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
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Episodes577

Newest first

Oct 7, 2019 · 1 hr 25 min
Ep. 213: LSAT Demon Study Schedule
October is here and the guys are getting pumped up for their return to the city that never sleeps. And they’re not the only ones who are getting jazzed. It looks like this will be the biggest Thinking LSAT Live Class yet. But we’re still a week away, so the guys channel their LSAT energy to answer your questions and to bring you the hottest headlines from the wacky world of LSAT. Ben and Nathan talk about how to shift your thinking around LR and RC questions, they uncover evidence of paper tests being offered for the October LSAT, they consider some advice overheard at the September LSAT, they look at how one disgraced law school is goosing their Bar-passage rates, and more. Read more on our website! Watch Episode 213 on YouTube
Sep 30, 2019 · 1 hr 32 min
Ep. 212: September LSAT Pandemonium
We’re hot on the heels of the September LSAT and accounts of the test are flooding in from students and law-school hopefuls. Many folks are describing sheer pandemonium, with last-minute cancellations, madness-inducing test proctoring, and ultra-challenging logic games. Nathan and Ben take a look at some of the tales of woe and tales of pride coming out of the September 2019 LSAT. Plus, the guys get a PSA from a listener, they offer some advice about GPA addendums for splitters, they consider intermediary conclusions vs. “regular” conclusions, and they take a look at a surprisingly great personal statement. Read more on our website! Watch Episode 212 on YouTube
Sep 23, 2019 · 1 hr 26 min
Ep. 211: What’s the Deal with Law School Prep Courses?
The September ’19 LSAT is finally behind y’all, but the Thinking LSAT crew never rests. LSAT questions continue to come in, and the guys settle in for a well-rounded episode of news, updates, and listener questions. Nathan and Ben answer questions about reading comp and whether you should attend a law school prep course. They also take a look at an email from Maine Law and a listener-submitted personal statement. Plus, the guys talk about why Ben is perpetually tired, hear from a long-time fan now 2L, and they correct an error from a previous episode. Read more on our website! Watch Episode 211 on YouTube
Sep 16, 2019 · 1 hr 14 min
Ep. 210: The Four Stages of Flaw Awareness
The leaves are beginning to change. Schools are settling into their first semesters. Law-school hopefuls are busy scurrying about, tidying up their applications or getting ready to take the LSAT. And Nathan and Ben blaze through a bunch of listener questions in this jam-packed episode. The guys talk about LR flaw questions, they try to help a confused listener out of an LG fog, shedding some clarity on conditional-ordering games. They also talk conjunctions on personal statements, online degrees, and whether you should waive the right to review your letters of rec. Plus, the guys hear from a listener with a writing-sample horror story and more. Read more on our website! Watch Episode 210 on YouTube
Sep 9, 2019 · 1 hr 8 min
Ep. 209: October Test Centers Full?!
The LSAT is a lot like bowling. You send a ball down the lane, you knock some pins down, you refine your technique, you try again. Eventually, you get a strike and a few spares under your belt and before you know it, you’re the head of your local bowling league, scheduling games and enforcing the league rules. Ben and Nathan each recount some special experiences, some new and some old, about life in the bowling lane. Then the Thinking LSAT duo gets down to business. The guys read through an announcement from LSAC about the October LSAT, they weigh in on a test strategy from a listener, they help a correspondent decide whether to apply early or wait for a better score, and they slice and dice a law-school hopeful’s personal statement. Plus, learn about the upcoming Thinking LSAT live class in NYC, and hear a happy tale of Thinking LSAT friendship straight out of Harvard law. Read more on our website! Watch Episode 209 on YouTube
Sep 2, 2019 · 58 min
Ep. 208: Admissions Advice from Law School Admissions
The guys have been nothin’ but busy on the LSAT front. Nathan’s been writing his ass off, responding to folks who have smashed that “Ask” button in the LSAT Demon. If you’re studying for the LSAT and you’re not asking questions…you’re not studying. Ben’s also had goggles down and dashboard up, slicing through bug requests like a demonic LSAT ninja. If you’re a Demon user and you notice something amiss with the platform, fire away. Ben’s ready for ya. But at the end of the day, they’re never too busy to stop and answer your LSAT quandaries. The guys get a follow-up about a recent writing sample fail. They consider whether you need to warm-up like an athlete before approaching a section. They take a look at an LG question type. And they burn through another LR question from prep test 71. Plus, Ben and Nathan consider some law-school advice from law school, they get a missive from ex-producer of the podcast, Sarah, and they talk more about Ben’s current read: Non-Violent Communication. Read more on our website! Watch Episode 208 on YouTube
Aug 27, 2019 · 1 hr 28 min
Ep. 207: Showing, not Telling, with Peanut Butter
As the school year draws nigh, law schools are singing their siren’s song to try and lure 1L’s-to-be to their campuses. The guys take a look at a few law-school emails to see how these universities are pitching prospective students. Plus, the Nathan and Ben review a personal statement, and look at some questionable advice about timing yourself during LG sections. But before they dive in, the guys have a lil’ chat about the books they’re reading. Read more on our website! Watch Episode 207 on YouTube
Aug 23, 2019 · 35 min
Bonus: Cancel Your July Score?
