Law School News and LSAT Strategy

Stay current with the latest law school admissions news and proven LSAT strategies.

LSAC Lawhub Now Offering PrepTests Without Logic Games

Rejoice! The LSAC official Lawhub online practice resource has released composite preptests utilizing the new test format that will be live as of the August 2024 administration after Logic Games are retired following the June 2024 LSAT administration. Test takers logging into the free (or paid) interface are now greeted with the following options:

Why to Take the LSAT Before Logic Games are Retired

As a result of a lawsuit filed against the LSAT in 2019, the Law School Admissions Council (LSAC) agreed to retire the Logic Games section of the exam within five years. Taking full advantage of that timeframe, last October, LSAC announced that the section would be removed from the exam following the June 2024 administration of the test. Now, law school applicants targeting round 1 applications in 2024 are confronted with a unique option - take the exam with Logic Games or without.

10 Tips for Improving Your LSAT Score By 10 Points

If you’re looking to apply to law school in the near future, then you’re probably already thinking about the LSAT. You may have even already taken the LSAT once or twice, or perhaps you’ve taken a practice test. If you have, you should know that your score isn’t static. You may have earned slightly different scores on different versions of the test. Not only will your LSAT score fluctuate somewhat from test to test, but you can also do a lot to improve your score over time. 

When students come to us wanting to improve their LSAT score, we often use a 10-point increase as a benchmark for an initial goal. Something we’ve notice over time is that most students fail to recognize A) how significant a difference a 10-point increase can make in your law school eligibility, and B) how much work it takes to increase your score by 10 points. 

The LSAT score ranges from 120-180. Scoring right in the middle equates to the 46th percentile, meaning you’re scoring better than 46 percent of test-takers. While 160 may not sound much different from 150, an LSAT score of 160 actually equates to the 82nd percentile. That’s a huge increase in your competitiveness compared to a 150.

While 10-point LSAT increases do require a serious investment of time and energy, they’re definitely not impossible. In this article, we’ll provide 10 powerful tips for boosting your LSAT score by 10 points.

Taking an LSAT Diagnostic Test

If you’re planning on going to law school in pursuit of a legal career, then you must know by now that a major hurdle you’ll have to clear is performing well on the LSAT, which is the main admissions test used by law schools. Most aspiring lawyers spend months on their LSAT prep, and a whole industry has been built up around it, including LSAT prep materials, LSAT prep courses, and one-on-one LSAT prep tutoring. 

But no matter what path to conquering the LSAT you take, just about everyone has to start at the same place: the LSAT Diagnostic Test. The LSAT Diagnostic Test is basically a way of referring to your first attempt at taking an official LSAT test in an effort to gauge your starting position and to design your approach to LSAT prep. 

Taking this first step is difficult and often intimidating. The LSAT can be a highly challenging and demanding test, and getting in the right mindset just to sit down and take it can feel overwhelming. But there’s no way around it—if you want to maximize the results of your LSAT prep so you can earn the best possible score, you’re going to have to take an LSAT diagnostic test.

In this article, we’ll tell you everything you need to know about taking an LSAT diagnostic test, including how to approach it, how to make sense of your results, and how to apply them going forward. 

Ultimate Guide to LSAT Ordering Game Diagrams

If you’re prepping to take the LSAT, then you’re probably already aware that one of the biggest challenges ahead is learning to tackle the LSAT logic games. When you first start studying for LSAT logic games—which on the official test are called “Analytical Reasoning” questions—they can seem totally unpredictable and impossible to study for.

However, when you spend enough time with different LSAT logic game explanations, you might realize that the vast majority of LSAT logic games can be broken down into a few different types of games. This is one of the benefits of working with an LSAT logic game tutor. LSAT logic game tutoring can help you learn the most powerful strategies for tackling virtually any LSAT logic game.

The most common and most basic form of LSAT logic game is the sequencing game—sometimes called the ordering game. And that’s the one we’re going to cover in this post.

Here we’ll present you with a sample sequencing game, and we’ll walk you through the steps necessary to make sense of it and to answer all the questions accurately. 

In-Person Vs. Virtual LSAT - 8 Questions to Decide Which Is Right for You

Once the Covid-19 pandemic hit, the LSAT changed its testing structure from in-person to entirely virtual. That means everyone who’s taken the LSAT for the last three-plus years has taken it virtually. Now, however, much of the world is returning to some semblance of normalcy, and the LSAC (the organization that designs and administers the LSAT) is following suit by bringing back in-person testing starting in August 2023.

