Our 43rd episode may not provide you with the answer to life, the universe, and everything, but it’s guaranteed to answer a whole bunch of listener questions. Jelena & Branden tackle listeners’ LSAT problems, law school anxieties, application dilemmas, and more.

Listen to learn . . .

1. How Branden handled his workload in law school (it involves supplements, but not the dietary kind)

Didn’t get your question answered this round? Never fear, more mailbag episodes are coming! Email your question to [email protected] or submit it on Instagram by DMing @thelegallevel.

Links and Further Resource from this Episode:

LSAT Question Writer Interview (circa 2011): https://bit.ly/3dwG84D

Admissions Straight Talk Podcast (our interviewee Christine’s usual podcasting gig): https://blog.accepted.com/listen/

Average Student Debt at the New T14: https://bit.ly/2Ri9Rpi

TestMax Announces Justice in Action Program to Support 1,000 Future Lawyers: https://bit.ly/3hHWR56

33 Common LSAT Flaws, Available Now in Paperback & Kindle Formats: http://bit.ly/33CommonFlaws

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

What do YouTubers know about the LSAT? Katherine Weissbluth, also known as the Kath Path: a YouTuber, college essay editor, LSATMax student/fan and vlogging extraordinaire joins Branden and Jelena to discuss all things LSAT and her vlogging journey.

Katherine is currently a Sophomore at Stanford, running her essay editing start-up, and using her platform as a space to advise on a range of topics surrounding college and law school. What else? Katherine got a 172 on the LSAT this February. Listen to the full interview to hear how she did it.

Listen and learn:

1. How youtube/vlogging can create an accountability community

Thanks to Katherine Weissbluth for sharing her LSAT prep experience with The Legal Level!

Links and Further Resource from this Episode:

The Kath Path: Katherine’s YouTube Channel: https://bit.ly/3uMhcvC

Katherine’s Feature in Teen Vogue: https://bit.ly/3dSkaIg

Princeton’s Information on Junior Deferral Program: https://bit.ly/3dVyGz3

Harvard’s Junior Deferral Program: https://bit.ly/2RqgCFr

33 Common LSAT Flaws, Available Now in Paperback & Kindle Formats: http://bit.ly/33CommonFlaws

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

Start Your 1L Free Trial Now: https://go.onelink.me/iOM8/68e2c335

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

U.S. News and World Report just released 2022’s law school rankings, with some notable changes including a brand-new addition to the “Top 14.”

There’s also some new methodology in play . . . or is there, really? Jelena & Branden discussed what’s new, what’s old, and what should have been left in 2020, as well as how prospective law students can interpret these rankings.

Listen to find out . . .

1. Who joined the T14 and who dropped out

Links and Further Resource from this Episode:

USNWR Top Law Schools 2022: https://bit.ly/3rTsrAE

USNWR Law School Ranking Methodology: https://bit.ly/39Tt3Qx

Average Student Debt at the New T14: https://bit.ly/2Ri9Rpi

33 Common LSAT Flaws, Available Now in Paperback & Kindle Formats: http://bit.ly/33CommonFlaws

Start Your 1L Free Trial Now: https://go.onelink.me/iOM8/68e2c335

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

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

The Road to 180: The Ultimate Guide to LSAT Prep (free on Kindle unlimited): https://amzn.to/3q4ifp1

So you’ve been waitlisted. You’re probably in good company, with a 21% spike in law school applications this year. But what does this all mean?

Is “on the waitlist” a nice way of saying no, or a strong maybe? And how’s a prospective law student supposed to plan for the next three years of their life, if law schools string them along for months without a firm answer? Branden & Jelena answer your burning questions about this fraught stage of the application process.

Listen and learn . . .

1. Why you were waitlisted, and what does "waitlisted" mean, anyway?

Links and Further Resource from this Episode:

LSAC Final-Ish Current Volume Summary: https://report.lsac.org/VolumeSummary.aspx

The National Jurist’s Guide to Surviving Waitlists: https://bit.ly/2OpTaah

Two Deans Speak About Why They Waitlist Students: https://bit.ly/3fKRa7O

33 Common LSAT Flaws, Available Now in Paperback & Kindle Formats: http://bit.ly/33CommonFlaws

Start Your 1L Free Trial Now: https://go.onelink.me/iOM8/68e2c335

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

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

The Road to 180: The Ultimate Guide to LSAT Prep (free on Kindle unlimited): https://amzn.to/3q4ifp1

How will your mental health and overall well-being be affected by your potential legal career? It is no secret that lawyers have been prone to stress, long hours, and high pressure work, followed by dreaded burn-out. But is the culture finally shifting?

With the awakening of a movement surrounding self-care and mindfulness, what will law firms do to propel purposeful change within their community? And how can initiatives like The Lawyer’s Depression Project play a role in that change?

Today, attorney and founder of The Lawyers Depression Project, Joe Milowic, is here to answer all our questions about tackling mental health while working a high pressure job in BigLaw.

Listen to learn:

1. About one partner’s mental health journey which eventually led to the founding of The Lawyer’s Depression Project and a new lease on self-care

Thanks to Joe Milowic for lending his time and expertise to The Legal Level!

10 Lawyer Wellness Resources: https://bit.ly/3sgW4wN

The Lawyer’s Depression Project: https://bit.ly/31iqcMA

33 Common LSAT Flaws, Available Now in Paperback & Kindle Formats: http://bit.ly/33CommonFlaws

Start Your 1L Free Trial Now: https://go.onelink.me/iOM8/68e2c335

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

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

The Road to 180: The Ultimate Guide to LSAT Prep (free on Kindle unlimited): https://amzn.to/3q4ifp1

What’s a law review, how do you get on it, and why do people keep telling you it’d look great on your resume? And why are so many law students mad at something called the “Blue Book?”

