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

  • Strengthening & Weakening: The Yin & Yang of the LSAT

    Two of the most common question types on the LSAT are Strengthen and Weaken questions, and, while it may seem like you’re being asked to do opposite things for each, they share a core method, and what you learn about one applies to the other.

    Listen as Jelena and Branden break down the best way to approach these questions.

    In this episode, you’ll find out…

    1. How to put distracting information in the stimulus aside so you can focus on the argument
    2. How the makers of the LSAT think about strengthening and weakening arguments
    3. The difference between strengthening an argument and supporting a conclusion
    4. Tried and true ways to strengthen and weaken causal arguments
    5. How to anticipate correct answers
    6. How to make the best use of your knowledge of the 33 common LSAT flaws
    7. What makes wrong answers wrong
    8. What raising monarch butterflies has to do with strengthening and weakening arguments

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


      Thinking of Adopting a Lepidopteran? Think Again: http://bit.ly/2NaqQIA


      Sleep Deprivation and Dementia: http://bit.ly/3blBnZ8


      LSAC Current Volume Summary Report: http://bit.ly/2MGEbIo


      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

      42 min
    9. Quit Playing Logic Games with Our Hearts

      If you’re studying for the LSAT, you’ve probably heard that Logic Games will soon be a thing of the past. But will they really? Why? When? And what will replace them?

      Branden & Jelena break down the recent settlement in Binno v. LSAC, which may fundamentally change the LSAT in the next few years.

      In this episode, you’ll find out . . .

      1. What LSAC really committed to regarding Logic Games
      2. Why plaintiff Angelo Binno previously sued the American Bar Association over the same issue (and was rejected by the Supreme Court)
      3. How prospective law students with visual impairments dealt with the LSAT’s Logic Games section in the past
      4. What current LSAT students who struggle with this section should do about Logic Games—keep studying, or wait?
      5. When we can expect to see a change to the Analytical Reasoning section
      6. What Analytical Reasoning is, anyway

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


        Binno’s Complaint Against LSAC (PDF): https://bit.ly/36XnGhR


        Joint Press Release from Binno & LSAC on Settlement: http://prn.to/3jJritb


        LSAC’s Now-Deleted Second Statement: https://i.redd.it/k5bm8hjgbgr31.jpg


        ABA Journal on the LSAC/Binno Settlement: http://bit.ly/3cZ2POW


        Supreme Court Denies Cert to Binno’s ABA Suit: http://bit.ly/2Z36PFO


        Jason Turkish’s Previous Lawsuit Over Bar Exam: http://bit.ly/3q5FW06


        Google’s Indefatigable Lawyer who Just Happens to Be Blind: https://bit.ly/3jBZUNp


        LSAC Current Volume Summary Report: http://bit.ly/2MGEbIo


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


        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

        36 min
      7. Standardized Testing: Good, Bad, or Ugly?

        The LSAT probably isn’t the first standardized test to play a role in determining your academic future. From SATs to ACTs to MCATs and GREs, standardized testing is a huge part of the U.S. education system and has been for a long time.

        But should it be? Does it have to be? And will the COVID-19 pandemic lead to a societal shift away from standardized testing?

        In this episode, Branden & Jelena branch out beyond the LSAT to talk about . . .

        1. How undergraduate programs moved away from standardized testing during the pandemic and why
        2. Biases inherent in standardized testing
        3. How those biases affect the LSAT, too
        4. Alternative ways to assess students
        5. The path forward for college admissions in a post-pandemic world . . .

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


          California leading the nation in diminishing the role of SAT testing: http://lat.ms/2O0WZSZ


          College Board discontinues SAT optional essays & subject tests: http://cnn.it/2MnCeQE


          Colleges dropping SAT requirements during the pandemic: http://cnn.it/36wtXki


          2013 study of race, poverty, and SAT scores: https://bit.ly/3rcYNXg


          2015 study found family income highly correlated with SAT score: http://bit.ly/3pELJJT


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


          33 Common LSAT Flaws, Available Now in Paperback & Kindle Formats: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08B2KM2Q8/&field-keywords=lsat


          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

          33 min
        6. How to Know for Sure You Want to Be a Lawyer

          If you’ve ever had to swat away a member of the obnoxious “don’t be a lawyer, you’ll regret it!” committee, this episode of the Legal Level is for you. In short, there are lots of ways to go about seeing whether a career in the law is right for you, many of which don’t include doing work for free at a law office.

          Jelena and Branden will arm you with the knowledge you need to feel good about your career choice no matter what the haters say.