 

However, the LSAT has also opted to continue offering the virtual testing option. This means that LSAT-takers are now faced with the choice of taking the test in-person and taking it virtually. So how do you know which option is right for you? In order to help you figure that out, we’ve come up with a list of key questions you should ask yourself to help determine whether you should take the in-person LSAT or the virtual LSAT.

10 Tips for Avoiding Burnout While Prepping for the LSAT

If you’re dreaming of a legal career, then you already know just how impactful your LSAT results will be on your education, your job prospects, and everything else. There’s a good chance, then, that you’re doing everything you possibly can to study for the LSAT, including devoting all your time and sacrificing things like sleep, exercise, and fun. This level of intensity is supported by the online “grind” culture of aspiring lawyers and other professionals who insist you should be devoting every ounce of energy to studying if you want to succeed.

However, such an approach is highly misguided, and is all but guaranteed to lead to study fatigue, burnout, and possibly even collapse. Rather than prepping constantly, you should be focused on prepping healthfully, intelligently, and well. In this article, we’ll offer ten tips for achieving a balanced LSAT prep regimen so you can avoid burnout and actually maximize results. These tips are based on actual evidence gathered from a study of grad students studying for standardized tests.

One Month LSAT Study Plan

If you’re an aspiring lawyer, then you probably know that the LSAT is one of the most important stages in your journey to a legal career. Getting the best score you possibly can on the LSAT will determine what law schools you get into, how much financial aid you receive, and even what kinds of internships and jobs you qualify for. 

With so much on the line, many people devote several months, or in some cases even a whole year, to their LSAT prep. But not everyone has the kind of time. Sometimes people find themselves with only a few weeks to prep for one of the most important tests of their lives. 

The LSAT is famous for being impossible to cram for. So if you don’t have that much time to prep, does that mean you should just give up and accept whatever score you get? 

No! With the right approach, it’s possible to significantly improve your LSAT score in as little as a month. In this article, we’ll take you through the one-month LSAT study plan, so you can make the most of the time you have. 

A Guide to the Different Types of LSAT Logic Games

 Ask just about anyone taken the LSAT what the hardest part of the test was, and there’s a pretty good chance they’ll say it was the Logic Games. If you’re prepping for the LSAT and you’ve already started struggling with the Logic Games, you can at least take comfort in knowing that just about everyone who takes the test goes through the same challenge.

But the truth is, Logic Games don’t have to be especially hard or intimidating. What makes them stand out is mostly just that they’re unfamiliar to us. They don’t necessarily require a level of skill or intelligence that most people don’t possess. But our minds naturally stop processing information well when we encounter information we’re unfamiliar with.

The good news is that you can develop familiarity with the LSAT Logic Games pretty easily if you try, because they all tend to fall into one of a small number of types. In this article, we explain what those types are and how to recognize them. Once you’re able to correctly identify which type of Logic Game you’re dealing with, you’ll be able to draw on the stablished strategies for that game type.

Which Law Schools Should You Apply To?

For many aspiring law students, the LSAT can be such a major hurdle that it blocks out almost every other dimension of the law school admissions process. But let’s say you’ve finally finished going through the process of studying for and taking the LSAT. You’re probably longing to sit back and relax, but there’s still a ways to go in your law school admissions journey.

One crucial next step will be officially deciding which law schools to apply to. With nearly 200 ABA-accredited law schools in the US alone, this is can be an extremely daunting and complex decision. That’s why we’ve prepared this article, which can serve as a primer to help you make the best decisions for yourself about which law schools you should apply to. 

How to Get a Scholarship to Law School

Most students who apply to law school are driven by some combination of the desire to build a career where they can do meaningful work in the world, and the hope of being paid well in the process. However, as law schools become increasingly expensive, simply attending law school represents a major financial hurdle. Many law students leave law school with over $100,000 in debt, all to attain the degree that will allow them to start earning money as lawyers.

Is Hiring an LSAT Tutor Worth It?

The Law School Admission Test (LSAT) is a standardized test used by law schools to evaluate the critical thinking, analytical reasoning, and logical reasoning skills of applicants. A high score on the LSAT can increase your chances of being accepted into a top law school, and many students wonder if hiring an LSAT tutor is worth the money. In this article, we will explore the pros and cons of hiring an LSAT tutor and provide some tips to help you make an informed decision.

LSAT  Logical Reasoning Strategy Review

One of the best ways to prepare for the LSAT, or any standardized test, is to do actual LSAT problems, review the correct answer, and analyze why you answered the way you did.

In the following article, we’re going to work through an LSAT logical reasoning problem using our virtual whiteboard tool to explain how to approach a real LSAT logical reasoning problem created by LSAC.org. You can either read this article or watch this LSAT logical reasoning video on YouTube.

