Here are some of the top articles about the LSAT, law schools, and the legal profession from this week.

LSAC, ABA Step Up Oversight of Law School Student Data (The Wall Street Journal Law Blog)
The Law School Admission Council and the American Bar Association have agreed to increase oversight of the undergraduate grade-point averages and Law School Admission Test scores schools report for incoming classes.

The June LSAT is Over- Now What? (U.S. News Education) 
Whether you canceled your June 2012 LSAT exam or you are anxiously awaiting the score-release date, U.S. News Education gives advice for what to as you look ahead to the next few months.

It’s Your Legal Career, Take Charge (Lawyerist)
Learn what you can do to get your law career going on the right track from the moment you graduate from law school.

Best Law Schools for Biglaw (Above the Law)
Above the Law says “if you want to get into Biglaw, it’s all about the Ivy.” Find out which law schools are best at sending their graduates to large law firms (aka Biglaw).

Is Law School Still a Golden Ticket? (Forbes)
Jessi Fred, a 0L, explains why she still believes that a law degree is her key to success.

Need to keep busy while you wait for your LSAT score? Why not paint your apartment!?

It’s late June, which means those of you who took the test earlier this month are “playing the waiting game,” as they say (the same people who use expressions like “have a case of the Mondays” and “TMI”). I wanted to write a post on how to wait when you’re impatient, so I googled “how to wait.” The tips that I found included suggestions like doing something you enjoy, and trying not to think about whatever it is you’re awaiting. I deserved these results, of course, for actually googling “how to wait.”

In the interest of sharing some ideas for dealing with impatience that aren’t patronizing and useless, here are a few activities that have worked for me in the past**.

1. Manufacture drama. Break up with someone! Go into debt! Adopt a cat and put it on Craigslist two weeks later! Creating drama can be an incredibly effective means of quelling impatience. The emotional trauma you will experience is guaranteed to be distracting, and your LSAT score will have arrived before you know it.
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There is no denying the fact that law school is dreadfully expensive and that after graduating from a four-year undergraduate college, the last thing any student wants to do is take out another daunting set of educational loans. In a recent interview with Bloomberg Law, Paul Campos, professor of law at University of Colorado at Boulder School of Law, explains in great detail how financially detrimental law school can be for some students.

Alleviate student debt with Loan Repayment Assistance Programs

Tacking law school loans on to those from undergraduate education has incurred an average educational debt of somewhere between $125,000 and $130,000. Campos goes on to tell Bloomberg Law that incoming 1Ls this September will graduate with around $150,000 of educational debt.

With such a low percentage of people acquiring jobs straight out of law school that justify these high debt levels, it is more important than ever to do your research and to understand why it is that you want to go to law school. These initial steps will help you make an informed decision about where you want go and how much you are willing to pay for your legal education.
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We found some great articles from the first half of June. Happy reading!

June 2012 LSAT Release Dates (LSAT BLOG)
Did you take the June 2012 LSAT this week? If so, we know you’re anxiously awaiting your score. The scores from the exam are to be released on July 6^th but usually the scores are emailed earlier than scheduled. This post from LSAT BLOG provides trends in the score release date of the June exam from the past several years.

Best Books for Law School Students  (Goodreads)
Summer is a great time to engage in some leisurely reading! Goodreads has compiled a list of the books that pre-law and law students should read.

Law School Innovators (The National Law Journal)
The National Law Journal published a special report that highlights a few law schools, students, and professors who are pushing the boundaries of traditional education and legal theory.

5 Tips for Parents of Law School Applicants (US News)
Applying to law school can be just as stressful for parents as it is for students. This week, US News offers advice to parents on how to support their child through the application process

Want to Save Money? Try Attending ‘Fast Track’ Law School Abroad (ABA Journal)
If you’re planning on going to law school but cringe at tuition prices, check out this article from ABA Journal that offers some information about attending a ‘fast track’ law school abroad.

My sister got married a month ago, and as the maid of honor, I saw it as my duty to do what any good maid of honor does: plan a flash mob for the reception.