All your law review questions are answered as Branden & Jelena interview Nathan Orians, a 3L at Drexel who serves as Executive Editor of Membership for the Drexel Law Review.

Press play to find out:

1. How law reviews serve the legal community

Thanks to Nathan Orians for lending his time and expertise to The Legal Level!

Links and Further Resources from This Episode:

Drexel Law Review: https://drexel.edu/law/lawreview/

The Infamous Blue Book: https://www.legalbluebook.com/

Why You Really Should Try to Get On Law Review: http://bit.ly/3rZRoeD

33 Common LSAT Flaws, Available Now in Paperback & Kindle Formats: http://bit.ly/33CommonFlaws

Start Your 1L Free Trial Now: https://go.onelink.me/iOM8/68e2c335

TestMax Announces Justice in Action Program to Support 1,000 Future Lawyers: https://testmaxprep.com/blog/justice-in-action

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

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

The Road to 180: The Ultimate Guide to LSAT Prep (free on Kindle unlimited): https://amzn.to/3q4ifp1

People go to great lengths to get into elite law schools, but is it worth it? On this week’s episode, Jelena and Branden sit down with Evan Parker, Ph.D., founding partner of Parker Analytics to answer that very question.

But the answer—and there is indeed an answer—is really only the starting point of a deeper conversation about hiring practices in the legal field, including how things are changing, how they ought to change further, and how future lawyers can use Dr. Parker’s hard-won insights to increase their chances of landing a great law firm job.

In this episode, you’ll hear:

1. How law firms decide whom to hire, as well as how to use that information to your advantage as an applicant

Thanks to Dr. Evan Parker for joining us to share his knowledge and expertise!

Links and Further Resources from This Episode:

Dr. Parker’s Firm, Parker Analytics, LLC: https://www.parkeranalytics.us/

Dr. Parker’s Appearance on Malcolm Gladwell’s “Revisionist History” Podcast: http://bit.ly/3tfl47L

Dr. Parker’s Appearance on the “Modern Lawyer” Podcast: http://bit.ly/3vjjaF0

Start Your 1L Free Trial Now: https://go.onelink.me/iOM8/68e2c335

TestMax Announces Justice in Action Program to Support 1,000 Future Lawyers: https://testmaxprep.com/blog/justice-in-action

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

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

The Road to 180: The Ultimate Guide to LSAT Prep (free on Kindle unlimited): https://amzn.to/3q4ifp1

The LSAT may help you get into a J.D. program, but it doesn’t do much to prepare you for the law school experience.

In this episode, Branden and Jelena talk with Suzy Bernstein, a current 2L at Temple University’s Beasley School of Law, about smart law school prep that sets you up for success. Hint: it’s not all about stacking your resume.

Listen and learn:

1. How a pre-law school job can help you confirm that a legal career is right for you

Thanks to Suzy Bernstein for joining us to share her experiences!

Links and Further Resources from This Episode:

Temple’s Law and Public Policy Program (Suzy’s program): https://bit.ly/3rmerQm

Start Your 1L Free Trial Now: https://go.onelink.me/iOM8/68e2c335

33 Common LSAT Flaws: https://amzn.to/3efTuzY

TestMax Announces Justice in Action Program to Support 1,000 Future Lawyers: https://testmaxprep.com/blog/justice-in-action

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

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

The Road to 180: The Ultimate Guide to LSAT Prep (free on Kindle unlimited): https://amzn.to/3q4ifp1

Sure, the LSAT is tough, but the real torture comes after your test, when you’re forced to distill everything interesting, unique, and extraordinary about yourself into a single essay. Yes, the dreaded personal statement.

With no guidance other than a vague prompt, you must convince complete strangers you’re a perfect fit for their law school. Never fear, Jelena & Branden are here to help . . . and so are two brave LSATMax students who shared their actual personal statement drafts to be critiqued on the pod!

Listen and discover:

1. How to make a great first impression with the very first sentence of your personal statement

Thanks to Lyndsey M. and Leslie N. for allowing The Legal Level to read, critique, and share their personal statements! You can read along with the podcast at the following links:

Lyndsey’s Essay & Leslie’s Essay: http://bit.ly/3bHXuJA

And a great big Legal Level welcome to intern Maddy, who joins us on the pod this week to summarize our personal statement samples!

Links and Further Resources from This Episode:

University of Washington Pre-Law Advisers’ Personal Statement Tips: https://bit.ly/2NEShKF

Book of 50 Real Law School Personal Statements: http://bit.ly/3sqPkMw

More About Inciting Incidents in Writing: http://bit.ly/3qW5OvN

Jelena’s Upcoming Free Webinar on the LSAT-Flex: http://bit.ly/3qIhcvi

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

There’s breaking news in the world of the LSAT . . . which doesn’t happen all that often! Branden and Jelena are here to demystify it, just for you.

We’ve got new testing dates! A new testing format! An answer on how long the LSAT-Flex will continue! And more!

Listen to discover . . .

1. Why LSAC is keeping the Flex format around

Links and further resources from from this week’s episode:

Jelena’s Upcoming Free Webinar on the LSAT-Flex: http://bit.ly/3qIhcvi

LSAC “August and Beyond” FAQ: http://bit.ly/3aA8ppg

Upcoming Testing Dates: http://bit.ly/3ayEmOM

33 Common LSAT Flaws: https://amzn.to/3efTuzY

TestMax Announces Justice in Action Program to Support 1,000 Future Lawyers: https://testmaxprep.com/blog/justice-in-action

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

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

The Road to 180: The Ultimate Guide to LSAT Prep (free on Kindle unlimited): https://amzn.to/3q4ifp1