The Legal Level - LSAT, law school admissions, 1L, bar exam & more!

The Legal Level - LSAT, law school admissions, 1L, bar exam & more!

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The Legal Level - LSAT, law school admissions, 1L, bar exam & more! episodes

  • Raising the Bar (Prep) With Courtney Lee

    If you're studying for the Bar right now, you've probably experienced a sense of chaos leading up to this July test. Well hopefully not . . . but if you have . . . let us point you in the right direction.

    Branden & Jelena discuss bar prep wellness with Professor Courtney Lee, the director of McGeorge University's Bar Support Program. Today, Lee calls out the missing elephant in the Bar prep room, mindfulness.

    Hear Lee's take on best practices for your Bar Preparation and what small changes you can adopt for your study regime.

    Listen and learn . . .

    1. Which mistakes you should avoid
    2. How to handle test day anxiety
    3. How Lee’s program supports graduates
    4. What the future of the Bar exam might look like
    5. Why the kind of student you are should help dictate your bar class load
    6. Where you can find bar prep support

      7. Links and Further Resource from this Episode:


      McGeorge Score Second Highest Bar Pass Rate in California


      McGeorge Celebrate Highest California Bar Exam Pass Rate in 25 Years


      Mindful Meditation Playlist


      State Bar of California


      Start Your LSATMax Free Trial


      Enroll in LSATMax's #1-Ranked LSAT Course


      LSATMax's Private LSAT Tutoring


      33 Common LSAT Flaws


      Start Your 1L Free Trial Now (The Greatest Law School Supplement)


      Start Your BarMax Free Trial Now


      Apply Now for TestMax’s Justice in Action Program

      43 min
    7. Part-Time Headache

      Jelena & Branden give us a run-down on the pros and cons of part-time law school programs and all they may or may not be cracked up to be. Branden lets us know the opportunities you could miss out on, while Jelena tries her hand at optimism.

      Either way, Branden and Jelena agree, picking your program is a personal call. Listen to the end to hear Jelena answer a listener’s burning question: why she got to the ninth hour of her application journey but still decided against applying to law school . . . or even part-time law school.

      Listen and learn . . .

      1. How to decide if part-time might be for you
      2. Why picking a program that fits your schedule is key
      3. Who part-time programs are really meant for
      4. Which schools have the best part-time programs

        5. Links and Further Resource from this Episode:


        US News Report: The Best Part-time Programs


        Start Your LSATMax Free Trial


        Enroll in LSATMax's #1-Ranked LSAT Course


        LSATMax's Private LSAT Tutoring


        33 Common LSAT Flaws


        Start Your 1L Free Trial Now (The Greatest Law School Supplement)


        Start Your BarMax Free Trial Now


        TestMax Announces Justice in Action Program to Support 1,000 Future Lawyers

        37 min
      5. Cycle Recap With The 8 Percent Club: Fay, Jackie, Sarah & Lex

        Join us as we sit down with the hosts of the popular law school podcast, the 8 Percent Club, known to their fans as Fay, Lex, Jackie and Sarah.

        The 8 Percent Club, is a podcast and Instagram page aiming to provide awareness and support for fellow women of color in their law school application process and beyond.

        We dive into their journeys of being 0Ls in the most competitive application cycle in recent memory and how they created their digital community along the way.

        Listen and learn . . .

        1. What the 8 percent club hosts found the most surprising while applying to law school
        2. How finding and creating a digital community for applicants and law school hopefuls shaped their application journey
        3. Why Sarah believes community service is an integral part of being a part of any community
        4. Which 8 Percent Club Host only applied to one school and why!

          5. Thanks to Fay, Jackie, Sarah & Lex for lending their time to The Legal Level!

          Links & Further Resource from this Episode:


          8 Percent Club Podcast: https://apple.co/3zUpkxM


          Sarah’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jaggedlittlejd/?hl=en


          Lex’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lexdoeslawschool/?hl=en


          Jackie’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jackiesjd/


          Fay’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/legallylost_/?hl=en


          Start Your LSATMax Free Trial


          Enroll in LSATMax's #1-Ranked LSAT Course


          LSATMax's Private LSAT Tutoring


          33 Common LSAT Flaws


          Start Your 1L Free Trial Now (The Greatest Law School Supplement)


          Apply Now for TestMax’s Justice in Action Program

          36 min
        5. Getting Into Harvard Law With Kristi Jobson: Chief Admissions Officer at HLS

          If you want to get into Harvard Law, take a seat. Jelena & Branden chat with Kristi Jobson, a former HLS student, attorney, and currently the Assistant Dean of Admissions and the Chief Admissions Officer at Harvard Law School.

          Jobson humanizes the admissions process for our listeners and reveals what she’s looking for in future students. And if crimson red isn’t for you . . . I’d still be writing this down. Some of these dos and don’ts might surprise you. But take Kristi’s word for it . . . who knows, maybe YOUR application could be the next one on her desk.

