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

Feb 24, 2020 · 1 hr 23 min
Ep. 233: Do Question Types Matter?
Nathan’s just getting back in the saddle after vacationing up and down the California and Oregon coasts; Ben’s getting back in the saddle after weathering a winter cold. And after discussing the benefits of making traditions with your friends, the guys jump into a veritable grab bag of LSAT questions from all y’all law school hopefuls out there. Ben and Nathan discuss the importance of understanding LR question types, they talk about how to approach LG sections, they offer some advice on what to do if you experience your score plateauing, they consider just how religious “religious” law schools are, and much more. Read more on our website! Watch Episode 233 on YouTube
Feb 17, 2020 · 1 hr 42 min
Ep. 232: Do the Work
It’s way late in the admissions cycle, and folks are starting to think about applying in the fall. So, naturally, folks are starting to get the 2020 law school itch. They want to know how to make it easy on themselves to nab a great score and get into a great school. Here’s the deal, tho. There is no easy path. You gotta dig in and do the work to achieve your best LSAT score. Nathan and Ben take a look at how schools calculate your LSAC GPA. They answer questions about how to approach “hybrid” games, whether being a paralegal will look good to admissions staffers, and how students in different score ranges think differently about the test. Plus, Nathan talks Oscar picks, the guys talk non-traditional students, and they hear from the newest UC Hastings student. Read more on our website! Watch Episode 232 on YouTube
Feb 10, 2020 · 1 hr 44 min
Ep. 231: Law Schools Workin’ Overtime
Between singing deans, framed “you’re special” awards, and flexible JD programs to fit your schedule, law schools are working overtime to earn your attention and attract your dollars. But as savvy law school hopefuls, y’all know when to call BS. The guys take a look at some absurd and absurdly amusing desperate moves from law schools in 2020. Nathan and Ben also consider some listener wisdom about how to break down an RC passage, they help a student decide how to incorporate her STEM background into her application package, and they critique a listener’s personal statement. Read more on our website! Watch Episode 231 on YouTube
Feb 3, 2020 · 1 hr 56 min
Ep. 230: Winning, Not Whining
With all the LSAT question-type buzz words floating around, it can be tough to keep them straight. The guys offer up a definitive list of LR question types, what they mean, and how you should think about answering them. They also take a look at a recent LSAC-hosted event, offer some advice about when and how to use the LSAT Demon, help someone decide if part-time law school is worthwhile, and try to offer some encouraging words to a listener with an “abysmal” cold diagnostic. Plus, Ben and Nathan consider how the old pipes in Nathan’s house may be affecting his health. Read more on our website! Watch Episode 230 on YouTube
Jan 27, 2020 · 1 hr 22 min
Ep. 229: Hermanas in the Law with Professor Paulina Vera
In 2018, Paulina Vera created an online community to engage and support Latinas who were heading to law school, in law school, or working in the law. Since Hermanas In The Law has grown to a thriving community of over 10,000 #Lawtinas. Nathan and Ben talk to professor Vera about issues facing minority law students and answer listener-submitted questions. Nathan and Ben also cover the recent test-date announcement from LSAC, they take a look at a scholarship offer from Suffolk Law, and they hear about a pearl of wisdom that helped give an RC boost to a law school hopeful. Plus, the guys talk about whether Ben’s feeling peckish on his new caveman diet. Read more on our website! Watch Episode 229 on YouTube
Jan 20, 2020 · 1 hr 28 min
Ep. 228: News from the January LSAT
The winter winds are sweeping across the land. The January LSAT is behind us all. Now it’s time to wrap yourself in a blanket, sit in your rocker by the fire, and hear the latest in all things LSAT from Nathan and Ben. The guys talk about the first reports back from the January LSAT—and it sounds like the test was (drumroll, please) easy. as. pie. They also hear a few heart-warming stories from listeners about LSAC test-center fails and law-school-scholarship wins. Plus, Nathan and Ben consider a new reading comp “memory method,” they make some recommendations about taking consecutive tests, they clear up some confusion about their own personal statement advice, and offer some thoughts about law school financial aid. And as a little winter treat for you at the end? The guys read a very new year’s email update from our old friend Dean Faigman of UC Hastings. Read more on our website! Watch Episode 228 on YouTube
Jan 13, 2020 · 1 hr 24 min
Ep. 227: Fixing Law Schools with Professor Ben Barton