So you sat for the bleeps, bloops, swipes and taps of the digital LSAT in July. Now you’re staring at a score that’s made yer heart sink. What to do!? Do you cancel that sub-standard score? Do you keep it and trudge on? Should you race to sign up for the October and November tests? The guys answer all your burning questions re: cancelling your scores. They cover the (few) benefits of cancelling, share why you should keep your score in most instances, and discuss why you don’t need to hang the veritable hat of your self worth on this one data point.
Aug 19, 2019 · 1 hr 19 min
Ep. 206: Saying No to Law School, A Love Story
The guys are enjoying a brief reprieve from the blazing summer heat, and the cooler weather is giving them some extra room to breathe and think about the LSAT. You know, things like why the eff is the registration deadline so freakin’ far out from the actual test date? The guys discuss reports of LSAT testing center shortages and how LSAC may be dealing with the challenges “going digital,” like suddenly needing to manage thousands of devices. Plus, they answer your burning questions about writing samples, testing timing, and they share a love story from someone who decided to opt-out of going to law school. Read more on our website! Watch Episode 206 on YouTube
Aug 12, 2019 · 1 hr 15 min
Ep. 205: Digital LSAT Tips for Suckers
We’re in the heart of summer, and things are heating up for Nathan and Ben. Ben’s been hard at work adding features to the LSAT Demon and improving user experience, and Nathan’s been working hard to improve his golf game. The guys take a break to dive into some LSAT updates for you, dear listeners. The guys give some digital LSAT updates, take a look at some pretty wild claims from PowerScore (about their own book series), they read a diversity statement from a listener, and unravel another LR question. Happy listening, and stay cool under the sun, y’all. Read more on our website! Watch Episode 205 on YouTube
Aug 5, 2019 · 2 hr 9 min
Ep. 204: LSAT Burpees
It’s the dead of summer and the guys are cutting all over the place on this adventure and that adventure in the wake of the July LSAT. Ben’s been biking through the countryside, enjoying vistas of abandoned steel mills from the days of yore. Nathan’s getting ready to go on a family vacay where he’ll challenge his nieces and nephews to board games among the giant sequoias. And the two hunker down for an episode of serious logical reasoning. Nathan and Ben tackle two new LR questions from the December 2013 LSAT and take you on every step of their thought process as they do so. Plus, a listener writes in with a perhaps pearl of wisdom about exercising before the LSAT, and the guys shred a personal statement. Read more on our website! Watch Episode 204 on YouTube
Jul 29, 2019 · 1 hr 19 min
Ep. 203: Accommodations Gone Wild
What if there were a way to really, truly absorb the things you learn about the LSAT instead of reading a ton of stuff and forgetting about it two practice tests down the line. Well, there’s a miracle cure, dear listeners. It’s called sleep. And Ben opens the show with an appeal to all y’all out there to get your damn rest, citing some compelling facts about learning and catching zzz’s. Nathan and Ben talk about sleep and then talk about the breadth of questions you can experience across all of the available practice tests. Plus, they talk about LSAT accommodations gone wild, approaching games from multiple angles, and they answer another LR question from the December 2013 LSAT. Read more on our website! Watch Episode 203 on YouTube
Jul 22, 2019 · 1 hr 32 min
Ep. 202: The Digital LSAT Sputters Into Orbit
It happened, dear listeners. The great Digital LSAT Rollout of 2019. History will look back on this day and may well wonder, “What the hell happened?” The reviews poured in. The test-takers spoke. And the show kicks off with the guys reading correspondence from the front lines about the good, the bad, and the ugly from test day. The verdict? It sounds like the test was easy, but taking the test was another story. Plus, the guys take a look at an email from friend of the show, Dean Faigman, and check in on a listener’s personal statement. Read more on our website! Watch Episode 202 on YouTube
