Thinking LSAT

A Demon student posts on Reddit about skipping the third passage on Reading Comprehension. Ben and Nathan advise doing the passages in order. As the student’s LSAT ability improves, their reading and answering speed will improve with it. Also in this episode: ⬜ A Demon student shares their September LSAT score. ⬜ Cardozo Law accidentally sends an acceptance to every applicant. ⬜ Another contest...

A listener asks about how to prepare on the day of her LSAT administration. She worries about underperforming her practice test scores. Ben and Nathan advise the listener to treat it like another practice test.  Also in this episode: ⬜ Diving into a study from AccessLex comparing bar passage rates and law school grades. ⬜ Why a student has not seen a score change in five months. ⬜ A four-step a...

Donors at Harvard Law are pushing the school to adopt a two-year JD program. Ben and Nathan agree.  Also in this episode: ⬜ Can you build a law school without the ABA? The University of Austin is about to try ⬜ Should you apply to law school now or bet on a stronger application next year? ⬜ What makes SMU Law tick? Ben and Nathan break down the numbers, jobs, and Dallas market ​Start for Free A...

A listener currently in school who can only study once or twice a week asks whether infrequent studying is worse than not studying at all. Ben and Nathan explain that intermittent studying can still be beneficial, as long as it doesn’t come at the expense of your grades. For students still in school, GPA comes first. Also in this episode: - Aaminah joins the show to talk about Crushing 1L - Harvar...

A new law review article estimates the financial condition of every ABA-accredited law school. Ben and Nathan discuss how the financial model of law schools has shifted with the rise of U.S. News rankings, and how that financial burden increasingly falls on the least credentialed students. Also in this episode: - Whether you can take the LSAT too many times - How to study for the LSAT the week of...

A listener writes in hopes to land the best possible scholarship for a law school in New York City. Ben and Nathan's advice: cast a wide net, apply to every school in the city, and lead with your best LSAT score. Also in this episode: - August LSAT score release day celebrations from the Demon Discord - A student whose score hold finally got released - What's the Deal with... University of...

Big law firms are extending offers to first-year law students before Christmas, pushing the recruiting timeline earlier than ever. Ben and Nathan break down what's driving the frenzy, whether it echoes the pre-2008 hiring bubble, and what it means for applicants counting on those $235K Big Law salaries. Also in this episode: - LSAC postpones removing dual-enrollment credits from applicants’ UGPAs...

Law schools are releasing LSAT and GPA medians for their incoming first-year classes, and the number of schools with a 170+ median has risen sharply since 2016. Ben and Nathan break down why this is happening, and why it means schools are handing out generous scholarships to applicants with high medians. Their advice: use this to your advantage. Also in this episode: - Should you apply early with...

LSAC has released its annual LSAT percentile table, showing how  score distributions have changed over the past three testing cycles. Ben and Nathan explain that while more test takers are earning higher scores, small changes in percentiles matter far less than the score improvement students can make.  Also in this episode: - The difference between necessary vs. sufficient questions - Why applying...

LSAC has changed how it calculates an applicant's undergraduate GPA: college courses taken during high school will no longer count toward the UGPA. Ben and Nathan discuss how this could benefit many applicants and how students can get their UGPA updated. Also in this episode: - A viewer who is applying to law school for the third time - Washington cancelling their bar exam after technical difficul...

A listener asks whether drilling one question type until they've "mastered" it beats mixed practice. Ben and Nathan explain why focusing on  a single type creates a false sense of progress. They argue that mixed practice better prepares students for the unpredictability of the real LSAT. Also in this episode: - A law school asks waitlisted applicants to take a “situational judgment” test - Which t...

Dan Currell returns to unpack a decade of major shifts in legal education and hiring. Nathan and Dan discuss employment outcomes for recent law graduates and the unusually frothy market in law firm hiring.  Also in this episode: - What's fueling the surge in law school application - The mounting pressure students face once enrolled - Grade inflation at the undergraduate level Employment Outcom...

