Do law schools care about so-called “demonstrated interest”? (You may remember that from when you applied to college. For example, Northwestern undergrad cares a LOT about demonstrated interest. UVA undergrad does not and wishes you would knock it off with the Why UVA essays.)
The biggest area where demonstrated interest comes up for law school admissions is in the essays and with interviews (when offered).
Here’s my rule:
If a law school wants to know "Why School X" in an essay, they will ask you to address that either in the Personal Statement prompt or in a dedicated optional essay. If a school doesn't ask, it doesn't care. It’s that simple, really. They could easily ask if they wanted to. If they don’t, they’re very happy for you to spend your permissible word count in other ways. (Exception: Georgetown Law. They don’t ask “Why Georgetown” in any of their essays, but Dean Cornblatt has let it be known in his information sessions that he likes to see it addressed somewhere in the essays.)
For 1-on-1 interviews, ALWAYS have a succinct “Why School X” answer ready to go. (For group interviews, like Georgetown’s, “Why School X” will almost certainly not come up. Yes, Georgetown likes to do things differently.)
Here’s an example from Duke that makes it really obvious. This is a prompt that they have historically used for their optional essay:
You may submit an essay providing additional information about why you have chosen to apply to law school in general and Duke in particular. We are interested in the factors that have prompted your interest in a legal career and the ways in which you think Duke can further that interest.
Columbia Law School could stand to be a bit more explicit, but they want a Why Columbia element in the main personal statement. Note that it’s not just “Why JD,” but “Why JD at Columbia,” so read those kinds of details carefully. Here is how they have worded it in years past (note the magic words “at Columbia”):
We are curious about your interests, goals, and aspirations and how the J.D. program at Columbia can help you achieve these. You are encouraged to think about the contributions you hope to make to both the Columbia community and the legal profession while considering your personal, intellectual, and professional background and any relevant information that you may not have otherwise conveyed through your other application materials."
NYU’s is also a bit opaque, but I think it qualifies for Why School X as well (although optional, not required as at Columbia; note the magic word “or”). Here’s the Personal Statement prompt:
Because people and their interests vary, we leave the content and length of your statement to your discretion. You may wish to complete or clarify your responses to items on the application form, bring to our attention additional information you feel should be considered, describe important or unusual aspects of yourself not otherwise apparent in your application, or tell us what led you to apply to NYU School of Law."
There are also other, rather baroque ways of asking “Why School X.” Penn Law School’s optional prompt is an example:
These are the core strengths that make Penn Carey Law the best place to receive a rigorous and engaging legal education: genuine integration with associated disciplines; transformative, forward-looking faculty scholarship; highly-regarded experiential learning through urban clinics and our pro bono pledge; innovative, hands-on global engagement; and a manifest commitment to professional development and collegiality. These qualities define Penn Carey Law. What defines you? How do your goals and values match Penn Carey Law’s core strengths?
They’re basically asking you to write a “fit” essay, i.e. why you and Penn are a good fit. That’s another way of asking “Why Us?”
Related: Why School X optionals are the only optional essay type I consider quasi-required, because it’s not a good look if they expressly invite you to talk about why you're interested in them and you have absolutely nothing to say.
But if you’re just going to regurgitate stuff from the website without giving it any real thought, skip it. Nobody wants to spend extra time to read a “meh” essay that’s not even required. (Related: If you’re not giving it any real thought, why are you applying?)
Also related: If you can make one of the virtual admissions events to get a better sense of the school, go ahead and do that. They keep track of who attends.