Thinking Lsat

Judge Douglas R. M. Nazarian has served on the Appellate Court of Maryland since 2013. He joins Ben and Nathan to share his journey to the bench and to pull back the curtain on the work of an appellate court judge. He also discusses the mission of the Legal Accountability Project, the qualities he looks for in a judicial clerk, and factors to consider when deciding where to attend law school. LSAT Demon LSAT Demon iOS App LSAT Demon Daily Watch Episode 421 on YouTube Thinking LSAT YouTube LSAT Demon YouTube 2:41 - Becoming a Judge - Judge Nazarian recounts the hard work, politicking, and luck involved in his multi-year journey to become an appellate court judge. 23:56 - How Decisions Are Made - Judge Nazarian describes the role of appellate courts. He explains why appeals aren’t simply “do-overs” and how lawsuits are shaped by individual discretion and the rules of evidence. 40:37 - Judicial Clerkships - Judge Nazarian discusses the Legal Accountability Project’s mission to bring greater transparency to the j

Kate Bridal and Josey Hoff, hosts of The Legal Burnouts podcast, join Ben and Nathan to discuss why burnout is such a common problem for legal professionals. They advise future lawyers on how to plan for a healthy, sustainable career. Follow Kate @bridalpartyof5 on Instagram and TikTok, and follow Josey @jh_thelegalburnouts on Instagram. LSAT Demon LSAT Demon iOS App LSAT Demon Daily Watch Episode 420 on YouTube Thinking LSAT YouTube LSAT Demon YouTube 1:47 - Legal Burnout - Josey and Kate share their stories of burnout and warn listeners about the realities of legal practice. Toxic law firm culture, zero work-life balance, pervasive mental health and drug problems, and student loan debt all plague legal professionals. Even if you love the law, you may never enjoy working in the law. 26:08 - Nonprofit and Public Interest Work - Kate and Josey describe the emotional tolls of working for nonprofits in the public interest. While many people aspire to do this kind of work, systemic issues make it more challenging

Loan Repayment Assistance Programs (LRAPs) are often touted as silver bullets of student loan debt relief for low-earning public interest lawyers. But as good as loan forgiveness sounds, LRAPs are riddled with caveats and conditions that may leave some students with far bigger student loan bills than expected. This week, Nathan and Ben present a list of questions that any LRAP hopeful should ask. They conclude that an upfront scholarship should always be preferred over dependence on loan forgiveness. LSAT Demon LSAT Demon iOS App LSAT Demon Daily Watch Episode 419 on YouTube Thinking LSAT YouTube LSAT Demon YouTube 1:12 - Real-Life LR Flaw - The guys crack up over some car shopping advice that reads like a flawed argument from LSAT Logical Reasoning. 3:39 - LSAT Writing - Listener Dastin provides an update on the functionality of the LSAT Writing interface. You can use the cut, copy, and paste commands while writing your official submission, but not while taking notes in the “digital scratch paper.” 5:45 - Ne

Ben and Nathan are joined by Aliza Shatzman, founder of the Legal Accountability Project. Aliza describes the project’s mission to bring greater transparency to judicial clerkships and to promote positive clerkship experiences. She and the guys discuss why law schools sometimes obscure the truth about judicial clerkships, how the Legal Accountability Project will democratize information regarding clerkships, and what future law students can do now to prepare for clerking. You can find Aliza on LinkedIn and Twitter @AlizaShatzman. Follow the Legal Accountability Project on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter @The_LAP_ LSAT Demon LSAT Demon iOS App LSAT Demon Daily Watch Episode 418 on YouTube Thinking LSAT YouTube LSAT Demon YouTube 1:12 - The Legal Accountability Project - Special guest Aliza Shatzman recounts how the harassment and discrimination she faced as a judicial clerk led her to create the Legal Accountability Project. She advocates greater transparency and workplace protections for judicial clerkships.

With the deadline to register for the October LSAT only days away, Nathan and Ben share some advice to students who are on the fence about registering. Simply put, your recent practice test scores will tell you whether you’re ready to take the test. The guys also consider what a “reasonable” price for law school would be, discuss how best to negotiate law school scholarships, and uncover a pearl of wisdom regarding Main Point questions in RC. LSAT Demon LSAT Demon iOS App LSAT Demon Daily Watch Episode 417 on YouTube Thinking LSAT YouTube LSAT Demon YouTube 2:20 - October LSAT Registration - Nathan and Ben counsel LSAT Demon student Nafosat on whether she’s ready to register for the October LSAT. 7:25 - U. Chicago Settlement - Ben and Nathan comment on a recent Reuters article about alleged price fixing by elite U.S. colleges and universities. The guys remind applicants that law schools are in it for the money. 14:24 - Don’t Pay for Prestige - An anonymous listener asks whether it’s reasonable to pay $40k ann