          Listen and learn . . .

          1. About the most common misconceptions in the application process
          2. What one thing Jobson wish she knew when applying to law school
          3. If Harvard cares about your P/F classes
          4. How admissions changed during the pandemic
          5. Which part of the application Jobson would change

            6. Links and Further Resource from this Episode:


            Harvard’s adMISSION Blog


            Law School Data


            Start Your LSATMax Free Trial


            Enroll in LSATMax's #1-Ranked LSAT Course


            LSATMax's Private LSAT Tutoring


            33 Common LSAT Flaws


            Start Your 1L Free Trial Now (The Greatest Law School Supplement)


            Start Your BarMax Free Trial Now


            Apply Now for TestMax’s Justice in Action Program

            51 min
          6. Tips For Choosing Your Law School Electives

            This week Jelena is asking all the questions as Branden plays in-house law school advisor. You might not be thinking about the trajectory of your law school courses, just yet, but Branden makes a case for why thinking about your career, the bar, and getting good grades should be a balancing act.

            What’s more, Branden explains how you can account for these considerations while tailoring your classes to your own needs.

            Listen and learn . . .

            1. How many electives will you get to take anyway
            2. Why taking bar courses are not necessary the best move
            3. How to choose electives that will best suit your career trajectory and your passions
            4. What Branden found the most interesting in law school and why
            5. Why you don’t need to be in a rush to figure out your legal focus

              6. Links and Further Resource from this Episode:


              Elective Directive: Be Selective


              5 Tips For Choosing Your Law School Courses


              Start Your LSATMax Free Trial


              Enroll in LSATMax's #1-Ranked LSAT Course


              LSATMax's Private LSAT Tutoring


              33 Common LSAT Flaws


              Start Your 1L Free Trial Now (The Greatest Law School Supplement)


              Start Your BarMax Free Trial Now


              Apply Now for TestMax’s Justice in Action Program

              28 min
            6. Oops, You Didn’t Get Into Law School . . . What Now?

              So, the worst case scenario happened: you didn’t get in anywhere. The first thing we want you to remember is: YOU ARE NOT ALONE. More likely than not, you are actually in good company this application cycle.

              And that is precisely why we have an entire episode dedicated to you, the unluckiest of the bunch— but likely—deserving applicants. This week, Branden and Jelena will unpack why you might not have gotten in this cycle, and offer a road-map for securing law school admittance the next time around.

              Listen and learn . . .

              1. How to know if law school is really your heart's desire?
              2. Why getting rejected by law schools (by itself) does not mean you shouldn't go
              3. If not getting into law school means you are not "cut out for it"
              4. How to most effectively spend your time in order to increase your chances of admittance
              5. What Branden & Jelena believe is the single most important factor in improving your application
              6. About the hidden advantages of applying the second time around

                7. Links and Further Resource from this Episode:


                What To Do if All of Your Law School Applications are Rejected


                What to Do If You Didn’t Get into Law School


                Start Your LSATMax Free Trial


                Enroll in LSATMax's #1-Ranked LSAT Course


                LSATMax's Private LSAT Tutoring


                33 Common LSAT Flaws


                Start Your 1L Free Trial Now (The Greatest Law School Supplement)


                Start Your BarMax Free Trial Now


                Apply Now for TestMax’s Justice in Action Program

                41 min
              7. Our Recommendations for Your Law School Letters of Recommendation

                Ah, letters of recommendation: the only part of your law school application you don’t control. Often treated as an afterthought by unwise students, they can make a real difference . . . or tank your application, in the case of the unlucky applicants who receive the rare and dreaded negative recommendation.

                This week, Branden & Jelena tackle some of the most common misconceptions about letters of recommendation for law school, and lay out a strategy for obtaining the kind of recommendations that tip the admissions scale in your favor.

                Listen and learn . . .

                1. When to ask for a recommendation
                2. How to handle a recommender who ghosts you
                3. What to do if your professor asks you to write your own recommendation
                4. How to avoid a negative recommendation
                5. Whether or not to allow your recommenders to send recommendations you haven’t read
                6. Who to ask if you’ve been out of school a long time and don’t know your professors anymore
                7. How to build relationships with professors BEFORE you need a recommendation

                  8. Links and Further Resource from this Episode:


                  Harvard Law’s Recommendation Tips


                  Former Berkeley Dean on Recommendations


                  Yikes, Negative Recommendations are More Common Than We Thought!


                  Former U. of Chicago Dean on Recommendations


                  Law School Admissions Consulting


                  Start Your LSATMax Free Trial


                  Enroll in LSATMax's #1-Ranked LSAT Course


                  LSATMax's Private LSAT Tutoring


                  33 Common LSAT Flaws

                  47 min
                8. How to (Sort of) Be Happy in Law School with Kathryne Young

                  On this week’s episode, Branden & Jelena interview sociologist and professor Kathryne Young on her research focusing on the social mechanisms that impact the law school experience.

