If I had a dollar for every time I heard, “Reading comprehension isn’t really something I can improve on much, right?” I would probably have cable.

Unlike octopuses, humans are perfectly capable of acquiring and improving literacy!

When I start working with a new student, one of the first things I tell him or her is that the LSAT is a very learnable test. It’s not an opaque and mysterious arbiter of natural intelligence, nor is it an unpredictable obstacle course for which no one truly knows how to prepare. Sure, the LSAT isn’t easy, but it tests real skills that can be improved upon through hard work.

Usually, after our first logic games lesson, students get what I mean. They are, by learning the test, learning that the test is learnable. But when we begin to discuss reading comprehension, spirits fall. Someone who is missing 40% of the questions on reading comp thinks she’s doomed to do the same on test day.
Read more

Take a break from studying to catch up on a few of this week’s top articles!

Tips for College: Finding the Right Grad School for YOU (Jobs & Hire)

Jobs & Hire has some great tips to keep in mind if you’re trying to find the right law school for you.

A J.D. is Not a Death Sentence (Happy Go Legal)

Read up on why law students and lawyers are a privileged group of people. Happy Go Legal shares a hopeful perspective on legal education and the law profession and provides some interesting statistics.

Yale Law School to Offer Ph. D. in Law (The Wall Street Journal Law Blog)

Yale Law School has announced a program for a Ph.D. in Law, which it claims is the first in the nation, and is designed to prepare students who have earned a J.D. to enter careers in legal scholarship.

Don't just role the dice. Consider your situation and make a smart decision about when to start prepping.

Now that June LSAT scores are in, there are a number of you who are planning to re-take the test in October. It’s almost the middle of July, and you’re asking yourself when you need to resume studying—now? August? September? It depends on how prepared you were for June. Which category do you fall into?

1. You were totally prepared. You took a course, had a tutor, or studied on your own, but regardless, you were confident for good reason. You were consistently hitting your goal score on full-length, timed prep tests, and you’re pretty sure the reason for your unsatisfactory score on the June LSAT has more to do with anxiety or an external factor (bad proctor, bad fish, bad break up) than confusion about the difference between “necessary” and “sufficient.”
Read more

“It’s summertime, and the livin’ is easy.” This blissful lyric may ring true for some lucky folk, but for anyone gearing up for the October LSATand working tobalance a summer internship, a weekend job, and a social life, the summertime can be an extremely overwhelming and stressful time of year. As much as we love to embrace the warm weather, the shining sun, and the weekend festivities, it is undeniable that these distractions only dampen our focus and motivation to hit the books and master those daunting logic games.

What is also undeniable is the fact that the October LSAT is less than three months away, which means that it’s time to toss the excuses and start cracking down. To get you on track, we have compiled some useful tips to help you stay focused through the summer and up until test day.

Start Early: Personal trainers often tell their clients to hit the gym first thing in the morning so that there are no excuses to blow off working out later in the day. Take this advice and apply it to your studies. If you know that your energy dips in the afternoon or evening or that your group of friends likes to get together at night, schedule your study time early in the day.
Read more

Have law schools been misleading with job-placement statistics? Recently released American Bar Association statistics suggest so. For the first time, the ABA reported data revealing how many law graduates at accredited schools secured full-time attorney jobs within nine months after graduation.

The Wall Street Journal published analysis of the data that paints a grim picture of employment rates out of law school:

The numbers suggest the job market for law grads is worse than previously thought. Nationwide, only 55% of the class of 2011 had full-time, long-term jobs that required a law degree nine months after graduation. The ABA defines “long-term” jobs as those that don’t have a term of less than one year.

What’s not surprising about the WSJ analysis is that students at top schools don’t have nearly as much difficulty finding work than students at lower-tier schools, generally.

More interesting are the exceptions. Among schools reporting that over 80% of their classes got full-time lawyer gigs were Louisiana State and George Washington, with St. Mary’s and Mississippi College, as well as a few others, not far behind.

When it comes to job placement, something is distinguishing these schools from those in their same tier. Local relationships? Goals of the graduates?

Check out the interactive graph. See what you think.

Happy Fourth of July!

Relax and enjoy your Friday with some of this week’s top law and LSAT links!

