100 Law School Interview Questions and Answers

Quick Guide to Preparing for Your Law School Interviews

It’s important to know that not all law schools interview. Most law schools in the US and law schools in Canada leave the decision to interview an applicant up to the admissions committee – in other words, it is not a mandatory step in the admissions process. So the admissions committee can choose to invite someone to an interview or simply reach out to a student via phone. This is exactly the experience of our admissions expert Aaron Schulze, JD:

“I actually did not have any interviews. I applied a bit later in the application cycle and did not get any interviews. I was waitlisted by one of my top choices and had a very informal call a few days before decisions were made. However, it was primarily to determine if I was still interested and to inform me that I had been accepted.” – Aaron Schulze, JD, University of Texas School of Law

Some of the top tier law schools among the T14 law schools interview by invitation only, which means that not all the applicants who get accepted have to go through an interview. Getting an interview invite from one of these schools may mean that the admissions committee wants to get to know you a little better or to give you a chance to clarify some of their questions for you and your application. This can happen in a formal interview, or via phone like it happened to Aaron.

Whether your schools mandate the interview for everyone or choose a selection of students who go through the interview, the process of preparation should stay the same. And here’s a quick recap of what you can do to prepare for your law school interview!

As this is the most important step of your interview preparation, we have put together a list of law interview questions and sample answers that will help you prepare and anticipate what you can expect from a law school interview.

Law School Interview Questions About Law School and Your Motivation to Pursue Law

This is one of the most common categories of law school interview questions. And it is no surprise. Ultimately, what the admissions committee wants to see from your application is what motivated you to become a lawyer, and what steps have you taken to prepare yourself for this career. As already mentioned, in some cases if you are invited for an interview, the admissions committee did not fully understand your drive to pursue law. Use the interview to demonstrate your suitability and readiness for law!

Law school interview prep includes researching the school you're applying to before your interview. You should be able to state the reasons why you like the institution and its specific program and convince the interviewer that you didn't just randomly end up sitting in front of them. At the end of the day, only the candidates who demonstrate a genuine interest in becoming a part of the program will be admitted, and the only way to prove that is by naming particular aspects of what they offer that attracted your attention. Here’s how our expert Aaron Schulze prepared for each application and interview:

“I applied to about four or five law schools. [I] absolutely modified [my application and interview answers for each school]. Though the stories remained relatively constant, each school has its own [traits]. I tailored [my application and interview answers] to fit each school.” - Aaron Schulze, JD, University of Texas School of Law

It is likely that you already mentioned this in your law school personal statement, or your law school diversity statement, so make sure your answer is consistent with that as well. It does not mean that you have to repeat what you included exactly but do stay consistent with your goals and aspirations.

Saying that you chose their school because of its academic prestige won't be enough, as you can say the exact same thing about any other school. You must be specific. Start by mentioning what you look for in the perfect school. What features, programs, or extracurriculars do you value the most? Secondly, state what makes this school competitive for you. Think of what makes this school different from other schools, and what it has to offer to you specifically. Lastly, highlight what you think you will learn at this school.

Secondly, this type of questions is your opportunity to brag and talk about what makes you special – while remaining humble! Law schools typically want their candidates to bring them recognition and have a positive impact on their academic reputation. Admissions committees, therefore, aim at finding candidates who are likely to surpass the others and become successful after they graduate. Your answer should make you memorable. Think of your skills, experience career goals, and strengths, and figure out how they fit into what the school values in their matriculants. Use those traits to convince them that you are a good fit. Here’s an example of how our expert Aaron Schulze, JD, convinced the committee of his suitability for Criminal Law:

“I had a nontraditional major for law school (Theater & Dance). I explained how my fine arts education created a foundation for truthful storytelling and how to perform authentically. I was interested in Criminal Defense so I explained how a degree in Theater allowed me to understand and relate to different characters in different circumstances.” - Aaron Schulze, JD, University of Texas School of Law

And remember, storytelling is the only strategy to convince the admissions committee that your motivations are genuine. Tell the story of how you became interested in law as a career. Make it detailed, engaging, and convincing. Choose 2-3 talking points or examples of what got you interested in this particular law school and law in general. Think of the qualities of a good lawyer and explain why you believe you have the potential to become one.