How to Get the Most Out of Online LSAT Tutoring

If you’re thinking of applying to law school, then you’re probably aware that the biggest hurdle in your near future is getting the best possible score on the Law School Admission Test, or LSAT. The LSAT is the universal assessment for law school applicants in the United States and elsewhere, and it’s a major part of what law schools consider when they decide on your application.

How to Choose an LSAT Tutor: Five Tips

A competitive LSAT score increases your likelihood of being accepted into the best law schools, receiving generous scholarship offers, and snagging the most coveted jobs after graduating. Working with a tutor is one of the most surefire ways to improve your score, so hiring one is clearly a wise investment. Considering that there are no universal standards to which LSAT tutors must adhere, it’s your responsibility to make sure you hire someone who is sufficiently qualified. To aid you in your search, we’ve compiled five key tips.

Should you hire an LSAT Tutor? Pros and Cons

Applying to Law Schools is a lengthy and intimidating process. In addition to requesting your academic transcript (not to mention earning that transcript in the first place), obtaining recommendation letters, and writing your personal statement, it is also necessary to prepare for the LSAT. In the eyes of most admissions officers, your performance on the LSAT serves as a strong indicator of your future performance as a student of the law. Learning how to get a high LSAT score therefore increases not only your likelihood of being accepted, but also of receiving a generous scholarship. With this in mind, the question of how much to invest in LSAT test prep deserves serious consideration. Ultimately you might be wondering, should you hire an LSAT tutor?

How to Pick a Law School

law-schoolSo, you want to be a lawyer? Congratulations! Attending law school – and eventually practicing law – is a fantastic way to expand your strengths, enrich your academic life, engage in meaningful dialogues, connect with pressing, modern-day issues, and ignite your intellectual spark, all while working to change the future in a meaningful way. 

LSAT-Flex Online Alternative Exam for April Registrants

lsat-online-examIn the wake of COVID-19 standardized testing cancellations worldwide, this week the LSAC announced that the in-person April LSAT has indeed been cancelled. This second consecutive LSAT cancellation has prompted the creation of an alternative LSAT-Flex exam that will be available only to LSAT candidates who had previously registered for either of the now-cancelled March or April exams. All April registrants will be automatically registered for the LSAT-Flex, unless they proactively choose a different LSAT date by April 15. Currently, the next three in-person LSAT exam administrations are scheduled for June 8, July 13, and August 29.

How to Choose a Law School: Deciding Where to Attend

law school admissionsIf you’ve received offers of admission from multiple law schools, congratulations! While the more difficult part of the application process is out of the way, another big decision awaits you. Deciding where you end up going to law school could dictate the course of your career. Do you prefer getting your JD at a campus where the weather is warm year-round? Or do your priorities lie towards ensuring that your classrooms are divided into small sections for discussion? As you go over your acceptances and pick your favorites, consider the following factors when deciding how to choose a law school that is right for you.

Follow These Three Steps for Basic LSAT Logical Reasoning Questions

While the LSAT Logical Reasoning section may seem to have an infinite number of potential scenarios and prompts, the vast majority of the problems found in the section follow basic rules governing argumentation that date back to the time of the Roman Empire. The key to succeeding on this section is following some consistent basic steps that will allow you to understand first what the question is asking you to do, second what the conclusion of the argument is, and lastly to predict what the answer should do to appropriately address the question task. This skill is the subject of today’s video tutorial with our Director of Online Tutoring – Stefan Maisnier.

LSAT Tip of the Week: Logical Reasoning Strategies

scantron.jpgThe logical reasoning section can be one that you feel like you could only truly perfect if you had all of the time in the world. So, this week we will focus on time saving tips and tricks that will ensure that you get the best score possible. The first step is simple, just carefully read through the question. Before taking a look at the answer choices, try to come up with a possible answer in your head and maybe even quickly write it down. You can read a variety of scenarios on how to “pre-phrase” your answer on Powerscore. Once you have your pre-phrased answer, read through each answer choice. Since you pre-phrased your answer you know what you are looking for in the answer choices, so either in your head or on your exam say if the answer choice could be viable or not. Once you have eliminated any that are completely wrong, go back and carefully read the 2-3 options that may be correct and find the one that is the most accurate. Practice this technique and by the time your LSAT rolls around, you will be breezing through the logical reasoning section and can spend the extra time focusing on the harder questions.

