Quality or Quantity: The Best Approach to Getting Points on the LSAT

By on February 22, 2012 in LSAT Prep

A question I hear ALL the time is, when it comes to points on the LSAT, is it is better to rush and get to as many questions as possible or to slow down and just try really hard on the ones you attempt?  My honest, though unpopular response is that it depends.  Several factors come into play.  How long do you have to study before Test Day?  How far along in a section do you typically get when time is called?  Is this for all sections, or only certain ones?  These questions play a part in helping to make a decision on what the better course of action is.… Read full post

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February: Perfect for Groundhogs, Leaping & LSAT Prep?

By on February 21, 2012 in LSAT Admissions, LSAT Prep

February is a funny month: it’s the shortest, yet it’s stuffed with holidays.  From Groundhog’s Day on February 2 to this Leap Year’s addition of a bonus February 29th, this little month is big into celebrating. February is also a perfect time to consider preparing for the June LSAT: students who plan their prep now are sure to feel stronger walking into the test four months from now.

Just like our fuzzy friend Punxsutawney Phil, in February, cold weather haters may be thinking winter will last forever (or at least another six weeks- come to think of it, has Phil ever not seen his shadow?) But instead of dreading every snowflake, prospective attorneys might recognize the long road to spring as a chance to achieve maximum effect with minimal stress.… Read full post

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Seeking a Law Degree to Serve the Public Interest

By on February 16, 2012 in Law School & Legal Life, Law School Admissions, Legal News

Have you ever been so influenced by an experience that you became inspired to pursue a legal career aimed at serving the public interest?  Maybe you witnessed a friend, a relative, or an acquaintance who was harmed due to lack of proper legal representation during a serious crisis, such as a brush with the law or a situation in which he or she was taken advantage of.  Or perhaps, you yourself suffered an injustice and were aided by an attorney.  Alternatively, you may have been motivated toward a career in public interest law after learning about people facing tragedies or unfair outcomes through your undergraduate studies, the Internet or your community service experience.  Regardless of what has influenced you, the bottom line is that you now want to have a career path that is focused on helping others.  As you consider your future law school applications and legal career, be sure to heed the following pointers to ensure that you’re headed in the right direction.… Read full post

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Don’t Delay: Finding Time to Prep for Your LSAT Now!

By on February 14, 2012 in Law School Admissions, LSAT Admissions, LSAT Prep

If you’re reading this, you probably know that LSAT prep is a must.  I mean, it’s only the rest of your life that’s impacted by the law school you’ll attend and how much it will cost you to go there.  And it’s well established that your LSAT score is a huge factor in law school admissions decisions.

I’ve known many folks who were serious about their LSAT score neglect or postpone their prep even after setting aside time and money for it.  Something always manages to come up.  For those still in college, midterms are looming ahead or a ten page course paper is due, and they just need to take a few weeks off from LSAT studying in order to get past this.  Or maybe Spring Break was intended for LSAT studying, but a beachside vacation sounds more appealing and will supposedly provide a necessary refresher for them to come back more devoted to their studying than ever.  For those in the workforce, their boss has given them an important deadline, and if they can just get this project done, then they’ll have time to devote to studying for the LSAT.… Read full post

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Deciding on a Law School? Ask Your Fellow Alumni

By on February 9, 2012 in Law School Admissions

You are starting to hear from the law schools to which you applied and hopefully you have some choices in front of you.  Obviously there are many factors that need to be taken into consideration but one avenue to pursue is asking your fellow undergraduate alumni their thoughts.

