Stay ConnectedBen Olson and Nathan Fox started the Thinking LSAT Podcast to become better LSAT teachers and have some fun. Please 1) subscribe, 2) rate and review, and 3) send us questions: help@thinkinglsat.com. Don’t pay for law school!
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Since the 2019 college admissions bribery scandal, college admissions professionals have been under a new level of scrutiny. On today’s show, Ben and Nathan talk to Harvard Law grad and college admissions consultant, Sydney Montgomery, about ethics and law school admissions. They also talk to Sydney about how equity-seeking groups can find community and support as they are preparing for law school and when they get to campus. Plus, the guys answer another LR question from prep test 65, they answer a question about scholarships for older candidates, check-in on changes to the U.S. News rankings, and hear a story of an LSAC fee waiver denial that got reversed. Read more on our website!
Many lawyers-to-be have their eyes on the good stuff. They want to do the world-saving, altruistic work that will make communities stronger and peoples’ lives better. And immigration law is a popular focus for these folks who want to help asylees and other groups. But what is immigration law really like? Nathan and Ben sit down with immigration attorney, Nicole Black, to talk about the realities of immigration law. They discuss what cases generally look like, what happens when cases get lost, and what the day-to-day practice is like for an immigration attorney. Plus, the guys chomp thru another LR question from PT 65, they weigh some advice from Reddit and answer a bunch of listener mail. Read more on our website!
In what may be some kind of record, the guys dig thru their overflowing mailbag and answer a bunch of listener emails, plus they find time to hear an Excuse of the Week, play a round of Pearls vs. Turds, and answer an LR question from prep test 65. It is an action-packed episode where the guys answer questions about career changes from being a calligrapher to becoming a lawyer, from opting out of law school to become a social worker, whether law schools offer accommodations for students with learning differences, and what to do about being waitlisted in an ultra-competitive cycle, and a bunch more. Read more on our website!
Ben and Nathan are joined by Henry Carras, a 3L at GW who is preparing to go into the JAG (Judge Advocate General’s) Corps. Harry discusses the ins and outs of what it means to be a Judge Advocate in different branches of the military, what responsibilities JAG Corps officers have outside of lawyer-ing, and what it takes to be accepted into the JAG Corps. The guys also hear from a student who’s wondering if creating a good network in law school is better than being a big fish with a scholarship, they skewer a money-grab email from Georgetown, take a look at an excuse of the week, and get into another LR question from prep test 65. Read more on our website!
When it comes to all the LSAT advice that’s floating out there in the world, it’s hard to find much information that’s helpful. It’s hard to find those pearls of wisdom that will have a meaningful impact on your LSAT score. And over the years, the guys have reviewed many a turd-o-wisdom from the field. But in this episode, the guys take a look at some advice that they agree every person studying for the LSAT should keep in mind. Nathan and Ben also hear from folks who aren’t feeling so surefooted on their paths to law school—if they’re struggling with RC, does that mean they’re going to suck at law school? If they’re scoring higher today than a few weeks ago, are they just on a lucky streak? If they can’t apply this cycle, is it worth applying to law school at all? Nathan and Ben try to bring some peace of mind to these folks, plus they tackle another LR question from prep test 65. Read more on our website!
It’s not always fun to say “we told you so.” But guess what. We told you so. This week, LSAC announced that the LSAT Flex is here to stay. And with a few small changes, the online test will be known simply as “LSAT” after August of this year. The guys cover this major announcement from LSAC and share some other news, like the release of the testing schedule thru June 2022. Nathan and Ben also hear from a student who’s considering a retake at 174, they advise a listener who fears they’re too old to go to law school, and they hear from a student who’s got a handful of full-ride offers. Plus, the guys consider an excuse of the week about tough vocab on the LSAT, and they rip thru a listener’s personal statement.
Over the past few weeks, lawyers, judges, and politically interested folks around the world were audience to the latest Trump impeachment trial. And while there’s been a lot of commentary about the cases made by both the prosecution and the defense, the Thinking LSAT crew has some opinions of their own—mainly about the wildly poor writing exhibited in Trump’s impeachment defense brief. In this episode, the guys laugh their way through portions of the legal brief in a case study of what not to do if you ever become a lawyer. The guys also field a question about how much one can expect to improve on the LSAT after studying for a few months, they hear an LSAT Demon success story, they consider some advice for improving reading comprehension, and they burn through another LR question from prep test 65. Plus, a motivational note about plateauing performance from producer Adam. Read more on our website!
Friend of the show and law school expert, Ann Levine, joins Nathan and Ben to answer some of your burning late-in-the-cycle admissions questions. The squad tackles questions about negotiating scholarships, picking a school with an international program, what’s appropriate for a diversity statement vs. a personal statement, and whether it’s too late to apply to a T14 school. Plus, Ben and Nathan talk about the dirtiest word on the LSAT, they cover another “excuse of the week,” and they answer another LR question from prep test 65. Read more on our website!
In the wake of the January LSAT-Flex, there are winners and…not so winners. Nathan and Ben field some questions from folks who got shook by the January test. From nightmare ProctorU experiences to “harder-than-usual” sections, folks are wondering if they need to re-take. The guys also help someone who’s caught in a morass of LSAC GPA finagling, they offer some negotiation advice to a student who’s been accepted to their no. 1 school, and they help an ultra-marathoner decide how to work his accomplishment into a personal statement. Plus, Ben and Nathan take a look at another Excuse of the Week, and introduce another segment: Sh*t that Kids Say Wrong.
Whether you’re prepping for the LSAT, or sitting for the LSAT, or getting ready to apply for law school, there are countless obstacles that can stand in your way. And as many obstacles there are—there are that many excuses for why things didn’t turn out as you’d hoped. On the flip side, if you’re prepared and cool as a cucumber, you can still perform under pressure and not pay for law school. Today the guys hear from a high-scorer who had an unfortunate Proctor U mishap, they weigh some advice about being a big fish in a small pond (will it be a pearl or a turd?!), they take a look at a claim that COVID may be causing some law schools to lose their accreditation, and they read “the excuse of the week” from their LSAT Demon classes. Plus, Nathan gives a brain teaser to Ben and the guys tackle another LR question from Prep Test 65.
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