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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Today’s show clocks in over two hours. A Thinking LSAT record? (We don’t know, because we’re too lazy to look through all the past episodes.)
In the show open, Nathan talks about his upcoming trip to Europe. He has a one-way ticket to Brussels, Belgium right after the June 2017 LSAT, with no clue where he’s going once he’s there. If you have suggestions for what to see and do, please send them to nathan@foxlsat.com.
Ben reads fiction! Well, it’s historical fiction based on actual events involving 19th-century attorneys, but it’s fiction nonetheless. (Shh… don’t tell him, because I don’t think he realizes.) But do check out his book recommendation: The Last Days of Night: A Novel. Maybe it will help spark your interest in IP litigation. (2:00)
How much is LSAT improvement worth? Check out this merit scholarship matrix on the Thomas Jefferson School of Law website and find out exactly. This school is offering guaranteed tuition scholarships based on a fixed LSAT/GPA matrix. Other schools aren’t so explicit, but we can infer that similar matrices probably apply at other schools. Step one: Get the best LSAT score you can. Step two: Get yourself $100,000 or more in free law school tuition. Unless you hate money or something. (6:05)
Do you know of any other schools that publish scholarship matrices like this one? Please email us: help@thinkinglsat.com.
Whittier Law is going out of business. Sad trombone. (21:40)
Your school has a bar passage rate of 25 percent? Welcome to the world’s worst casino. (27:30)
“Brad Pitt” writes “the dudes” for tips on applying super-late in the admissions cycle, and promptly gets chastised at length. No surprise there. (29:25)
Parallel Reasoning questions: to skip, or not to skip? Nathan takes a pretty strong anti-skip stance. Ben agrees: “Go do a bunch of Parallel Reasoning questions and own them.” Yep, pretty much. They’re not that hard, once you know what you’re doing. (39:05)
“Nameless” has already been admitted to University of Chicago with a 162, but asks about retaking the LSAT in order to get a better scholarship offer. The boys speculate that a school as prestigious as Chicago might be less willing to renegotiate based on a new LSAT, but commend the effort anyway. Whatever you do, don’t swing for the fences! Play the game you actually have, not the game you wish you had. (46:55)
Jabron from the Carwash writes in again (thanks Jabron!) to ask for some clarification about accuracy targets. Do we really mean that students should shoot for “near perfection”? Yes, yes we do. (1:02)
At this point, Nathan gets tired of writing show notes. Tons of other great stuff follows, trust me!
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Got questions you’d like us to answer in a future podcast? Send us an email at help@thinkinglsat.com or follow us on Twitter @thinkinglsat and tweet us a question!
Alert! Today’s show notes were written by Nathan, so don’t be surprised if you find them saltier and less amusing than Andi’s usual sweetness and light.
Our first email comes from “George Town,” a fourth-time LSAT adventurer, on how to prep when you’ve already been at it for a year or more.(10:30)
The discussion edges into spoiler territory as we discuss the fourth logic game from PrepTest 80–the one with the buildings. Just because it’s unfamiliar doesn’t mean it’s hard! “You just slow down and THINK about what they’re talking about,” says Ben. Nathan can’t say it better himself, but that doesn’t stop him from trying. (19:20)
Ben talks about a near miss in class. He had dismissed a correct answer too quickly, but did that mean he would go on to miss the question? Hell no. He has high standards, and he wasn’t about to pick a wrong answer. “It’s like I had a safeguard, like I had two ways of getting to the answer,” says Ben. (27:35)
Ben offers a quick tip about Reading Comprehension from Justice Alito, which kicks off some scintillating discussions about everybody’s favorite LSAT section. (32:40)
Want to do us a bigass favor? Good. Give us a rating and/or review on iTunes. Please? (40:15)
“Bertha” checks in with an idea she read about doing 30-minute sections instead of 35, to which Ben and Nathan both offer a hard “no.” She also asks about taking the LSAT in stressful and/or loud places. Again, the guys say no. There’s lots of bad advice out there, y’all! Be careful who you trust; CRBS is everywhere. Next we talk about caffeine, chocolate brownies, bacon, and the LSAT. (42:05)
Finally, Jay Fleischmann Esq. joins the show to talk about student debt, an exploding area of law. Jay practices consumer relief law in Pasadena at Shaev & Fleischman, LLP. He hosts The Student Loan Show (the podcast about student loans) and trains lawyers about this growing practice area via his Student Loan Law Workshop(“Where Smart Lawyers Learn About Student Loan Law”). (1:00:55)
Hey, just a reminder: If you’re looking for an online LSAT prep course, we’ve got you covered. Check out Ben’s 100-Hour Online LSAT Course or Nathan’s Fox LSAT On Demand. Nathan has a free trial LSAT course, where you can see if his teaching style works for you. Ben also offers his own free LSAT lesson.
