New LSAT Writing (Ep. 467)

Since the LSAT dropped Logic Games, anxious test takers have feared the rise of more “formal logic” questions in Logical Reasoning. So far, no significant changes to LR have been disclosed. No matter what happens, every LR question is perfectly solvable with some careful reading and common sense—no diagramming required. Need proof? This week, Ben and Nathan make quick work of a Must Be True question that’s chock full of conditional logic. But first, they help a burnt-out student build a sustainable study plan. They compare the benefits of national and regional law schools. And they offer words of hope to low-GPA splitters. Study with our Free Plan Download our iOS app Watch Episode 473 on YouTube 5:04 - Application Fee Waivers - Law schools often waive their application fees. Just ask them. 8:52 - Scoring 160 - Nathan and Ben prove that it’s possible to score 160 while only attempting 18 questions per section. It pays to slow down and focus on accuracy. 16:18 - Burnout - Listener Will considers taking a few months off to recover from LSAT burnout. Ben and Nathan advise Will to instead dial back his study to one or two quality hours per day. 23:50 - Confusing Language - Nathan and Ben share some tips for navigating confusing language on the LSAT. 32:20 - Small Town, Big School? - LSAT Demon student Will plans to set up shop as a probate lawyer in a small town. Should Will pursue law schools in the T14? Or is he better off attending a regional school? 41:15 - Academic Renewal - Ben and Nathan encourage an anonymous listener to persist in their efforts to scrub an F from their undergraduate transcript. 46:56 - Hope for Splitters - Listener Grace went to law school for free despite her low GPA. 50:13 - Don’t Diagram - Reports of more “formal logic” questions on recent LSATs are likely exaggerated. Regardless, you can solve any Logical Reasoning question without diagramming by reading carefully and engaging your common sense. Nathan and Ben demonstrate on a Must Be True question from PrepTest 123. 1:10:41 - Tips from a Departing Demon - LSAT Demon student Braden says: “Take the time to really understand each question, and you will get faster. Don’t try to go faster without understanding. That’s why I improved when I started digging into the RC passage.” 1:11:27 - Word of the Week - Treat your official LSAT with the same insouciance that you would a practice test.

If you’ve hit a score plateau, you might feel like you’re spinning your wheels—stuck in place despite your best attempts to make forward progress. How do you regain traction? This week, Nathan and Ben advise a discouraged student to ease up on the gas pedal and take it one question at a time. Later, the guys address the problem of tuition inflation in higher education. They frame law school as a trade school. And they tackle a Necessary Assumption question from PrepTest 135. Study with our Free Plan Download our iOS app Watch Episode 472 on YouTube 2:39 - Stuck in a Plateau - Ben and Nathan guide listener Michael away from untimed practice tests and suggest a better way to review his mistakes. 14:48 - $81,000 Tuition - The guys shake their heads at Cornell Law School’s astronomical tuition. 24:03 - Student Loan Forgiveness - According to a Wall Street Journal opinion piece, “the CBO estimates that a quarter of new student debt issued next year—$22.1 billion—will get written off.” Nathan and Ben consider the failures of the student loan system and suggest ways to reign in the cost of higher education. 39:59 - Law Is a Trade - Listener Ben seeks a steady job in the law. The guys advise Ben to rethink his motivation for pursuing a legal career. 45:49 - Logical Reasoning: Necessary Assumption - The guys attempt a Necessary Assumption question from PrepTest 135. Try the question yourself. Then, listen to Ben and Nathan’s explanation. 54:31 - Tips from a Departing Demon - LSAT Demon student Senyo affirms the Demon way: “Read carefully, evaluate the argument (or think about the set of facts) before looking at the actual question, try to predict the answer, take as much time as you need to answer the question, review anything that gives you trouble, and do not move on until you fully understand it.” 56:46 - Word of the Week - The LSAT student was miraculously unfazed by their skirling neighbor.

Ben and Nathan share what they’ve learned from LSAC about whether the exclusion of Logic Games had any impact on test scores this August. The guys also celebrate listeners’ successes on the August LSAT. They react to news of declining URM enrollment at top colleges. And they discuss why LSAT students should consider cutting back on social media. Study with our Free Plan Download our iOS app Watch Episode 471 on YouTube 0:36 - August LSAT Shoutouts - The guys celebrate listeners’ successes on the August LSAT. 7:45 - Underperforming on Test Day - LSAT Demon student Molly has twice underperformed her practice test scores on the official LSAT. Nathan and Ben instruct Molly to treat future tests like any practice test. 22:17 - August LSAT Scores - LSAC reports that scores for the August 2024 LSAT are in line with scores from previous years. 32:14 - Score Audit - Ben and Nathan advise listener David not to waste money on an LSAT score audit. 39:33 - College Demographics - The guys discuss new demographic data on the first undergraduate class since the Supreme Court banned affirmative action in college admissions. 47:29 - Pearls vs. Turds - Is social media hurting your LSAT study? 55:44 - Word of the Week - The library is a common haunt for law students.