Ross Guberman is one of the world’s top legal writing experts. He’s the author of Point Made: How to Write Like the Nation’s Top Advocates, and Point Taken: How to Write Like the World’s Greatest Judges. His newest project, BriefCatch, is an AI-powered legal writing tool that offers real-time editing suggestions on legal documents. Ross joins Ben and Nathan to discuss law school, legal writing, and the evolving role of AI in the legal profession. LSAT Demon LSAT Demon iOS App LSAT Demon Daily Watch Episode 416 on YouTube Thinking LSAT YouTube LSAT Demon YouTube 0:45 - August LSAT - Ben and Nathan address the technical difficulties that arose during the August LSAT. They encourage test takers to embrace such challenges rather than crumple under the stress. 9:33 - LSAT Demon Discounts - LSAC fee waiver recipients can get four months of LSAT Demon Basic for only $38, or 20% off any paid plan. Visit lsatdemon.com/plans or email help@lsatdemon.com to learn more. 13:07 - LSAT Demon Discord - LSAT Demon subscribers

Sydney Montgomery is the Executive Director and Founder of Barrier Breakers, a nonprofit that aims to increase access to higher education for BIPOC and other marginalized students. Sydney returns to Thinking LSAT to share her insights into what the Supreme Court’s ruling on affirmative action means for applicants of color. She and the guys also discuss perils of student loan debt and Sydney’s work to help applicants secure their best possible scholarship offers. LSAT Demon LSAT Demon iOS App LSAT Demon Daily Watch Episode 415 on YouTube Thinking LSAT YouTube LSAT Demon YouTube 0:00 - Introducing Sydney Montgomery - Sydney Montgomery introduces her edtech software company, Outline It, Inc., which helps students organize and outline their writing projects. She then speaks about her admissions consulting work through Barrier Breakers and S. Montgomery Admissions Consulting. Sydney insists that anyone pursuing law school answer two questions: Why law school? And why now? 17:21 - Supreme Court Decision - Sydney re

Cece Xie is a lawyer, writer, and content creator who became wildly popular on social media while working as an associate at a big law firm. She joins Ben & Nathan to talk about her upcoming book. They discuss why law schools push students toward big law and what it takes to climb the law firm hierarchy. LSAT Demon LSAT Demon iOS App LSAT Demon Daily Watch Episode 414 on YouTube Thinking LSAT YouTube LSAT Demon YouTube Follow Cece on Substack, YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, and her website. 0:00 - Introducing Cece Xie - Ben and Nathan welcome Cece to the show and ask what she’s been up to after leaving her job in big law last year. 8:22 - Cece’s Book - Cece shares some details about her upcoming book: part memoir, part exposé of big law culture. 17:56 - The Big Law Pipeline - Cece describes the mutualistic relationship between law schools and big law recruiting. She warns listeners that career services offices don't have students’ best interests at heart. And neither do law firms. 27:48 - Thriving in Bi

Perfect accuracy on LSAT Reading Comprehension is within your reach. LSAT Demon teacher Chris Murphy joins Nathan to help listeners maximize their potential in RC. Chris and Nathan describe what confidence looks like in RC and why it’s crucial to success. They also praise the shift to online education, consider possible downsides to retaking the LSAT, and assess a Pearls vs. Turds candidate about leaving answer choices open. LSAT Demon LSAT Demon iOS App LSAT Demon Daily Watch Episode 413 on YouTube Thinking LSAT YouTube LSAT Demon YouTube 0:00 - August LSAT Pretest Pump-Up - Chris and Nathan invite August test takers to LSAT Demon’s Pretest Pump-Up on August 9. Come meet fellow test takers and get last-minute tips from LSAT Demon teachers. All you need to join is an LSAT Demon Free account. 3:27 - Online Law School - An anonymous listener worries that attending an online law school could hurt their networking opportunities. The guys explain why the opposite might actually be true. Nathan maintains that the f

Diagramming in Logical Reasoning is time-consuming, confusing, and error-prone. Ben and Nathan advocate an intuitive approach to Logical Reasoning that promotes real understanding and long-term growth. In this week’s episode, the guys warn listeners of the perils of LR diagrams and demonstrate a commonsense alternative. Later, they recommend an ASAP approach to reviewing mistakes, discourage school list disclosures on applications, and advise students not to skip “hard” questions in timed sections. LSAT Demon LSAT Demon iOS App LSAT Demon Daily Watch Episode 412 on YouTube Thinking LSAT YouTube LSAT Demon YouTube 1:53 - Meditation - A listener praises LSAT Demon’s guided meditations and reminds fellow students to breathe. 3:31 - Don’t Diagram in LR - “It’s painful, boring, difficult, and confusing.” Nathan and Ben explain why they don’t diagram in Logical Reasoning. They demonstrate a more intuitive approach using an example from PrepTest J. 37:59 - Review Immediately - An anonymous LSAT Demon student struggl

