Our tutor spotlight series continues with UNC Chapel Hill grad and former project manager Adam Sommers, who took the LSAT in 2020 and has been tutoring the exam ever since. If you’re looking to improve your reaction to the LSAT, good news—he majored in chemistry! Listen and learn . . . How to handle retaking the LSAT back-to-back (if you can’t avoid it!) What to do if applying to law school is an impulse decision for you . . . How to bounce back from law school rejections What the LSAT has in common with working in tech How to use a scale-down approach to improve your speed on the LSAT Why you shouldn’t be timing your LSAT practice right away Why you should never leave your goat farming experience out of your personal statement And more! Links and Further Resources from this Episode: Try LSATMax Tutoring for Only $49 More on the History of the LSAT LSATMax's Private 1-on-1 LSAT Tutoring 33 Common LSAT Flaws Apply Now for TestMax’s Justice in Action Program Start Your LSATMax Fr...
Did you know the LSAT was created in part because of World War I? This test we all have to take to apply to law school goes back way farther than most of us realized. This week, Branden & Jelena explore the LSAT’s roots and growth over time, along with some of the controversies along the way. Listen and learn . . . When the first LSAT was administered How the LSAT was initially developed Why some law schools wanted the test to include a section on history & literature When the LSAT first faced pushback from people opposed to standardized testing Which state passed a law forcing LSAC to disclose past tests And more! Links and Further Resources from this Episode: More on the History of the LSAT LSAC’s Own History Page Merit and Diversity: The Origins of the Law School Admissions Test (Law Review Article) LSATMax's Private 1-on-1 LSAT Tutoring 33 Common LSAT Flaws Apply Now for TestMax’s Justice in Action Program Start Your LSATMax Free Trial Enroll in LSATMax's #1-Ranked LSAT Cours...
For several years now, some ABA accredited schools have accepted applications from students with a GRE score instead of an LSAT score. Although it hasn’t replaced the LSAT, more change is afoot because the ABA is considering allowing schools to ditch standardized tests altogether for admission. Given the uncertain landscape, Branden and Jelena sat down with TestMax’s in-house expert on both exams, Clyde Engle, who will be attending Harvard Law this fall. Listen and learn . . . What led Clyde to Harvard Law and how he plans to use his law degree How the subject matter on the GRE is different from the LSAT and how to know which you’re best suited for Similarities and differences in the right approach to studying for each of these tests What the best Elton John song of all time is And more! Links and Further Resources from this Episode: Harvard Law's LGBTQ+ Advocacy Clinic Try LSATMax Tutoring for Only $49 LSATMax's Private 1-on-1 LSAT Tutoring 33 Common LSAT Flaws Apply Now for Tes...
Twitter exploded with news of the “end of the LSAT” after a recent ABA Strategic Review Committee memo was released, detailing proposed changes to ABA rules that would make the use of standardized testing in admissions optional for accredited law schools. So, is the LSAT really going the way of the buggy whip? Can you stop studying? Or is this, just maybe, a little bit of standard-issue social media hyperbole? Listen and learn . . . Is the LSAT really going to become optional under ABA rules? Will law schools actually stop requiring the LSAT, if the proposed rule passes? What alternative forms of assessment exist, for any law schools that do want to reduce the weight they place on the LSAT? Would getting rid of the LSAT help or hurt diversity in law schools? What’s the difference between the role of the LSAT and that of other standardized tests like the SAT/ACT that have recently become less important in admissions? What, if anything, should current law school hopefuls change abo...
In Branden’s absence, Jelena interviews Duke Law 1L and former LSATMax tutor Thomas Fogarty about his first year at Duke, a surprisingly laid-back T14 in beautiful Durham, North Carolina. Listen and learn . . . How Duke supports students interested in public interest and government jobs What kind of culture you can expect as a Duke Law student Why side effects of mock trial might include wanting to become a federal prosecutor How Duke 1Ls connect with faculty, administration, and fellow students What kind of grading curve you can expect as a Duke 1L And more! Links and Further Resources from this Episode: Christian Legal Society Duke University School of Law Try LSATMax Tutoring for Only $49 LSATMax's Private 1-on-1 LSAT Tutoring 33 Common LSAT Flaws Apply Now for TestMax’s Justice in Action Program Start Your LSATMax Free Trial Enroll in LSATMax's #1-Ranked LSAT Course Start Your 1L Free Trial Now (The Greatest Law School Supplement) Start Your BarMax Free Trial Now
The events of the past week may have some Levelheads thinking about dedicating their legal careers to reproductive rights & justice. Branden and Jelena dig into the options available for law students to study and work on reproductive issues. Listen and learn . . . Which law schools have the most courses dedicated to reproductive rights & justice How to get practical experience on reproductive rights & justice issues through clinics What to do if you’re already in law school and there are no course offerings in reproductive rights & justice Why you might want to join or start an If/When/How chapter on campus How to land a fellowship after law school to work on reproductive rights & justice Links and Further Resources from this Episode: List of All RR&J Law School Courses, Circa 2019 Women’s Studies, Gender, and Sexuality Law Programs Berkeley-Written Casebook on Reproductive Rights & Justice NYU Reproductive Rights & Justice Fellowship Yale’s Reproductive Rights & Justice Project ...
