Some law schools require an interview before they admit you, some invite only part of the pool, and Northwestern lets you opt in to a recorded video interview. Harvard even publishes its favorite interview questions. Here is what named law schools say about their interviews and how to prepare, from the schools’ own admissions pages.
From law schools’ own JD admissions pages2026-27 cycleChecked October 28, 2026
Practice with a mock interviewOne-on-one on Zoom with Julie Cunningham, MA, CCC-SLP.
Jump to:FormatsWhat they look forQuestionsRecorded interviewsTimingHow to prepareFAQ
Law school interview formats
These come from each school’s own JD admissions pages. Check the page for every school you apply to.
| School | Format | What their page says |
|---|---|---|
| Harvard | About 15 minutes on Zoom, required to be admitted | “All applicants who are eventually admitted to HLS must complete an interview.” Expect “about six or seven questions that your interviewer prepared after thoroughly reviewing your application materials.” Source |
| Yale | Required, virtual | “Is an interview required for admission? Yes. If you are selected for an interview, it indicates that your application is under serious consideration.” “All interviews are conducted synchronously and virtually.” Source |
| University of Chicago | By invitation, about 20 minutes on Zoom | “All interviews will be conducted by members of the Admissions Committee. Interviews will last approximately 20 minutes.” Source |
| Northwestern Pritzker | Opt-in recorded video on Kira | “The interview will consist of five unique questions.” “You will have 30 seconds to formulate your response and 90 seconds to provide your answer.” Required for Early Decision. Source |
Harvard publishes its numbers. For 2025-2026, it reported “9,061 applications 1,051 interviews 780 offers of admission” (Harvard Law). Northwestern says “approximately 95% of our entering JD classes have completed an interview” (Northwestern).
Not getting an invitation isn’t a rejection. The University of Chicago says every application “will receive a thorough review regardless of whether the applicant has been invited for an interview” (UChicago Law).
What law schools are looking for
“It will also allow us to better assess an applicant’s communication skills, motivation, maturity, and contribution to the Law School as a student and as a member of our alumni community.”University of Chicago Law School
Northwestern says its questions “are designed to give us more insight into your career goals, motivation for pursuing a legal education, and experience,” and your “specific interest in Northwestern Pritzker Law” (Northwestern). Harvard says “How you say something might be just as important as what you say,” and suggests preparing three answers: “(1) Why you?, (2) Why Harvard Law School?, and (3) Why now?” (Harvard Law).
Law school interview questions
Harvard publishes a list of “Our Favorite Interview Questions” (Harvard Law). Four of them:
- “As you look back on your undergraduate experience, what are you most proud of?” Harvard says “This is often our opening question.”
- “What have you learned you do and do not want in your law career?”
- “Why do you want to attend HLS for law school?” Harvard adds that you “might be asked to share whether you see any downsides or cons of attending HLS.”
- “What brings you joy?”
Most of the rest come from your file. Harvard’s interviewer “will have read the entirety of your application,” so expect questions about your resume, your written statements, and anything unusual in your record. At the end, “you will have an opportunity to ask your top question about Harvard Law School” (Harvard Law). Have a real one ready.
Other practice prompts, written by me to match what these schools say they assess (not questions any school has published): Why law, and why now? Tell me about a time you disagreed with someone in charge. What would you change about your application? Explain a gap or a low grade.
Your interviewers may have your application in front of them, so reread your own law school personal statement before the interview. If you haven't submitted yet, see our law school personal statement examples, or work with Lauren Hammond, PhD, our personal statement editor.
Recorded video interviews
Northwestern’s interview is recorded on Kira, and “you must opt into the interview process within your application form.” After you get the link, “You will have 14 days” to finish. You can practice as much as you like, but “Once you begin your actual interview, you will have only one opportunity to answer each question” (Northwestern). See our Kira Talent interview guide for how recorded answers work.
For talking to a camera with no interviewer present, see one-way video interview tips from Julie Cunningham, a licensed speech-language pathologist.
Timing
At Harvard, regular JD “interviews will happen throughout the admissions cycle, starting in November” (Harvard Law). The University of Chicago invites applicants after an initial review, and “If you choose to interview, the Admissions Committee will not further evaluate your application until after the interview is completed” (UChicago Law), so schedule promptly.
How to prepare
- Reread your whole application. At Harvard, your interviewer has read all of it and wrote questions from it.
- Prepare “why you, why this school, why now.” Make each answer specific: a moment, a goal, and named clinics, professors, or programs.
- Keep answers short. Harvard’s interview is about 15 minutes, and it says to be “savvy about the length of your answers.” Six or seven questions in about 15 minutes works out to roughly two minutes each.
- Prepare for the hard question in your file, such as a low grade, a gap, or a change in direction. Answer it plainly and briefly.
- If you opt in to a recorded interview, practice 90-second answers with 30 seconds to think.
- Do a mock interview. Practice out loud with someone who will tell you when you ramble.
For recorded interviews on Kira, see Kira Talent assessment tips from Julie Cunningham, a licensed speech-language pathologist.
Practice with a real interviewer before the real one. My wife, Julie Cunningham, MA, CCC-SLP, is a licensed speech-language pathologist who runs mock interviews on Zoom for law school applicants. She coaches every format: one-on-one, panel, MMI, and recorded video interviews such as Kira Talent. She works on how your answers come across: clear key words, pace, voice, filler words, organizing an answer so it has a point, staying steady when you're nervous, and how you look and sound on camera. It's $250 an hour.
Frequently asked questions
Do law schools interview applicants?
Some do. Harvard and Yale require an interview for admission, the University of Chicago interviews by invitation, and Northwestern offers an opt-in recorded video interview that is required for Early Decision.
How long is a law school interview?
Harvard’s typically lasts about 15 minutes and the University of Chicago’s about 20 minutes, both on Zoom.
What questions does Harvard Law ask in interviews?
Harvard publishes favorites, including what you are most proud of from college, what you have learned you do and do not want in a law career, why you want to attend HLS, and what brings you joy. Most other questions come from your application.
Does not getting a law school interview mean I was rejected?
No. The University of Chicago says every application receives a thorough review whether or not the applicant is invited to interview.
How does the Northwestern Law video interview work?
You opt in on your application, then record answers to five questions on Kira, with 30 seconds to think and 90 seconds to answer each. You have one take per question and 14 days to finish.
Waitlisted? See our letter of continued interest examples and what named law schools say about sending one.
Related guides: Grad school and PhD, MPH and epidemiology, Health administration (MHA), Biomedical sciences and postbac, Business analytics (MSBA), and MBA. See all interview guides by program.
Every format and quotation on this page comes from the law school’s own admissions page, linked where it appears. Last checked October 28, 2026.