Good Law Schools

Many websites, guides, and advice resources on the LSAT provide comprehensive overviews on what the LSAT is, and the various ways you can prepare for the LSAT. (Shameless plug: our favorites are Mo Media’s Flash Cards and Mo Media’s LSAT Secrets)

These sources pay a great deal of attention to what must be done before the test, what the test consist of, what to expect during the test and even in some instances what to do after the LSAT. Regretfully, few sources pay attention to effective ways to prepare for the LSAT in relation to the different test sections.

Here you will find a number of recommendations on how to prepare for the LSAT in an effective way according to the different test sections.

Logical Testing Section

1. Question Topic

Before trying to answer a question, establish what the topic of the question is and only then, move on to the detail contained in the rest of the passages. This helps you to isolate what you are searching for and save a substantial amount of time.

1. Similar Choices

Be on the lookout for choices that appear to be similar or all possible or correct. In such a regard, go back to the topic of the question and seek for the possible answer that corroborate to the exact argument posed. Especially in tests with multiple answers, all answers posed can be true, but if you take a closer look at the initial argument the wrong answers will have a lack of relevance.

1. The Golden Rule of Assumptions

Always remember when you do a question where an assumption is made, that the assumption must be true for the conclusion to sustain. When you doubt whether the assumption depends on a specific assumption or not, reason that the assumption is not true. After reasoning and the conclusion remain true, you can be certain that the conclusion does not depend on the assumption being considered.

1. Illustration of the Argument

Know what the definition, purpose, and meanings are of a claim, hypothesis, conclusion, assumption, and evidence and how they are used together to set the question. There is no need to intentionally illustrate the argument but it does help to keep the different roles these terms play in an argument while answering the questions.

1. Discrepancies in Questions

When reading through the passages of the question, the secret is to look for a divergence or a discrepancy. It is vital to note that it is highly unlikely that the discrepancies will comprise of particular numbers. This is a commonly reported catch in the LSAT. Figure out as to what the answer should be and search for the correct choice.

Reading Comp Questions

1. Basis of the Question

Read through the questions and establish the basis of the question. Distinguish what stems of the questions are global, general, local or specific.

1. Proactive Reading

Without focusing too much on what is said, rather pay attention to the structure of the question, and what the reason can be for the direction it is heading into. Use the margins to make notes to summarize the general understanding of the question if you need to.

1. Answer According to Type

What you comprehend from the structure of the reasoning must be an indication as to what the most obvious answer is likely to be. Always try to answer a question by making reference to a specific passage.

1. Select the Order of Passages

Before you start answering the questions, take the time to swiftly scan through the intro sentences of each passage. Start with the most uncomplicated passage and leave the most difficult ones for last. Always remember that the simple as well as the difficult questions all only count for one score point. So reap the easy ones first!

1. Time Crisis

When time start to catch up with you, you need to strategize rather than panic. Read the first and last paragraph of the passage and scan through the first sentence of each of the inner paragraphs. Focus and work on keywords such as therefore, however etc.

Logical Games Section

1. Create a Diagram of the Game

Although it may seem like a true time waster, it is surely worth it to spend 2 to 4 minutes to create a diagram of the structure of the game.

1. Type of Game

Establish what type of game it is. Find out if you must make comparisons, matching up, or do sequencing. This will also help to create the diagram of the game.

1. Note and Combine Assumptions

Begin by exclude all non relevant assumptions. Make sure to integrate the remaining assumptions into the game diagram.

1. Do not Over Interpret

When you deal with sequencing or matching games guard against making more assumptions than what are given. If the game specify that “A” come after “C” and “D”, and “B” comes after “A” the position and assumption is clear and not further debatable.

1. The Correct Answer

The moment you hit upon the correct answer, mark it on the answer sheet, and continue to the next question. Do not waste time to work out if the other answers could be right.

We’ve seen a lot more folks searching for the ebook “The 7 Secrets To Law School Admissions” in recent days.  We haven’t formally reviewed the product, but I have heard informally from a few readers that the book was helpful and worth the 17.95 price tag. If you have experence with this product, please leave your views right here on the comment page.  Getting into law school is a tough business, thus we are committed to sharing valuable resources will all of our readers.

If you’re sitting on a low or bad lsat score, you’re going need to make some big decisions.  For the sake of argument, let’s assume that you have already re-taken the LSAT and your score still isn’t up to par.  Let’s also make the assumption you put together the perfect law school application.  Finally, let’s make the assumption that you are really worried that you won’t get into any regular law school.  Just while typing this, I can feel your pain.

