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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'Tis the time for our noble listeners to decide whether or not they are satisfied with their June LSAT scores. Zach wonders if it is worth risking a lower retake score after earning a 172 on the test. ‘Appreciative Student’ was surprised to receive an official score that was 5-6 points higher than their highest practice test score, and asks if it would be a good idea to try for an even higher result in September. (6:50)
We discuss a recent NY Times article, An Expensive Law Degree, and No Place to Use It. The article addresses the situation that some attendees of lower-tiered law schools find themselves in upon graduation: crushing debt, low bar passage rates, and a bleak employment outlook. We talk about these issues and what you can do to avoid a similar fate. (18:25)
Last but not least, we debut the inaugural Reading Comprehension explanation on the Thinking LSAT Podcast. We carefully read, comprehend, and discuss Passage #1 from the June 2007 test. Download the test yourself and play along as we go. (32:20)
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Ben recommends Grit by Angela Duckworth, a book that could help with your LSAT prep and studying mindset. In that same vein, he mentions episode 202 of the podcast “The Art of Manliness,” which discusses the effort and commitment required to achieve a goal. (5:27)
Next, a barrage of emails (3 can be a barrage, right??) from listeners who want to thank Thinking LSAT for helping them achieve their LSAT goals. Mike channeled Nathan’s zen to overcome test day stress (13:43), Jeff realized LSAT success was more than a matter of innate ability (18:10), and Taylor used the podcast for hands-free studying while hiking in Spain (34:40). We also answer Taylor’s questions about how to improve her score in Reading Comprehension.
At long last, we answer the final question in Section 2 of the June 2007 LSAT! Question #25 is a Logical Reasoning problem that demands an explanation of facts that don’t seem to line up. Download the free June 2007 test and play along as we solve the puzzle and wrap up this section. (52:58)
Are you looking for an LSAT prep class in the Los Angeles area? Nathan has an upcoming Fox test prep class in LA with room for more students! Reach out to him for more information on the course and registration for the class. (1:07)
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Did you take the June LSAT? Are you freaking out about your performance?? If you answered yes, we encourage you to slow down, take a deep breath, and refrain from any drastic decisions about canceling your score. (4:05)
“Overwhelmed Dad” in South Texas emails a series of questions regarding his potential career shift from high school history teacher to lawyer. Worried about his ability to balance work, law school, and a newborn baby, Overwhelmed wants to know what advice we can share to help him be successful in his endeavor. (5:45)
“Anxious and Anonymous” writes in to admit he disregarded our [totally awesome] advice and read LSAT forums even after receiving a great offer letter from his top choice law school. Now questioning whether he set his sights high enough, Anxious is considering turning down this offer and starting the application process over next year. (36:20)
We work through two Logical Reasoning questions from the June 2007 Official LSAT. Question #23 is a Sufficient Assumption problem that uses big, heady abstractions to confuse test-takers and Question #24 tests how well you understood the question and predicted an answer. To play along at home, pause at 46:20 for #23 and at 1:06 for Question #24.
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Episode 61 features an interview with Seth Harding, a 15 year old college senior who is preparing to take the LSAT. Seth is planning to take the test on June 6th and hopes to raise his current practice score of 148 to an Ivy-league competitive score within the next 3 weeks. Will we convince Seth to postpone his test date, as his goal is extremely ambitious, if not impossible? Will he convince a skeptical Nathan that he’ll be mentally and emotionally prepared to start law school at only 16 years old? Will Seth appreciate any of Ben’s spot-on Doogie Howser jokes? Listen in to find out the answers to these questions and more. (0:55)
Nathan discusses some recent advice his prep class received from law school admissions expert Ann Levine, including the optimal time to apply to law school and when applying “early” is no longer considered early. (35:10)
We dole out some tough love to Henry, a law school hopeful who emailed Nathan asking for tips on how to raise his LSAT score from an untimed 160-165 to a 175-180. We definitively conclude that any score must be from a timed practice test to convey real information on one’s performance on the test. (42:30)
We work through Question #22 in section 2 of the June 2007 LSAT, a Logical Reasoning problem that asks you to find the answer that Must Be True. Download the free test here and try the question, then listen in for our explanation. (53:15)
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After months of anticipation and teasers from Nathan, The Fox LSAT Logic Games Playbook is now available! Check it out here and start crushing all those games. (3:10)
Ed, a far-flung listener from Meyers Chuck, Alaska describes the unique route he will be taking to get to the LSAT testing center, and asks for advice on how to stay focused after the expedition. We discuss his questions and pose some of our own–what’s the Airbnb situation in Juneau? Does the pet deposit cover the entire sled dog team or just individual dogs? (7:20)
We spend time working through Logical Reasoning questions #20 (starting at 21:15) and #21 (at 33:25) from the June 2007 LSAT. Download the free test and try it for yourself, then listen in as we discuss them.