Jul 15, 2019 · 1 hr 10 min
Ep. 201: Meet a Stanford 1L
Nathan is joined by former student and Fall ’19 Stanford 1L Kevin Dousa for a wide-ranging conversation about LSAT, higher ed, and a career in law. The two discuss what it took to get into Stanford, they talk about the high cost of law school and managing undergrad loans, and Kevin provides an Upton-Sinclair-level account of working at law firms. After the conversation? Nathan slices and dices a few LR questions from the December 2013 LSAT. Read more on our website! Watch Episode 201 on YouTube
Jul 8, 2019 · 1 hr 28 min
Ep. 200: The Best of Thinking LSAT
Wow. We made it. 200 Episodes. Two…hundred…episodes! Did y’all think we would ever make it this far? We sure didn’t. The guys thought they’d be cashed in by now, snacking on bagel chips and real ice cream on some exotic sandy shore. But then…the work of LSAT prep is never really finished, is it dear listeners? The guys settle in for a little trip down memory lane in this very special 200th episode. Goggles down. Sharpen your pencils. Strap in. And listen back to some of your favorite moments from the last 100 episodes. Read more on our website! Watch Episode 200 on YouTube
Jul 1, 2019 · 1 hr 27 min
Ep. 199: Famously Bad At the LSAT
Sometimes your heroes fall from grace. It’s true. Even if they’re an esteemed writer for the New Yorker and a New York Times best-selling author. They can fall dear listeners, and fall hard they sometimes do. Such was the case for the Thinking LSAT team as they listened in horror to a recent LSAT rundown given by Malcolm Gladwell’s Revisionist History podcast. Nathan and Ben laugh until they cry about how the RH team totally missed the point of the LSAT. They also dive in to some listener questions about speed, principle questions, and low-score addendums. Plus, they dive back into prep test 71 and answer LR question 2 for your infotainment. Read more on our website! Watch Episode 199 on YouTube
Jun 24, 2019 · 55 min
Ep. 198: LSAT Retake Limits
In 2017, LSAC lifted the limits on how many tests you could take—giving all test-takers carte blanche to take the test as many times as they needed to get the score they were after. But now they’re changing course again. The guys take a look at the new “retake” policy so you can put a new LSAT strategy in place. The guys also take a look at a listener’s personal statement, and jump in to the first LR question of the December 2013 LSAT. Plus, you’ll hear about how Nathan lost all sense of space and time on a recent boating adventure. June 27 – June scores are released via email July 15 – It’s ye olde July LSAT August 1 – The last day to sign up for the September LSAT August 28 – July scores are released via email September 21 – The September LSAT As always, if you like the show and you want to get more from the Thinking LSAT community, check out the links below. You can connect with other folks studying for the LSAT, and get more useful resources from Nathan and Ben. Thinking LSAT Facebook Group Instagram (upcoming events) LSAT Demon Strategy Prep Fox LSAT Personal Statement Review Package 4:19 – Demon Updates Ben and the rest of the LSAT Demon team have been hard at work and they’re getting ready to roll out some new features. First, when you log in you can now upgrade to Premium. What’s Premium, you ask? Premium gives you access to all of the most recent tests. So if you’re itching to have the latest tests to practice with, or you just feel like you need more out of the Demon, this is for you. The team is also working on a feature that will enable you to join groups and take a practice test that simulates an actual test day. You’ll log in, join a group, and be greeted by a proctor who will control the timer and will move you through a full test. Nathan and Ben are checking in to a live proctored practice test on Sunday, June 30. If you want to take it, email help@thinkinglsat.com to RSVP. And if you’re not a Demon user? Now’s the perfect time to sign up for a 7-day free trial so you can join in on the fun on 6/30. 8:02 – LSAC Re-take Update The LSAC is changing their policy with regards to how many LSAT attempts you can make during your lifetime, dear friends. It’s only been a few years since they created a policy under which you could take the test as many times as you damn well please. But clearly that hasn’t worked out for them. Nathan and Ben work through the veritable Logic Game of an email that LSAC sent to decode the changes. Here’s the skinny on the new policy—you can: Take a maximum of 3x tests in a year Take a maximum of 5 or 6 times in the past five years (the email isn’t clear) Take a maximum of 7x tests in your lifetime Only score 180 one time—then ya done! The new policy begins on 9/21/19! Happy testing, y’all! Read more on our website! Watch Episode 198 on YouTube
