Thinking LSAT

In Episode 66, Nathan and Ben discussed an email from Mike, a dedicated student who suffered from panic-induced insomnia the night before his June LSAT.

A quick update on the last episode’s story of the student who went one second overtime on his test day Writing Sample. The LSAC’s characteristically cagey response to him leaves us plenty of room for speculation. (1:00) Two listener emails describe separate but nearly identical issues with their proctors from the September LSAT. Each student took the test with accommodations and neither was allowe...

Thinking LSAT gets political as we discuss the Trump-Clinton debate, and Nathan shares his surprising opinion on the outcome. Don’t worry if you’re not offended yet, we’ll discuss religion at the end of the show. (0:30) A commercial break here for Nathan to plug his upcoming LSAT Boot Camps in San Francisco and Los Angeles. Get more information and sign up for a magical weekend with Nathan Fox. (8...

Ben reads and recommends Alexander Hamilton . The biography by Ron Chernow inspired the recent musical phenomenon and Ben thinks it could also be an inspiration for aspiring lawyers. (5:30) Dreaming of a job in Big Law? If so, fire up your laptop and follow along as a recent law school grad offers advice on scoring a job at a Top 30 firm like she did. First, check out the NALP Directory to find th...

The recent release of The 10 Actual, Official LSAT Prep Tests 42-51 by the LSAC has Nathan and Ben all in a tizzy. While Nathan grumbles about the price, title, and layout, Ben is busy taking credit for willing the book into existence. (2:19) This week, Ben’s Book Corner features Make It Stick- The Science of Successful Learning . The book identifies the study and learning techniques that are most...

Ben jumps right into Episode 68 by introducing listeners to LSAT India and their catchy tagline, “All you need is reason.” Nathan wants to check out this version of the 2009 test  but reminds us that here in America, the LSAT motto is more like “All you need is money.”  (1:28) We discuss a study that looks at the impact of texting and email on human IQ. Spoiler alert: it’s bad. Constant...

Josh planned to retake the LSAT but then received a recommendation from his pre-law advisor not to do so; now Josh is confused about what he should do. We give him our own recommendation and decide that a retake is almost always a good idea. (10:07) Tamra knows she is retaking the LSAT in September but is worried her score will be received too late to be considered at her top choice school by thei...

We open Episode 66 with some book recommendations; Ben is enjoying Chaos Monkeys by Antonio García Martínez and Nathan just finished Ready Player One by Ernest Cline. Reading these could expand your mind and your vocabulary; at the very least, they will be more interesting than reading The Economist . (2:40) Mike, a dedicated listener and student of Nathan’s, writes in to discuss his personal batt...

…JK. Episode 65 is no less safe for work than any other episode of Thinking LSAT. We do appreciate hearing about all of you that seem to be listening to this podcast at the office instead of, say, writing invoices or reading memos or playing Pokemon Go. We begin this episode by sharing a news item that features an uncharacteristically generous new refund policy from the LSAC. The wording of said p...

'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 resu...

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...

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...

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 sk...

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 som...

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 sh...

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 you...

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...

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...

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...

Fire alarms, marching bands and mice … oh my! Listeners Ayung and Lauren share their LSAT test day horror stories. We discuss what to do when you encounter the unexpected in the test room, and how test-takers can sometimes turn a bad situation to their advantage. (7:30) We stop talking about the LSAT and start talking about law TV! Nathan recommends two shows, one of which has shown him more court...

Nathan finally saw Star Wars: The Force Awakens , and we find the flaws in the film like it’s Question #16 from Section 2 of the June 2007 LSAT. (Spoiler Alert from 0:55-9:00) Bonifacio, a former student of Nathan’s, asks for advice on slowing down while working through the Logical Reasoning section of the LSAT. We talk about pacing during this section of the test, and whether or not it is a major...

Arnold took the LSAT in October and December 2015, and ended up raising his score to 174. We talk about retaking the LSAT, the third Logic Game on the December LSAT, and how actual LSAT scores compare to practice exams. (5:24) Hannah has a question about an application fee waiver. She took the December LSAT and improved ten points to 163. She received an email from Georgetown inviting her to apply...

Curtis is 33 years old, has an associate’s degree and wants to be an attorney. He is enrolled in a bachelor’s program and received a 146 on the June LSAT. He is worried about competing against younger law school applicants. Curtis asks about letters of recommendation, and the importance of internships and volunteer work when applying to law school. (3:25) Diane asks about financial resources and h...

Emma just took the December LSAT. She's trying to decide if she should apply to law schools this year or wait until next year. Most of the schools she's interested in attending do not have deadlines until March; but will her chances of admissions increase if she applies early? We discuss the number of people taking the LSAT (based on numbers from the LSAC), and the implications of those statistics...

One listener has a full-time job, a diagnostic score of 165 and wants to take the June LSAT. She plans to study now, take a break during her busy season at work, and then re-start studying in the spring. Is this a workable study strategy? Should this listener retake the LSAT after getting a score of 171 on the October test? A listener from Brazil is studying for the LSAT and has taken five practic...