The LSAT is many things, but cutting edge it is not. It knows the LSAT is pretty darn predictive, so there’s no apparent interest in switching from paper and pencil to a computerized format. And you still need to use a #2 pencil – and mechanical pencils are even a no-no! But, this past month we see that LSAT has finally upgraded their website. Congratulations, LSAC!

The features are more or less similar – a file moved here, a sample test gone there – but one thing that will interest folks who like to stay up late wondering what are the chances of getting into Columbia with a 3.5 and a 172….It was always on the LSAC website, but it was deeply buried and wasn’t so pretty. It used to feel like something dirty and forbidden! LSAC realized what we all want to do all day between practice tests!

Happy school hunting!

With just 3 days left to decide whether to take the October LSAT, some folks are pulling out their hair. So, for your flow-charting pleasure here’s a guide to making this decision…To be taken with a grain of salt, especially if the schools you care about take your higher LSAT score, no questions asked. If that’s the situation, the issue is mainly whether you have more attempts available.

Bring it on...

October 9th may seem to be barreling down the calendar towards you, nostrils flaring with sufficient assumptions. Indeed, we’ve only got a bit more than a month left until game day. So, what’s to be done with this last stretch?

It’s time to pile on the Preptests! It’s too easy to be a superstar just on short practice sets, or when you take a break between each section. Now is the time to be mean to yourself.

If I were an LSAT doctor, here’s what I would prescribe:

– Do at least two 5-section LSATs per week. If you’re seeing your accuracy drop on later sections (i.e. you’re pooping out), do some 6-section tests.
– Time these preptests like the real deal – use our online LSAT proctor to make it legit, or, depending on your location, attend one of our proctored exams.
– As you take your test, mark questions that you find challenging, time-consuming or all-around not super easy (as in anything that doesn’t fall into the I-would-bet-$100-on-this-question category).
– Review each test thoroughly. Don’t review just the ones you got wrong, also review the questions you starred. Read more about reviewing questions.
– Between tests re-play old sections, games, passages, etc.

– Work out a few times a week – it makes a difference!

– Cut down on the drinking

-Tie your shoelaces

– Wipe your nose

– Get to work!

It’s summer, and you can’t spend all of your time studying for the LSAT, right?

Wrong! You should spend every waking second getting ready for the test! Even when you are not studying, you should be studying!

Okay, we’re not (totally) serious, but here are two ways to study while you don’t study:

1. Play video games

Have you checked out the Atlas Arcade?

2. Read

When you sit for the exam, you know you are going to get one passage in each of the following four areas: the law, natural sciences, social sciences, and humanities. Do any of these topics put a little fear into you? If so, consider the following summer reading options: Read more

This game is no joke! It’s a tricky, tricky set-up.  You can post your answers on our site and read or post explanations on our forums. Have fun!

Six young children – K, L, M, N, O, P – gather in a circle and play a game in which they toss a ball to one another. One child starts the game by tossing the ball to one of the other five children, who then tosses it to another child, who tosses it to another child, who is declared the “winner.” A child may handle the ball more than once during the course of any one game, but cannot toss the ball to himself/herself. The following conditions apply:

* K can only toss it to P.
* P can only toss it to O.
* N can only receive a toss from M.
* L can only toss to P or M, and M can only receive a toss from L.
* N can only toss to K, and K can only receive a toss from N.

1. Which of the following could be the order of tosses, from the child who starts to the child who wins?

(A) M to L to P to K
(B) M to P to O to N
(C) M to N to K to L
(D) L to N to K to P
(E) L to M to L to P

Read more

And so it shall be...

It’s always strange to see the LSAC embroiled in a legal issue since it’s the group that assesses everyone’s ability to be a lawyer, but unlike with the Testmasters lawsuit, in this one LSAC found itself a defendant.  The case was US vs. LSAC. And they’ve settled (with LSAC paying a $20K fine…)

From what I’ve heard from students, it’s been rather difficult to receive accommodation on the LSAT. Mostly folks have complained about accommodation for learning disabilities – but this case is actually about physical disabilities. In the settlement, LSAC has agreed to a streamlined process for evaluating whether candidates should receive accommodations. Obviously good news for those who need these accommodations!

I’ve heard LSAC talk – it’s a very ethically-minded organization. So why would LSAC find itself in this boat? Probably it’s because LSAC works hard to maintain the LSAT’s usefulness as a predictive tool. There’s a line of thinking: if folks receive accommodations during testing that they would not receive in law school, should we do it? The thing is, law schools will accommodate those with physical difficulties — and if they don’t, I’m sure the ADA will be after them! If you’d like to hear more about how this case fits into a broader struggle for greater accessibility, take a look at the New Hours broadcast that discusses the LSAT case.