Here's a few good examples of this type of law school interview questions, and expert responses prepared by our admissions experts!

Why Did You Choose Our School?

Why Should We Choose You of All Candidates?

Why Do You Want to Become a Lawyer?

What Do You Hope to Do in Law School?

What's One Thing That You Might be Scared or Hesitant About in Law School?

Here's some more law school-focused questions you can practice with for your interview:

1. How will you contribute to this program?
2. What attracts you about law?
3. What are the qualities of a good lawyer?
4. Is there a famous lawyer that you admire? Why?
5. Is there a famous lawyer that you disagree with? Why?
6. What areas of law interest you the most?
7. What would make you a good lawyer?
8. What is your dream law job?
9. How did you investigate a career in law?
10. Are there any lawyers in your family?
11. What do you wish to accomplish as a lawyer?
12. Why are you applying to law school now?
13. What’s one thing that intimidates you about law school?
14. What makes you a competitive applicant to this school?
15. Are you also applying to other law schools?
16. If you get accepted into multiple schools, how would you make your decision?
17. What do you think are the pros and cons of this school in particular?
18. What specific aspect of our program called your attention?
19. Do you have any questions for us?
20. Do you know what type of law you want to practice? Why?
21. What two or three things are most important to you in a law school?
22. What’s a personality trait/characteristic that will serve you well in law school?
23. What changes would you make in our law school curriculum?
24. What mark do you want to make or what do you hope to accomplish in your career as a lawyer?
25. How have you begun preparing for law school?

Here are some more law school interview questions to review!

Personal Law School Interview Questions

Remember, the objective of the interview is to get to know you better. They already have your law school CV and law school personal statement, so you do not give a rote answer, or list off your GPA and LSAT score. While these are important, the admissions committee is aware of your stats. Most law schools try to follow a holistic approach in admissions, so use the interview to show them your strengths! Our admissions expert Tyler Chiasson reflects on his own admission to law school:

“My GPA was very strong and my LSAT score was high at 165. I was accepted to University of Toronto (generally the hardest law school in Canada to get into) and the acceptance letter mentioned my superior academic record was the main reason for this. After choosing to go to Dalhousie, I could also see I was accepted due to my academic record – Dalhousie classified the students they accept based on the strongest part of their application (academics, community involvement, etc.) and you can actually see what they classified you as once you start attending. This showed me that applications are scored holistically. If you are very strong in a certain area like I was, weaknesses in your application will be overlooked. Many of my classmates had much lower LSAT scores than me (in mid to low 150s) but were accepted due to their extracurriculars or volunteerism or other factors.” – Tyler Chiasson, JD, Schulich School of Law at Dalhousie University

What this shows us that your interview can really act as a compensation for anything that raised questions for the admissions committee (maybe the reason why you are having this interview!) You want to talk about what makes you interesting, or in other words, why you are NOT like every other applicant. Your interviewers want to get to know you personally, so try to infuse your answer with some personality, not only what you’ve done, although that’s important too.

Personal questions are about telling a story of triumphs, failures, and other experiences, that helped you grow as a human being and as a future lawyer! Whether these questions are about your past experiences or your future goals, try to paint a picture of what you can do now! And our admissions expert Tyler reminds:

“Most [of your stories and experiences] can be discussed in a way that highlights some aspect or skill that will be applicable to law school. [Make sure to approach this question with this mindset].” - Tyler Chiasson, JD, Schulich School of Law at Dalhousie University

And remember that answering negatively-charged law school interview question can be tricky. You have to walk a fine line between being honest and forthright without being self-defeating. Here’s a quick answer structure you can use to answer personal law school interview questions about past behaviors and experiences:

•  Provide a very short context about the situation you are talking about.
• Use one or two sentences to demonstrate specific actions, behaviors, or tasks you performed in the situation. Use concrete examples.
• Write one sentence about what you learned from dealing with this situation.

