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The Legal Level - LSAT, law school admissions, 1L, bar exam & more!
The Legal Level - LSAT, law school admissions, 1L, bar exam & more! episodes
- Spring Mailbag: Your LSAT & Law School Questions, Answered!
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 . . .
- How Branden handled his workload in law school (it involves supplements, but not the dietary kind)
- What to do in the last two weeks before your LSAT
- When (and whether) to apply to binding early decision programs
- If T14 law schools are more generous, in addition to being more expensive
- How to boost your Reading Comprehension section scores
- Who writes the LSAT, anyway?
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/d02ba2de52 min - Kath Path’s LSATH
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:
- How youtube/vlogging can create an accountability community
- How peer advising is beginning to take up space in the application process for under-resourced students
- How anticipating answers can elevate your score
- Katherine’s essay strategy
- Why sophomores might want to take the LSAT early
- What’s the deal with junior deferral programs and why they might be right for you?
- How Katherine ended up featured on Teen Vogue by “hacking college admission”!
- If there’s a silver-lining to online learning in 2020-2021
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/d02ba2de35 min - Seriously, the Library? 2022 USNWR Law School Rankings Update
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 . . .
- Who joined the T14 and who dropped out
- Which law school jumped 16 spots to land in the Top 100 for the very first time
- Why USNWR scrapped their plans to release a diversity ranking for law schools
- How adding student debt into the ranking methodology changed the rankings
- What probably should have been dropped from the ranking methodology
- How the “peer review” process used by USNWR could be reinforcing a biased status quo
- Which U.C. law school saw a worrisome slide down the chart
- Which host of this podcast is now an elite law school graduate! (It’s Branden)
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/3q4ifp134 min - Wait, Wait, Please DO Tell Me: Your Waitlist Survival Guide
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 . . .
- Why you were waitlisted, and what does "waitlisted" mean, anyway?
- When to send (or not send) letters of continued interest
- How long you can expect to spend on the waitlist
- Whether waitlisting means you’re out of luck for scholarships
- How ranked lists and priority lists affect your likelihood of admission
- Why schools use waitlists
- How to cope emotionally with the hot-and-cold struggle of a summer on the waitlist
- Which The Legal Level host is a waitlist success story (it’s still Branden)
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/3q4ifp130 min - Self-Care in a Burnout Industry
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:
- 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
- How to tell the difference between needing to get help and needing to change jobs
- How to tackle burnout with job crafting and finding meaning in unexpected places
- Advice for law school hopefuls who struggle with depression
- How to align your work with your values, and discovering what you can control and what you cannot
- Why no case is as important as family and your overall well-being
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/3q4ifp137 min - Law Rev-Who?
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:
- How law reviews serve the legal community
- How they’re now changing to promote inclusivity and new ideas
- Why law students get to review the writing and scholarship of working lawyers and professors
- What to do to maximize your chances of getting on law review
- Why employers want law review alumnae
- What the Blue Book is, and how it’s kind of like the LSAT
- Which skills learned on law review will help you as a lawyer
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/3q4ifp130 min - T-14 or not T-14? Is That Even the Question?
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:
- How law firms decide whom to hire, as well as how to use that information to your advantage as an applicant
- How diversity at a law firm results in increased profitability
- Why law firms hire data scientists like Dr. Parker
- What steps law firms do and don’t take to correct their hiring practices
- Which characteristics in a law firm hiree are predictive of success, and which aren’t
- What Malcolm Gladwell thinks about the LSAT
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/3q4ifp136 min - How to Prepare for Law School (Besides Taking the LSAT)
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:
- How a pre-law school job can help you confirm that a legal career is right for you
- Why some self-doubt before law school is totally normal (and doesn’t mean you’re going to be a bad law student)
- When it’s smarter to put your feet up and read a book rather than scrambling to add to your credentials
- How to prepare for law school extracurriculars
- Why you shouldn’t (and usually can’t) have an outside job during 1L year
- How to get a law-related summer job in the age of remote work
- Why the pandemic might actually help you network
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/3q4ifp129 min - Let’s Get Personal
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:
- How to make a great first impression with the very first sentence of your personal statement
- What law schools are looking for in students . . . and how you can show them you fit their criteria
- How to write an exciting personal statement, even if you feel like your life is boring
- Common mistakes law school hopefuls make in their personal statements
- Why specificity is the superpower that will make your statement stand out
- What you should never say in a law school personal statement
- And more!
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/3bHXuJAAnd 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/689fb4b444 min - Brave New LSAT
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 . . .
- Why LSAC is keeping the Flex format around
- When students will get their last chance to take the three-section LSAT
- One huge flaw in LSAC’s plan to add an experimental section to the LSAT-Flex
- How you should change your study plans, now that LR has been demoted
- Upcoming testing opportunities for 2021
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/3q4ifp117 min
About The Legal Level - LSAT, law school admissions, 1L, bar exam & more!
From the publisher's feed
From the LSAT to the bar exam, we are leveling the legal education playing field by providing the tools and information every future lawyer needs to ace the LSAT, rock law school admissions, pass the bar exam and land their dream job.
Hosted by LSATMax instructors Jelena Woehr (178) and Branden Frankel (175).