Nathan and Ben sit down with Ben Barton, JD—professor of law at the University of Tennessee Knoxville—to discuss his new book, Fixing Law Schools: From Collapse to the Trump Bump and Beyond. Tune in for a sweeping conversation about the state of law schools and law-school admissions practices today, over the past decade, and the past century. The guys discuss predatory admissions behaviors, what to consider when applying to law school, how to set yourself up for your best legal career, and, of course, how to not pay for law school. Read more on our website! Watch Episode 227 on YouTube
Jan 6, 2020 · 1 hr 40 min
Ep. 226: Wisdom from 1L Shea Daley
The LSAT journey is tough. Tons of studying, months of hard work, and an often stress-ridden day of testing. And that’s just the start! The application process is just as crazy. And what’s it all for?! The guys sit down with a 1L student who’s halfway through her first year. She dishes the dirt on what law school is really like and what you can expect in your first semesters. Nathan and Ben also take a look at some advice about personal statements, and help a few test-preppers grapple with questions about whether and when to take the LSAT. Read more on our website, and follow us on social media. Watch Episode 226 on YouTube
Dec 30, 2019 · 1 hr 18 min
Ep. 225: Comparing Scholarship Offers
‘Twas days before Christmas, and all ‘cross the land, students were prepping for the LSAT, sharpened pencils in hand. When two jolly tutors, each nestled cheer’ly in their homes, sat down to chat LSAT behind their microphones. Ben and Nathan get one last episode in before the new year, and because many of y’all dear listeners may be receiving your first acceptance letters, they answer questions about offer negotiations, scholarships, and parsing ABA 509 report information. Plus, they take a look at some advice about getting bendy with the LSAT—taking up yoga practice while studying—and they share their thoughts about how to wrap up your personal statement. Read more on our website! Watch Episode 225 on YouTube
Dec 23, 2019 · 1 hr 11 min
Ep. 224: Parallel Flaw Hacks
The guys are busy and in the holiday swing of things. Ben’s busy planning for time with family and Nathan’s negotiating gift-giving with his 11-year-old niece. And as the winter winds continue to blow, the guys answer your burning LSAT questions. Nathan and Ben talk about how you can ace an interview with a virtual assistant, should you have one; they offer up some advice on fielding parallel flaw questions and talk about whether or not you can appeal your LSAC GPA with LSAC in hopes of getting some more impressive numbers. Plus, the guys read a personal statement, and give a PSA about conditional scholarships. Read more on our website! Watch Episode 224 on YouTube
Dec 16, 2019 · 2 hr 10 min
Ep. 223: LSAT Writing Samples
Whether you’re getting ready for life on Mars or preparing for life in law school, preparedness and awareness are keys to survival. You gotta be ready. You gotta know your stuff. And you gotta avoid the mistakes you made in the past—or that others have made in the past. You know, like using excess semi-colons and other B.S. punctuation that gums up your writing. Nathan and Ben speculate about life in outer space and talk bizarre LSAT questions before diving into y’all’s law-school-prep quandaries. They give you the skinny on top-down vs. bottom-up questions, offer up some advice on when to make worlds during the Logic Games, and help a dentist with a mid-life crisis. Plus, a 1L hopeful asks about old letters of rec, the guys read an article about law school students and debt, and they take a look at some LSAT Writing samples from you, dear listeners. Read more on our website! Watch Episode 223 on YouTube
Dec 9, 2019 · 1 hr 41 min
Ep. 222: The Weird Ones
We’re just on the heels of the November LSAT, and Nathan’s on a whirlwind trip from LA to San Fran to Tahoe to NYC, but he and Ben settle in for a veritable grab bag of LSAT related questions, PSAs, Advice, and more. Curious about all of the weirdest, hardest LSAT questions? So is Nathan, and he pitches a new book idea to Ben. Wondering about the difference between Necessary Assumption and Necessary Condition questions? Ben comes correct with some LSAT guru wisdom for your noggin. Plus, the guys learn about a helpful corner of the ABA disclosures website, some features of LSAT Writing, and they take a look at a heady personal statement. Read more on our website! Watch Episode 222 on YouTube
Dec 2, 2019 · 1 hr 45 min
Ep. 221: Choosing Your Personal Statement Topic
Read more on our website! Watch Episode 221 on YouTube
Nov 25, 2019 · 1 hr 44 min
Ep. 220: Success is Counted Sweetest
The winter winds are blowing, holiday plans are being made, and students’ confident fingertips are tapping away on multi-touch displays for the November 2019 LSAT—all while Nathan and Ben settle in for the last show in November. Buckle up and get ready for a PSA about LSAT accommodations, news about the LSAT Writing sample, and law school application tips from Yale. Plus, the guys get artistic with some poetry, a personal statement from “LA’s Youngest DJ,” and more. Read more on our website! Watch Episode 220 on YouTube
Nov 18, 2019 · 1 hr 30 min
Ep. 219: What's in a Name?