How to Handle Extracurriculars on Law School Applications (U.S. News Education)

Putting together your law school applications? U.S. News Education has some great admissions advice for how to present your extracurricular activities.

ABA: Law Schools Getting the Message on Practical Skills (The National Law Journal)

According to the ABA’s latest empirical survey, law schools are increasing so-called practical skills courses: clinics, simulations, and externships.
Read more

In the northern hemisphere some people throw parties during July that mimic Christmas celebrations. Parties may include Santa Claus, ice cream and other cold foods, and gifts.

The wait is finally over! The June 2012 LSAT scores are in and are currently being sent to test takers via E-mail. The curve was -10 for a 170, -27 for a 160, and -46 for a 150. For some, today may feel like  Christmas in July, as your stomach fills with fluttering butterflies and and your heart starts racing just before you unwrap what Santa LSAC has brought you this year.

If you were a good boy or girl, did your prep work, and received the score you were hoping for, congratulations! It’s time to celebrate the holiday with a party or a happy dance. For those who would rather have a lump of coal than your June 2012 score, proceed by first taking a look at our Retake Manifesto to decide whether it is worth your efforts to reregister for the exam. If you are set on retaking the next available exam, be aware of some of the upcoming dates and deadlines pertaining to the October 2012 LSAT.

On a final note, remember to sign up for our Free Online Review of the June 2012 LSAT on Wednesday, July 11, 2012 from 8:00-10:30 (EDT). Two of our 99^th percentile teachers will be reviewing and analyzing some of the most difficult logic games from the June exam.

Need to talk more about your June 2012 LSAT score? Leave a comment below, tweet @manhattanlsat, or email StudentServices@manhattanprep.com/lsat/.

Merry LSAT-Christmas to all, and to all a good score!

Check out some of the top law links from this week!

Undergrad Ponders Law School  (Law School Podcaster)

Adam Goodman, a rising senior at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, documents his decision to go to law school and his progress through the law school admissions process.

Where the Fortune 500 CEOs Went to Law School  (U.S. News Education)

Did you know that 46 chief executive officers listed on the 2012 Fortune 500 list hold J.D.’s? Find out where they attended law school.

Attention, Shoppers: Law School Bargains (The Careerist)

According to The Careerist, now may be the best time to snatch up a law school scholarship. With the decline in law school applicants nationwide during the past two years, many law schools have responded by accepting a larger percentage of applicants and sweetening their scholarship packages.

Use News to Customize Law School Essays (U.S. News Education)

In order to best customize your law school admissions essays, U.S. News recommends keeping up with the news from your top choice law schools. Check out the full article for links to recent news articles from top law schools.

Want to Be Content in Your Legal Career? Great Advice from Happy Go Legal ( The Girl’s Guide to Law School)

Chelsea Callanan from Happy Go Legal has some great advice for people concerned about the work-life balance, budgeting, networking, and overall happiness in the legal profession.

For all its flaws that arise in practice, and for all the valid criticism that can be wielded against it, the judicial system currently in place in America is one that—at least theoretically—places a premium on two fundamental ideas: (1) individuals are innocent unless proven otherwise, and (2) everyone, regardless of who he or she is, is entitled to this presumption.

These principles aren’t sufficient for a fair and balanced judicial system, but they sure are necessary.

This week, I visited the Conciergerie in Paris, which is a pretty grim building in France’s judicial history. It was a royal palace until, during the French Revolution, it became a prison where hundreds of people were housed before being carted off to the guillotine to be executed. Marie Antoinette was among them. The Revolutionary Tribunal also sat for a time in the building, which is jarringly small considering all that happened there. Read more

As the month is coming to a close, anxiety levels are sure to be on the rise for those who took the June 2012 LSAT. If you turned to Mary’s advice for playing the waiting game, we hope that painting your apartment or manufacturing your own drama has brought you some relief. Here at Manhattan LSAT, we have invented our own waiting game, where the goal is to analyze previous trends to try to figure out which day the June scores will be released.

According to LSAC, the scheduled date for the release of the June 2012 LSAT scores is July 6, 2012. However, if we look at the score release dates from the last eight years, there is a possibility that you will know your score by this time next week! Read more