Among the top 20 law schools, interview practices vary. Some programs interview as many applicants as possible. Others opt not to interview at all.
If you are invited to take part in an interview, optional or not, we recommend that you take advantage of the opportunity and schedule it as early as possible. It will give you the chance to expand upon the information in your application, demonstrate your maturity and commitment to the study of law, show that you will be a collaborative part of the law school community, and, most importantly, articulate your interest in the school by speaking specifically to courses, professors, or experiential learning opportunities that you’re most excited about. While the University of Michigan Law School does not facilitate evaluative interviews, they note that, “...schools that do employ interviews typically do so not because it enhances their selection of candidates, but because it enhances their ability to select people who are committed to attending the institution. In other words, they believe that if you are willing to attend an interview, you are much more likely to attend the school if you are admitted.”
Below, we have compiled a list of the U.S. News Top 20 law programs’ interview protocols.
Yale: Interview by invitation only
The Admissions Office is piloting an interview program for the 2022–2023 application cycle. A small number of applicants will be selected for interviews as part of the evaluation process. Participation in this program is optional. Applicants who choose not to participate in the interview program, or who opt to participate and are not selected for an interview, will not be disadvantaged in our admissions process.
Stanford: Interviews are not a part of the admissions process.
University of Chicago: Interview by invitation only
We still strongly encourage applicants to take advantage of this opportunity to interview with a member of the Admissions Committee and will make every effort to move each application through the review process as expeditiously as possible. Once you receive an interview request, it is in your best interest to schedule your interview as soon as possible. Interview slots are scheduled on a first-come, first-served basis.
Columbia: Interview by invitation only
Incorporating interviews into the admissions process is one of the channels through which we hope to meet the needs of our applicants. We are seeking to provide you with the means to learn more about Columbia in a more personal way, just as we hope to understand even more about you by having a conversation. Since we employ a holistic admissions process in which we do not use a grid or formula to determine admissibility, an interview will not carry any particular weight relative to the other application components. Rather, we hope that the interview will, in addition to allowing you to get to know us better, amplify what you have already included in your application for admission. Because of the nature of our selection process, the interview will be contextualized differently for each applicant.
Harvard: Interview by invitation only
During the application review process you may be invited to interview. These interviews will happen throughout the admissions cycle, starting in November. The Admissions Office will contact you directly to set up an interview. Interviews are conducted using Zoom. As always, we will accommodate individuals who may be unable to conduct their interview in this manner.
University of Pennsylvania (Carey): Interview by invitation only
The Admissions Committee occasionally may request to interview an applicant during the evaluation period.
NYU School of Law: Interviews are not a part of the admissions process.
University of Virginia: Interview by invitation only
Every applicant who, upon review of his or her file, is determined to be a competitive and serious candidate for admission is contacted and interviewed via video call or phone, by an admissions staff member. Those who review files and conduct applicant interviews make recommendations to the Assistant Dean for Admissions, who conducts a final review and is charged with releasing decisions to applicants. In some cases, the Assistant Dean may consult with the Dean of the Law School before releasing decisions.
University of California, Berkeley: Interviews are not a part of the admissions process.
University of Michigan: Interviews are not a part of the admissions process.
Duke: Interview by invitation only
When the admissions committee determines that additional information would be helpful in making a final decision, applicants may be invited to interview with a member of the committee. These interviews are optional, and offered by invitation at the discretion of the admissions committee.
Cornell: Interview by invitation only
Interviews are at the request of our Admissions Committee only.
Northwestern (Pritzker): Interview by invitation only
Interviews are optional and provide the Admissions Committee with additional information about the applicant's interpersonal and communication skills, maturity, and motivation. These conversations also help us to preserve the strong sense of community and cooperative culture for which we are known, while providing you with the opportunity to build your application.
Georgetown: Interview by invitation only
Invitational interviews are another way for the Admissions Committee to get to know you. We have two interview programs, Alumni Interviews and Group Interviews. Both programs are invitation only at this time.
UCLA: Interviews are not a part of the admissions process.
Washington University in St. Louis: Interview by invitation only
Applicants may be invited to complete an interview with Admissions staff. The Admissions Committee determines who will be interviewed based on factors in the application.
Boston University: Interviews are not a part of the admissions process.
University of Texas, Austin: Interview by invitation only
During the application process, the Admissions Committee may invite you to complete an online interview as part of your evaluation. These interviews are conducted by invitation only. If you are invited to participate, we will contact you directly with instructions on how to access and complete the interview.
Vanderbilt: Alumni interview by applicant request
We would like to know you better as a prospective student - and for you to learn more about Vanderbilt. That's why we offer admission interviews with VLS alumni as part of the application process, and why VLS alumni conduct interviews nationwide and in several foreign locations.
University of Southern California (Gould): Interviews are not a part of the admissions process.