The Law School Interview: Understand Your Fit

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. 

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? 

The Law School Interview: Know Thyself

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. 

Know yourself. This interview is about giving the admissions committee a view into who you are. Think about your interests, passions, and underlying motivations. Here are some questions that you might receive.

• 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? 

The Law School Interview: An Overview

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.

Here’s what you’ll want to demonstrate:

Overall:

• Consistency between application and interview

Interpersonal:

• Professional manner/maturity

• Clear communication style

• Leadership/influence

• Confidence

• Intellectual curiosity

• Collaborative

Commitment and Aptitude:

• Clear understanding of what a legal career entails

• Goal orientation/motivation

• Time management

• Perseverance

• Integrity/ethics

Community

• Interest in school/excitement about offerings

• Willingness/ability to contribute to the school community

• Fit with student body/diverse elements you will add to the community

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.  

Check back throughout the week, we’ll share a list of common interview questions, by type, to help you with your preparation. 

Your Law School Application Resume: Don’t Forget the Basics

Yesterday we posted about the importance of focusing on results in your resume. Here are a few more important elements to keep top of mind while you’re crafting your resume.

Don’t forget to…

Keep it relevant. Your resume should only include experiences from the start of college onward, and should showcase your abilities in critical thinking, problem solving, leadership, and/or teamwork.

Review the Guidance. Some law schools instruct you to “submit a resume,” while others such as Yale Law School, provide unique specifications for your “activities section” submission. Review the school’s admissions page to confirm any instructions including format and/or page limits. If the school does not provide formatting guidance, you should keep it simple. Opt for left-justified text in an easy-to-read font—we prefer Garamond—sized between 10 and 12. 

Use proper grammar. Even the best writers can get worked up about creating resume text. Don’t overthink it. Make use of active verbs to showcase your contributions. Use proper punctuation and the appropriate tense (present for current activities, past for past activities). And do not lean on corporate jargon, rather you will want to ensure that you explain what you did and your results in a way that a classmate would understand.

Your Law School Application Resume: Focus on the Results

In contrast to your personal statement, which should be a deep-dive into a few pivotal stories from your life, your resume should showcase the breadth of your experiences and accomplishments. But remember, it should not merely communicate what you did in each role and extracurricular endeavor; each entry should explore WHY what you did and accomplished was so significant to you and/or your team and/or the organization as a whole. What results did you achieve? What impact did you have? What did you learn?

Law school resumes should include the following components and be no longer than one page:

1. Education. List all the universities you attended (including study abroad experiences) and the degrees you obtained. Include a bulleted list in the Education section of internships and extracurricular involvements you participated in while in college. And be sure to note any scholarships, awards, or honors you received. If you published a thesis, you can include that here too.

2. Work Experience. If you’re applying to law school directly out of your undergraduate studies, you may not have a lot of work experience and this is to be expected. Your work experiences should include summer jobs, internships, fellowships, and/or TA positions that you held during college, as well as any post-graduate employment. Use results-oriented bullets to describe your responsibilities and outcomes, and highlight any progression in responsibility. Elaborate on the impact you’ve had and/or the lessons you’ve learned. Also note any awards and/or honors you received.

3. Additional Information. This section can include significant extracurricular and charitable involvements, languages you speak, as well as any noteworthy skills, certifications, and/or memberships.

Check back tomorrow for additional guidance on crafting your resume.

Crafting Your Law School Personal Statement: Keep it Tight

Over the next four days, we’ll highlight one takeaway daily from Marion Roach Smith’s approach to memoir that will help you craft a strong personal statement. Also, be sure to check out her memoir manifesto.

Keep it tight. Focus only on the experiences, sentences, and words that you absolutely need to support your argument and demonstrate your growth in the piece. You want to go deep, not broad. Adding in additional stories can distract the reader, and potentially lose them. Once you have demonstrated growth and made your argument, your personal statement is complete. Fight the urge to turn it into an autobiography or a resume.

Crafting Your Law School Personal Statement: Keep the Audience in Mind

Over the next four days, we’ll highlight one takeaway daily from Marion Roach Smith’s approach to memoir that will help you craft a strong personal statement. Also, be sure to check out her memoir manifesto.

Don’t forget your audience. Your memoir should hit on universal themes that are relatable to the reader. When you’re writing, and more importantly editing and rewriting, keep in mind how your audience will take in what you’re saying. Did you provide enough detail of the experiences to show growth and to make your argument? Did you provide too much or extraneous detail? Were you vulnerable and honest in your writing? 

Crafting Your Law School Personal Statement: Deploy Details

Over the next four days, we’ll highlight one takeaway daily from Marion Roach Smith’s approach to memoir that will help you craft a strong personal statement. Also, be sure to check out her memoir manifesto.

