We’re deep-diving into the law school interview this week. Check back daily as we’ve compiled a list of common interview questions, by type, that we will publish to help you with your preparation.
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.