Most personal-type questions can be answered with this structure, but if you are asked about future goals and plans, consider the following:

You've probably thought a lot about your future while deciding whether a career in law is the right path for you to follow. The more specific your answer is, the better. It will show your determination to pursue this challenging career. Your answer to personal law school interview question about your goals should include a detailed description of how your chosen program is going you help you get to where you want to be. The sky is the limit! No answer will be too ambitious here. Moreover, admissions committees love applicants who can dream big.

Describe a Time When Telling the Truth Was Difficult.

What is something that you think differently about or has changed about you personally as you have matured?

What is something that you have learned from [activity/hobby]?

Tell me about yourself.

Tell me something that is not on your resume.

What do you like to do in your spare time?

What was your biggest accomplishment?

What was your biggest mistake?

What are your strengths? What are your weaknesses?

Where Do You See Yourself in 10 Years?

1. Test yourself with these personal law school interview questions:
2. What’s the one thing about yourself that you’re the proudest of?
3. What has been your biggest challenge so far?
4. What academic accomplishments are you the proudest of?
5. Do you consider yourself to be a leader or a follower?
6. Describe a leader you’ve worked with and what you learned from them.
7. How would you describe your experience at your undergraduate university?
8. What were your favorite and least favorite undergraduate courses?
9. What was the toughest class you’ve taken and why?
10. What kind of student do you consider yourself to be?
11. Tell me about a time you overcame an obstacle.
12. Tell me about a time you showcased leadership.
13. Tell me about a time you solved a conflict with a classmate or colleague.
14. Tell me about a time you successfully worked as part of a team.
15. Are you a team player or do you prefer to work on your own?
16. Tell me about a time you faced a moral dilemma and how you solved it.
17. What was the biggest obstacle you were able to overcome in your life?
18. How do you handle stress?
19. What legal skill do you struggle with?
20. Tell me about a time you made a mistake, and how you dealt with it.
21. Tell me about a time when you worked as part of a team with diverse perspectives and/or backgrounds.
22. Tell me about an ethical work situation you had to deal with. How did it turn out?
23. Describe a situation in which a detail you thought to be unimportant turned out to be very important.
24. How would you go about building a trusting relationship with a client?
25. What would make you a good trial advocate?
26. Imagine you represent a client has stolen several pieces of equipment. She has two people who will supply her with an alibi, but you think they might be lying. Do you put these people on the stand?
27. What have you seen in court that you want to emulate? Avoid doing?
28. What did you do the last time things didn’t go according to plan?
29. Discuss a situation where you had to make an unpopular decision
30. Tell me about a time when you agreed to work on too many projects and had to prioritize.
31. Do you think that your grades are a good indication of overall abilities?
32. How have your prior positions helped prepare you for a legal career?
33. In what kind of work environment are you most comfortable?
34. What two or three accomplishments have given you the most satisfaction? Why?
35. When has a failure turned into a success?
36. Name a time that you were not happy with your performance. What did you do to address it?
37. What is one time someone told you that you had good judgment?
38. How do you work under pressure?
39. How do you feel about research? Writing? Client contact?
40. What is a passion of yours? Tell us about it.
41. Explain to us a little more about your multiple attempts on the LSAT.
42. Which student organization(s) would you be interested in?
43. Why did you choose [undergraduate university]?

Subcategory of Personal Questions: Quirky Law School Interview Questions

While they might seem completely unrelated to the main point of the interview, quirky questions do come up and are famously hard to answer. In many ways, because there are no right answers to these questions. But that’s the point – these questions are meant to make you think on your feet and demonstrate your decision-making abilities and your judgment.

Here’s how to approach these: if a question totally stumps you, tell the interviewer you have to take a moment to think – this is good decision-making! The purpose of these questions is to see how you adapt, how you interact with people and how self-aware you are.

 What Book Are You Currently Reading?

