Thinking LSAT

Ross Guberman is one of the world’s top legal writing experts. He’s the author of Point Made: How to Write Like the Nation’s Top Advocates , and Point Taken: How to Write Like the World’s Greatest Judges . His newest project, BriefCatch , is an AI-powered legal writing tool that offers real-time editing suggestions on legal documents. Ross joins Ben and Nathan to discuss law school, legal writing,...

Sydney Montgomery is the Executive Director and Founder of Barrier Breakers , a nonprofit that aims to increase access to higher education for BIPOC and other marginalized students. Sydney returns to Thinking LSAT to share her insights into what the Supreme Court’s ruling on affirmative action means for applicants of color. She and the guys also discuss perils of student loan debt and Sydney’s wor...

Cece Xie is a lawyer, writer, and content creator who became wildly popular on social media while working as an associate at a big law firm. She joins Ben & Nathan to talk about her upcoming book. They discuss why law schools push students toward big law and what it takes to climb the law firm hierarchy. LSAT Demon LSAT Demon iOS App LSAT Demon Daily Watch Episode 414 on YouTube Thinking LSAT...

Perfect accuracy on LSAT Reading Comprehension is within your reach. LSAT Demon teacher Chris Murphy joins Nathan to help listeners maximize their potential in RC. Chris and Nathan describe what confidence looks like in RC and why it’s crucial to success. They also praise the shift to online education, consider possible downsides to retaking the LSAT, and assess a Pearls vs. Turds candidate about...

Diagramming in Logical Reasoning is time-consuming, confusing, and error-prone. Ben and Nathan advocate an intuitive approach to Logical Reasoning that promotes real understanding and long-term growth. In this week’s episode, the guys warn listeners of the perils of LR diagrams and demonstrate a commonsense alternative. Later, they recommend an ASAP approach to reviewing mistakes, discourage schoo...

LSAC’s Kyle McEntee rejoins the pod to share info about LSAC’s resources for law school applicants. Kyle and the guys also discuss the recent Supreme Court ruling on affirmative action, the difficulty of fixing the problem of student loan debt, and law schools’ responses to applicants’ use of AI. LSAT Demon LSAT Demon iOS App LSAT Demon Daily Watch Episode 411 on YouTube Thinking LSAT YouTube LSAT...

Beginning with the August LSAT, certain key words like “except” will be presented in lowercase bold rather than ALL CAPS. On this week’s episode, Ben and Nathan react to the change and give a crash course on how to approach these types of questions. The guys also discuss another perspective on affirmative action in college admissions, celebrate LSAT Demon students’ successes on the June LSAT, and...

Understanding the difference between necessary and sufficient is necessary—but not sufficient—for success on the LSAT. This week, Nathan and Ben illustrate the difference using some morbid examples of their own invention and a less gory one from PrepTest 65. Later, the guys examine a study that suggests that 76% of legal jobs are at risk of automation by AI. They weigh a listener’s chances of reac...

Ben and Nathan weigh in on the Supreme Court’s ruling in Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard , which bans the consideration of race as a specific factor in college admissions. The guys discuss what this might mean for future law school applicants. Read the Supreme Court’s opinion here .

To succeed in LSAT Logical Reasoning, you must learn to identify conclusions. On this week’s podcast, Ben and Nathan respond to Ask Button questions from students who struggled to distinguish conclusions from premises. The guys suggest three ways to find the main conclusion of an argument. Later, Ben and Nathan discuss how to apply Reading Comprehension skills to Logical Reasoning. They evaluate s...

LSAT Demon teacher Matt DuMont takes a break from bar prep to join Ben and Nathan for a deep dive into his law school experience. Matt shares insights into what future law students can expect and how they can set themselves up for success. Later, the guys break down the real-world benefits of LSAT prep, discuss whether applicants should care about school rankings, and consider the merits of a new...

As the fall semester approaches, incoming 1Ls may wonder how to prepare themselves for law school. On this week’s episode, Nathan and Ben are joined by Angela Vorpahl, creator of the Law School Master Plan . Angela lays out what new law students should (and shouldn’t) do to build the skills they’ll need throughout law school. LSAT Demon LSAT Demon iOS App LSAT Demon Daily Watch Episode 406 on YouT...