LSAT growth comes from thoroughly reviewing your mistakes. But what does a thorough review look like? Ben and Nathan describe their approach and explain why they don’t recommend keeping a wrong answer journal. The guys also compare law school to wizard school. They reject an impatient admissions strategy. And they consider potential risks associated with the military’s Funded Legal Education Program. Study with our Free Plan Download our iOS app Watch Episode 470 on YouTube 1:31 - Confusing Writing - In a new study, cognitive scientists at MIT explain why legalese is so difficult to understand. 9:13 - Improving in RC - An anonymous listener has been told that they won’t improve much in Reading Comprehension. Ben and Nathan tell Anonymous to ignore the haters. 14:18 - Review - Nathan and Ben advocate a deep review of every mistake. But keeping a wrong answer journal is likely a waste of time. 26:42 - Apply Now or Later? - Is it better to apply early with a subpar LSAT or to apply late with a great LSAT? Ben and Nathan ask: Why pick the lesser of two evils when you can avoid the evil entirely? 34:49 - Comparative RC Passages - The guys outline their approach to comparative passages in Reading Comprehension. 37:28 - JAG and FLEP - An LSAT Demon student warns listeners about potential risks associated with the military’s Funded Legal Education Program.   48:28 - Word of the Week - You can mollify your test anxiety by improving at the test.

Ben and Nathan warn listeners about tactics that some law schools use to make mediocre scholarships appear better than they really are. The guys also discuss a new ABA regulation meant to standardize 1L learning outcomes. They double down on their advice to apply broadly. And they model their approach to Logical Reasoning on a Weaken question from PrepTest 123. Study with our Free Plan Download our iOS app Watch Episode 469 on YouTube 2:27 - Fee Waiver Changes - LSAC now requires students with fee waivers to test twice in LawHub before registering for an official LSAT. Fee waiver recipients must also take the interactive course “How Do I Apply to Law School?” 7:44 - New Rules for Law Schools - A new ABA regulation aims to make law school courses more uniform and give law students more feedback about their academic progress. Nathan and Ben doubt that the new rules will have their intended effects. 15:51 - Better School or Better Price? - Is it better to attend a great law school for an OK price or an OK law school for a great price? Ben and Nathan urge listener Daniel to apply broadly and to focus on the LSAT before worrying about his law school decision. 23:36 - Scholarship Shenanigans - Nathan and Ben shine a light on a shady scholarship practice. 41:02 - Logical Reasoning: Weaken - The guys tackle a Weaken question from PrepTest 123. Try the question yourself. Then, listen to Ben and Nathan’s explanation. 56:50 - Word of the Week - Adopt a parsimonious attitude regarding law school.

Nathan and Ben examine the root cause of underperformance on the LSAT: too much concern for the clock and not enough focus on understanding. The guys also poke fun at Nathan’s alma mater, share tips for staying focused on timed sections, and praise a listener’s decision to step away from a T20 law school. Study with our Free Plan Download our iOS app Watch Episode 468 on YouTube 1:04 - Alumni Donations - The guys laugh at an “exciting opportunity” to donate money to UC Law San Francisco. 15:31 - Timed Sections - Listener Mike is avoiding timed sections until he improves at the test. Nathan and Ben explain why this approach is misguided—all LSAT students should make timed sections a cornerstone of their study. 18:43 - Staying Focused - An anonymous listener struggles to stay focused during timed sections. Ben and Nathan instruct Anonymous to zoom in on one question at a time. 27:44 - Score Drop - Listener Annabelle is flustered by a sudden score drop. Nathan and Ben blame Annabelle’s preoccupation with speed over accuracy. 33:23 - Why Law School? - The guys counsel a high-earning listener to reconsider their reasons for pursuing law school. 44:55 - Become a Good Test Taker - Listener Angelina describes herself as “an awful test taker.” Ben and Nathan implore Angelina to improve her self-talk by deciding to become a good test taker. 49:42 - GPA Addendums - The guys recommend more effective alternatives to writing a GPA addendum. 59:12 - Dropping Out - Nathan and Ben applaud an anonymous listener’s decision to drop out of law school. 1:06:19 - Words of the Week - A few students pay for law school. Few feel good about it.

