Practice makes perfect? The role of a law school practice interview scheme in enhancing student employability

This chapter considers how the law school practice interview scheme at Northumbria University Law School enhances student employability. The scheme provides law students with the opportunity to do a practice interview tailored to their target graduate role prior to their actual graduate interview. Whilst there is a significant focus on skills development in law schools, there is much less consideration of how to support students in conveying those skills at interview in an articulate and effective way. This chapter considers how the scheme works in practice, providing guidance on establishing a scheme, sample questions and advice on providing student feedback. This chapter also examines the role of commercial awareness in graduate interviews. This chapter is underpinned by data collected from a two year mixed-methods research study into the scheme. This data provides details of the support students require as they approach their graduate interview and the benefits of the scheme.