Thinking LSAT

Today on the pod, Ben and Nathan celebrate two LSAT Demon students who increased their scores by a whopping thirty-one points. They also offer advice and encouragement to listeners who are disappointed by their August test scores. Plus, the first full-ride scholarship of the 2023 admissions cycle arrived even earlier than Nathan and Ben had anticipated. The guys remind listeners to apply at the be...

Most law schools have begun accepting applications for fall 2023 admission. Nathan and Ben predict when the first scholarship offers of the cycle will come in (hint: soon) and double down on their advice to apply in September with your best LSAT score—or wait until next year. The guys also help a student trying to break out of a Logical Reasoning slump, consider an accounting student’s possible ca...

Episode 365 marks a milestone for the podcast. Listeners can now indulge in an episode of Thinking LSAT every day for a year. Nathan and Ben reflect on some of the hiccups and highlights of their podcasting partnership. Then, they weigh in on a particularly unfavorable early-decision program, debate the merit of a tip for evaluating LSAT answer choices, advise a PhD chemist considering a pivot int...

Ben and Nathan address a myth that rising LSAT scores will make future application cycles more competitive. But first, they kick off a Pearls vs. Turds triple-header with a Bruce Lee quote and consider its applicability to LSAT study. Then, they dive into a mailbag of listener questions on topics ranging from online JDs to offline LSAT study. LSAT Demon LSAT Demon iOS App LSAT Demon Daily Watch Ep...

LSAC just made Score Preview available to all test takers. Ben and Nathan discuss the change and why it’s inconsequential. As long as law schools care only about your highest LSAT score, there’s no benefit to canceling. The guys also share advice on how to overcome anxious thoughts on the test, warn listeners against the perils of Netflix binges, discuss the rising number of older student borrower...

The guys unveil LSAT Demon’s new Law School Rankings page, which charts U.S. News and Above the Law rankings over the years. Spoiler: Rankings are basically worthless for deciding where to go to law school. Plus, Ben and Nathan develop a simple formula for LSAT success, discuss why score “plateaus” don’t actually exist, and give advice on writing addenda. LSAT Demon LSAT Demon iOS App LSAT Demon D...

How much should rankings influence your decision about where to attend law school? On this week’s episode, Ben and Nathan rebrand their “100% rule” as the “2x rule” for law school rankings. The name’s changed, but the rule is the same: When comparing one school to another, you shouldn’t consider their rankings unless they differ by twice as much or more. The guys also discuss how to study like a t...

Law school can leave you with a lifetime of debt if you aren’t careful. On today’s episode, Nathan and Ben discuss a cautionary tale of a recent law school graduate who is $347k in student debt and can’t find a job. He thought that attending law school would set him up for a comfortable future. Instead, he’ll likely be in debt for the rest of his life. The guys implore listeners not to make the sa...

If you want to help others, you need to take care of yourself first. On today’s episode, Ben and Nathan advise a listener to focus on helping herself before becoming a non-profit family law attorney. Doing so will ultimately put her in a better position to help others. The guys give another listener tips on how to ease test-day anxiety. They discuss the benefits of taking a gap year—or several—bef...

June LSAT scores have been released, and lots of Demon students are riding high. Today on the show, Ben and Nathan share a bucketload of inspiring LSAT success stories submitted by listeners. Then, they comment on a former Demon student’s admissions cycle recap. They discuss Columbia’s decision not to participate in the U.S. News law school rankings. They wrap up the show with a discussion of LSAT...

Admissions season is almost here, and listener questions are rolling in. On this week’s episode, Ben and Nathan advise a student on whether to make her battle with cancer the topic of her law school personal statement. But first, they evaluate a listener’s Reading Comprehension tip as a pearl or turd. They share their thoughts on online education and consider the pros and cons of attending a non-A...

If you want to master the LSAT the easy way, ditch the dogma and let the Demon be your guide. On this week’s episode, the guys welcome questions from new listeners and provide a full explanation of the Demon’s approach to the LSAT. But first, a Demon student who is legally blind describes how he learned to tackle Logic Games without the use of visual diagrams. Ben and Nathan then offer two listene...

