Podcasts about lsac

With the first big law fair of the season about to happen—the Washington, D.C.  LSAC Forum—we know there are jitters out there. What questions should you ask?What question should you totally NOT ask? It it ok to wear comfortable shoes?We cover all this and more with Maggie Slater, the Assistant Dean for Enrollment Management at the West Virginia College of Law.You can find out more about LSAC's law forums here.And don't forget that for help with all things related to LSAT prep and law school admissions, you can check us out at 7Sage.com.

Ben and Nathan tackle Parallel Reasoning questions, a question type that some students prefer to skip. They assure listeners that these questions work just like any other LSAT question. Gimmicks—like reading the question first or diagramming—don't help and only distract from the core task. Focus instead on reading for comprehension and understanding the argument. The key is to identify the reasoning and treat everything else as secondary.⁠Study with our Free Plan⁠⁠Download our iOS app⁠⁠Watch Episode 514 on YouTube⁠0:30 – How Cheating Spreads in Law SchoolBen and Nathan discuss a Wall Street Journal article on extended-time accommodations at Pepperdine Law, where 30% of students reportedly receive them. They argue that accommodations should level the playing field, not give an advantage. They question the value of timed essay exams and compare law school to gaining entry into an ABA-approved guild, suggesting that gaming the system might seem rational, ethics aside.LSAT Demon Scholarship Estimator27:25 – WashU Law Pre-Application TrapA listener is contacted for an interview by WashU Law before even applying. Ben and Nathan caution that this is a sales tactic: the school is trying to extract information and create perceived interest to reduce scholarship offers. They revisit their advice about the Candidate Referral Service, suggesting it might be time to reconsider what students share with schools early in the process.36:12 – Parallel Reasoning ClarityThe guys break down Parallel Reasoning questions on the LSAT. They emphasize that matching language or subject matter is secondary—what matters is aligning the logical structure of arguments. To succeed, students must first understand the core argument before worrying about technical parallels. A big-picture approach is key.53:20 – Tips from a Departing DemonA departing Demon, Vox, shares his advice for other students: keep your study streak alive. Even a single question can turn into an hour of productive study. Consistency compounds.54:56 – Zyns on the LSATRedditors wonder if nicotine pouches like Zyn are allowed during the LSAT. Ben and Nathan suggest that they aren't explicitly banned, but advise playing it safe and contacting LSAC directly. Better to assume they're off-limits.1:03:22 – Why Are Others Wrong?Listener Andrew is thinking about writing an LSAT addendum. Ben and Nathan advise him to focus on improving his score with his two remaining attempts. They argue that law school deans who encourage addenda are trying to get applicants to expose weaknesses. Schools are more interested in reporting the highest LSAT scores, driving denial numbers up, and collecting full tuition. Admissions advice is often self-serving.1:18:21 – Personal Statement Gong ShowDanielle sends in their submission for the Personal Statement Gong Show, the show where Ben and Nathan read personal statements and hit the gong when something goes wrong. The standing record to beat is ten lines, held by Greta.1:32:38 - What's the Deal With… Jacksonville University? Ben and Nate take a look at Jacksonville University, the newest school to receive ABA accreditation. While there are reasons why this may be a good fit, you shouldn't pay to be the school's guinea pigs. Catch up on all of our What's the Deal With… segments!1:42:50 - Word of the Week - Legerdemain “Commenting on the county counsel exception, the court termed it a 'legerdemain giving birth to a solution of dubious validity.'”Howitt v. Superior Court, 5 Cal. Rptr. 2d 196, 202 (App. 1992).Get caught up with our ⁠Word of the Week⁠⁠ library. 

On this week's Thinking LSAT, Josh joins Ben to answer questions from students who feel stuck. They explain that plateaus often come from ignoring the core skill tested by the LSAT: “Did you understand what you read?” “Strategies” like skimming passages or completing 10 questions in 10 minutes distract from comprehension. Instead, you unlock the LSAT when you read each sentence carefully and make sure you understand every word.⁠Study with our Free Plan⁠⁠Download our iOS app⁠⁠Watch Episode 513 on YouTube⁠1:01 – Be Careful What You ShareJosh and Ben unpack a NYT report on a white nationalist who won an award for a paper on originalism. They focus on a student quoted in the article who lost a job offer after telling a future employer about the interview. Their point: it's not about politics—employers want to avoid liability and bad press. The same logic applies to law school admissions, where offices will use any self-disclosed information to their advantage.7:15 – Save My RCEllie writes in hoping to “save” her reading comprehension. They urge her to slow down, spend more time digesting each passage, and treat every question as Must Be True—provable solely by the text.14:50 – Professors' Letter of RecommendationWhen Joshua's professors ask what to include in letters of recommendation, highlight experiences that prove future lawyer competence—research, writing, leadership, and advocacy. Ensure recommenders understand LSAC's credential assembly service upload process so letters arrive on time.19:12 – Retaking ClassesEmma wants to know if she should retake classes to boost her GPA. If your school removes old grades from your transcript, retaking a course can improve your GPA. If not, stack easy A's instead. Delay graduation if needed to add GPA-boosting coursework, and consider a gap year to raise numbers further—every decimal point can translate into larger scholarships.LSAT Demon Scholarship Estimator24:44 – Plateauing in ScoresThe guys diagnose Sydney's stall, where she was missing seven questions per section. She's fixated on speed. Strategies like “10 questions in 10 minutes” detract from accuracy and understanding. Instead, Josh and Ben prescribe concentrating on accuracy, ditching box-checking wrong-answer journals, and digging into the logic of each missed question instead of types. 37:56 – Applying Early DecisionApplying early decision is a scholarship-killer. You surrender negotiation leverage and forfeit the chance to apply broadly and early elsewhere. Keep your options—and bargaining power—open.42:46 - Word of the Week - Nimrod“In Wisconsin, as I was driving through, a hunter shot his own guide between the shoulder blades. The coroner questioning this nimrod asked, ‘Did you think he was a deer?'”Get caught up with our ⁠Word of the Week⁠⁠ library. 