Think small. Memoir requires that you share your growth with the audience, which can be done effectively by incorporating small details. Smith notes the power of observation for showing the reader your journey to transcendence. She writes, “Never forget about the small stuff and how it reveals the big stuff of life.” Small details also create a relationship with your reader, drawing them into the experience. 

Crafting Your Law School Personal Statement: Structure

Over the next four days, we’ll highlight one takeaway daily from Marion Roach Smith’s approach to memoir that will help you craft a strong personal statement. Also, be sure to check out her memoir manifesto.

Structure. Memoir is created out of three components. Prior to writing, sit down and consider the building blocks of your piece.

1) What is this about (think: universal, e.g., connecting with and empowering your team, trying and trying again to find the right approach to solve a complex problem)?

2) What is your argument (something that you learned based on your experience)?

3) What experiences from your life will you deploy to prove your argument? 

Crafting Your Law School Personal Statement: Lessons from Memoir Writing

A memoir requires more than a recounting of events from your life. Rather, you must show the reader that you’ve experienced transcendence. Marion Roach Smith calls it the “golden rule” of memoir. She writes, “Memoir is not about what you did. Memoir is about what you did with it.” The experience is not the focus or the reason for the writing, just the vessel for sharing a more universal learning with your audience. 

Smith expands this thought when she writes, “Specifically memoir is a promise from me that I experienced something, I’ve given some real thought to it and now know what it is, and now I am going to share what I now know with you. The promise is not that I am going to recreate the experience or make you relive it with me.” 

This approach also aligns with what admissions committees are seeking in your personal statement. From your past experiences, they want to learn more about your potential and character. Show them how a recent discovery helped you evolve, how you’ve refined your abilities in innovation and/or leadership, and/or teamwork. Prove to them that you are ready to pursue a graduate education and career path.

Over the next four days, we’ll highlight one takeaway from Marion Roach Smith’s approach to memoir that will help you craft a strong personal statement. Check in daily. Also, be sure to check out her memoir manifesto. 

Qualities that Law School Admissions Committees Look for in Applicants: Ethical Behavior

You want your application to tell your unique story—but there are certain qualities that law schools are looking for in applicants, and you must prove you have those through your anecdotes. This week, we’ll highlight some traits that you want to show in your Personal Statement.

Ethical behavior. Law schools are highly-attuned to the character of applicants. You'll need to answer character and fitness questions honestly and thoroughly, of course. But admissions committees will also carefully review your application materials to ensure that you employ integrity and ethical decision-making. They want to see that you are a responsible, principled person. Share a story that exemplifies that you understand the importance of character in academic, social, and professional settings.

Qualities that Law School Admissions Committees Look for in Applicants: Persistence

You want your application to tell your unique story—but there are certain qualities that law schools are looking for in applicants, and you must prove you have those through your anecdotes. This week, we’ll highlight some traits that you want to show in your Personal Statement.

Persistence. Law school and the practice of law require commitment, fortitude, and tenacity. Show the admissions committee that you are up to the challenge by providing examples of previous situations in which you worked steadfastly towards a goal, despite setbacks or failures. Show your ability to face adversity and get things done. 

Qualities that Law School Admissions Committees Look for in Applicants: Collaboration

You want your application to tell your unique story—but there are certain qualities that law schools are looking for in applicants, and you must prove you have those through your anecdotes. This week, we’ll highlight some traits that you want to show in your Personal Statement.

Collaborative abilities. Law school and the practice of law are often team endeavors. Throughout your application, you will want to showcase your ability to work with others to accomplish a common goal. Consider the role you play within a group and how you help bring out the best in other team members. What has working in teams taught you about yourself? Law schools are looking for a diverse range of students. You don’t need to be the captain of a sports team or a club president to be a highly-effective and persuasive leader. Rather, you need to be able to articulate how your influence and openness promote the best outcome(s) in a collaborative environment. 

Qualities that Law School Admissions Committees Look for in Applicants: Critical Thinking

You want your application to tell your unique story—but there are certain qualities that law schools are looking for in applicants, and you must prove you have those through your anecdotes. This week, we’ll highlight some traits that you want to show in your Personal Statement.

Critical thinking. Law schools look for students who are adept at problem-solving. In Psychology Today, Christopher Dwyer, Ph.D., Assistant Lecturer in Applied Psychology at the Athlone Institute of Technology in Ireland, wrote that critical thinking is the process of using analysis, evaluation, and inference to derive a conclusion. Show that you employ this process when making decisions or handling a problem. Demonstrate your ability to combine and review disparate pieces of information to examine a situation and come to a conclusion. 