Got questions you’d like us to answer in a future podcast? Send us an email at help@thinkinglsat.com or follow us on Twitter @thinkinglsat and tweet us a question!
Looking for an LSAT prep course? Consider Ben's 100-Hour Online LSAT course or Nathan's Fox LSAT On Demand Class. Also, try Fox LSAT's free trial course or check out Ben's free lesson.
Like many of you, Mark emails the show to let us know he will be taking the digital LSAT in May. He also confirms that LSAC will allow scratch paper during the test. Good luck to Mark and all of the rest of you guinea pigs. Let us know how it goes! (4:45)
While attempting to register for the June LSAT, students are finding their nearest test centers are full. Ben reports that there are no openings in the D.C. area so students are traveling to Philadelphia for the test. Nathan suggests people instead get on a waitlist and then call the LSAC to see about opening more centers in their area. Prepare yourself as Ben shares a nightmarish tale of students signed up to take June test at Georgetown. (8:20)
Scrooge was thinking about taking the June LSAT, but restructuring at work, family obligations, and a busy day-to-day have left him with little time and energy for studying, so now he’s thinking about waiting until September. The prep he has managed has focused on reading test theory and doing untimed practice tests. Nathan calls into question Scrooge’s excuses for not studying and advises/demands that he start timing all practice tests. Ben discusses the idea of stretch goals and wonders whether registering in June will be more beneficial to Scrooge after all. (15:38)
Anthony asks for clarification about something said in Nathan’s interview with Chantal Renta (Episode 86), specifically pertaining to loan forgiveness and taxes. Chantal responds to Anthony and shares depressing articles from NPR and the New York Times about what the Department of Education is doing to cut down on these “forgiven” loans. (47:30)
LOL, a 34-year-old professional speech writer in Beijing, is feeling pressure from her family to have a baby instead of pursuing her dream of becoming a lawyer. She poses questions about what LSAT score will get her into a T14 school and how long it will take for her to achieve that number. The guys discuss her issues and why some people might never reach an elite LSAT score, no matter how much prep they do. (52:03)
PDUMRN:) is an LSAT instructor with a 179 and a 3.78 GPA from a top liberal arts college. Although he doesn’t want to actually practice law, he is considering getting a JD to give him a leg up in other careers that he is interested in. He asks which top-tier schools, if any, would give him a full merit-based scholarship. Nathan and Ben list some programs that he can look into and encourage him to apply more broadly so he could use those offers to negotiate better packages from higher-ranked schools. (1:04:46)
We continue Logical Reasoning Section 3 of the June 2007 LSAT with Question 23, a Flaw question that you can solve by looking for two specific things. To play at home, just download the free test; work through Section 3, Question 23; listen in as we discuss the solution. (1:11:45)
Got questions you want us to answer in a future podcast? Send us an email at help@thinkinglsat.com or follow us @thinkinglsat and tweet us a question!
Take a listen and let us know what you think.