Nathan interviews Jeff Todd, a Harvard Law School graduate who left his position at a prestigious law firm to write for MLBTradeRumors.com. Hear Jeff discuss his decisions, his life now, and his sage advice to Thinking LSAT listeners. (55:00)
Got questions you want us to answer in a future podcast? Send us an email! Follow us at @thinkinglsat and tweet us a question!
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In Episode 59, Nathan interviews Alison Monahan: Columbia Law School graduate, co-creator of The Law School Toolbox and Bar Exam Toolbox programs and podcast, and creator of The Girl’s Guide to Law School.
10 Things You’ll Hate About Alison Monahan:
10- Nathan nicknamed her “The Hustler.” So awesome. (0:55)
9- She could have gone to medical school without taking the MCAT. (2:55)
8- She decided she wanted to go to law school, took the LSAT a few weeks later, and scored a 170 out of the gate. (12:25)
7- She couldn’t get laid off during the recession in 2010, even though she begged her boss to do it. (31:00)
6- Every day for a year, Alison woke up, asked herself what she felt like doing that day, and did that. (33:00)
5- She’s already lived in Boston, New York, and Los Angeles.
4- She now spends her summers in Mexico City and her winters in San Francisco. (37:30)
3- She also shares a ski cabin with friends in Tahoe. (46:00)
2- She gets to drink beer with Nathan. (56:00)
1- That, despite making you feel lazy and inadequate, you can’t hate Alison at all–she is too awesome! Alison knows her life is amazing, and she wants to help you make your life remarkable too. Check out her programs and tweet her for all your bar prep/law school/workplace needs.
Got questions you want us to answer in a future podcast? Send us an email! Follow us at @thinkinglsat and tweet us a question!
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Two old dudes leave the jogging to the kids while they rhapsodize over the benefits of swimming slow laps—it’s so easy on the joints! Nathan really hammers the point home when he makes Ben aware of a runner’s worst nightmare…nipple bleeding (4:20).
Good news! Law schools are giving out more scholarships than ever! Bad news–you’re going to have to do some math to determine which offer is really your best option. We discuss two frequently overlooked factors you need to consider when comparing which scholarship to accept. (8:03).
The LSAC fully utilized social media last week when they tweeted the following link to their Facebook to deliver this announcement:
Important message for June 2016 #LSAT registrants: Review the photograph you uploaded when registering for the LSAT. It MUST meet the LSAT Admission Ticket Photo requirements. It is your responsibility to make sure these requirements are met. Admission to the test center may be denied if your photo is not acceptable. If you are denied admission, you will not be eligible for a refund. If you determine that your photo does not meet LSAC requirements, call LSAC at 215.968.1001 during our business hours for assistance.
Don’t let all the caps intimidate you; LSAC clarifies by providing a link to some amazing examples of UNACCEPTABLE photos (their caps, not ours). After mocking our favorite of the bad photos, we demystify the requirement rules with a few easy tips (26:25).
Anna Alaburda, the 2008 graduate who sued her former law school for allegedly inflating their post-graduate employment statistics, finally had her day in court. We discuss the outcome and what it could mean for future law school graduates with the same litigious plan (36:42).
Listener Bonifacio asks for information about LSAC fee waivers and the overall cost of applying to law school. We advise him to apply for any waivers he has a chance of getting and encourage him to disregard some of the smaller expenses that occur in the process of applying to and choosing a program (39:20).
We work through Question #19 of the June 2007 LSAT, a Logical Reasoning problem that is an example of one of the most common flaws on the test- Correlation vs. Causation. Nathan is suspicious of the question from the get-go and thinks the argument is lying to him, while the more trusting Ben is pretty sure the argument is just an idiot. Play along by downloading the free test and working along with us (48:00).
Got questions you want us to answer in a future podcast?
Send us an email! Follow us at @thinkinglsat and tweet us a question!
Take a listen and let us know what you think.
