Career Center, Career Files, Pre-Law

Preparing for Law School Interviews

The last few admission cycles have seen more law schools conducting interviews. When there are fewer applicants, this is of course easier to accomplish. So how can you take advantage of this opportunity?

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job interview 2 businesswoman businesswomenThe last few admission cycles have seen more law schools conducting interviews. When there are fewer applicants, this is of course easier to accomplish. So how can you take advantage of this opportunity?

First, understand that there are different kinds of interviews:

1. The alumni interview: this is popular with Vanderbilt and Northwestern, schools that invite all applicants to interview. Sometimes this takes place in a Starbucks or in the alum’s office, and sometimes it takes place on campus.

2. The “invited” interview: this is done by Harvard before anyone is admitted, usually via Skype. It’s also done by Georgetown, and could be in the form of an alumni interview or even a group interview (the worst kind!).

3. The interview that’s not really an interview: for example, UVA’s “phone call” that comes a day or two before they admit you, and Southwestern’s alumni interview that is really about showing you that their alumni are respectably employed.

All of these interviews offer great opportunities to show a school who you are, that you are more than your numbers, and that you are sincerely interested in the school. So, here are some things to keep in mind to use this opportunity to your best advantage:

1. If you have the dreaded group interview, be prepared to be asked to make decisions as part of a small team of, yes, your competition. They will be looking for how you work with others, whether you try to steal the show, present reasoned responses, etc. If you tried to be a resident assistant in college, this is sort of the same idea. Many very strong applicants are invited to do this for two reasons: (1) to make sure you took the initiative to show up, and (2) to make sure you’re not egotistical or crazy.

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2. If your interview is via Skype, make sure you are looking in the camera. It helps to move the person’s picture up to the top of your screen near the camera because this keeps your face up and looks better. Make sure the background behind you is professional and clear and not cluttered (no Confederate flags taped to concrete dorm walls, no beer bottles…you get the picture). Also, test Skype out: don’t let this be the first time you try to use it.

3. Prepare an elevator speech about yourself. It should be 60-90 seconds long and should not include answers to other questions like “Why do you want to go to law school?” It should include background on you, where you are from, your educational history/schools attended, and something about what you are doing currently.

4. Research the school. Be able to articulate in 30-45 seconds a very clear reason for your interest in the school that does not use the words “prestige” “ranking” “excellent” or “impressive.” Say something concrete that shows you’re sincerely interested in the school. It can relate to specific programs, the culture of the school, certain faculty members, or alumni or other individuals who have increased your interest.

5. If you have no obvious ties to the region where the school is located, mention that you’ve visited, that you have lived in the region, have friends who attended the school, or otherwise have a reason or interest for attending school in that location. If you can’t do that, talk about another time in your life when you went to a new place for school or work and what you gained from that experience.

6. Prepare sensible questions that show real interest in the school. I don’t want to list sample questions because then schools will be inundated with those questions, but I know you want samples. So, how about variations of: “Is it possible to pursue X concentration and also do Y clinic?” and “Is there someone I could talk to about how active the Z student organization is currently and what they are doing on campus?” You can ask about alumni who have gone back to work in your region after graduation, and – if you are meeting with an alum – about how they spent their time during law school, what advice they have about opportunities provided and what they wish they’d done differently or taken advantage of while a student at the school.

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Lastly, follow up with a thank you note.

Ann K. Levine is a law school admission consultant and owner of LawSchoolExpert.com. She is the author of The Law School Admission Game: Play Like an Expert (affiliate link) and The Law School Decision Game: A Playbook for Prospective Lawyers (affiliate link).

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