Ben recommends a book that he’s been enjoying: What Doesn’t Kill Us: How Freezing Water, Extreme Altitude and Environmental Conditioning Will Renew Our Lost Evolutionary Strength. Ben’s started taking cold showers, but Nathan remains unconvinced (and warm). (0:17)
Looking for an LSAT prep course? Consider Ben’s 100-Hour Online LSAT Course or Nathan’s Fox LSAT On Demand class. Learn in-person, over skype, or online from the guys you already enjoy listening to! (4:28)
Nathan shares some (pretty unsurprising) news out of Yale Law School this week. Following Harvard’s recent announcement that they would be accepting GRE scores from law school applicants, Yale proclaims they will likewise accept scores from the GRE. What’s next—Stanford?!? Probably. (8:48)
The LSAC is seeking participants for their Digital LSAT Pilot Test on May 20. The test will be tablet-based and is taking place at 20 sites throughout the United States. While no official score will be reported, this could be a good chance to practice for the real thing. Benefits to the 1,000 chosen guinea pigs include a $100 gift card, analysis of their test performance, and the eternal gratitude of The Thinking LSAT Podcast (pending your full report of the pilot). The application period ends April 15 so apply ASAP. (9:55)
Emails abound on Episode 90 of the show! Hear Nathan and Ben respond to these listeners:
Desperate Sarah wonders if a great score on the June LSAT could work as a bargaining chip on the schools that have waitlisted her. (24:08)
Boston Eric improved 10 points since his diagnostic in January and asks if the guys think it’s possible for him to jump 5-10 more by June. (35:35)
Nervous Ted put off taking a diagnostic LSAT because he was worried about what a low score would mean for his future. Family support and this podcast convinced him he had to see where he was starting from. (47:58)
Impatient Jenny plans to take the June LSAT and apply to start law school this fall—like, three months after this June, fall. (Mistake.) (55:25)
Wonderful-wedding-guest Anita works as a lobbyist in the state legislature but wants to become a litigator. She is worried about her practice scores fluctuating between 160-171 and hopes the guys have tips on stabilizing her score. (1:10:53)
We continue Logical Reasoning Section 3 of the June 2007 LSAT with Question 22, a Must Be True question involving conditional reasoning and some tricky word order. To play at home, just download the free test; work through Section 3, Question 22; listen in as we discuss the solution. (1:19:25)
Got questions you want us to answer in a future podcast? Send us an email at help@thinkinglsat.com or follow us @thinkinglsat and tweet us a question!
Take a listen and let us know what you think.
Vacillating in Vancouver has a dream to become a criminal defense attorney; he also has a dream of not regretting the pursuit of said dream. With an aptitude for reading, writing, and standardized test-taking, Vacillating is confident in his ability to score over 170 on the LSAT. The guys address his fears and attempt to root out their cause in the hopes of helping him make a decision. (0:43)
We continue Logical Reasoning Section 3 of the June 2007 LSAT with Question 21, a weaken problem. To play at home, just download the free test; work through Section 3, Question 21; listen in as we discuss the solution. (16:50)
Ben and Nathan interview Gary Kinder, an attorney, author, and the creator of WordRake, editing software that can improve the clarity and brevity of one’s writing. Gary talks about writing a compelling opening for your personal statement and gives tips on storytelling techniques to keep a reader’s interest. He also speaks on WordRake’s role in the automation of legal work and whether it will take jobs from the industry. Finally, Gary discusses his best-selling book Victim: The Other Side of Murder.
Got questions you want us to answer in a future podcast? Send us an email at help@thinkinglsat.com or follow us @thinkinglsat and tweet us a question!
Take a listen and let us know what you think.
