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Almost every law school (at least every one I've heard about)manages their admissions process by dividing the applicants in 3 groups. Every decent law school gets many more applications than they have spots.
The division is based on a math formula derived from your LSAT and GPA. Different schools might place a little more weight on one factor or the other, but both numbers will be very important. The number the school gets from that factor will decide which group you belong to:
1. Admit (high GPA, high LSAT, would be in top % of incoming class)
2. Needs further consideration
3. Deny (low GPA and LSAT)
Group 1 will be admitted automatically, unless there is some kind of extremely major problem with the applicant - like a series of felony arrests, getting caught in a serious cheating violation, etc.
Group 3 will be denied automatically, unless there's some (very very rare!) reason to excuse the deficiency.
Only if you're in Group 2 will anyone read your application, essays, recommendation letters, etc.
What you need to do is research the schools where you're applying - most will release info about the GPA and LSAT scores for their most recent 1L class - usually give you info like averages, and top 25%/middle 50%/bottom 25%. You should be able to predict where you fall.
If you're not in the top 25% of the school's class, you need to show the admissions people that you are prepared for law school, you have thought carefully and intelligently about your choice to attend (i.e., you care about the law, it's not about being rich and famous), and you are an interesting person who will add something to the class.
What others have said already is right - you need quality, not quantity on your resume. It will always look better to be an officer in one club, and maybe manage a big project than list 42 different organizations and then just "..., Member" afterwards.
Regarding recommendation letters, I managed to get one that was so wonderfully perfect, I didn't even realize it until later. I had worked for the alumni association as a part time job for just over a year - just a student assistant, minimum wage deal. My boss was one of the people in charge of alumni fundraising. She wrote a letter saying that I was a super-devoted Gator, and if I stayed at UF for law school, I would be extremely likely to donate $$$ to the university later. (Turns out she was right - I just headed up my graduating class gift project!)
I would definitely recommend getting a job on campus, with whatever alumni association type group you have. You make great connections too.
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