program at Harvard.

Sample Letter of Recommendation for Volunteer Work

Please accept this letter of reference for Ms. Jon Doe, who has applied for admission to your LLM program. I am honored to recommend Ms. Doe, whom I have known since the summer of last year when I became her administrative supervisor at Cleveland Hospital.

Ms. Doe has been a voluntary mental health counselor in the eating disorders clinic for five years. During that time, she has demonstrated outstanding talents in both the administrative as well as legal aspects of the profession. She has consequently earned a reputation as an effective mental health program manager at this center.

Revealing her administrative strengths, Ms. Doe took the initiative to expand the eating disorders treatment program (in-patient, day hospital, and outpatient). By writing persuasive grant proposals, she was able to secure the funding to hire three new counselors who serve over 40 clients each week. As part of the executive search committee, Ms. Doe demonstrated uncanny skill in selecting her staff, which continues to practice successfully at Cleveland hospital. I am convinced that their loyalty to our program is at least partially attributable to Doe’s nurturing management style.

Ms. Doe has also distinguished herself as an outstanding legal professional, demonstrating superior competence, compassion, and ethics as a lawyer. In providing a broad spectrum of legal assessment and treatment, she has more than proven her ability to lead a large and complex mental health care legal system. Ms. Doe also devoted much time to developing an educational program for the early diagnosis and treatment of eating disorders in school children. In addition, she regularly lectures on these topics to other mental health professionals. Her commitment to education and teaching is highlighted by her recent development of the Psychology Internship Program for internees in psychology. In this capacity, Ms. Doe developed and coordinated a seminar curriculum for 45 students from 12 universities. The supplementary services provided by these interns greatly benefit our patients. In addition, the program affords significant prestige to our medical center and provides the required training for future licensed psychologists.

Fortunately, Ms. Doe’s unique combination of administrative and legal skills is enhanced by her delightful and sincere personality. She has proven wonderfully friendly, witty, honest, and caring. Without exception, I have consistently found her to be sensitive, flexible, respected, and admired by patients, peers, subordinates, and superiors alike. Moreover, she possesses a humility that belies her intellectual brilliance.

I am deeply impressed by Ms. Doe and recommend her without hesitation. If selected for your program, she will bring the same service and commitment to the business she has brought to this hospital.