Studying law is no walk in a park. You’ll have to sacrifice a lot, and you will typically pay a lot for your degree–for a mere chance of obtaining it. What’s more, the demand for the places in the study program is incredibly high at any decent university offering law degrees. You will compete with many other people in the admission interviews, and unless you convince the committee of your motivation, they will choose someone else, and you will have to try your luck elsewhere, or wait one more year. So, why law? Why did you choose law as a career?
Let’s have a look at 7 sample answers to the question. I tried to include in my selection a variety of answers, referring to different reasons, including some unconventional answers. Read them slowly, one after one, and consider whether any of them conveys the message you want to convey in your interviews, while trying to impress the admission committee members. Once done, do not forget to check also my notes below the answers, for additional hints on how to stand out and make sure they will remember you once the interviews end, and they decide about the successful applicants.
7 sample answers to “Why are you interested in studying law?” interview question
- I see a lot of injustice in the world. And now I do not talk only about poor countries and inequality we can observe over there. When you have your eyes open, you will see things aren’t much better in the US. Especially in the corporate world, but also in the families. And I’d like to play my part in making things better. I consider specializing either in family law or environmental law, because these two fields are really close to my heart and I consider them incredibly important at the moment, and I also believe there is a lot of room for new quality lawyers, people who can make some difference. I find it fascinating to imagine that I represent interests of people in front of a court one day. And though the road ahead is long, I am motivated and ready to try my best.
- I want to be completely honest with you: money is my main driving force. Let’s look at things as they are. I am lucky enough to belong to the brightest students in my city, and I also enjoy studying and working hard on my skills. With my grades and resume, I could get to almost any college, and study any subject. Because I know I would manage it, and I know they would accept me. So why not to try going for the pinnacle? Lawyers and other legal professionals earn excellent salaries and enjoy a lot of respect in their circles. And I would love to find myself in the same position one day, because I do not dream of earning an average wage. I want to make it big in my career, and provide for my family.
- I find law and excellent match for my personality and strengths. To start with, I have a great memory, excellent communication and argumentation skills. I am also extremely ambitious, but have strong moral codex at the same time, which I believe is a good combination for any lawyer. And I enjoy talking to people, especially from the business world. That’s why I’d love to specialize in corporate law, and perhaps one day have my own legal office. This is why I want to be a lawyer, and not a doctor for example.
- I see law as a degree which offers one almost unlimited options on the employment market. Sure, the competition is huge. But nowadays, each organization, public or private, need someone with legal knowledge, someone who makes sure they adhere to the laws and regulations and avoid fines, someone who represents them in confrontations with various regulatory bodies. I believe that once I have a degree from your university, I will have many doors open. To sum it up, I see this degree as the best possible start to my professional career.
- Three reasons. First one, love for the field. It fascinates me how a skilled lawyer can save a business millions of dollars, or save an individual from years in prison. Second reason is financial stability. Lawyers do not struggle with monthly bills. And the third, equally important reason, is job security. People and companies will always go to court, needing assistance of legal professionals. Once you establish yourself on the market and get some clientele, you do not have to worry about having little work, or about losing your job…
- I honestly believe that law is such an important part of our life, and basically omnipresent, that each lawyer can make a positive difference in the individual lives of people they work with, and represent in front of the court of justice. The idea of helping people, and at the same time getting excellent compensation for my work, truly fascinates me. I believe you cannot find any other job field with similar characteristics. On the top of that, I am a great student, and have no doubts that I will manage to pass the exams and eventually get my degree. Law is a hard field, but I feel ready to make a great career in the field.
- I’ve always felt this need to help underprivileged people protect their rights. Maybe the main reason is that I also come from an underprivileged family, and I know how hard it was to get some justice, when we needed it the most. What’s more, I just love thinking out of the box, putting things together, and I have great attention to detail. I believe that job of attorney is a perfect choice from someone like me, considering my strengths, career goals, and everything else. And I cannot wait to start.
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Try to be specific in your answer
I know it is hard to think about your future once you are in your early twenties. You have your entire life in front of you. So many options, but also many challenges this generation faces. Anyway, try to think about your future for a few minutes before going to your law school interview.
What field of law would you prefer to specialize in later on? Criminal, civil rights, family, immigration, or even international law? Once you choose the field, think about the position you’d like to have in it, in ten years from now. Maybe you want to work for a particular company, or on a particular case.
Perhaps you want to represent a particular group of people, or help members of a specific community. And maybe you’d like to start your own legal practice eventually, working for yourself, instead of for someone else. And while your goals may change several times until you earn your degree (if you manage to earn it at all, the average dropout rate at law school is over 20%), it is still good to have a specific vision for your future, a vision which motivates you, and will help you to handle the heavy workload at school, as well as other challenges. The more specific you are in your answer, the better your chances to succeed. I wish you good luck!
Ready to answer this question? Great! But do not forget to check also other tricky questions you may face in your school admission interview:
- Does your academic record accurately reflect your capabilities?
- Where do you see yourself in five years from now?
- How do you handle success?