The Demon team discovered that LSAC removed a Reading Comprehension feature in its updated interface. The test will no longer highlight referenced text in the passage. Ben and Nathan talk about this change and what it means for students. Also in this episode: - Chicago Law Releases Update on AI Strategy - Whether to pursue a master’s degree before law school - The next Personal Statement Gong Show...

A student pushes back on the Demon's advice against diagramming on the LSAT. Nathan and Ben respond with why their intuitive approach helps students answer questions faster and more accurately. Also in this episode: - A viewer follows up on their score hold - A judge's advice on sharing personal struggles in a personal statement - Whether being a KJD hurts your application Study with our F...

A viewer writes with disappointment about an underperformance on their last two LSAT administrations. Ben and Nathan remind her that scores naturally fluctuate,  and that if you've been scoring high, the answer is almost always to be registered for the next test. Also in this episode: - A viewer who underperformed on their June LSAT administration - An update from a former Demon student after thei...

The 2026 “Above the Law” law school rankings just dropped. Unlike US News, Above the Law only ranks 50 schools and weighs employment outcomes almost exclusively. The result? Some schools rank much higher than expected while others fall despite their prestige. Also in this episode: - Advice on pass/fail courses from an academic advisor - The Department of Education lowers loan rates for borrowers -...

Law schools have started to give out acceptances off of their waitlist. Ben and Nathan give advice to a viewer who received a spot off the waitlist from a higher ranked school with no scholarship offer.  Also in this episode: - How to consistently study while working full-time - A viewer email asks whether they should register for the August LSAT - The next contestant on the Personal Statement Gon...

Milbank raised salaries for their associates with many law firms expected to follow. Ben and Nathan discuss the type of students who are the most likely to land in big law and the potential downsides of working in such firms. Also in this episode: - Whether you should review answers you get right - AI outperforms law professors in a Stanford study on tutoring - Tips from students who crushed the L...

Jazmine writes in asking if she should accept the offers that are waiting on her June LSAT score. Ben and Nathan advise her to sit out this admissions cycle, maximize her LSAT score, and pursue better scholarship opportunities next cycle. Also in this episode: - How much letters of recommendation matter  - The right approach to the argumentative writing sample - A Reddit post about performing wors...

LSAC has updated the LSAT registration process so students now choose their test date and time based on when they signed up. As a result, students who register earlier get priority to preferred testing times. Ben and Nathan advise students that registering when you’re ready is still the highest priority, but those who are ready may find an advantage to signing up sooner.  Also in this episode: - W...

 A listener  who scored at the low end of their range on two official attempts asks Ben and Nate if they should delay their June test. Ben and Nathan explain that scoring within your range, even at the bottom of it, is completely normal and advise the listener to keep studying as usual. Also in this episode - A law school offers scholarships before students even apply - A listener with a PhD, stru...

A college pre-law advisor asks Ben and Nathan how to best prepare undergraduate students for law school. Ben and Nathan encourage them to keep doing what they’re doing and stress the importance of the cost of law school.  Also in this episode - A viewer asks what score they should aim for - Whether to enroll at UT Austin or reapply next cycle  - A rapid-fire of Pearls v. Turds Study with our Free...

Ben and Nathan review part of LSAC’s official LSAT prep curriculum. A pyramid-shaped diagram in the Reading Comprehension section catches their attention, but they remind students that the LSAT is easy and that success comes from focusing on one question at a time. Also in this episode - A law school starts summer classes so students qualify for Grad PLUS loans - Demon students share success stori...

Ben and Nathan have taught the LSAT for over 20 years. Students leaving the Demon often give the same advice: read carefully, eliminate wrong answers, and slow down. Also in this episode - A large law firm submits a court filing with AI hallucinations - Whether you need a diagnostic score before starting your LSAT studying - Tips from Demon students who crushed the LSAT Reuters Article: https://ww...

Dan Currell, former Department of Education official, joins the podcast to break down how colleges and law schools use opaque pricing, fake tuition numbers, and binding early decision contracts to maximize returns from students. Study with our Free Plan⁠ ⁠Download our iOS app⁠ Watch Episode 556 on YouTube Check out all of our “What’s the Deal With” segments Get caught up with our ⁠Word of the Week...