After a bad test day and a “questionable” prep guide got him a 147 on the LSAT, Torvald* uses the Thinking LSAT podcast to jump his retake score to a 165 — Gratulerer, Torvald! As he considers law school options, Torvald wonders how to leverage scholarship offers from lower-ranked schools to get the best offer from his top-choice program. We advise him to apply broadly and discuss how to make the most of any offers. (2:25)
*not his real name, unfortunately
Muhammad has already been accepted to his top choice, Brooklyn Law School, but is starting to doubt his decision after seeing the new rankings that drop the program from 78th to 97th. Nathan dismisses the drop, while PI Ben conducts a thorough investigation of Brooklyn Law School and uncovers some disturbing trends. (12:50)
An anonymous listener writes in for advice after her less-than-perfect session with the assistant admissions director at the school she is interested in. We discuss the potential effects of such a meeting and suggest ways to ensure you make a good impression on your law school visits. (25:25)
We talk Socratic method as Nathan rants about professors who don’t employ the approach correctly and Ben shares his personal Socratic method faux pas. Learn from our mistakes as we tell you how to deal with this notoriously intimidating teaching style. (28:55)
A string of listener emails lead to discussions about starting law school in the summer vs. starting in the fall, reasons to go to or skip public events held by schools, and whether a particular LSAT prep audiobook is any good for studying. (44:10)
We wrap up with Question #18 from the June 2007 LSAT. Download the free test and try it for yourself, then listen in as we work through it. (59:41)
Got questions you want us to answer in a future podcast? Send us an email! Follow us at @thinkinglsat and tweet us a question!
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Nathan recommends adding something unusual to your morning coffee. Try it and look like a badass at your next brunch. (2:30)
David, a listener who graduated in 2006 with a degree in civil engineering, asks about his chances of being accepted into a good law school despite his cumulative GPA of 2.78. He is currently preparing to take the June LSAT after letting his 2009 score of 161 expire without applying to any schools. Ben uses the LSAT/GPA calculator to give David an estimation of his chances at admission. (9:15)
We discuss the importance of highlighting personality and “painting a picture” of yourself on your law school applications. Exhibit A: Cate Hall, a graduate of Yale Law School who quit a successful law career to become a professional poker player; she was recently interviewed on one of Nathan’s favorite podcasts, “Thinking Poker.” You can listen to that episode here. (26:00)
An article in the New York Times discusses Anna Alaburda, a 2008 graduate of Thomas Jefferson Law School who is charging the institution with inflating their employment stats to convince people to enroll in their program. The story prompts our discussion about the responsibility of a law school in their students’ future employability. (33:35)
Nathan’s heart skips a beat when Cate Hall, the aforementioned poker player, likes the tweet he wrote about her! Tweet Cate and beg her to come on our show. (51:30)
Listener Cordelia is preparing for the LSAT and is planning to purchase one of Nathan’s LSAT books to help but she doesn’t know which one to choose first. Nathan recommends starting with his primer Introducing the LSAT, a “quick and dirty” overview of the LSAT’s most common concepts and how to handle them, and then moving on to Cheating the LSAT, which walks the reader through one full test. (53:35)
We work on the official June 2007 LSAT, Question #17- a particularly useful flaw question in the Logical Reasoning section. Play along by downloading the free June 2007 LSAT here. (58:10)
Listen closely as we discuss the argument and you will hear even more authentic Costa Rican birdsongs! This episode features a less melodious species of bird (or maybe it’s a monkey?!) but will put you in a tropical mindset just the same.
Got questions you want us to answer in a future podcast? Send us an email! Follow us at @thinkinglsat and tweet us a question!
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We interview Ann Levine, law school admissions expert, author and yoga teacher. Ann counsels us on the importance of meditation in creating a clear mind before studying. She also discusses test day anxiety and answers questions about the admissions cycle. Read more about Ann and sign up for her newsletter here. (2:00)
Listener John is joining an LSAT study group and asks for tips on how to make the sessions as productive as possible. We debate whether study groups are the best use of prep time and how to keep focused while studying with other students. (34:30)
An email from economics major Cameron prompts a discussion about the subject content of Reading Comprehension passages. Do you know what a lichen is?! We don’t either, but we tell you how to correctly answer questions about them anyway. (43:10)
Ben shares stories from listeners who recently received LSAT accommodations on test day, and we discuss how those accommodations were handled by test proctors. (54:50)
Looking for more LSAT prep help? We spend the last few minutes of the show talking about the variety of resources we have for students who want more guidance. As an added bonus, if you listen closely while Ben is speaking, you will hear the melodious birdsong of Costa Rica! (1:01:00)
Nathan is teaching a weekend LSAT Bootcamp in Los Angeles on April 23 and 24. It promises to be a concentrated dose of LSAT awesomeness! Get all the details here.
Got questions you want us to answer in a future podcast? Send us an email! Follow us at @thinkinglsat and tweet us a question!
Take a listen and let us know what you think.
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