Letter of Good Moral Character
A letter of good moral character is a letter that is written by someone you know who will vouch for your moral character. Almost anyone can write one of these for you, but they are more valuable if they are written by someone of distinction, including a past employer, a priest, or someone with a notable position. A letter of good moral character is commonly used for job applications to show what kind of person you are.
Starting to Write
State in what capacity you know the person in question, and what makes you suitable to assess their character.
Note the personal qualities you’ve observed and back them up with anecdotes.
Be truthful. It will be obvious if your assessment is over the top and may work against the person in question. Getting somebody to lie is not a sign of good moral character.
Depending on the context of the letter, you may need to enclose extra information. For example in immigration cases official confirmation that there is no criminal history is common.
Sign the letter give to added assurance of its truthfulness.
Letter of Good Moral Character Sample
Robert R. Rumph
3504 Mesa Drive
Las Vegas, NV 89101
Dear Mr. Rumph,
My name is Father Randy. Marcia D. Harris came to me a few weeks ago requesting for me to write him a letter of good moral character, and I was more than happy to oblige.
Marcia D. Harris has been a member of my congregation for over 10 years now. He has been active in the community, has helped out with church functions, and is seen generally as an upstanding citizen.
Nobody ever has anything bad to say about him. Everyone who talks to him sees what a good person he is.
I have all the confidence in the world that Marcia D. Harris is a good, upstanding, moral person, and he would be a great choice to fill the job position in question.
Letter of Good Moral Character Immigration Sample
To whom it may concern,
Below is a letter of Good Moral Character written by my local priest in Naples, Italy. I have also enclosed a statement from a previous place of employment, and letters confirming that I have no arrests or convictions.
CHARACTER ASSESSMENT BY PREIST GIANNELLI
I have known Michael Marchetti since he was a young child as he is a member of my church along with his family. I have become a close friend to Michael over the years and feel that I am in a good position to assess his character.
First off I have never known him to be in any kind of trouble, not with his family, school teachers, the church, or especially the law. In fact he has always been community minded and has personally helped me without request in organizing certain church related functions, setting up chairs, handing out leaflets, and things of that nature.
I also know him to be hard worker. He would help in his family’s orange groves from a young age, and was employed at a local store long before his friends had given up playing and having fun.
I am confident that he will be a great asset to the United States and will immediately embrace the local church and community in the area where he’ll be residing.
If you require confirmation or any further details about this assessment, please contact me on +390685322856.
Signed
Priest Giannelli
Letter of Good Moral Character for Court Sample
Character Reference for defendant Virgil Henrikson
My name is Mr. Tate Peishel, I am writing this letter of good moral character for defendant Virgil Henrikson, in the capacity of his current English teacher at Vermont High. I have known Virgil for 4 years.
As a teacher I have witnessed firsthand that Virgil has the utmost respect for authority and those around him. He is well liked by his peers and the faculty, and we were all somewhat puzzled with the assault on a police officer charges filed against him.
He is a very smart and mature young man with great grades, that is respected by all students (including those we may deem to have behavioral issues), but is never caught up in any of their drama. I believe this is a testament to his intellect, in that he has mastered the art of mixing with all types of people. Something that will greatly benefit him as he enters working life, and something which makes this case all the more bizarre.
Virgil has never once been involved in a physical confrontation at school nor raised his voice to any members of staff. In fact on more than one occasion he has used his high standing among students to help me proceed in lessons that had gotten out of control. For example on a particularly rowdy afternoon he voiced his concerns to his peers that they’d had their fun and they should give “Mr. Peishel a break” so they could have a chance at passing their exams. This was done in such a way that calmed the class down rather than causing a rift.
Though I am not qualified to discuss the ins and outs of the case I know Virgil to dislike injustice and have a strong sense of pride. If a teacher is wrong he will tell them. I can easily see a scenario where a police officer may have overstepped the mark and let his ego get carried away when Virgil stood his ground.
I hope this assessment enlightens the jury and helps them make the right decision.
Thanking you,
Signed
Mr. Tate Peishel
Head of English at Vermont High