Among the T14 (Top 14) U.S. law schools, interview practices vary. Most do not conduct formal interviews, but a few do. Here is a clear breakdown:
T14 Law Schools that generally do NOT interview candidates
These schools traditionally make decisions based on the written application only (personal statement, LSAT/GPA, letters, etc.):
-
Yale Law School
-
Harvard Law School (rare exceptions aside; no standard interview process)
-
Stanford Law School
-
University of Chicago Law School
-
Columbia Law School
-
NYU School of Law
-
University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School
-
University of Michigan Law School
-
University of California–Berkeley Law
-
Duke University School of Law
-
Northwestern Pritzker School of Law (does interview, but see note below)
T14 Law Schools that DO interview
-
University of Virginia School of Law – interviews are common and meaningful
-
Georgetown University Law Center – interviews many applicants (often alumni interviews)
-
Northwestern Pritzker School of Law – strongly encourages interviews and treats them as an important part of the application
Important nuance
-
Northwestern is often grouped as an “interview school” because interviews (including Kira or alumni interviews) are expected and carry weight.
-
Harvard technically can interview in rare cases, but it is not a standard or required part of admissions.
-
Policies can shift slightly year to year, but this reflects long-standing practice.
If you want, I can also:
-
Rank T14 schools by how much interviews matter
-
Compare law school interviews to med school interviews (since you’re familiar with that process)
-
Help you decide whether to submit optional interview materials where allowed
