Thinking LSAT

Nathan Fox and Ben Olson

Ben Olson and Nathan Fox started the Thinking LSAT Podcast to become better LSAT teachers and have some fun. Please 1) subscribe, 2) rate and review, and 3) send us questions: help@thinkinglsat.com. Don't pay for law school!

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577 episodes
Updated Monday
Explicit

Episodes577

Newest first

Jul 6, 2020 · 56 min
Ep. 253: LSAT-Flex Registration Woes and Hacks
As the 2020-2021 admissions cycle draws near, many of you may be scrambling to take your LSAT-Flex and get your application packages in line. And you couldn’t have better timing. Applying early and broadly is the best way to nab your best deals for the 2021-2022 school year. To help you in your lawyerly quest, the guys read discuss some ProctorU woes that students have been having, and they also report on some hacks that may help you with registration over the next few months. Nathan and Ben also answer some important questions around when and if you should re-take the test after a disappointing performance, and they read through a rock-solid personal statement that helped earn a bunch of full-ride scholarships. Plus, the guys discuss LGBTQQIA+ diversity statements, tackle an LR question from practice test 65, and more. Read more on our website! Watch Episode 253 on YouTube
Jun 29, 2020 · 1 hr 13 min
Ep. 252: The New Law School Admissions Game with Ann Levine
With the LSAT-Flex and the impact of the new coronavirus, 1L hopefuls and 1Ls in waiting have a lot of questions about attending or applying to law school in the fall. Nathan and Ben sit down with friend of the show and law school expert, Ann Levine, to discuss her latest book and the state of law school admissions in 2020. The guys also talk about converting your LSAT-Flex scores, they hear from a student whose LSAC fee-waiver request was denied, and they answer an LR question from practice test 65. Plus, Nathan and Ben dig into cooperative board games, E-Prime, and they read an LR question drafted by a listener who was inspired by Nathan’s COVID-19 rant. Read more on our website! Watch Episode 252 on YouTube
Jun 22, 2020 · 1 hr 30 min
Ep. 251: The Tip of the Spear
As the summer gets going and the pandemic wears on, it seems likely that more LSAT-Flex tests will be scheduled. And there are some pretty important things you should know when heading into a remote testing environment. The guys kick off the show with some helpful LSAT-Flex public service announcements to make sure you’re set up for success (and comfort) on the day of your test. Nathan and Ben also discuss how a global pandemic is affecting admissions cycles, they tackle an LR question from prep test 65, and they answer a question from a high school senior about when to start prepping for the LSAT. Plus, the guys hear a success story from a past listener, and they read another email from Dean Faigman of UC Hastings. Read more on our website! Watch Episode 251 on YouTube
Jun 15, 2020 · 1 hr 42 min
Ep. 250: LSAT Tips of a Certain Nature
From fan art to cannon fire, Ben and Nathan kick off the summer—and their 250th episode—with a bang. The guys talk about the benefits of showing up week after week and some of the challenges they faced in creating the show and their businesses along the way. Then they hit the ground running with some news about the LSAT-Flex. They also consider some good ol’ fashioned LSAT advice coming out of Florida Coastal School of Law, they hear from a listener who got inspired by a previous episode, and they chop up another listener’s personal statement. Plus, Nathan and Ben dive into an LR question from practice test 65. Read more on our website! Watch Episode 250 on YouTube
Jun 8, 2020 · 1 hr
Ep. 249: June LSAT Grab Bag
The summer is starting to heat up and the resulting weather is causing Ben to remove trees from his property. The guys talk about Ben’s “death trap” backyard and then dive into LSAT current events. They talk about the upcoming LSAT-Flex in June, July, and probably August, and they take a look at how the test dates differ from previous administrations of the test. They also let you know how you can get a free night in a hotel via LSAC. Plus, the guys hear from a peaceful protester who wants to know if their activism will affect their chances of becoming a lawyer, they judge a listener’s strategy for when they’re down to the wire in an RC section, they answer an LR question from practice test 65 and more. Read more on our website! Watch Episode 249 on YouTube
Jun 1, 2020 · 1 hr 38 min
Ep. 248: Rising 2L, Sarah Ashworth
School’s out for summer. And that means 1Ls are now officially 2Ls—and many of them just bypass/fail grades, due to the coronavirus pandemic. Friend of the show and Thinking LSAT ex-producer, Sarah Ashworth, drops by to discuss her 1L experience with Nathan and Ben. Sarah shares how her first year of law school met her expectations and what she’s looking forward to as she heads into her 2L year. Then she sticks around to discuss LSAC news and LSAT advice with the guys. They cover what to do if you’re stuck in a particular score range, how to handle Character and Fitness inquiries, and they join forces like a gd LSAT Voltron to unlock LG 3 from practice test 65. Read more on our website! Watch Episode 248 on YouTube