Qualities that Law School Admissions Committees Look for in Applicants: Intellectual Curiosity

You want your application to tell your unique story—but there are certain qualities that law schools are looking for in applicants, and you must prove you have those through your anecdotes. This week, we’ll highlight some traits that you want to show in your Personal Statement.

Intellectual curiosity. Law school is academically rigorous, and schools want students who can not only handle the workload but elevate the classroom discourse by engaging deeply with the material and concepts. Just demonstrating a record of academic success is not enough. Rather, you will want to show the admissions committee examples of situations where you went beyond what was required to better comprehend a topic. Show your commitment to asking questions, taking on additional research, and seeking out learning opportunities. Keep in mind that you can demonstrate intellectual curiosity in an academic environment but also beyond it – at work or in your participation with a charity or hobby. 

Building Your List of Law Schools: Tuition

With nearly 200 ABA accredited law schools out there, picking 12 to 15 to apply to can feel daunting. This week, we’ll explore how to use rankings productively as well as some other relevant factors to keep in mind as you build your school list.  

Tuition. Depending on your goals and financial situation, including any undergraduate debt you carry, it may make sense to opt for a lower cost in-state program over an elite institution. Either way, calculate the expected cost-benefit of different categories of schools: private versus public as well as in-state versus out-of-state. 

Building Your List of Law Schools: Geography

With nearly 200 ABA accredited law schools out there, picking 12 to 15 to apply to can feel daunting. This week, we’ll explore how to use rankings productively as well as some other relevant factors to keep in mind as you build your school list.  

Geography. Where you are located plays an important role in your ability to network. If you know where you want to live post-graduation, consider applying to programs that are within that city or state. Similarly, if your goal is to specialize in a particular field (finance, tech, government) or a specific type of law (public service), consider applying to programs that are located near one of the industry’s hubs. This will likely allow you more opportunities to intern, volunteer, or network during the school year. 

Building Your List of Law Schools: Career Placement

With nearly 200 ABA accredited law schools out there, picking 12 to 15 to apply to can feel daunting. This week, we’ll explore how to use rankings productively as well as some other relevant factors to keep in mind as you build your school list.  

Career Placement. If you know what type of career you would like to pursue after law school, dig into the employment placement reports of each school you are considering. Where are graduates getting internships and jobs? Which organizations regularly come to campus for on-campus recruiting? Data is also available for easy comparison on the Law School Transparency website. 

Building Your List of Law Schools: Rankings & Prestige

With nearly 200 ABA accredited law schools out there, picking 12 to 15 to apply to can feel daunting. We can’t tell you that rankings don’t matter (spoiler alert: sometimes, they really do!), but we can tell you that there is more to consider than just published rankings. This week, we’ll explore how to use rankings productively as well as some other relevant factors to keep in mind.  

Rankings and Prestige. There’s been a lot of buzz over the past year about the efficacy of rankings. While rankings should not be your only metric, they are relevant. For students who know that they want to pursue a federal judicial clerkship or a position in a big law firm post-graduation (most 2023 graduates entering large law firms went to a school in the US News Top 20), attending a top-ranked law school can provide significant benefit. 

According to ABA data analyzed by Reuters this year, over 20 percent of the 2023 law graduates at University of Chicago, Yale, and Stanford (top schools in U.S. News & World Report’s Best Law Schools ranking) obtained federal clerkships upon graduation. But this does not mean that securing such a role would be impossible without having attended a “top” school. Several law schools outside of the top 20, including University of Kentucky, Brigham Young University, and George Mason University, have also placed students in federal clerkships. 

We encourage you to familiarize yourself with the rankings, paying particular attention to the metrics and outcomes that mean the most to you. They are a productive starting point for further investigation. And be sure to take a look at Princeton Review’s Category-Based Rankings, which can provide helpful insight into the various components of the law school experience (Best Classroom Experience, Best Career Prospects, Best Quality of Life, etc.). 

A To-Do List for Your Personal Statement: See Feelings as Information

This week on the blog we’re providing you with a to-do list for your personal statement and school-specific essays. Check back frequently as we’ll provide one key area of focus each day this week. 

See feelings as information. If you can state or allude to how an experience made you feel, you will paint a dynamic picture for the admissions team. You can include "negative" emotions like fear but also positive ones like joy, camaraderie, and pride.

We don't believe in self-aggrandizing but don't self-deprecate either. We think the "pride"-vibe you're aiming for is best explained by organizational psychologist and author Adam Grant: "Downplaying your achievements is not the antidote to appearing arrogant. Humility is acknowledging your weaknesses, not denying your strengths. Generosity is elevating others, not diminishing yourself. Owning your success doesn't make you a narcissist—it makes you a role model.”

(Bonus!) Understand that you will rewrite most things. Embrace it. Know now that having to write several drafts is not a failure. It is a way to success.