Ben and Nathan explore how AI is acing law school exams and what that says about legal education. They unpack Donald Rumsfeld's “unknown unknowns” and how the LSAT helps uncover them. The guys break down what the LSAT curve really means (or doesn't), then offer advice on predatory pre-law jobs. Then they revisit the difference between sufficient and necessary assumptions. Temple University is featured in this week's What's the Deal With… Finally, another contestant in the Personal Statement Gong Show and amanuensis is the word of the week. Study with our Free PlanDownload our iOS appWatch Episode 511 on YouTubeRegister for RC Prediction Fundamentals0:34 – AI is an A+ Law StudentBen and Nathan aren't shocked to hear that AI is pulling A's and B+'s on law school exams at the University of Maryland. The LSAT-style “racehorse” exams are all about spotting issues, which is something AI excels at. It's a reminder that the profession is changing, and lawyers who ignore these tools risk falling behind.Artificial Intelligence is now an A+ law student, study finds9:33 – Unknown UnknownsThe LSAT is the best teacher, and when paired with the explanations that come with every question, you can solve your “unknown unknowns.” When you miss a question, you've both picked the wrong answer and failed to pick the right one. You must understand both mistakes before moving on. The guys note that gimmicky strategies often muddy common-sense logic, turning solvable problems (unknown knowns) into confusing ones.17:46 – LSAT CurveDanielle's question about the LSAT curve leads to a breakdown: it's not a traditional curve, but a scale based on experimental data. LSAC aims for consistent difficulty across tests, and it's not worth stressing over. 26:37 – Predatory Pre-Law JobsA listener's $50k pre-law job in San Francisco turns out to be little more than coffee runs. Nathan warns against sticking with these roles unless there's upside—legal exposure, networking, or skill-building. While there's some value in doing grunt work well, make sure it's leading somewhere.33:10 – Sufficient vs. Necessary AssumptionBen and Nathan clarify the frequent confusion between sufficient and necessary assumptions. Sufficient assumptions prove the conclusion (open question), while necessary assumptions must be true (closed question). Although they can sometimes overlap, applying the same analysis across the two question types will trip students up on harder questions. 49:13 – What's the Deal with Temple Law?Ben and Nate take a look at what ChatGPT provided for this week's What's the Deal with… Pulling data mainly from Temple's website, the information was generally accurate. Temple offers regional value, if you can attend at the right price, as more than 75% of the class pays less than half of the sticker price. LSAT Demon Scholarship EstimatorThe Disparity IndexTemple Law Employment OutcomesChatGPT prompt: What are the five best and worst things about [insert law school]? Be brutally frank, please. Consider not only the quality of the school, but job outcomes and cost. Is it worth the money? Is it fair that some students get scholarships and others don't? 1:21:30 – Personal Statement Gong ShowB sends in their submission for the Personal Statement Gong Show, the show where Ben and Nathan read personal statements and hit the gong when something goes wrong. The standing record to beat is ten lines, held by Greta.1:26:40 - Word of the Week - AmanuensisReaders of African American autobiography have too readily accepted the presumption of these editors that experiential facts recounted orally could be recorded and sorted by an amanuensis‑editor. Get caught up with our ⁠Word of the Week⁠ library. 

​​Caleb's plan to take pass/fail classes senior year to protect a stellar GPA is smart—so long as LSAC excludes them from GPA calculation. Read more on our website. Email daily@lsatdemon.com with questions or comments. Watch this episode on YouTube!

Sydney Montgomery, Executive Director of Barrier Breakers, introduces the organization's mission to provide accessible law school admissions support, particularly for students with financial constraints. She highlights the Barrier Breaker Scholars Program, which offers free one-on-one advising for LSAC fee waiver students, and the Law School Application Bootcamp, a structured 12-week program that includes expert-led sessions, essay revisions, and ongoing mentorship. Beyond admissions, Barrier Breakers fosters a strong community, offering networking opportunities, career guidance, and wellness support to help students succeed throughout law school and their legal careers. Through partnerships with law schools and sponsors, the organization continues to expand resources, ensuring aspiring lawyers receive the guidance they need to thrive.

In this episode of Status Check with Spivey, Mike has a conversation with Kyle McEntee, LSAC's Senior Director of Prelaw Engagement and the founder of Law School Transparency, centering around the newly released 2024 ABA 509 disclosures and how applicants should consider the data therein. They discuss interpreting class size changes, the ongoing rise of GPAs and grade inflation, LSAT inflation and how the highest LSAT percentiles have changed over time, the new option for law schools to obtain variances from the ABA to go test-optional (plus an explanation of what variances are and how the variance process works), the removal of the non-residents category from 509 reports and what that means for international applicants, diversity data (and how that's impacted by the non-resident recategorization), ordinal rankings (including a discussion of U.S. News and MyRank by Spivey), rising law school tuition and how law schools function financially within universities, and more—plus, what all this means for current and future applicants. You can read our recent blog post with a breakdown of some of the new 509 data here. You can listen and subscribe to Status Check with Spivey on ⁠⁠Apple Podcasts⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠, and ⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠. You can read a full transcript of this episode here.