Rig As

To Whom It May Concern: Mr. Alexander Rigas has requested a letter of recommendation for graduate school and I am pleased to supply it. Mr. Rigas was enrolled in my PLAP 381 course on Separation of Powers and Federalism, and in the PLAP 382 course on Civil Liberties and Civil Rights. The courses enroll between 120 and 150 students and are highly competitive. They are known as “tough courses” in part because of the material and in part because there are many outstanding students who in turn graduate and go on to leading law and graduate schools. Besides attending lectures, taking a midterm and a final, students are required to attend weekly discussion sections and to participate in a moot court assignment. Because of the size of the courses, I do not generally have the opportunity to get to know as many of the students (or get to know them as well) as I would like. But Mr. Rigas also took two small seminars—seminars on Theories of Constitutional Interpretation and Civil Rights & Civil Liberties—that enroll both graduate students and a few undergraduates. Mr. Rigas received an A in both seminars. He clearly is capable of doing graduate work and in some ways out performed graduate students in the seminars. In seminars Mr. Rigas was always articulate and exceptionally thoughtful in relating his knowledge of political theory to the topics under discussion. His papers and presentations demonstrated strong analytical abilities, the breadth of his knowledge, and a commendable ability to write clearly and concisely. In discussions with him outside of class, I have been very impressed with his seriousness of purpose, dedication, and maturity. In short, he is an exceptional undergraduate who compares most favorably with our graduate students. Based on his performance, I am confident that he will excel and contribute to a first-rate graduate program. Accordingly, he has my enthusiastic recommendation. Sincerely,

David M. O’Brien Spicer Professor of Politics