Ben and Nathan discuss the new format for LSAT Writing and critique a practice essay submitted by an LSAT Demon student. Later, the guys delve into an LSAC report on test-taker statistics, and they question whether accommodations truly level the playing field. Study with our Free Plan Download our iOS app Watch Episode 467 on YouTube 1:11 - New LSAT Writing - Nathan and Ben review listener Valerie’s response to the new LSAT Argumentative Writing sample prompt, offering guidance on how to construct a compelling essay. 44:35 - Accommodations Concerns - Ben and Nathan address listeners’ concerns about LSAT accommodations. They encourage test takers who qualify for accommodations to request the support they need. 54:09 - Accommodations Statistics - Nathan and Ben examine statistics from LSAC that call into question the fairness of the current system for LSAT accommodations. LSAT Accommodations Consent Decree Final Report of the Best Practices Panel Accommodations Trends from 2017 2024 LSAT Performance Report 1:19:14 - Words of the Week - Don’t let student debt cause you penury and immiseration.

Recent law school graduates have benefited from a hot hiring market, but there are signs that the market might be cooling off. Nathan and Ben consider the implications for future law students. Later, the guys affirm the importance of applying early. They discuss prediction strategy for Must Be True questions. And they advise students not to flag questions on timed sections. Study with our Free Plan Download our iOS app Watch Episode 466 on YouTube 1:02 - Legal Hiring Slows - Law firm recruiting just hit an 11-year low. But a slowdown in legal hiring shouldn’t affect your decision to attend law school. 9:38 - Application Timing - How late is too late to apply? Ben and Nathan invite listener Sammy to ask a better question: When is the best time to apply? 18:24 - Creative Predictions - Must Be True questions are no place to flex your creativity. Nathan and Ben instruct listener Cleo to pick the boring, obvious answer on these and other closed question types. 28:59 - Don’t Flag Questions - The guys explain why flagging questions to revisit later might sabotage your score on timed sections. 37:08 - Pearls vs. Turds - Is there any value in combining the hardest questions from multiple LR sections into extra-difficult “supersets”? 42:25 - GPA Boost - An anonymous listener considers a costly means of boosting their UGPA. 48:50 - Gaining Confidence - An anonymous listener struggles with low confidence on “actual test day.” Nathan and Ben encourage Anonymous to draw confidence from their practice tests, all of which were actual LSATs. 1:00:46 - Word of the Week - Let your LSAT be a bulwark against law school debt.

Score variance isn’t a problem—it’s an opportunity. Nathan and Ben encourage LSAT students to pursue the upside of their score range by taking the test multiple times. The guys also share a key to getting faster at Reading Comprehension. They assure a conflicted student that it’s OK to pivot away from law school. And they lay out an approach to Logical Reasoning that balances caution and confidence. Study with our Free Plan Download our iOS app Watch Episode 465 on YouTube 3:23 - Score Variance - Don’t aim to eliminate score variance in your practice tests. Score variance is your friend if you commit to taking the LSAT multiple times. 10:04 - What’s an Assumption? - Ben and Nathan explain the difference between necessary assumptions and sufficient assumptions. 20:17 - Rereading RC Passages - Skimming your reading assignments might have worked for you in college, but it won’t cut it in LSAT Reading Comprehension. 28:31 - Improving RC Timing - Want to get faster at RC? Spend less time debating wrong answers. 34:05 - Passive Skill Acquisition - A new study suggests that passive exposure to a skill can help you improve more quickly. Nathan and Ben discuss the implications for LSAT study. 40:27 - Staying Motivated - Listener Olivia lacks the motivation to study consistently. Ben and Nathan question whether she really wants to go to law school. 52:31 - Check Every Answer - Even if you predict the correct answer, you still have to check the wrong ones. 1:03:38 - Word of the Week - Critics agree: This week’s podcast was a success.

The LSAT is a rigorous test of reading comprehension and critical reasoning. Do you understand the information on the page? And do you know what must be true on the basis of that information? Also on the show, Nathan and Ben discuss GPA addendums, supplemental essays, and law school price discrimination. Study with our Free Plan Download our iOS app Watch Episode 464 on YouTube 3:24 - When Am I Ready? - Don’t register for the LSAT until you’re happy with your practice test scores. 15:43 - Logical Opposites - Are success and failure logical opposites? Does “unlikely” simply mean “not likely”? It depends. 25:01 - Two Fundamental Skills - Ben and Nathan break down two critical skills that form the foundation of LSAT mastery. 40:26 - Master’s Degree - Nathan and Ben question an anonymous listener’s decision to pursue a master’s degree. 44:41 - GPA Addendum - Nobody wants to hear excuses for your bad grades. 50:47 - Supplemental Essays - If a supplemental essay allows you to write something positive about yourself, write the essay. Otherwise, skip it. 53:19 - The LAST Is Easy - An anonymous listener embraces LSAT Demon’s intuitive approach to the LSAT. 57:49 - Price Discrimination - Many businesses employ price discrimination. Law schools are no different. Ben and Nathan urge applicants to take advantage of an unfair system. 1:08:33 - Word of the Week - Student loan policies fail to consider that schools might behave like knaves.