          Tune in and learn about:

          1. Finding the right lawyer to interview
          2. The various sectors and practice areas of law
          3. What resources are available to undergraduates
          4. What lawyers actually do all day—it might surprise you
          5. How to get one of those one-in-a-million lawyer jobs like international human rights lawyer

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


            The True Story of How Lawyer Roberta Kaplan Brought Down DOMA: https://wwnorton.com/books/Then-Comes-Marriage/


            Lawyers Can Make a Big Difference in People’s Lives In the U.S. and Across the Globe: https://www.amnesty.org/en/


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


            33 Common LSAT Flaws, Available Now in Paperback & Kindle Formats: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08B2KM2Q8/&field-keywords=lsat


            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

            40 min
          6. That *Other* Really Hard Exam

            This year, much like the LSAT, most states’ bar exams went remote and online for the first time in history. While the test takers’ surroundings may have been different, the test and what a passing or failing score means remained largely the same.

            In this episode, Jelena quizzes Branden—a successful 2011 California bar examinee—on the ins and outs of the monstrosity of an exam that stands between every debt-laden law school graduate and her maximum earning potential.

            Listen and learn:

            1. What skills are tested on the bar exam
            2. What the National Conference of Bar Examiners is and how much sway it has over your future
            3. How portable—or not—a law license is
            4. What happens to those who serially fail the bar (It’s not all bad!)
            5. What to look for in seeking the best bar prep for you

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


              Bar Prep Meets Dumb & Dumber: https://testmaxprep.com/blog/bar-exam/barmax-bar-clips-atomic-peppers


              Bar Prep Meets The People v. Larry Flint: https://testmaxprep.com/blog/bar-exam/barmax-bar-clips-defamation


              Bar Prep Meets Se7en (Spoiler Alert!): https://testmaxprep.com/blog/bar-exam/barmax-bar-clips-defamation


              Comprehensive Information on the Bar Exam in All U.S. Jurisdictions: https://www.ncbex.org/publications/bar-admissions-guide/


              The Most Effective Bar Prep is the Most Affordable: https://testmaxprep.com/bar-exam


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


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


              33 Common LSAT Flaws, Available Now in Paperback & Kindle Formats: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08B2KM2Q8/&field-keywords=lsat


              The Road to 180: The Ultimate Guide to LSAT Prep (free on Kindle unlimited):

              https://www.amazon.com/Road-180-Ultimate-Guide-LSAT-ebook/dp/B00X4W9R5U/

              34 min
            6. New Year, New Score: Resolutions to Make 2021 the Year You Ace the LSAT

              We’re all celebrating the new year and really, really, REALLY hoping it’ll be better than the last year. And with a new year come New Year’s Resolutions . . . usually to be broken by February as our energy fades and willpower falters.

              In this episode, Branden and Jelena give you the lowdown on how to make LSAT resolutions you can keep, and suggest a few possibilities that will boost your score.

              In this episode:

              1. Why you shouldn’t resolve to get a particular a LSAT score
              2. Make your resolutions SMARTer, not harder
              3. The one resolution more likely to improve your Logic Games performance than any other
              4. A resolution that will boost your Reading Comprehension score . . . without doing any extra RC passages
              5. Jelena & Branden share their resolutions

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


                Jelena’s 10 Games to Repeat: https://testmaxprep.com/blog/lsat/10-logic-games-to-repeat


                How to set SMART goals: https://bit.ly/3o6Y7By


                33 Common LSAT Flaws, Available Now in Paperback & Kindle Formats: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08B2KM2Q8/&field-keywords=lsat


                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://www.amazon.com/Road-180-Ultimate-Guide-LSAT-ebook/dp/B00X4W9R5U/

                26 min
              6. Good Advice on Bad Advice

                When you announce your law school plans, everyone you know will become a law school expert overnight. There’s something about applying to law school that makes everyone you know think you urgently need their advice . . . and much of it will be bad.

                In this episode, Jelena and Branden cover several pieces of bad advice almost everyone receives when considering law school, and explain why you shouldn’t take these “nuggets of wisdom” seriously.

                In this episode:

                1. Are all lawyers miserable?
                2. Can you make money as a lawyer without being evil?
                3. If you love to argue, should you go to law school?
                4. Should you go to a lower-ranking law school with a plan to transfer into a T14?
                5. And, speaking of the T14, are there really only 14 law schools that are worth attending?
                6. Are morally flexible people the best lawyers?
                7. Will becoming a lawyer make you boring, conventional, and unlikable?
                8. Are you too young/old/weird/different for law school?