May 25, 2020 · 58 min
Ep. 247: Tales from the LSAT-Flex
This month, students across the US sat for the first-ever LSAT-Flex. And you didn’t need a crystal ball to predict that there would be some hiccups in the rollout. The guys hear some LSAT-Flex horror stories and share how LSAT responded to criticism of the LSAT-Flex. Nathan and Ben also offer up some advice about Rule Substitution questions in the Logic Games and talk about how you can get those RC passages to stick so you don’t need to constantly reread them when you’re working through the questions. Plus, the guys try to help an LSAT tutor who’s getting fed up with “lazy” students. Read more on our website! Watch Episode 247 on YouTube
May 18, 2020 · 1 hr 35 min
Ep. 246: Bar Prep with Daniel Schweitzer
Studying for the LSAT, getting your application together, and grinding it out for three years in law school all lead to one final hurdle: the bar exam. The test that stands between you and a career practicing law. The guys interview veteran bar-prep tutor Daniel Schweitzer to get the low-down on the bar exam, what to expect, and how to prepare. Plus, the guys share the origin story of Thinking LSAT and consider a list of flaws you’ll find in LR sections. Read more on our website! Watch Episode 246 on YouTube
May 11, 2020 · 1 hr 14 min
Ep. 245: Dreaming LSAT
The guys have been going against the law-school-game grain for so long that Ben is starting to dream about it. After recounting his dream, in which he and Nathan go undercover to the DOJ, the guys jump into a veritable grab bag of LSAT inquiries. They take a look at some news from overseas that LSAT-Flex will not be offered outside of the U.S. They offer some advice about how to manage your time during Logic Games. They weigh some advice about random guessing. And they rip a personal statement to shreds. Plus, Nathan and Ben hear from someone who decided not to go to law school and they read about UC Hastings’s lawsuit with San Francisco. Read more on our website! Watch Episode 245 on YouTube
May 4, 2020 · 1 hr 3 min
Ep. 244: Desperate Schools, Desperate Measures
Just as you were recovering from the whiplash that was the announcement of the May LSAT-Flex, LSAC decided to drop another surprise. June LSAT is going the way of the Flex, too! Ben and Nathan talk about the change and give you all the details you need to know if you were registered for the June test. The guys also discuss an advanced strategy for LG, they double down on the importance of predicting answer choices in LR, and they offer up their thinking about parallel reasoning questions. Plus, we get a look at how law schools are getting desperate during a slow admissions cycle. Read more on our website! Watch Episode 244 on YouTube
Apr 27, 2020 · 1 hr 6 min
Ep. 243: In the Trenches with LSAT-Flex
As the pandemic drags on, Nathan, Ben, and all y’all studying for the LSAT are getting used to a new normal. Social distancing. Remote classes. And trying to improve LR during a global health crisis. The guys field questions from folks studying in this brave new world. How do you prepare for the test if you’re an essential worker? What do you do if you can’t focus on ordering games because the world is going to hell? And what should you do if you’re just starting on your LSAT journey? Plus, the guys hear from students who are getting cold feet about going to law school, and others who are getting great promo codes in these fraught times. Read more on our website! Watch Episode 243 on YouTube
Apr 20, 2020 · 1 hr 9 min
Ep. 242: Law School Promo Codes
LSAC made some wild changes in the past few weeks. The April LSAT is cancelled, and a new test, LSAT-Flex, is being made available to April LSAT registrants. Nathan and Ben give you everything you need to know (so far) about the unprecedented LSAT-Flex. Plus, the guys take a look at some law schools that are getting a little antsy about incoming 1Ls and offering extra discounts to secure their classes. The guys also talk about why Chipotle sucks, gap years, consider a tip for when you’re in the last few minutes of a section, and hear from a student who ultimately decided against law school. Read more on our website! Watch Episode 242 on YouTube
Apr 13, 2020 · 1 hr 24 min
Ep. 241: Before You Take the LSAT with Doreen Benyamin
The guys sit down with Columbia 3L and podcast host, Doreen Benyamin, to talk about what law school is actually like. Benyamin dishes the dirt on what matters in your 1L year, and let’s all y’all know what she wishes she knew before going to law school. Plus, Nathan and Ben help a listener think about how to incorporate their sports career into a personal statement, they consider some advice about how to recreate testing conditions at home, they read a letter from UC Hastings Dean Faigman, and they weigh in on a hypothetical decision between two law schools. Read more on our website! Watch Episode 241 on YouTube
Apr 6, 2020 · 1 hr 29 min
Ep. 240: Introducing LSAT Demon Live