Love ’em or hate ’em, LSAT logic games—as we know them—are not long for this world. While the future of the games is uncertain, some June test takers were given a sneak peak at possible changes to come. Nathan and Ben discuss the lawsuit that prompted redevelopment of the LSAT’s Analytical Reasoning section and reminisce about the old days of paper testing. The guys then debunk an LSAT myth in ano...

Before embarking on a career as an attorney, it’s important to understand what lawyers actually do. Lawyers work long hours hitting the books, doing research, presenting cases, and writing briefs. In a way, lawyers are professional students. Today on the show, Ben and Nathan advise listeners who don’t love school to think carefully about whether lawyering is the right path for them. The guys also...

To improve your LSAT score, you must learn from your mistakes. Take a practice test, and the LSAT will show you exactly what you need to work on—the questions that you got wrong. Review each missed question until you fully understand it and can avoid making the same mistake again. On today’s episode, the Ben and Nathan explain why focusing on individual questions is the key to progress. Analyzing...

As hybrid-online law programs make their way into the eye of the ABA, Ben and Nathan toy with the idea of creating their own law school. But first, the guys take another dive into the listener mailbag and answer questions about application addenda. Should you write an addendum to explain an LSAT score increase? What about a GPA addendum to explain poor grades? The guys answer these questions and m...

The LSAT is first and foremost a test of English reading comprehension. Strong English reading and reasoning skills are essential because lawyers in the United States are gladiators of the English language. While the LSAT is learnable for everyone, non-native English speakers may face more of an uphill battle. Today on the show, Nathan and Ben offer advice to an international student who describes...

Law schools love the LSAT. Most weigh it far more heavily than any other application component—and with good reason: The LSAT is the single most accurate predictor of law school success. The ABA has recently announced a recommendation to allow “test optional” policies for law school admission. Ben and Nathan share their thoughts and explain why the LSAT isn’t going anywhere. Then, the guys pick ap...

The LSAT is arguably the best predictor of your success in law school. It’s no wonder that law schools weigh the LSAT heavily in the admissions process. But just how much weight is an applicant’s LSAT score given relative to their UGPA? Nathan and Ben analyze the index formulas used by law schools and share a surprising realization. But first, the guys kick off the show with some stories of Procto...

We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again—don’t pay for law school. Today on the show, Ben and Nathan are joined by financial advisor Derek Brainard to help educate students on the realities of law school debt and loan forgiveness programs. But before that, the guys roast a Pearls vs. Turds submission regarding the correlation-to-causation flaw. They also tackle another Logical Reasoning questi...

Effective LSAT study requires more than just a time commitment. This week, Ben and Nathan emphasize that how you study for the LSAT matters more: More than the length of time you spend studying. More than the number of questions you cover. And more than any distracting analysis of whether the LSAT has gotten harder over the years (it hasn’t). The guys also answer listener questions about skipping...

If you want to go to law school for free, you have to start getting greedy with your LSAT. Tune in this week to hear Nathan and Ben respond to a bucketload of listener emails. As usual, their advice centers on one main theme—don’t pay for law school! The guys also discuss why it’s never a good idea to read the question first in Logical Reasoning. They critique an admissions dean’s comments on law...

If you want to improve at LSAT Reading Comprehension, remember what your job is: Read the sentences, not the passage. On today’s episode, Ben and Nathan explain why focusing on one sentence at a time is the best way to understand and retain information in both Reading Comprehension and Logical Reasoning. Then, the guys help one listener decide whether to retake the LSAT—even though he has a 175 on...

How does a new lawyer find their niche in the legal field? Specializing in an up-and-coming area of the law might sound appealing—space law, anyone?—but it might not be the most practical choice. Today on the show, special guest Judy the YouTube Lawyer sheds light on how and when to choose an area of law to practice in. But first, Ben and Nathan discuss a Logical Reasoning question from PrepTest 7...

Finding a job after law school doesn’t have to be a stressful ordeal. Give yourself a leg up on the competition, and start networking now . Today on the show, special guest Rachel Gezerseh, author of The Law Career Playbook , offers aspiring lawyers her best tips on how to network before and during law school. Then, Nathan and Ben tackle another logical reasoning question from PrepTest 73. A stude...