LSAT Preparation

The #BostonLawForum 

today ended the Law School Admission Council's (LSAC) 2012 Law School Recruitment Forums, presenting over 160 representatives from American Bar Association recognized schools from around the United States of America.  

http://www.lsac.org/jd/choose/law-school-recruitment-forums.asp

LSAC is the governing body and brain, truly the life-blood of Law, academically and professionally in the U.S.A. This is because they create the Law School Admissions Test (LSAT), a major factor, possibly the largest deciding factor in an admissions application. Nevertheless, for those of us like myself, a great score on the LSAT might be the saving grace an application with a mediocre GPA needs.

LSAC, true to my aforementioned description controls, to a degree, recruitment for Law Schools by hosting forums and providing a setting for prospective students and schools to meet and providing LSAT Prep. During the Forum, there were also discussions and panels on Law School Diversity and Financing a Law Degree, giving a more complete approach to guiding prospective students through the process of deciding not only whether or not potential candidates for Law School are a good fit, but what rigors must be taken to make the dream a reality. Law students might scoff at this last comment, as law school has been described to me as being painstakingly difficult as it is rewarding.

Because of the importance that is placed on the LSAT score, it is a major source of possibly tumorous stress for students. Unfortunately, the only way to take such a mentally and physically exhausting exam is to take practice the exam as many times as possible, with and without time constraints and not only strengthening weak points in the exam but strengthening strong points as well. The most valuable piece of advice I have received is to not be surprised by any question that the test can provide. Advice? Absolutely. Every test since 2007 (yes, the year Souljaboy came out with the song Crank Dat) should have every component of the exam seen on current test.

The four parts of the five-35 minute quiz exam are Reading Comprehension, Logical Reasoning, and Analytic Reasoning (also known as the terror inducing Logic Games). Reading Comprehension is just that. Delve into the author's pov to understand the purpose of the article. Logical reasoning, does not require previous training in logic, but does require that you understand certain terms and premises. Some of those terms are: argument, premise, inference, conclusion, and assumption. Look for quantifier and indicator words. Understand the purpose of the authors argument and the conclusion. Lastly, there is Analytic Reasoning. Logic Games as they are known are paramount to the Hunger Games. These require abbreviation of words, diagrams, and tables. They also tend to take the longest amount of time, at least for myself. Time is the biggest issue in this  category simply because while there is less reading to do, it is more taxing. If the ungraded  portion of the LSAT is Analytic Reasoning, I fully expect to see students crying before the writing section if not after the exam. Unfortunately one of the best tips for this portion is to know "know when to fold 'em, and know when to run" because time is not on your side and simply holding onto a question is not an option. Guess, bubble, and come back to it. There is no penalty for guessing, but I'm hoping that I am the only person that remembers that.

In a game where the rules are set out and there is only one way to win, all way can do is know the rules and play as best we can. While the debate to the value of Law School is contentious when considering post-graduation rates, Bar passage rates, and post-graduation loan amounts, such as Why Attending Law School is the Worst Decision You'll Ever Make by J. Maureen Henderson, the knowledge and experience you will gain can hardly be compared.


11/17/2012