Since the new coronavirus has ushered us all indoors, almost all learning is happening online—that includes getting prepped for the LSAT. In this episode, the guys give you the low down on the latest addition to their online LSAT prep platform: LSAT Demon Live. Plus, Nathan and Ben field a bunch of questions from students wondering how to handle the fact that the spring tests are being cancelled. The answer? Maybe just keep doing the same thing you’ve been doing all along. Read more on our website! Watch Episode 240 on YouTube
Mar 30, 2020 · 1 hr 13 min
Ep. 239: LSAT in the Time of Corona
There’s no getting around it. A global pandemic has upended everyday life for almost everyone—including 1L hopefuls and lawyers-to-be. Ben and Nathan field questions about anxiety and uncertainty around the LSAT and law school in the context of the coronavirus pandemic and a looming recession. They share how to prepare for the June LSAT if you feel like the test-prep rug has been pulled out from under yer feet. They discuss the benefits of not going to law school right now. And they offer some food for thought to prospective students who are suddenly faced with going to law school during a recession. Plus, Ben and Nathan talk about meditation and consider what their next careers would be if the LSAT is forever cancelled. Read more on our website! Watch Episode 239 on YouTube
Mar 23, 2020 · 1 hr 10 min
Ep. 238: How to Ask for Stipends
Going to law school ain’t cheap. That’s why the Thinking LSAT rebuttable presumption is “don’t pay for law school.” But what about the other costs? Rent, food, transportation. These things can set you back a pretty penny. Nathan and Ben field some questions about to understand scholarship info on ABA 509 reports and how to ask schools for more money to cover expenses beyond tuition. Plus, the guys talk augmented writing tools, how much time to spend on RC passages vs. questions, what’s going on with smaller classes at Wake Forest, and an LSAT Writing #fail. Read more on our website! Watch Episode 238 on YouTube
Mar 18, 2020 · 29 min
Ep. 237: Thinking Social Distancing
Life and the law school admissions game are a lot different than they were just last week. In this bonus episode, the guys discuss how the coronavirus is impacting their lives, their businesses, and the LSAT. Nathan and Ben share how they’re moving their classes online, they offer an update about their upcoming joint class in NYC (spoiler alert: it’s now available for anyone online), and they dish the dirt on what’s happening with the March LSAT and beyond. Plus, they wildly speculate about the economic implications of the pandemic and talk about how law schools are responding. Read more on our website! Watch Episode 237 on YouTube
Mar 16, 2020 · 1 hr 38 min
Ep. 236: Swipe Left for the Next Applicant
When you’re applying to law school, you gotta put the winningest sh*t upfront. That means your absolute best LSAT score, sweet references, and a personal statement chock full of dating-profile-worthy facts about who you are and what you’ve achieved. The guys hear from a 3L about how Bar prep is a lot like LSAT prep. They offer advice to someone who fears their score (and test-taking ability) is improving too slowly. They take a look at the wild swings in the US News law school rankings outside of the top 20 and help a 2020 1L-to-be decide where to attend. And the guys take a look at a personal statement that would have law school admissions peeps swiping left. Plus, updates on LSAC practice-test licensing and news about how the coronavirus is affecting law schools and the LSAT world. Read more on our website! Watch Episode 236 on YouTube
Mar 9, 2020 · 1 hr 12 min
Ep. 235: The Waitlist Game of Chicken
How you prepare for (and how you perform on) the LSAT will affect every step in your law school game—from admissions, to your law school career, passing the bar exam, and on to your legal career. You’re laying the groundwork now for the rest of your lawyerly life, and today’s show proves it out. Nathan and Ben hear from folks who are just beginning their LSAT prep and want advice about their LR pacing or feel like they’re spotting some trends about RC difficulty. They hear from folks looking toward their 1L year and have questions about diversity statements, how to parse ABA 509 reports, and what to do if you’re on the waitlist. And they hear from a former listener and current 1L about how their law career is starting to take shape. Plus Ben and Nathan talk about Ben’s health, the future of medicine, and they announce their upcoming live class in NYC. Read more on our website! Watch Episode 235 on YouTube
Mar 2, 2020 · 2 hr 32 min
Ep. 234: Lower Your Cholesterol with LSAT
The LSAT is sometimes like the doctor’s office. Someone is giving you data and telling you their opinion, and it could all very well be a load of horse sh*t. That’s why you have to approach the LSAT (and life) with serious critical thinking skills. After Ben shares some new learnings about cholesterol and health, the guys dive into an episode full of tips. Nathan and Ben offer advice about when and how to guess when you’re running out of time. They share their thoughts on how to study for the test—do you spend time on your weakest sections, or do you take a more balanced approach? And they help a long-time listener who’s in the throes of law-school-acceptance negotiations. Read more on our website! Watch Episode 234 on YouTube