Unfortunately, Ben just cannot deal! Ads with relentlessly poppy, upbeat, hand-clapping music are making him want to run for the hills. And if the tune features xylophones? Forget about it. Stay tuned at the end of the show for an example (not you, Ben!). (0:25)
A BART ad in San Francisco seems to be recruiting people for their simple 5-step plan aimed at fighting President Trump’s devastating environmental reform. Step 1: read poster; 2: study for and take the LSAT; 3: apply for and attend law school; 3.5: realize that Trump is no longer in office but just keep going anyway ’cause you’re almost there; 4: prep for, take, and pass the Bar exam; 5: become an environmental law powerhouse with the clout to change policy at the highest levels. Easy! (5:55)
Cordelia, a fan of the show and of Nathan’s LSAT prep guides, asks what the improvement curve looks like for people studying for the LSAT. The guys estimate a ten-point improvement over three months of studying but stress that everyone is different and will have different results. They also discuss how many times a person should retake for optimal scores. (10:40)
Chris had a diagnostic score of 150 that, through hard work and our (priceless) advice, he turned into an official 171 on the December LSAT. He is currently in his gap year and is working as a tutor for Kaplan. Chris wants tips on bringing his score up even further toward 180, as he has decided to retake. After all, he’ll be around the LSAT so much for work anyway. Nathan and Ben agree his job could help him improve but only if he ignores Kaplan’s techniques and continues to focus on understanding the questions. (16:45)
MJ, a former Strategy Prep student, is facing an “enviable decision”: she must choose between four full-ride offers from D.C. law schools (update since recording: five full-ride offers), partial offers from other programs, and acceptance from 7th-ranked Penn. Ben thinks that Penn will open doors she might not even know that she wants to go through yet, but Nathan worries that the debt she’ll incur might force her into a big law job that she doesn’t want. Ultimately, the guys think of another outcome: MJ could try to maximize all her options. (34:40)
An update from Mr. Negotiator aka The Closer aka He Didn’t Want Us To Say His Name: He shares the offers that he’s received with his 3.8 GPA and 163 LSAT. Decent scholarship offers from Alabama and Emory turned into a full ride at Alabama when he negotiated with the schools, using one offer to boost the other. (47:45)
We continue working through the June 2007 LSAT with Logical Reasoning Section 3, Question 20, a Matching Flaw problem. To play at home, just download the free test; work through Section 3, Question 20; and listen in as we discuss the solution. (57:54)
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Law School Expert Ann Levine joins Episode 87 to discuss Harvard Law School’s recent bombshell—they are now giving students the option of submitting their GRE score instead of their LSAT score.
Ann is optimistic that this policy will create waves in the LSAC’s antiquated testing system and bring about changes that will ultimately benefit all applicants. The guys agree with her, however, Ben is unsure about the timeline for these shifts and whether students preparing for the LSAT might be facing stronger competition in the next year or so. Hear advice from all three on what students can do to deal with this news, then check out Ann’s blog on the topic. (1:45)
“JaBron from the car wash” (hopefully the LSAC won’t charge this listener for borrowing that title from their logic game!) asks about the nuances of LSAT wording. Ben and Nathan walk through the definitions of few, almost all, rarely, many, tends to, and other quantifiers, but urge JaBron to focus less on the hard definition of such terms and more on how to interpret them in the context of the question and its five answer choices. In discussing the ambiguity of such things, the guys (somehow) end up waxing poetic on the inevitability of amortality. (25:10)
Matt from D.C. writes in with his own thoughts relating slow and solid economic growth to the Thinking LSAT Podcast’s “slow down” philosophy. (47:37)
Luis, a 27-year-old in Austin, has been considering law school for years but continues to be unsure whether it’s the right career for him. With a low undergrad GPA, he will need an impressive LSAT score, but he is enjoying studying and is confident he can earn a 170 or higher. With very little debt from his undergrad degree, Luis is willing to drain his pension fund to pay for law school, if necessary. Nathan and Ben stop Luis right there and strongly advise him against this unsound financial plan. Instead, they urge him to apply broadly and to look at the margins to see what programs will make sense for his future. (51:52)
Before hearing the Thinking LSAT Podcast, Jay was scoring in the mid-160s on his practice tests. After becoming an avid podcast listener, he took the February LSAT and scored a 174 on his first attempt. He credits two pieces of advice from Ben and Nathan with this life-altering score jump. (1:03:45)
Mike, the Nyquil guy from Episode 66, writes in to update the show on the offers he’s received since scoring a 170 in September. Huge scholarship offers from the likes of George Washington, USC, UCLA, and Cornell prove that the hard work you put into the LSAT will be rewarded. Mike also shares the spreadsheet that he created to determine, using the law schools’ own index formulas (available on LSAC.org), a student’s target schools. (1:17:10)
Got questions you want us to answer in a future podcast? Send us an email at help@thinkinglsat.com or follow us @thinkinglsat and tweet us a question!