Reading faster won’t solve your problems on LSAT Reading Comprehension. On this week’s pod, Ben and Nathan encourage a time-conscious student to slow down and focus on understanding what they read, not how quickly they read it. Later, the guys discuss why it’s crucial to remain open to taking the LSAT up to five times. They explain the difference between finding the main point of an RC passage and...

LSAT Demon teacher and Logic Games guru Matt DuMont joins Ben to share some LG wisdom. Matt and Ben discuss their approach to building worlds in Logic Games and outline productive study habits. Later, the guys help a listener who is concerned about how law schools may view his personal brand. They warn applicants against throwing up red flags in optional essays. And they implore listeners not to d...

After months of delays, the new law school rankings have arrived. Will changes to U.S. News’s methodology mean fewer merit scholarships? Ben is joined by TLP producer Erik to discuss the new rankings and how they might affect prospective law students. Later, Ben and Erik dig into the correlation–causation flaw, discuss the trouble with study timelines, and advise applicants on whether and how to w...

“Why are the LSAT Demon guys so rude?” LSAT Demon’s social media lead, Ashley joins Nathan and Ben to share this and other frequently asked questions from internet strangers on our social media. Later, the guys face a major setback in their dream of creating their own law school, they break down a tricky “determined” question in Logic Games, and they encourage a student to stop worrying about “pla...

Sometimes the writing on the LSAT feels deliberately opaque—especially when it uses abstract language. On this week’s episode, Ben and Nathan break down a challenging Reasoning question from PrepTest 65 by linking abstract terms in the answer choices to specifics from the passage. Later, the guys explain why they no longer teach “assumption negation” on Necessary Assumption questions. They steer a...

From the “holy grail” of Logical Reasoning to roasting their own personal statements, Ben and Nathan celebrate 400 episodes by revisiting some of the podcast’s greatest hits. Later, the guys unpack the meaning of the word unless, address a discrepancy between drilling accuracy and timed-section scores, and  advise a listener on whether to write a GPA addendum. LSAT Demon LSAT Demon iOS App LSAT De...

Your mind is awesome. Harness its power by training yourself to focus on what you choose. Today, Ben and Nathan extol the benefits of meditation as a way to reclaim control over your attention. Also on the pod, the guys emphasize the importance of understanding the passages in Reading Comprehension rather than simply trying to memorize facts. They explain why you should always plan to retake the L...

You are online 24-7. The client is always right. “I don’t know” is never an acceptable answer. These are a few of the “non-negotiable expectations” of an attorney working in big law. Nathan and Ben react to a leaked training slide that recently went viral for showing how big-law associates are expected to devote their lives to their jobs. Later, the guys consider reasons for liking a particular la...

In-person testing is back. Beginning with the August 2023 LSAT, test takers will be able to choose between taking the LSAT at home or in person at a test center. Nathan and Ben weigh in on the announcement. Later, the guys extol the virtues of “inbox zero,” give advice on how to approach a delicate LOR request, and diagnose the likely cause of a listener’s disappointing application cycle. LSAT Dem...

Too much note-taking stymies understanding. Today on the show, Ben and Nathan discuss how to study effectively for a skills-based test like the LSAT. Hint: spend less time taking notes and more time engaging with the material. They also answer listeners’ questions about undergraduate versus graduate GPAs, LSAC fee waivers, and more. LSAT Demon LSAT Demon iOS App LSAT Demon Daily Watch Episode 396...

Novice LSAT students often sign up for test dates before they’ve even started studying. Today on the show, Ben and Nathan explain why it’s a mistake to register for the LSAT prematurely. They share the correct order of operations for deciding when to take the LSAT and apply to law school: (1) study for the LSAT, (2) sign up when you’re happy with your practice score range, and (3) apply with your...

Fixating on a goal score can be counterproductive. The only way to improve on the LSAT is to focus on understanding one question at a time. Today, Ben and Nathan offer listeners advice on topics ranging from finding study motivation to overcoming a low UGPA using the LSAT as your not-so-secret weapon. Plus, a couple of pre-law lovebirds wrote into the show this week, and the guys try their hand at...

The law school tuition system is broken and unlikely to change. Ben and Nathan discuss the why and the who behind the inequitable pricing and double down on their advice to listeners: Don’t pay for law school. Also on the pod, the guys assess LSAT Demon’s compatibility with specific testing accommodations, evaluate the likelihood of a 30-point score increase, weigh in on the idea of postponing gra...