Most law schools don’t interview their applicants. But among those who do, an admissions director or alum will typically conduct a 20 to 30-minute behavioral interview where they will assess your interpersonal traits, commitment to and aptitude for the study of law, and your interest in and potential to contribute to the school/community. They will also want to ensure that your interview is consistent with your application.
Begin preparing for your interview by thinking through your most meaningful experiences that will help demonstrate your skills and abilities in the areas of critical thinking, leadership, and teamwork, as well as those that reinforced your commitment to the study of law. As with your personal statement, you’ll want to show the interviewer your strengths and potential through specific examples, rather than limiting your content to claims.
Below, we’ve compiled a list of common interview questions, by type, to help you with your preparation.
Know yourself. This interview is about giving the admissions committee a view into who you are. Think about your interests, passions, and underlying motivations.
Tell me about yourself. You’ll want to prepare an elevator pitch (consider a one-minute version, as well as a three-minute version) that provides an overview of your background and interest in law school. What have been some of your most meaningful experiences, that reinforced your commitment to the study of law? Why? Are there specific experiences that prompted an evolution in your perspective so notable you want to include them here too? What led you to make certain academic and professional decisions?
Why Law School? Your response to this question should demonstrate your interest in the study of law. You’ll want to highlight key experiences in the areas of critical thinking, ideally in an academic or legal setting, that reinforced your desire to attend law school. Prepare also for related questions such as: Why now? What is your legal dream job? Where do you see yourself in ten years?
What has been your most meaningful academic or professional accomplishment to date? Why? Prepare to speak confidently on any of the experiences you have listed in your application materials. What did the experience teach you about yourself? How did it challenge you? How did the experience reinforce your interest in pursuing law school? How did it change or reinforce your views of the legal system—and your desired role within it—in the U.S.?
Would you change anything about your undergraduate education? Why?
If there is a red flag pertaining to your undergraduate education (for example, a semester with a low GPA or a transfer between schools), this may present a good opportunity to address it. Without making excuses, emphasize what you learned from the experience and/or point to other areas of your academic record that are much more indicative of your ability to compete in a rigorous academic environment.
If you do not have a red flag to address, you may want to talk about that missed opportunity to study abroad or take a class in philosophy. Did an early disappointment ultimately inspire you to change your path to pursue law school after graduation? Be sure to link your chosen topic to qualities related to your law school candidacy. Prepare also for related questions such as: Why did you choose your undergraduate institution? What did you enjoy most about your undergraduate education?
Understand your fit with the school. You must prove to the interviewer that their law program is the perfect intersection between where you’ve been and where you want to go. Do your homework and be prepared to discuss how your past experiences and future goals have inspired your interest in their offerings.
Why [specific school]? Look at the mission of the school, student organizations, courses, faculty, research and experiential learning opportunities, and come to the interview prepared to explain how you would engage. Keep in mind also that law schools are integrated in their local communities, so consider your fit here too. Do you have a particular interest in working within the state, or in a rural/urban environment? Did the location of the school impact your decision to apply to this program? Why? Prepare also for related questions such as: What do you hope to gain from our law school? What hesitations do you have with our program?
Share stories. Use stories from your life to show your interviewer who you are, how you’ve grown, and what you will bring to the incoming class. Spend some time brainstorming and reviewing anecdotes that can be tailored to different behavioral questions and demonstrate the qualities law school admissions committees are looking for.
Tell me about a time when you challenged the group consensus. Tell me about a time when you came up with an innovative solution to a problem. To respond to a situation-based question, use the SAR (Situation, Action, Response) model. Spend about 20 percent of your response on the situation, and the remaining 80 percent on the actions you took and what resulted/what you learned. The SAR model also applies to a question like: What is your greatest weakness? You will want to spend 20 percent of your response on the weakness, and 80 percent discussing the actions you took/are taking to improve, and what the results have been/what you’ve learned since beginning your improvement plan.
What is your greatest strength? How would you sum up your leadership style? For questions where a simple claim would seem to suffice for a response, always take it a step further. Make a claim, THEN back it up with a specific example to illustrate that claim—in a group project, professional/intern experience, or extracurricular role.
Apply Point’s Tips for Success
Outline the key points and experiences you would like to discuss within the behavioral interview and take responsibility for bringing up these points. It is most helpful to review all of your application materials again, and highlight those stories that will showcase your abilities and strengths in the areas of critical thinking, leadership, problem solving, and teamwork, as well as those experiences that reinforced your commitment to the study of law.
Nearly every response in a behavioral interview should include a story, even those that don’t ask you to recall a specific situation. This will not only make your interview more compelling and specific, but it will be much more memorable to the interviewer.
Speak about any recent accomplishments or events not included in your application. Continue to improve your candidacy even after you’ve submitted your application.
Be proactive about bringing up red flags or weaknesses in your application. Address these head-on during the interview because they will inevitably come up within the admissions committee’s discussions. Rather than make excuses, talk about what you’ve learned and how you will continue to improve moving forward.
Practice delivering your responses to interview questions aloud, and be sure to limit most responses (to behavioral interview questions) to between 1.5 and three minutes. Ask us for a list of behavioral interview questions so you can practice and prepare.
Prepare two to three school-specific questions for the interviewer that demonstrate your interest in and enthusiasm for the program.
At the end of the interview, thank your interviewer, reiterate to them if their program is your first choice, and send a hand-written thank you note.
Related: Law School Interview Practices