To be clear, this agreement only covers physical disabilities – for those who are seeking an accommodation because of ADHD or something similar, here’s a run-down by Steve Schwartz of what you should do to apply for extended time. It’s pretty interesting how the LSAT is different than other tests out there. Sort of the same way that the LSAT is still paper and pencil. No doubt the LSAC is saying that if it ain’t broke…

Some students treat their LSAT prep like a side gig – dipping their toe once or twice a week. Others dive in, with their clothes on. I now speak of Derek – who’s set up a blog post to record his travels through LSAT land. And yesterday, he posted this about his latest conquest with the LSAT Arcade:

That’s the first game-breaker we’ve seen (other than from our geeky curriculum developers who spent hours playing each game).

Break-away, Derek! Break-away!

(but which game was this?)

We recently took a poll on our Facebook fan page about what field of law our fans wanted to be. Responses ranged from Entertainment to Public Interest to Intellectual Property.

Going to law school is a big decision in and of itself, but figuring out what you want to do AFTER law school can also be a challenge. One decision to think about is whether you looking to work in a big firm or a smaller one. A recent article on Lawyerist.com laid out some important questions for lawyers to ask themselves when considering whether they would like to work for a big firm. It notes:

“For the most part, the bigger the firm, the farther away you are from being in a courtroom (or at least speaking in a courtroom). At the same time, when you do get the chance to talk, you will be extremely well prepared. If you are working in a small firm, or working with one other attorney, you are much more likely to get thrown into the fire quickly.”

So getting into a big firm is certainly a trade-off. Often it means a lot of money, but sometimes it means a year or two in the basement, looking for misplaced commas and other errors in endless pages of contracts. Yes, you’ll lose all color in your skin, but you’ll be able to pay for a great vacation to go tan it back!

If you’re unsure of where you want to land once you finish law school, you may want to consider environmental law. According to this article in the National Jurist, thanks to new EPA regulations and certain oil spills, there looks to be a big demand for environmental lawyers on both sides of the argument. Amber Maclver, an associate at Baker Botts, said “Environmental law attorneys are involved in every stage of a business’s life cycle. As a new attorney, there is a lot of potential to become an expert in a niche area of this practice. This is a great field to pursue with amazing opportunities.”

Whether it’s a big or a small firm, or whether you’re looking to help actors or oil-coated seagulls, there are definitely a lot of options for you and for many of us it’s worth thinking outside the box (or basement).

Finally, Mario Brothers meets LSAC. It’s here, it’s funny-looking, it’s full of really tough questions, it’s the Atlas LSAT Arcade! Take a look and have fun.

Can You Unlock the Dragon? (or the Mixer?)

Congrats to all the teachers, developers and web-savy folks who put lots of sweat into this game – it’s a beauty! We’ll talk more about how to use it as part of your prep – it’s not just for kicks…

Go Little Blue Man, Go!

Summer is here and it’s time to get off your butt and start studying for the October LSAT. But, it’s also time to get off your butt in general. It’s now fact (until proven otherwise) that exercise improves brain function! I first read about this in The Brain That Changes Itself by Norman Doidge – a mind-blowing book. When he discussed the exercise-brain link, Doidge was a bit more focused on preventing Alzheimer’s disease. But, now I’ve read in Science Daily that it’s also true for the pre-geriatric crowd.

Charles Hillman, the brainiac behind the study, says that “regardless,” he said, “the importance is the same. Physical activity is related to better cognitive health and effective functioning across the lifespan.”

Another study, as reported in Entrepreneur explained:

1. As you exercise, your muscles contract.
2. This releases chemicals, including a protein called IGF-1.
3. IGF-1 travels to the brain and stimulates the release of several chemicals, including brain derived neurotropic factor (BDNF).
4. Regular exercise increases levels of BDNF.
5. BDNF stimulates neurons (brain cells) to branch and connect in new ways.
6. New junctions between neurons are the basis of learning.

(Why exactly is Entrepreneur reporting on this? I guess the same reason I am…)

Boom! And this is at the heart of getting truly better at the LSAT. Since most of us were not born holding a golden gavel (i.e. thinking like a lawyer), going beyond the usual LSAT score increases means switching from the B.S.-production-write-a-10-page-paper-about-what-YOU-think mindset that we develop in high school & college to the legalistic mindset that is needed to be, well, legalistic. A few new neural pathways could definitely help!

So, the daily 12-hour LSAT study marathon may not be such a great idea this summer- instead, do a 6 hour LSAT marathon, then an actual marathon, and then another 6 hour marathon. Well…maybe just a half-marathon. Actually, you probably should limit your study sessions to a few hours – the brain needs a break, and a jog.