                  Young’s work has been cited by the United States Supreme Court and the Washington State Supreme Court and has appeared in numerous law reviews and other publications.

                  Young takes us into a deep dive of her book, How to (Sort of) Be Happy in Law School, which (sort of) speaks for itself, but you kinda, sorta . . . might want to listen to this. She did not disappoint!

                  Listen and learn . . .

                  1. Which social forces may impact your law school experience
                  2. Why law schools might want to reevaluate grading on a curve
                  3. What role employers might play in shifting
                  4. How incoming law students of different backgrounds experience startling inequities that law schools have been slow to acknowledge
                  5. Why it's important to make time to honor your passions outside the law
                  6. Why a growth mindset is relevant for law school
                  7. How law school assessments are broken (and what we might be able to do to fix it)
                  8. How law school is different than other professional schools
                  9. General advice on how to (sort of) be happy in law school!

                    10. Thanks to Kathryne Young for joining us to share her knowledge and expertise!

                    Links and Further Resource from this Episode:


                    Kathryne Young on Twitter


                    About Kathryne Young


                    Link to How to (Sort of) Be Happy in Law School


                    Start Your LSATMax Free Trial


                    Start Your 1L Free Trial Now (The Greatest Law School Supplement)


                    Start Your BarMax Free Trial Now

                    50 min
                  10. Elegant Legal Writing with UCLA Law Professor Ryan McCarl

                    Legal Writing, that chronically underappreciated 1L requirement, finally gets its due as Branden & Jelena interview UCLA Law Professor Ryan McCarl.

                    He created and teaches a unique Advanced Legal Writing course at UCLA, which covers everything from story mechanics to beating legal writer’s block. Listen in as Ryan explains why writing is the single most important skill a lawyer can have.

                    In this episode, you’ll learn . . .

                    1. How legal writing differs from the writing you did as an undergrad
                    2. Why people with a natural affinity for writing sometimes struggle in Legal Writing classes
                    3. What great legal writing looks like in the real world (and how it can be INFURIATING when the wrong people are good at it!)
                    4. What to do before law school to prepare for legal writing, especially if you’re not someone for whom writing comes easily
                    5. How to apply the principles of legal writing to your law school personal statement
                    6. And much more!

                      7. Thanks to Professor Ryan McCarl for joining us to share his knowledge and expertise!

                      Links and Further Resource from this Episode:


                      About Professor McCarl


                      Elegant Legal Writing (Prof. McCarl’s newsletter)


                      Follow Ryan on Twitter


                      Point Made (legal writing book recommended by Prof. McCarl)


                      Start Your LSATMax Free Trial


                      Enroll in LSATMax's #1-Ranked LSAT Course


                      LSATMax's Private LSAT Tutoring


                      33 Common LSAT Flaws


                      Start Your 1L Free Trial Now (The Greatest Law School Supplement)


                      Start Your BarMax Free Trial Now

                      44 min
                    7. Know Your Rights: LSAT Accommodations Update!

                      This episode, Jelena and Branden discuss the process of getting test accommodations for the LSAT including, but not limited to, an emotional support peacock.

                      Just kidding but Branden wishes.

                      Tune in to hear your favorite hosts debunk myths and validate rumors you’ve heard about all the possible LSAT accommodations and modifications.

                      Tune in to learn . . .

                      1. What kinds of accommodations and modifications are available for students with disabilities?
                    8. How do students get these accommodations? What proof do you need?
                    9. Do accommodations raise students’ test scores such that they are not predictive of aptitude for law school?
                    10. Do accommodations make the LSAT easier?
                    11. Are accommodations just for the privileged?
                    12. Will schools know if you had accommodations?
                    13. Do you automatically get accommodations on the LSAT if you have accommodations on other standardized tests?

                      14. Links and Further Resource from this Episode:


                      LSAC Policy Accommodations: https://bit.ly/3eE5gFO


                      LSAC More Policy Accommodations: https://bit.ly/32Q6CHZ


                      LSAC Document Requirements: https://bit.ly/3vnEN69


                      LSAC Accommodated Test Taker Trends and Performance: https://bit.ly/3noV885


                      Predictive Validity of Accommodated LSAT Scores, Technical Report: https://bit.ly/3xBTnZZ


                      3 Steps to Take if Your LSAT Accommodations are Denied: https://bit.ly/3gOu9S9


                      Start Your LSATMax Free Trial: https://go.onelink.me/z1Zu/689fb4b4


                      Start Your 1L Free Trial Now (The Greatest Law School Supplement): https://go.onelink.me/iOM8/68e2c335


                      Start Your BarMax Free Trial Now: https://go.onelink.me/3011142272/d02ba2de

                      44 min

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