Most colleges and universities have alumni networks available to both their current undergrads and alumni.  This network is usually accessed through either the alumni office or the career center.  Often you can search the alumni network by professions and/or law school attended.  Try finding at least two or three alumni who are attending or recently graduated from the law schools from which you are trying to choose.… Read full post

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Expecting the Unexpected: Final Tips Before the LSAT

By on February 8, 2012 in LSAT Prep

Here we are again!  It’s only a few more days before the LSAT.  As Test Day approaches it’s time to finalize your preparations.  It’s time to start wrapping up your studying and gathering all the essentials you’ll need for a successful test taking experience.  No doubt by this point you’ve devoted considerable energy into learning what exactly is on the LSAT and how to go about wading through it.  But in addition to all of your toils and repeated practice, you have to be extra careful not to trip at the finish line.  There are a few last minute steps you can take to ensure a great test day doesn’t spiral into a cauldron of misery and despair (overdramatic for effect).… Read full post

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Top Ten LSAT Etiquette Rules

By on February 6, 2012 in LSAT Admissions, LSAT Prep

Over the past four years I’ve taught hundreds of LSAT test-takers and heard countless stories of the trials of Test Day.  On my own path to becoming an attorney, I had to take the LSAT.  Granted when most of you walk into the exam you’ll be doing so for the first time, but as someone who has been the metaphoric fly on the wall for numerous administrations, please, I implore you, adhere to the following rules of Test Day etiquette.  If all test-takers did so, the whole experience would be immeasurably more pleasant:

Bring lots of pencils.  Why?  Because it is thoroughly annoying to sit next to someone who is incessantly sharpening their pencil.  I know the rules say that you can bring a pencil sharpener, and, by all means, bring it.  Just don’t use it until the breaks between sections.  Better yet, sharpen and pack enough pencils in your one gallon ziplock bag, that you can make it through all five 35 minute sections and a writing sample without sharpening anything.… Read full post

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Want to know your odds of admission to Yale?

By on January 25, 2012 in LSAT Admissions, LSAT Prep

For those of you that hate math, law school’s the place for you.  Not only is there no math on the LSAT, thanks to the LSAC, the guesswork of the perceived formulaic admissions process is gone too.  168/3.4, 162/3.8, 173/2.9, 154/3.3, 159/3.1, 164/4.0, 177/3.8 – where does it get you?  Now you can find out.

Thanks to all you who joined us for last night’s season premiere of “The 180 – Live”.  As you heard, there’s no magic formula for how to earn those merit-based scholarships. Simply:

And we heard you, too!  Many of you were asking how to locate the LSAC’s UGPA/LSAT search tool we discussed on the show.  Simple.  Click here.  In the upper left hand corner, type in your undergraduate GPA and expectant (or actual) LSAT score, and away you go.  It’ll help you tremendously in determining to which schools your competitive, and directionally, for which schools you’ll be most eligible for merit-based financial aid.… Read full post

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Breaking: US Gov’t gives out free money for law schools. In other news, pigs fly.

By on January 20, 2012 in Law School & Legal Life

Looking for free money?  Aren’t we all?  As the LSAC reveals, here’s a stat you must know: there are no federal grant programs for law students.  I repeat: there are no federal grant programs for law students.  Millions, even billions of dollars of federal grants are available to students to subsidize a college education.  For a legal education?  None.  Zero.  Nada.  Nilch.  Virtually all of the “grant money” or “scholarship money”, or to be super-frank, the “money you don’t have to pay back” comes from the schools themselves.  Two obvious questions you need to be prepared to ask:

-        How do I get it?  (Criteria, Application Process, Deadlines)

-        What do I have to do to keep it?… Read full post

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Figured out how to pay for law school? You’re only 3/4s of the way done…

By on January 19, 2012 in Law School & Legal Life

As we gear up for next week’s episode of “The 180 – Live: Law School Debt Free”, we thought we’d share some interesting insights on financing a legal education.

First up, if you have an extra 45-minutes to kill, the LSAC (Law School Admissions Council) has released a video outlining the process of paying for law school.  It’s simply a recording of a seminar given at a past LSAC forum event, but I think you’ll find it quite informative nonetheless.  We’ll be discussing some highlights from the video this week that we think you’ll find intriguing.

In the section entitled, “Funding Your Law School Education”, Dr.… Read full post

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