One quick tip is to diversify the list of schools that you are applying to-

1) Are you applying to a mix of Tier 1, 2, 3 and perhaps 4 law schools?
2) Are you considering a part-time program?

Many law schools have identical admissions criteria for both day and night students, while many more do not.  Some schools, in fact, are way less stringent with their admissions criteria for night students.  Thus, entering law school as a night student can make a lot of sense for some law school applicants.  The double benefit is obvious:  if you are married, have a family or need supplemental income…night school can be a great option anyway!  Ultimately, you will receive the same degree as your day school counterparts.

Two of my favorite night law school programs are: Suffolk Law and the University of San Diego.

Good luck with your career!

The June 2009 LSAT is coming and is practically around the corner.  The June LSAT is usually the most important running of the LSAT each year.  Currently, LSAC administers the test in June, September, December and February.  The June exam is the first chance for Undergrad juniors and seniors to earn a good score on the exam, apply early and get a leg up on some of the competition in the law school admissions process.  The overachievers that are ready, prepared and ultimately take the June LSAT are usually rewarded with much higher test scores - with scores often falling off for each running of the exam - with the worst performers (or test takers) usually taking the exam for the first time or again in February.  Thus, it really pays to be early when it comes to taking the LSAT.  In fact, the LSAT is “normalized” to a 154 by LSAC in June, whereas all other exams start at a lower point.

Preparing for the June LSAT need not be a major precoccupation or hassle.  In fact, we recommend just four to six weeks of preparation.  LSAT prep is a typical “Goldilocks” problem - when you sit for the exam you don’t want to be burnt out (too warm) from LSAT work nor do you want to be completely unprepared (too cold), instead you want to time it just right, and that’s exactly what 4-6 weeks of preparation will provide for.  The sole goal of your preparation should be learning what makes the different types of problems tick, as once you understand the formula you can unravel nearly any problem.  So goes the way of standardized exams!

Register for the June LSAT
LSAT Forum
LSAT Discussion

The results from the February LSAT are nearly in.  Comment here-   please tell us how you did.  We’ll be giving away free copies of Law School Secrets to random discussion participants.  The trend lately has been that folks have been scoring way lower on the exam than they did on the practice exams.  This has two practical implications for you.

First, if the exam is getting tougher and most everyone is scoring lower - don’t be afraid to apply to a few schools that publish admitted scores that are historically higher than the score you achieved.  Second, don’t hesitate to buy a tool like Law School Secrets or Covert Tactics to help you leverage your LSAT score anf gain admission to a top law school.

The Massachusetts Supreme Court has opened the path for non-ABA students from out of state to take the bar exam in Massaschusetts - according to the ABA Journal.  This isn’t particularly suprising given that graduates from non-ABA law schools in the state, like the Massachusetts School of Law, can take the bar exam.  Interestingly, the Dean of the Massachusetts School of Law managed to get the F$ word into a recent blog posting 7 times.

Are you preparing for the upcoming LSAT?  If you are, the exam is just a few short days a way.  I just wanted to let you know that affordable,  INSTANT HELP IS AVAILABLE! Don’t miss out on a great score for the December LSAT. This year’s law school admissions cycle, thanks to the downturn economy, is turning into a very competitive one.

If you need last minute help getting a better score - - read on!  — with some really basic tips (like answer every question on the LSAT no matter what!) you can go along way towards helping yourself ACE the exam before you ever even sit down to take it.

It is important for prospective law students to realize that the LSAT is a standardized test - and like all standardized tests - it can be beat (DESTROYED!) by any serious test taker dedicated to understanding the tricks, techniques and concepts behind the exam that LSAC doesn’t want you to realize.  Many folks claim the LSAT is some predictor of intelligence or skill in logical thinking   - -  all this is false, the LSAT predicts only how well one can take and study for an exam.

In a few short hours of study you can go along way in learning how to beat the test.  This is, afterall, not about becoming smarter or more intelligent - it is simply learning how to answer the LSAT questions.

In my experience, the best LSAT prep is this one from Morrison Media as this lsat prep course will help you master the principles behind the test.  Even if you’re not interested in this particular LSAT program, take the time and money to invest in a well reviewed, well regarded LSAT prep tool.  But, if your interested in MM’s LSAT Secrets here’s how I was drawn to it:

• It’s affordable
• It’s compact
• you can get through all the material in short order leaving time to review difficult concepts
• you can get it instantly on the internet.