We’re just one week out from the November 2019 LSAT and the guys fight through headaches, maladies, and the winter cold to drop some serious LSAT knowledge for y’all. Nathan and Ben answer questions about every step on your journey to a law degree. They weigh some wisdom about the relationship between practice LSAT scores vs. official LSAT scores. They talk about how keeping yourself challenged can help you improve your score with an exploration of “the 85% rule.” Plus, they talk about applying with a low undergraduate GPA, review a personal statement, discuss the benefits and drawbacks of transferring to a new law school after 1L, and more. Read more on our website! Watch Episode 219 on YouTube
Nov 11, 2019 · 1 hr 39 min
Ep. 218: Scholarship Death Match
The November LSAT is just two weeks away, and Ben and Nathan receive a grab bag of LSAT and law-school-application questions to answer from their separate havens in DC and on a riverboat! The guys hear a sad tale of a career-ending LSAT conversation, they answer a question about reapplying to law school when you realize you’re at the wrong one, they take a renewed look at ABA 509 reports, and they weigh in on whether or not to put a response in the “ethnicity” section of your law school application. Plus, they answer some questions about the LSAT Demon and they take a cold hard look at a personal statement. Read more on our website! Watch Episode 218 on YouTube
Nov 4, 2019 · 1 hr 13 min
Ep. 217: Practice vs. Real Life with Ann Levine
Sometimes test day just sucks. You’ve put in the work. You’ve done 30-minute sections each day. You’ve reviewed. Your practice tests indicate you’ll score in your desired range. But then you sit for the test and for one reason or another you just don’t come out on top. That’s life, and that’s the LSAT. Nathan and Ben are joined by Ann Levine to talk about how your day-of performance won’t always be like your best practices. Plus, the guys rate some wisdom dropped by an elite scorer, they share their favorite beverages, take a look behind the scenes of an email from a law school, and more. Read more on our website! Watch Episode 217 on YouTube
Oct 28, 2019 · 1 hr 21 min
Ep. 216: Law School Alternatives
Even though the October LSAT is behind us all, the Thinking LSAT duo takes no vacations. The guys are here to weigh in on your questions about law school and life. Things like—“can’t you just take the effing GRE instead and be done with this BS??”—or, “if I’m not going to be a lawyer, what the hell should I do with my life?!” You know. Things like that. Plus, Nathan warns Ben of the dangers of cold season, the guys offer some advice about big drops in your score, they take a look at a personal statement, and Ben confronts Nathan with some damning evidence that he may be working for the enemy. Read more on our website! Watch Episode 216 on YouTube
Oct 21, 2019 · 1 hr 18 min
Ep. 215: No More Logic Games?!
The guys are riding high after their Thinking LSAT Live! classes in NYC. But since they’ve been away, some seriously interesting news about the LSAT has surfaced. According to a recent Above the Law article, the Logic Games may be going the way of the dodo. Plus, LSAC is planning some updates to make your testing experience even more perfect than it already is. The guys cover the latest LSAT news, plus they answer some of your questions about the LSAT Demon, LSAT burnout, and more! Watch Episode 215 on YouTube
Oct 14, 2019 · 1 hr 26 min
Ep. 214: Mise en Place
September LSAT scores are rolling in and the October and November tests are just around the corner. Not only that, but the school year is kicked off and campuses are a-flurry with campus tours, interviews, and busy admissions staffers sorting through piles of applications. It’s busy in the world of LSAT, and the guys settle in for a show that’s jam-packed with advice. They take a look at a bunch of insider wisdom from Stanford and UC Berkeley staff, and they offer their own advice about law school personal statements, diversity statements, and letters of recommendation. Read more on our website! Watch Episode 214 on YouTube