Did you know there’s an essay portion of the LSAT? Did you know you can’t get your score until you complete one? Yikes! The good news is that the writing sample isn’t scored, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t turn in your best performance. So, listen as Jelena & Branden break down the format of the Writing Sample and work through an example. Listen and learn . . . What the purpose of the writing sample is How law school admissions officers use them (or sometimes don’t?) How your writing sample can affect the way your personal statement is received How to organize your essay in order to impress the admissions committee And more! Links and Further Resources from this Episode: Official LSAC Writing Sample Page LSATMax's Private 1-on-1 LSAT Tutoring 33 Common LSAT Flaws Apply Now for TestMax’s Justice in Action Program Start Your LSATMax Free Trial Enroll in LSATMax's #1-Ranked LSAT Course Start Your 1L Free Trial Now (The Greatest Law School Supplement) Start Your BarMax Free ...
Meet LSATMax tutor Jacob Kennedy, who interned with the JAG Corps to prepare for law school, and now spends his time traveling through Europe and playing chess. While living his best mid-20th century life, Jacob stopped by the podcast to tell the Levelheads all about his LSAT journey, future plans, and top tips for students. Listen and learn . . . What the JAG Corps is (and what their interns do) How chess is, and isn’t like the LSAT If computer programming is a good foundation for a legal career The biggest mistakes Jacob sees his LSAT students make How to tell it might be time to go to law school, even if you’ve already got a “good job” Links and Further Resources from this Episode: Try LSATMax Tutoring for Only $49 LSATMax's Private 1-on-1 LSAT Tutoring 33 Common LSAT Flaws Apply Now for TestMax’s Justice in Action Program Start Your LSATMax Free Trial Enroll in LSATMax's #1-Ranked LSAT Course Start Your 1L Free Trial Now (The Greatest Law School Supplement) Start Your BarMa...
Jelena & Branden dive into the parts of your law school application that you don’t actually have to do (but maybe you should). From diversity statements to addenda to those weird Georgetown 250-word mini-essay prompts, it’s all here. Listen and learn . . . Why not all diverse applicants should write a diversity statement When an addendum can help, and when it would do more harm than good How admissions departments may be using extra essay prompts to trap you into revealing poor judgment or deficient writing skills How your diversity statement should differ from your personal statement Why you shouldn’t write any essay you don’t feel strongly about (except the mandatory ones!) . . . and more! Links and Further Resources from this Episode: Free EBook About Law School Addenda Law School Admissions Consulting Services LSATMax's Private 1-on-1 LSAT Tutoring 33 Common LSAT Flaws Apply Now for TestMax’s Justice in Action Program Start Your LSATMax Free Trial Enroll in LSATMax's #1-Ran...
That’s right! There’s a new round of that thing you should pretty much ignore as you’re deciding on where and how to apply: The 2023 U.S. News & World Law School Rankings. Because we are looking out for our listeners, we’ll process the findings and deliver them to you so you don’t have to sully yourself with rankings analysis. Listen and learn . . . What factors USNWR uses to rank schools, and how those factors are weighted Which factors really do get at the value a school presents to its students, and which are fluff Why the library ranking is slightly less obnoxious in its current iteration What other ranking systems are out there that do a better job of communicating value . . . and more! Links and Further Resources from this Episode: The Full 2023 U.S. News & World Report Rankings The 2023 USNWR Ranking Methodology Chicago Kicks Harvard Out of the Top 3 The 2021 ATL Top 50 Law School Rankings LSATMax's Private 1-on-1 LSAT Tutoring 33 Common LSAT Flaws Apply Now for TestMax...