Take a listen and let us know what you think.
Nathan introduces guest Chantal Renta, a Chinese-speaking, freelance-accounting, tax-law-loving 3L at Southwestern Law School. The show begins with Chantal, a self-proclaimed “tax queen,” warning students about the downside of federal loan forgiveness, an issue previously discussed on the Thinking LSAT podcast in episode 83. (1:30)
Chantal discusses the mistakes that she feels she made in preparing for law school and shares tips on how to avoid them. Nathan asks about her unique path to law, a journey that includes Chantal teaching herself accounting, studying postmortem medicine, traveling through China, and playing drums in a technical death metal band. (12:45)
Chantal describes the high and low points of her 1L experience at Southwestern Law, including her less-than-awesome first semester grades and what she did to turn them around quickly in the second semester. Nathan is awestruck by the long and impressive list of extracurricular activities Chantal has been involved in while at Southwestern. Her passions are varied and span from acting as President of the Tax Law Society to hosting a panel on the Muslim Ban. (30:01)
As the interview winds down, Nathan asks his guest what she thinks her future holds. Chantal plans to take the bar this summer, to become a CPA wherever she ends up, and to continue her legal education by earning an LL.M. in tax law next year. She hasn’t applied for any legal jobs as of yet, but she isn’t worried about her prospects in the market; we aren’t worried about them either. Chantal has no current plans to tour with any death metal group, technical or otherwise. (50:40)
Got questions you want us to answer in a future podcast? Send us an email at help@thinkinglsat.com or follow us @thinkinglsat and tweet us a question!
Take a listen and let us know what you think.
An update from musician-turned-future-lawyer Peter notifies the guys that, despite their best efforts to dissuade him, he did indeed apply to Temple Law School with his 164 LSAT score. The good news is that Peter was accepted with a full-ride scholarship. The bad news is that Peter still is wondering whether he should retake the LSAT and reapply to get offers to higher ranking programs. At first, Nathan and Ben disagree on the merits of waiting, but they soon devise a solution that could satisfy everyone. (1:46)
Nathan and Ben discuss La La Land. (14:06)
Nathan and Ben discuss La La Land. (17:20)
Nathan reveals his surprising new pastime that makes his mom nervous and Ben intrigued. (18:10)
“Thad hominem,” a 34-year-old actor who is starting law school in the fall, is wondering whether he should sign up for a 1L prep program before classes begin. Ben is skeptical of the worth of these programs and recommends a few books for Thad to check out instead, including Getting to Maybe: How to Excel on Law School Exams. Nathan wants Thad to get his ducks in a row by finishing home projects, seeing friends, and getting fresh air and exercise before the law school walls close around him. (24:10)
Adam, a carpenter with a degree in journalism from Auburn, is registered for the Kaplan course to prepare for his first LSAT attempt in June. He has also been talking to lawyers, using Kaplan’s online study tools, and listening faithfully to the Thinking LSAT Podcast. Adam wants ideas on what else he can do to round out his application and input on whether he needs to switch from his carpentry job to something in the legal field. (34:10)
We continue working through the June 2007 LSAT with Logical Reasoning Section 3, Question 19, a strengthen question. To play at home, just download the free test; work through Section 3, Question 19; and listen in as we discuss the solution. (47:00)
Got questions you want us to answer in a future podcast? Send us an email at help@thinkinglsat.com or follow us @thinkinglsat and tweet us a question!
Take a listen and let us know what you think.
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