LSAC’s Kyle McEntee rejoins the pod to share info about LSAC’s resources for law school applicants. Kyle and the guys also discuss the recent Supreme Court ruling on affirmative action, the difficulty of fixing the problem of student loan debt, and law schools’ responses to applicants’ use of AI. LSAT Demon LSAT Demon iOS App LSAT Demon Daily Watch Episode 411 on YouTube Thinking LSAT YouTube LSAT Demon YouTube 0:57 - Admission Unmasked - Kyle introduces Admission Unmasked, a free program of live events and on-demand learning modules designed to help applicants navigate the law school admission process. 7:27 - Supreme Court Decision - Kyle shares his perspective on how the Supreme Court’s ruling on affirmative action will impact law school admissions: applicants shouldn’t let it affect where they apply. 11:01 - LSAC’s Mission - Kyle discusses LSAC’s mission to advance justice in the legal system and explains why the LSAT is a tool for equity in law school admissions. He points future law students to LSAC’s Ul

Beginning with the August LSAT, certain key words like “except” will be presented in lowercase bold rather than ALL CAPS. On this week’s episode, Ben and Nathan react to the change and give a crash course on how to approach these types of questions. The guys also discuss another perspective on affirmative action in college admissions, celebrate LSAT Demon students’ successes on the June LSAT, and implore listeners to turn off the clock while taking timed practice tests. LSAT Demon LSAT Demon iOS App LSAT Demon Daily Watch Episode 410 on YouTube Thinking LSAT YouTube LSAT Demon YouTube 1:45 - Affirmative Action - The guys discuss a New York Times opinion piece about the shortcomings of affirmative action for most college students. 25:06 - Changes to “Except” Questions - Nathan and Ben explain why they like the change to the presentation of “except” questions on the LSAT. They then share some tips on how to approach these types of questions. 40:26 - June LSAT Score Release - Listeners share their success storie

Understanding the difference between necessary and sufficient is necessary—but not sufficient—for success on the LSAT. This week, Nathan and Ben illustrate the difference using some morbid examples of their own invention and a less gory one from PrepTest 65. Later, the guys examine a study that suggests that 76% of legal jobs are at risk of automation by AI. They weigh a listener’s chances of reaching the T14 with a 3.0 GPA. And they encourage applicants to treat their personal statement like a Tinder profile. LSAT Demon LSAT Demon iOS App LSAT Demon Daily Watch Episode 409 on YouTube Thinking LSAT YouTube LSAT Demon YouTube 4:41 - Sufficient vs. Necessary - Ben and Nathan evaluate an LSAT Demon student’s method of distinguishing sufficient conditions from necessary conditions. 12:13 - Example: Sufficient vs. Necessary - To illustrate sufficient and necessary conditions in action, Nathan and Ben attempt a Logical Reasoning question from PrepTest 65. Try the question for yourself here. Then listen to Ben and

Ben and Nathan weigh in on the Supreme Court’s ruling in Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard, which bans the consideration of race as a specific factor in college admissions. The guys discuss what this might mean for future law school applicants. Read the Supreme Court’s opinion here.

To succeed in LSAT Logical Reasoning, you must learn to identify conclusions. On this week’s podcast, Ben and Nathan respond to Ask Button questions from students who struggled to distinguish conclusions from premises. The guys suggest three ways to find the main conclusion of an argument. Later, Ben and Nathan discuss how to apply Reading Comprehension skills to Logical Reasoning. They evaluate some dubious strategies for comparative passages in RC. And they answer a grab bag of admissions-related questions. LSAT Demon LSAT Demon iOS App LSAT Demon Daily Watch Episode 408 on YouTube Thinking LSAT YouTube LSAT Demon YouTube 0:56 - Identifying Conclusions and Premises - Nathan and Ben demonstrate how to identify argument parts on two practice questions: Test 73, Section 2 — Question 10 Test 65, Section 1 — Question 10 The guys discuss why it’s dangerous to rely on keywords alone and suggest three ways to spot conclusions in Logical Reasoning. 41:16 - Good at RC, Bad at LR - Reading Comprehension has alw

