Law School News and LSAT Strategy

The Argument Section of the LSAT, also known as the logical reasoning section, is made up of 24 to 26 arguments. Helpful LSAT course sites like 7Sage usually include an...

With the new year comes new habits, and create these new habits around how you will approach and attack the LSAT. This week, spend a few hours each day reviewing logic games. This section can seem daunting to some, but in reality it is the easiest to master if you just can get a little faster at them and master the rules. Through some trial and error, here is what I found to be the most efficient way to complete a logic game. Two overarching ideas to keep in mind: (1) stay organized and (2) write legibly. Nothing is more frustrating than trying to decode your own handwriting and thoughts while already facing something as mind-consuming as a logic game. First, read the question and then diagram on the right side of the page where the individual questions are. This will save you precious time from scanning back and forth. Make sure you label the diagram you create for each question as well, helping you stay organized, and ensuring they are not too large or complex. The biggest tip to remember though is to simply memorize the rules. The LSAT questions, minus a few outliers, follow a set fact-pattern and rule that has been established already. Spot these rules, memorize these rules, and know them like the back of your hand. Keeping all of this in mind you can make the logic games your best section in no time.

The Arguments Section of the LSAT, also known as the logical reasoning section, tests an important skill: your ability to read critically and closely. Here is a good ...

The Law School Admissions Council (LSAC) is a monolithic and conservative entity befitting a gatekeeper of legal academia. However, it’s beginning to be forced to change with the times in the face of some significant challenges. The number of LSATs administered annually has declined by more than a third this decade from 170,000+ at the end of the 2009-10 testing year to fewer than 110,000 during the 2016-17 testing year. Then came the news that, beginning with applications submitted in the fall of 2017, Harvard Law will accept the GRE as an acceptable alternative to the LSAT for incoming applicants.

Logic puzzles.  You probably ran across them back in elementary or middle school—those weird brainteasers that asked you to do things like sort out which five kids lived in which five houses and liked which five fruits and that sort of thing.  And you’d get clues—like “Alice lives next to the boy on Maple street”.  Or “the girl who likes pears has never met anyone who prefers citrus fruits” (some great examples are in this video by The LSAT Trainer:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d7mUPexyLZE) Games like these have a way of generating enthusiasm or dismay, and while some people can happily spend hours on them, others tend to shred the paper in cognitively contorted frustration.  So what on earth are such puzzles doing on a law exam?  And how can you navigate your way through them?

This June, the LSAT announced that during the 2018-19 school year the number of LSATs will expand from four to six administrations annually. This is undoubtedly excellent news for test takers who will obviously appreciate the added scheduling flexibility. However, there is an even bigger benefit for prospective law students looking to improve upon a previous score – beginning with the September 2016 exam there will no longer be any limit on the number of LSATs a test taker can record over a two-year period. The Law School Admission Council has announced these changes as part of an ongoing effort to reduce the barriers to entry into law school.