I’ve been recommending it for years to prospective students and time and time again I hear back that it was “perfect” - so be sure to check it out.

BUY IT NOW

LSAT Secrets: A Review of the Morrison Media Program

I wanted to review an LSAT prep book that I have been hearing a lot about lately.  More and more prospective law students that I am working with are turning the inexpensive, and readily available LSAT Secrets book from Morrison Media.

First and foremost before I even get into the review, don’t even consider getting ready for the LSAT without buying a high quality lsat prep course. The LSAT is a standardized test - and like all standardized tests - it can be beaten (destroyed!) by any motivated test taker if they understand the techniques, concepts and tricks employed by the exam.  I would go so far as to say, law schools are justified in rejecting prospective students on the basis of their LSAT score - for no reason other than the fact that many a prospective student could not be bothered to dedicate a few weeks of intensive study to understanding the lsat exam in order to score better than a 150 or so.

Now, for the review:

In my experience, the best LSAT prep is this one from Morrison Media as this is lsat prep course that will help you master the principles behind the test.

Here’s why I give it such a glowing review:

1) It’s affordable.  It’s not one of these $800 hose jobs from companies like Kaplan or Princeton.

2) It’s compact and concise.  When you go through this material you can be certain you’re not wasting a minute of your time on some tangentially important concept.

3) You can get through all the material in short order leaving time to review difficult concepts and

4) You can get it instantly on the internet. I’ve been recommending for a while now and prospective students time and time write back to me that it was “perfect” - so be sure to check it out.

Good luck on your LSAT!

Did you just score a 150 on the lsat?  Ouch, you’re probably thinking that you are in trouble in terms of law school admissions.  I don’t mean to make you upset, but you are in trouble.  You’re going to need to get aggressive to overcome such a low LSAT score and achieve admission to an accredited law school in the United States.  ***FULL DISCLOSURE*** It won’t be easy, you are going to need to spend a lot of time and money making sure your law school application is perfect and that it perfectly leverages your strengths and completely overcomes objections formed around your weaknesses.  In short, you really need professional law school admissions advice.

Remember, even if you have a fantastic undergrad record, it will not be enough to overcome a low 150 lsat score.

If you do have a low lsat score -  you’re going to need to get busy overcoming this score in your application.

Seriously, don’t waste a minute.  Your law school application needs to be perfect. What constitutes a perfect application (in lieu of great lsats and a 4.0 undergrad GPA):

1) Leveraging your work experience.  Tell the law school admissions officers why your work experience is more important than your academic record.
2) Detailing how you overcame hardship.  Don’t pass on adding an addendum to your application detailing the hardships you’ve overcome.
3) Tout your diversity (race, religion, socio-economic background…whatever you’ve got!) in your personal statement and how this makes you a desirable applicant.

If you need help crafting the perfect law school admissions application, you’ll need Covert Tactics and the 7 Secrets To Law School Admissions. These books teach you exactly, step by step how to overcome a less than stellar lsat by giving you insight into exactly what the law school admissions officer is looking for in your applications.  I’ve read them both, and if you need additional ideas, they both will be very helpful in overcoming a 150 lsat. 

The December LSAT is rapidly approaching. The LSAT, of course is the law school admissions test. This year’s December LSAT will be held on December 6, 2008.

The Best LSAT Prep Ever

Future LSAT Dates

LSAT Registration

I’ve assembled some helpful LSAT links below. Further below you’ll find more information about the exam and what it all actually means.

The LSAT is the stinky 4 hour examination created and administered by LSAC. LSAC stands for the Law School Admissions Council. Every single ABA (American Bar Association) accredited law school requires prospective students to take the exam. Basically, any law school worth attending has ABA accreditation. The test has nothing to do with your knowledge of the law or legal issues. The test instead is a construct to test your verbal, logic and reasoning skills.

If you’re thinking about attending law school in the 2009-2010 academic year, the December LSAT exam is the last test you can take in time to meet the application deadlines of the top law schools. Lots of tier 3 or tier 4 schools will continue to take applicants all the way to June or July of the summer of 2009. If you’re reading this post anytime before the end of November, you still have plenty of time to study - but forewarned you’ll need to have completed registration with LSAC by November 4, 2008.

Future LSAT Dates

LSAT Registration

The Best LSAT Prep