LSAT Demon teacher Matt DuMont takes a break from bar prep to join Ben and Nathan for a deep dive into his law school experience. Matt shares insights into what future law students can expect and how they can set themselves up for success. Later, the guys break down the real-world benefits of LSAT prep, discuss whether applicants should care about school rankings, and consider the merits of a new alternative to the LSAT. LSAT Demon LSAT Demon iOS App LSAT Demon Daily Watch Episode 407 on YouTube Thinking LSAT YouTube LSAT Demon YouTube 2:10 - Matt’s Road to Maryland - Matt just graduated from the University of Maryland School of Law near the top of his class. Today, he turns back the clock to share his law school application journey and discuss how he ended up at the University of Maryland. 11:33 - The Matthew Effect - The Matthew Effect is the tendency for those with advantage to accrue even more advantage over time. Matt turned down higher-ranked schools to attend the University of Maryland on a full-ride

As the fall semester approaches, incoming 1Ls may wonder how to prepare themselves for law school. On this week’s episode, Nathan and Ben are joined by Angela Vorpahl, creator of the Law School Master Plan. Angela lays out what new law students should (and shouldn’t) do to build the skills they’ll need throughout law school. LSAT Demon LSAT Demon iOS App LSAT Demon Daily Watch Episode 406 on YouTube Thinking LSAT YouTube LSAT Demon YouTube 0:00 - Testing Limits - Beginning with the August 2023 LSAT, test takers will no longer be restricted to three attempts per application cycle. You can take the LSAT up to five times in five years and seven times in a lifetime. Read LSAC’s policy on repeating the test here. 6:30 - What You Won’t Learn in Law School - Not only does law school not teach you what it takes to succeed in legal practice, it doesn’t teach you what it takes to succeed in law school. Angela Vorphal started her YouTube channel and consulting business to address that knowledge gap. She joins the guys t

Reading faster won’t solve your problems on LSAT Reading Comprehension. On this week’s pod, Ben and Nathan encourage a time-conscious student to slow down and focus on understanding what they read, not how quickly they read it. Later, the guys discuss why it’s crucial to remain open to taking the LSAT up to five times. They explain the difference between finding the main point of an RC passage and the main conclusion of an LR argument. And they hear from a student who praises LSAT Demon’s intuitive approach to the LSAT. LSAT Demon LSAT Demon iOS App LSAT Demon Daily Watch Episode 405 on YouTube Thinking LSAT YouTube LSAT Demon YouTube 0:47 - Read Better, Not Faster - Listener Connor worries that he reads too slowly to score well in LSAT Reading Comprehension or on his future law school exams. Nathan and Ben assure Connor that reading slowly isn’t a problem, but reading poorly is. The guys also briefly discuss disability accommodations in law school. 14:24 - LSAT Cross-Training - An anonymous listener credits

LSAT Demon teacher and Logic Games guru Matt DuMont joins Ben to share some LG wisdom. Matt and Ben discuss their approach to building worlds in Logic Games and outline productive study habits. Later, the guys help a listener who is concerned about how law schools may view his personal brand. They warn applicants against throwing up red flags in optional essays. And they implore listeners not to decide on a law school before beginning their application process. LSAT Demon LSAT Demon iOS App LSAT Demon Daily Watch Episode 404 on YouTube Thinking LSAT YouTube LSAT Demon YouTube 2:19 - Test Location Options - If you change your mind about taking the LSAT at a test center, you will have until three days before testing begins to schedule a remote session instead. If you’d like to switch from remote to in-person testing, you must do so before the seven-day deadline to schedule a test center. 5:35 - Worlds in Logic Games - Matt summarizes LSAT Demon’s world-building approach to Logic Games and answers some frequent

After months of delays, the new law school rankings have arrived. Will changes to U.S. News’s methodology mean fewer merit scholarships? Ben is joined by TLP producer Erik to discuss the new rankings and how they might affect prospective law students. Later, Ben and Erik dig into the correlation–causation flaw, discuss the trouble with study timelines, and advise applicants on whether and how to write a GPA addendum. LSAT Demon LSAT Demon iOS App LSAT Demon Daily Watch Episode 403 on YouTube Thinking LSAT YouTube LSAT Demon YouTube 1:57 - Law School Rankings - Ben and Erik recap U.S. News’s tumultuous year and consider how the new ranking methodology might impact law schools’ admissions and scholarship decisions. LSAC claims ⁠the LSAT is the most accurate predictor of law school success⁠. A Journal of Empirical Studies article questions ⁠the correlation between LSAT and LGPA⁠. 31:57 - Correlation vs. Causation - Ben breaks down the correlation–causation flaw. While correlation alone doesn’t prove causatio