“I haven't had much time for books, unfortunately, but the last book I read was To Kill a Mockingbird. I had read it in high school, like most people, but I believe good books should be read more than once, as they teach you different lessons at each stage of your life. As a matter of fact, I was right. This novel talks about an attorney's attempt to prove the innocence of a black man who has been wrongly accused of raping a white woman in 1930s Alabama, seen from the innocent eyes of his 6-year-old daughter. The first time I read it, I would focus on the children and their conflicts, while the second time I read it I automatically stepped on the shoes of their father, Atticus, the lawyer defending the innocently accused black man. I was able to understand why he decided to defend him, even when his chances of success were incredibly low. Atticus' actions throughout the book taught me a lot about ethics and made me realize the kind of lawyer I want to become. I'd like to give it a third read once I start my professional career in a law firm, as I believe I'll have a totally different perspective.”

How Would You Describe Yourself Using Three Words?

“I think, I would say I’m idealistic; curious; and resilient. Idealistic because I’m a member of the Green Party of Canada and volunteer for Green Party candidates in provincial and federal elections even though they rarely get elected, just because I felt strongly about the party’s values. Curious because I’ve learned basic Japanese in a year because I’ve always loved Japanese culture; and resilient because I donated a kidney to my brother, who was suffering from kidney disease.”

These are tough to prepare for! But here’s some more examples of quirky law school interview questions you can practice with:

1. Who’s your hero/heroine?
2. Who is your favorite author?
3. Tell me about a book that has influenced the way you think.
4. If you could have dinner with a person, living or dead, who would it be?
5. What journals do you read on a regular basis?
6. What is your idea of success?
7. What can you do to become successful, following your own criteria?
8. Is there any crime that you would have trouble defending?
9. If you had a year off, what would you do with this time?
10. Name a bias that you overcame.
11. If you could go back to any time in your life and tell yourself something, what would it be?

Policy Law School Interview Questions

This type of law school interview questions may seem to invite an opinion and it does in some way, but your “disagreement” with a court case should be formed on the basis of jurisprudence - the theoretical side of the law - not necessarily whether the decision was “right” or “wrong” based on your own politics. Take this question as a mini-essay and support your argument. Here’s a quick structure you can use to approach any policy law school interview question:

• Opening sentence. In your opening sentence, shortly summarize the policy or the decision to demonstrate your awareness.
• 1 or 2 points about the decision or the law. List a couple of advantages and disadvantages of the policy. Not only will this further demonstrate your awareness of the problem, but it will also demonstrate your ability to stay objective, informed, and open-minded.  
• Last sentence. The last part of your answer should include your personal opinion about the policy and the reasons behind your stance. If you disagree with the policy, give a short sentence with an alternative solution to the problem.

Tell Me About a Recent Supreme Court Case that You Disagreed With and Why.

"One recent Supreme Court decision that I’ve followed with interest was the recent ruling that struck down affirmative action and race-based admissions in US colleges. Affirmative action, in various forms, has been a part of college admissions for decades, shaped by previous legal judgments. This decision could be seen as inconsistent with past interpretations of the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. But I am mostly concerned about the broader implications of this ruling on other aspects of educational policy and equal opportunity. This decision not only impacts affirmative action but also sets a precedent that could affect future rulings on educational policies and equality in the educational sphere."

Here's more policy law school interview questions for you to practice with:

1. Are there any social issues or legal topics that concern you at the moment?
2. What is one social issue or law you’d change?
3. If you were a court, how would you rule on the following issue…?

Conclusion

A law school admissions process is challenging, and you need to learn things like how to study for the LSAT, how to write an impressive personal statement, and how to answer interview questions. Your law school interview won't be impossible to tackle if you prepare yourself with a good list of law school interview questions and answers. Go over it as many times as you need and rehearse with a friend. Additionally, make sure to research the school and stay up to date on current social issues that might come up during the interview. If you dedicate enough time to come up with thoughtful answers to the most challenging and personal questions beforehand, you will leave the interview feeling accomplished and satisfied with your performance.

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Your friends at BeMo

BeMo Academic Consulting

Sources: Yale Law School, Harvard Law School, Columbia Law School, Georgetown Law School, Northwestern Law School, Cornell Law School, Texas A&M School of Law, University of Pennsylvania Law School, Duke Law School, University of Virginia Law School

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