Supporting your students with Law Course interviews

1. Understanding the Law Interview Format and Structure

Cambridge Law interviews aim to replicate our small-group teaching style, called “supervisions,” which focus on discussion, analysis, and open communication. Interviewers use this process to assess each student’s potential to thrive in this environment. Essential skills like critical thinking, intellectual flexibility, and clear communication are key.

• Interview Format: There are a plethora of different formats that universities use to conduct undergraduate interviews, and the same is true for Cambridge Colleges. Cambridge Law applicants will usually have either two interviews lasting about 25 minutes each, or one longer interview around 35–40 minutes. Exact details, including any video platform links or directions, will be communicated in the applicant’s interview invite letter. It is very useful for students to practise with any online platforms specifically, so they can feel more familiar on the day and solve any technical problems in advance. 
• Preparation Material: Very often, students receive reading material 10–30 minutes before the interview. This material, typically a piece of legislation or a legal case study, will serve as a focal discussion point. Importantly, no prior legal knowledge of the law is required. Other topics which can be discussed in an interview might include aspects of the applicant’s personal statement, or broader legal questions.
• What to Expect During the Interview: Students should focus on sharing their thought process aloud, walking interviewers through the steps they took to reach their conclusions. It’s okay if they don’t have an immediate answer—encourage them to ask questions, explain any difficulties, and respond to interviewers’ guidance. Adjusting their thinking based on feedback is a crucial part of the Cambridge supervision model, demonstrating flexibility and openness to new perspectives.

2. How to help your students prepare: Key Tips

Promote Academic Debate and Discussion

• Encourage students to engage in discussions and debates on legal concepts, express their opinions, and back up those opinions with evidence. This will help them practice thinking on their feet—an important skill for the interview, where prepared answers are not the goal. Practicing in a supportive setting, such as a lunchtime club or peer group, can help them build confidence in expressing ideas.

Support Independent Exploration of law

• Help students explore their interest in law by engaging in super-curricular activities, like reading essays, debating open-ended questions, participating in an Extended Project Qualification (EPQ), or attending law-related talks. This kind of exploration allows students to gain insights into legal studies and develop a foundation for critical thinking and analysis, which they can then draw on during their interview. 
• Encourage Use of Super-Curricular Activities as Evidence: Students can use these activities to demonstrate their interest in law during the interview. For example, they can draw on what they learned when discussing pre-interview reading material or responding to questions. The Think Cambridge Law blog offers suggestions for additional law-focused activities.

Review Their Personal Statement

• Remind students to re-read their personal statement before the interview, especially any super-curricular activities or skills they highlighted. Practicing how to verbally convey the skills and interests they’ve developed can help them feel more comfortable discussing these topics. Emphasising activities they enjoyed or were passionate about will show interviewers their genuine interest in the subject.

3. Final Thoughts and Tips on Mock Interviews

Cambridge is not looking for fully formed lawyers or applicants with deep legal knowledge. Instead, we seek students who:

• Show a strong interest in law and are motivated to study it.
• Engage in discussions and demonstrate intellectual flexibility.
• Can think critically and react to new ideas without needing a rehearsed response.

The aim of the interview is to get to know each candidate as an individual. Interview questions are often open-ended, designed to uncover the student’s thought process and reasoning style. Instead of rehearsing answers, students should focus on responding naturally to new scenarios, thinking through the problem, and explaining their approach. This kind of genuine engagement reflects the Cambridge learning environment.

A Note on Mock Interviews
While some schools run mock interviews or employ external providers to prepare students, we recommend caution: these services are often not updated with Cambridge’s specific requirements, and providers may not have recent training in university admissions. Instead, Cambridge offers a variety of free resources online, all of which are designed to provide accurate and reliable guidance. For further support, contact our outreach team at outreach@law.cam.ac.uk.

Resources 

• Preparing for your Cambridge Interview 
• The Cambridge Law Interview  
• Practising Legal Problems 
• Inside Uni-Law Interview Experiences