LSAT Tip of the Week: It's All About the Bubble

lsatbubbles.jpgThe LSAT is famous for its tight timing. Check out this timer by Alpha Score to practice your timing. Surprisingly enough, the way you bubble your answers on the LSAT holds some importance. You have to use every second to your advantage. Although it may seem counterintuitive, bubbling in bulk will actually save you precious time. As you work your way through a section, circle your answers in the test packet itself. When you reach the end of a page, turn to your answer sheet and fill in answers for that page in bulk. This way you are not wasting time moving between the test booklet and your answer sheet. Of course, you have to be very careful to pay attention to which bubble you are filling in and if it correspond to the answer you circled. When you have about five minutes left, start bubbling answers one at a time, even the questions you are skipping. If you skip a question, make note of it by making a light dash mark by the number, but fill in a bubble regardless. This is just in case you run out of time before you have time to go back and address it. A total guess is always better than a blank!

LSAT Tip of the Week: Understanding the Author's Premise

evidence.jpgThe Argument Section on the LSAT requires a brain in critical thinking mode. This article by Magoosh outlines why it is such an important section. You must be able to identify the author’s conclusion, or the point they are trying to make, as well as the evidence used to support that argument. In this article we will focus on the evidence, also called the author’s premise. Let’s consider this example:

LSAT Tip of the Week: Understanding the Author's Conclusion

The Argument Section on the LSAT requires a critically trained brain. Most importantly, you must be able to identify the author’s conclusion, or the point they are trying to make, as well as the evidence used to support that argument. In this article we will focus on the conclusion. Stay tuned for next week's tip on identifying the author's evidence, or premise.

LSAT Tip of the Week: Logic Games

lsat practice test.jpgWith the new year comes new habits, and create these new habits around how you will approach and attack the LSAT. This week, spend a few hours each day reviewing logic games. This section can seem daunting to some, but in reality it is the easiest to master if you just can get a little faster at them and master the rules. Through some trial and error, here is what I found to be the most efficient way to complete a logic game. Two overarching ideas to keep in mind: (1) stay organized and (2) write legibly. Nothing is more frustrating than trying to decode your own handwriting and thoughts while already facing something as mind-consuming as a logic game. First, read the question and then diagram on the right side of the page where the individual questions are. This will save you precious time from scanning back and forth. Make sure you label the diagram you create for each question as well, helping you stay organized, and ensuring they are not too large or complex. The biggest tip to remember though is to simply memorize the rules. The LSAT questions, minus a few outliers, follow a set fact-pattern and rule that has been established already. Spot these rules, memorize these rules, and know them like the back of your hand. Keeping all of this in mind you can make the logic games your best section in no time.

Big LSAT Changes in 2018?

AmericanBarAssociation.jpgThe Law School Admissions Council (LSAC) is a monolithic and conservative entity befitting a gatekeeper of legal academia. However, it’s beginning to be forced to change with the times in the face of some significant challenges. The number of LSATs administered annually has declined by more than a third this decade from 170,000+ at the end of the 2009-10 testing year to fewer than 110,000 during the 2016-17 testing year. Then came the news that, beginning with applications submitted in the fall of 2017, Harvard Law will accept the GRE as an acceptable alternative to the LSAT for incoming applicants.

LSAT Analytical Reasoning: The Brainteasers Inherent in the System

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Logic puzzles.  You probably ran across them back in elementary or middle school—those weird brainteasers that asked you to do things like sort out which five kids lived in which five houses and liked which five fruits and that sort of thing.  And you’d get clues—like “Alice lives next to the boy on Maple street”.  Or “the girl who likes pears has never met anyone who prefers citrus fruits” (some great examples are in this video by The LSAT Trainer:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d7mUPexyLZE) Games like these have a way of generating enthusiasm or dismay, and while some people can happily spend hours on them, others tend to shred the paper in cognitively contorted frustration.  So what on earth are such puzzles doing on a law exam?  And how can you navigate your way through them?

Get Ready for Six LSATs a Year!

act-tutoring2.pngThis June, the LSAT announced that during the 2018-19 school year the number of LSATs will expand from four to six administrations annually. This is undoubtedly excellent news for test takers who will obviously appreciate the added scheduling flexibility. However, there is an even bigger benefit for prospective law students looking to improve upon a previous score – beginning with the September 2016 exam there will no longer be any limit on the number of LSATs a test taker can record over a two-year period. The Law School Admission Council has announced these changes as part of an ongoing effort to reduce the barriers to entry into law school.