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


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


                  Search Law Schools’ ABA Required Disclosures: http://www.abarequireddisclosures.org/Disclosure509.aspx


                  More on Transferring Law Schools: http://bit.ly/3hnuklB


                  33 Common LSAT Flaws, Available Now in Paperback & Kindle Formats:
                  https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08B2KM2Q8/&field-keywords=lsat


                  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://www.amazon.com/Road-180-Ultimate-Guide-LSAT-ebook/dp/B00X4W9R5U/

                  47 min
                9. Merry LSATMaXmas!

                  Oh, the L-S-A-T is frightful, but this pod is so delightful! And since we’ve no place to go (there’s still a pandemic raging out there, people) start the show, start the show, start the show! What show? The first annual Legal Level Holiday Extravaganza, of course, known by its nickname, LSATMaXmas. On today’s episode, we lighten things up with a little less hardcore logic and a little more merriment. For best results, make yourself a hot cup of cocoa and put on an ugly sweater and matching socks before listening.

                  In today’s episode…

                  1. Get a list of the top ten gifts for your dear, stressed out LSAT taker
                  2. Find out what LSAT study habits can get you on Santa’s nice list, and which ones to avoid so you don’t end up on the naughty list
                  3. A holiday themed argument validity competition between Jelena and Branden
                  4. Walk away with that warm, fuzzy holiday feeling

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


                    A Comprehensive List of Study Gifts: https://www.etsy.com/market/studying_gift


                    A More Comprehensive List of Study Gifts: https://www.amazon.com/Best-Gifts-Studying/s?k=Best+Gifts+for+Studying


                    Not Only Is It A Great Song, If You Flip Two Letters, You Get LSAT Christmas: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E8gmARGvPlI


                    33 Common LSAT Flaws, Available Now in Paperback & Kindle Formats: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08B2KM2Q8/&field-keywords=lsat


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


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

                    45 min
                  5. The Psychology of Sticking to an LSAT Study Schedule

                    Anyone can decide to study for the LSAT. But after the shiny enthusiasm of a new goal fades and you’re left with just a pile of practice tests and homework, how do you stay on track? It takes about 180 hours of prep to be ready for the test, and most people don’t find it easy to put that time in as planned. In this episode, Branden and Jelena teach you how to beat procrastination, burnout, distraction, and other common LSAT study problems.

                    Listen and learn…

                    1. What time of day is best for studying
                    2. How to use social accountability to stick to your plan
                    3. What to do when the hardest part of studying is just getting started
                    4. Common signs of study burnout
                    5. Why rewarding yourself after studying isn’t making you more excited to study (hint: you’re missing part of the puzzle)
                    6. Time-tracking and study planning methods that can help you visualize your progress
                    7. How virtual coworking and long-distance study groups can help you study while social distancing
                    8. What to say to your friends, family, and housemates who want to help you study but don’t know anything about the LSAT

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


                      LSAC Current Volume Summary: https://www.lsac.org/data-research/data/current-volume-summaries-region-raceethnicity-gender-identity-lsat-score


                      Free Pomodoro Timer: https://tomato-timer.com/


                      How to Bullet Journal: https://littlecoffeefox.com/ultimate-bullet-journal-cheat-sheet/


                      Study Tracker Bullet Journal Spreads: https://thecandylei.com/bullet-journal/study-tracker-ideas-for-your-college-bullet-journal/


                      Virtual Coworking: https://www.myworkhive.com/virtual-coworking/


                      How Habits Work, Psychologically: https://charlesduhigg.com/how-habits-work/


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


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

                      43 min
                    9. Pandemic 1L

                      Listen in as Jelena and Branden sit down with Claire McCall, TestMax’s former Director of Marketing and current 1L at Southwestern Law School in Los Angeles. Claire shares the ups and downs of starting law school in a pandemic, including making friends over Zoom, finding a summer associate job (or not), and arranging a home to be an extension of law school. Despite all that, Claire’s assessment of Zoom law school is upbeat and hopeful.

                      Also, get the scoop on…

                      1. Which 1L doctrinal classes are fun and which are, well, not so fun
                      2. What the On Campus Interview program (OCI) looks like when “on campus” isn’t a thing
                      3. How the crazy election factored into an already crazy 1L experience
                      4. How Claire’s furbaby Tipper is holding up with Claire at home all day

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


                        The TikToks that Got Claire Through the Election:

                        https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMJH8LC2f/
                        https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMJHNn71X/
                        https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMJH8LC2f/


                        Become a Bison at Southwestern: www.swlaw.edu


                        Everything You Need to Know About Law School On Campus Interviews: https://bit.ly/2IJcYSP


                        "33 Common LSAT Flaws", Available Now in Paperback & Kindle Formats: https://amzn.to/3efTuzY


                        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

                        36 min

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

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                      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.