I choreographed a routine to Maroon 5’s “Moves Like Jagger,” uploaded a humiliating instructional video onto YouTube (of yours truly doing the dance in my Brooklyn apartment), and spread the word (link). In the video, I say, “We want at least 40 people in the flash mob in order for it to look good. And if it has 50 or more, that’ll be amazing!” Read more

Experience life at the law firm through a summer associateship

Have you ever wondered what you’ll be up to during your summer vacations in law school? After a semester’s worth of reading, sleepless nights, and comprehensive final exams, it might sound preferable to relax on a beach with cold beer in one hand and a good book in the other. However, as a law student, your goal for these summers should involve landing a highly coveted position at a relevant law firm as a Summer Associate.

As a Summer Associate you will have the opportunity to network and establish relationships with a number of attorneys, produce writing samples, and leave with a solid set of references. If all goes well, your temporary office has the potential to become your place of full-time employment upon graduation.
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The many faces of the June 2012 LSAT taker

Remember not so long ago when the LSAT didn’t dominate your life? Can you even fathom a time when you weren’t driving yourself insane studying for this crucial exam, which has been weighing on your back like a 3,000 pound primate – a primate that you hoped would have disappeared yesterday after the final bubble sheet was filled in?

Unfortunately, in the now-very-real aftermath of the exam, the new weight of the results that are still weeks away make the 3,000 pound LSAT study gorilla seem weightless in comparison.

While there is no way to make the waiting any easier, there is a definitely something that all June 2012 LSAT test takers ought to do: sign up for our Free Live Online Review of the June 2012 LSAT, being held Live Online on Wednesday, July 11th at 8:00pm EST.

Taught by Manhattan LSAT co-founder and curriculum developer Noah Teitelbaum, this review session will deconstruct some of the more difficult questions from the exam, and will strive to address the ever pesky dilemma of whether or not to retake the LSAT.

Time management on the LSAT is an element of the exam that is as difficult to overcome as it is important to your score: very!

One of the toughest and most common struggles that LSAT test takers face is how much time to devote to each question and what to do when the

LSATtimer.com sells analog watches specifically for the LSAT!

second and minute hands on the clock are interfering with your ability to focus on the actual exam. Maybe you’re having trouble with which questions to attack first, which questions to skip, or when it’s time to take your best guess.

To help students conquer the challenges of pacing and time management on the LSAT, Law School Podcaster has released a new show that shares proven time management techniques and strategies just in time for June 2012 LSAT.

The show grants insight from four experts in the LSAT sphere, including one of our own resident LSAT gurus: Noah Teitelbaum, Director of Academics and co-creator of our curriculum.

Here are a few snippets of Noah-wisdom from the show, which can be listened to in its entirety on LawSchoolPodcaster.com:

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We incorporate the latest discoveries in learning science into our LSAT course to maximize the efficiency and effectiveness of your prep. Want to see? Try the first session of any of our upcoming courses for free.

Hungry? If you’re gearing up for the LSAT, now is not the time to grab a Snickers. As the clock ticks closer to the big day you may have found yourself in the repetitive study, eat, sleep, routine. Hopefully by now you have the studying and sleeping down to a science, but it is just as crucial to keep in mind that what you put into your stomach could be just as important as all that LSAT knowledge you’ve been planting in your brain. Before you hit the grocery store this weekend, check out some of the top brain food to add to your list as well as the best times to indulge in order to have your mind ready for optimal performance on test day. Read more

With only 4.5 days to go before the June 2012 LSAT you should be at the point in your preparations where you have made peace with your capabilities and are ready to sit down and take the exam with confidence come Monday. If you’re still struggling, you’d ought not to fool yourself in to thinking that a miracle is going to occur. Truth is, many students roughly 3  points lower on the real test than they do on their timed PrepTests leading up to the exam.

These decreases on the real exam are generally due to nerves or random test day variables such as a really annoying neighbor, a less than ideal test center, or a proctor from hell. Unless you have been consistently scoring 2-3 points higher than your goal on your most recent timed Prep Tests, I would strongly suggest postponing your exam until October and spending the next three and a half months sharpening your skills. Read more