3 Common Mistakes to Avoid on Law School Personal Statement

  1.  Failing to Demonstrate a Genuine Interest in the Law

Many applicants to law school, especially ones who are trying to go K-JD, are fighting an uphill battle from the outset. This is because law school admissions officers harbor a healthy dose of skepticism that such applicants have seriously reflected on why they want to attend law school and if it is indeed the right move to make rather than a seemingly safe, default next step. If your personal statement for law school sounds exactly like your college personal statement and doesn’t paint a clear and compelling picture of why you want to go to law school, you’re going to be in a tough position.

The Key to LSAT Success: Own Your Study Plan


ministry_of_truth.pngTo get the most out of studying for any standardized exam, you need to completely own the preparation process. If you are working with an LSAT tutor, then yes, he or she should be an expert, and he or she should guide you. However, you are ultimately in control. Engage fully in designing your study plan to get the most out of the process.

Before the law sits a gatekeeper. To this gatekeeper comes a man from the country who asks to gain entry into the law. But the gatekeeper says that he cannot grant him entry at the moment. The man thinks about it and then asks if he will be allowed to come in later on. “It is possible,” says the gatekeeper, “but not now.” --Franz Kafka, “The Law”

Finding Support in Law School

law-school-supportLet's face it.  Law school is not known to be a nurturing environment.  Over 30 years later, the 1970s novel-based TV series, The Paper Chase, in many ways still reflects the reality of the law school experience. Law school tends to be a competitive, no-nonsense environment.  Grades, class rank, and law review status still determine a student's post-law school job prospects.

A Timeline for Applying to Law School

Today’s guest post comes from Ann Levine, president and chief consultant at Law School Expert. Ann is the former director of law school admissions at two ABA-approved law schools and the nation’s leading law school admission consultant. Law School Expert provides hourly and beginning-to-end consulting, and Ann has personally guided over 2,000 law school applicants through the law school admission process. Ann is also the author of the bestselling law school admission guidebook The Law School Admission Game: Play Like an Expert.

6 Steps to Mastering the LSAT Logic Games

shutterstock 114039733The LSAT is a difficult exam and most students agree that the most intimidating part of the exam is the logic games section. Good news, the logic games are also the easiest part of the test for students to improve on.  The more comfortable you get with the logic games, the less scary they seem. In fact, as you improve, you may even find the games to be fun! In this article, we'll offer six helpful LSAT tips for the logic games section.

Mastering LSAT Reading Comprehension - 6 Steps to Success

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1. Don’t ignore reading comprehension!

Students are often tempted to overlook reading comprehension on the LSAT. It feels familiar. You had reading comprehension on the PSAT, the SAT, and every other standardized test you’ve ever taken. The LSAT can’t be any different. So why bother studying for it? My time is better spent on logic games or logical reasoning. I’ll wing reading comprehension.

5 Keys to Successfully Studying for the LSAT

lsat test study tips

There are many ways to study for the LSAT effectively.  You can study on your own with prep books or online LSAT courses, take a prep class,  or hire a private LSAT tutor.  However, regardless of which option you choose, you should almost certainly be taking the below five steps to best prepare for the LSAT:

1. Take a timed, full-length practice test

  • This is the best way to get a sense of your starting point.
  • Your score does NOT matter, the point is to really assess yourself.
  • This is the best way to see your strengths and weaknesses.
    • Can you set up a logic game effectively?
    • Is time going to be an issue?
    • How well do you understand what the logical reasoning questions are asking?
  • If you work with a tutor, a timed practice test serves as the basis of developing an effective study plan. 

3 Ways To Work with an LSAT Tutor

lsat tutors and examThere are many ways to have a great experience with an LSAT tutor. The key is to decide what role you want the tutor to play in your LSAT preparation.  One sure-fire way to have a bad experience is to develop a certain set of expectations, not communicate those expectations to your tutor, and then become frustrated as the sessions come and go and you aren’t getting what you expected from the relationship.

Breaking Down the LSAT: Logical Reasoning

The LSAT’s Logical Reasoning is all about arguments and the test taker’s ability to evaluate them.  You’ll be given a short passage and a question stem.  It’s your job to select the right answer from five possibilities.

Law school students and lawyers make, evaluate, deconstruct, and refute arguments.  The LSAT’s Logical Reasoning is your introduction to this usage of critical thinking skills.  With time and practice, you will learn to identify and understand arguments, evidence, and conclusions.

Specifically, you will have questions about inferences which logically follow a passage:

Timing on the LSAT

You Must Time Yourself When Preparing for the LSAT. It’s one thing to peruse sample LSAT questions at your leisure. It’s quite another to take a test under the ridiculously strict time constraints. In fact, I would say the single most important preparation tool is to take sample tests under timed conditions.

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