Jun 17, 2019 · 1 hr 9 min
Ep. 197: The 3.0 GPA Cutoff
Nathan’s back from the sweltering heat of central California, and Ben’s feeling sore in his abs—but it’s not from some wild crossfit jamboree. Nope. He’s back from seeing Seinfeld in NYC. The guys talk about their past week’s travels and then dive in to an episode chock-full of LSAT news and advice. They talk about Thomas Jefferson School of Law potentially losing its accreditation, they hear from a student who took PowerScore’s live LSAT online prep course, and they offer some advice to cash-strapped and time-rich strugglahs. As always, if you like the show and you want to get more from the Thinking LSAT community, check out the links below. You can connect with other folks studying for the LSAT, and get more useful resources from Nathan and Ben. Thinking LSAT Facebook Group Instagram (upcoming events) LSAT Demon Strategy Prep Fox LSAT Personal Statement Review Package Upcoming Events: 6/27/19 – The June LSAT scores are released via email 7/15/19 – The July LSAT 8/1/19 – Registration deadline for the September LSAT 8/28/19 – July scores released 9/21/19 – September LSAT 03:08 – LSAT News The guys jump right in to an oddity they’ve uncovered about the July test. As you may know, when you receive your July score back in late August, you have the opportunity to cancel your score penalty-free and take another LSAT at no cost thru April 2020. Badass, right? It’s basically a freebie in the event you crash and burn during the first digital LSAT rollout. However, you can NOT use the September LSAT as your re-take. So if you’ve paid to register for the September LSAT, you’re payin for it and that’s that. Plus, there’s rumors out there that LSAC is going to change the lifetime LSAT limit once again! Tune in to hear the news, context, and commentary from Nathan and Ben. 17:10 – Thomas Jefferson School of Law Update Our old friends at TJSL have been in the news yet again, dear listeners. It turns out they’re skating on some very thin ice when it comes to their ABA accreditation. This may not come as a surprise to long-time listeners who will remember that the school was placed on probation in 2017. But this past week, their troubles came to a head: the ABA withdrew Thomas Jefferson’s accreditation due to mismanagement of financial resources, and…basically offering a pisspoor legal education. However, TJ’s not goin’ down without a fight. They’re appealing and will keep their approval until the appeal process and subsequent review have been completed. The guys postulate as to why TJ’s losing their accreditation and imagine a world in which more law schools are held accountable for turning y’all into the next generation of bright, capable, prosperous law pros. Read more on our website! Watch Episode 197 on YouTube
Jun 10, 2019 · 1 hr 28 min
Ep. 196: JD—MBAs with Rachel Gezerseh
You may have heard the siren’s song of the dual degree—the JD and the MBA. There are JD—MBA programs far and wide. But are they worth it? Nathan and Ben are joined by lawyer and author Rachel Gezerseh to chat about why anyone would want to put themselves on this arduous path. And if you do want to submit yourself to such a grueling course, what’s the best way to set yourself up for success? Tune in to hear the experts chop it up. Plus, Nathan and Ben talk proctoring the digital LSAT, taking the official test multiple times, and they slice and dice a personal statement. As always, if you like the show and you want to get more from the Thinking LSAT community, check out the links below. You can connect with other folks studying for the LSAT, and get more useful resources from Nathan and Ben. Thinking LSAT Facebook Group Instagram (upcoming events) LSAT Demon Strategy Prep Fox LSAT Personal Statement Review Package Important Dates 7/15/19 – The Great Crossover! This is the first official digital LSAT, though some students will still take a pencil-and-paper test. 8/1/19 – The last day to register for the September LSAT 9/21/19 – The September 2019 LSAT 00:52 – JD—MBAs with Rachel Gezerseh Amanda writes in and asks the guys about how prospective 1L students should navigate law school if they have their sights set on a Master’s degree (likely an MBA) after nabbing a JD. How can someone best prepare for a JD—MBA program? To help answer the question, Nathan and Ben have Law-Career Playbook author, Rachel Gezerseh (Breaking into Big Law), back on the show to hash it out. Here are some takeaways from their conversation: Your 1L year will already be incredibly demanding. Think twice before adding stress on top your law school experience with this idea of a second degree. Seek out professionals who have taken this path—was it worth it for them to acquire two degrees? Did it really help them achieve a better career in law or business? Check and see whether you can even find a professional who has successfully taken the path you would like to take and is clearly benefitting from their JD—MBA Consider choosing just one—go into law or go into business. If you feel like the other will help you later on, pursue that goal at that time. Chances are it will be rare that you’ll need both degrees. It’s never too early to begin building your network—reach out to lawyers, take them to coffee, ask questions, and start working towards a law career you’ll enjoy. Read more on our website! Watch Episode 196 on YouTube
Jun 3, 2019 · 1 hr 4 min
Ep. 195: Law School for Free
Some will be pumped, basking in glory and achievement, and some will be sad and destitute—wallowing in disappointment. It’s the June 2019 LSAT, and some of you will have just taken it! Congrats to putting this test behind you. And for the Thinking LSAT crew this only means one thing—the July LSAT is nigh! To get you prepped for next month’s test, the guys read some detailed news about the digital rollout from LSAC, they get you pumped up about going to law school for free with some updates about the scholarship offerings at Thomas Jefferson School of Law, and they cover the rest of Logic Game no. 3 from the June 2007 LSAT. Plus, you’ll get to hear an interview wherein LSAT Demon contributor, Max Youngquist speaks with a law-school applicant in Spain about using the Demon to supplement LSAT tutoring. As always, if you like the show and you want to get more from the Thinking LSAT community, check out the links below. You can connect with other folks studying for the LSAT, and get more useful resources from Nathan and Ben. Thinking LSAT Facebook Group Instagram (upcoming events) LSAT Demon Strategy Prep Fox LSAT Personal Statement Review Package Upcoming Events 6/4/19 - Last day to register for the July LSAT 6/27/19 - June scores released 7/15/19 - July LSAT 8/1/19 – Registration deadline for the September LSAT 8/28/19 – August scores released 9/21/19 – September LSAT 2:34 – Notice from LSAC Are you curious about the July LSAT? It’s only a landmark test from LSAC. It’s only the rollout of the digital LSAT with crazy rules like the ability to cancel after you see your score. So if you have questions about it, that’d be pretty normal. The guys have covered this test a lot on the show and on college campuses across the country, but LSAC just dropped some more knowledge regarding this test. Tune in to hear the guys deconstruct a lengthy and verbose email from LSAC. Turns out, it’s going to be a longer waiting period to get your results back from July’s test, which will overlap the last day to enroll for the September LSAT. Translation? If you’re thinking about taking the September test, sign up before the deadline because you won’t have your July results in time to make your decision. 12:27 – Pearls vs. Turds Straight from the heart of the ‘gram, the guys review a piece of LSAT advice born of social media. You know. Think Bane talking about being born in the darkness—I WAS BORN IN IT! As a result, the advice is kind of eye-catching, like most things on Instagram. Watch Episode 195 on YouTube