Are great lawyers born or made?

I recently read a very interesting article by Prof. William Henderson (Indiana University Maurer School of Law - Bloomington) - the article is entitled, "Is a great lawyer born or made?"

The verdict? Great lawyers are actually made (not born). This may be a slap in the face for some of you (ahem *elitists*) out there.

According to Carolyn Dweck, a cognitive psychologist at Stanford University, there are two types of people: 1) the ones with a fixed mindset; and 2) the ones with a growth mindset. People with a fixed mindset tend to prefer activities that validate their own abilities, while they shy away from tasks that may provide the world with evidence that they lack talent.

In contrast, people with a growth mindset believe they can acquire important skills, knowledge, and abilities through effort. So floundering at a task is not failure - it's learning.

Between the two types, it's the people who possess a growth mindset that tend to be fearless and willing to take on difficult tasks. And it's those fearless folks who become high performing attorneys.

The example that Prof. Henderson uses is Fred Bartlit (the named partner of the ultra prestigious litigation boutique law firm Bartlit Beck Herman Palenchar & Scott LLP). Despite having tried hundreds of cases, the man still impanels a mock jury and humbly seeks their advice.

What does this have to do with the LSAT? Everything!

The LSAT is known to be a good predictor of law school performance and bar passage rate; not perfect, but still good. Like good lawyers, good LSAT test takers are made (not born).

I see it year-in and year-out. Baseline intelligence does matter, but without fearless hard-work achieving a high LSAT score is impossible.

So be fearless when you are studying for this exam. Be confident. If you get something wrong, don't let it defeat you. Go back. Revisit the question. Look at it in the face and stare it down until you can crush it!

What LSAT Score do I need to get into Northwestern University School of Law?

Northwestern University School of Law (NU Law) is one of the most desired law schools among LSAT students. It's also one of the most hip law schools on the block. Among its list of celebrity alumni, you will find names like Nikki Lee (Korean pop star) and Divya Narendra (founder of ConnectU - better known for it's clashing battle against Facebook). On that list you will also find distinguished leaders in law, politics, and business - US Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens, Harold Washington, and J.B. Pritzker.

Take the LSAT again in February or apply this cycle?

Dec 2016 LSAT scores were released yesterday.

I was in the middle of teaching an online LSAT seminar when my phone went off the hook. Text messages were going bonkers. I auto-responded to all of them with: "I'm in class."

One of the many response I got; the definite highlight of my night: "Tell them that they too can get a 176 with your help :) (finally got my score!)"

My Dec 2016 LSAT students scores ranged from a 161 to 180.

I'm proud of every single one of them. They all worked hard and achieved great test scores.

Even so, there were a few good follow-up questions:

Main Conclusion Questions | Logical Reasoning

When a Main Conclusion question appears in the Logical Reasoning (LR) section of the LSAT, it usually looks something like this:

• "Which one of the following most accurately expresses the main conclusion of the argument?"
• "Which one of the following most accurately expresses the conclusion of the journalist's argument?"
• "Which one of the following most accurately restates the main point of the passage?"
• "The main point of the argument is that"

LSAT neophytes often (mistakenly) think these Main Conclusion questions are asking them to deduce or infer the main conclusion from the vignette. But not so much. Rather, Main Conclusion questions are usually asking you to find the main point within the vignette - much like the way you are asked to find Waldo within a sea of other people, except in this case Waldo = Main Point and sea of other people = Premises. 

Conclusion indicators --- therefore; thus; hence; clearly; so; in conclusion; consequently; and as a result --- can help you find the main point. But don't rely on them too much because LSAT makers ain't gonna make it that easy. Often times, in Main Conclusion questions the segment of the vignette introduced by conclusion indicators are Subsidiary Conclusions or Intermediary Conclusions (a.k.a. a premise supported by another premise). 

For Main Conclusion questions, it's best to read the vignette and understand the flow of the argument, and identify which sentences are supporting which. This requires some degree of fluency in English and good reading skills. 

If you aren't able to "understand the flow of the argument," then here are some tricks that have worked for non-native English speaking students:

1) Fact or Opinion? - Is the sentence you're reading a fact or a strong opinion? Considering the following example:

Most fashion designers prefer to drink coffee over tea. They ought to drink tea over coffee. After all, coffee can be bad for your body. 

Sentence #1: Most fashion designers prefer to drink coffee over tea. (FACT)

Sentence #2: They should drink tea over coffee. (OPINION)

Sentence #3: After all, coffee can be bad for your body. (FACT)

If there is only one opinion, then that opinion is the conclusion. When there are multiple opinions, you have to think about which opinion is supported by the facts, and also possibly by the other opinion. 

2) Should - When a sentence contains the word "should" it is usually a conclusion. See the following example:

You should wash your feet before going to bed. Otherwise, you will infest your bed sheets with all the bacteria and germs on your feet. 

3) N.O.V.A.™ - stands for Number Object Verb A**. See the following illustration:

Most mothers believe that their children are too young to do anything alone. But they are wrong. 

The first underlined word "Most" is a number word. The second underlined word "mothers" is the object word. The third underlined word "believe" is the verb. The fourth underlined word "But" is the a** (a.k.a. butt or donkey) word. When you see this sequence you know that whatever follow after the A** word is the conclusion. It's a nifty trick and it works - most of the times. 

Reading Comprehension | Less is More

Sometimes less is more. I find this to be true (more and more) in so many aspects of law practice. I found this to be true during law school. And upon reflection, I find it to be true also for the LSAT reading comp section.

Check out this picture:

Yes. You feel that sense of accomplishment. It feels like you've actually done something. Instead of emptiness, you feel like you're leaving a giant (colorful and scribbly) footprint behind the pages that you've mastered. It feels good. I know - I've been there.

But in all honesty, it is a huge waste of time. What really matters after reading any LSAT reading comp passage isn't that you've completely and utterly mastered identifying, for example, the list of reasons why the dolphins died off. You're not being tested on facts or how much you can remember from the RC passage. 

The key, according to Kent Lawless, from LSAC, to doing well on the RC passage is to keep the big picture in mind while working your way through the details. I agree with him.

Here's what most people don't realize - the RC passages in the LSAT were written by some think-tank Ph.D in Newton, PA, which is where LSAC is headquartered. It's NOT merely an abridged excerpt from some book/magazine. This means that you'll have to assume that the written works in the RC passages are actually good writing.

When folks read, they often forget about the elements of good writing. Indeed, reading and writing are two very different tasks, but if you put yourself in the writers shoes, then as a reader, you'll extract and analyze more efficiently.

Here's my case in point - Topic Sentences. Topic sentences give you a great window into what the entire paragraph is going to be about. Most LSAT students, however, breeze through these topic sentences without giving much though into them. In fact, some students don't really wake up or focus until mid-paragraph.

Even if for a few nano-seconds, I tell my students to get behind the "eight-ball" and predict how the entire paragraph is going to "go down" after reading the Topic Sentence. It forces you to be an active reader. It's quite efficient. You will be surprised at how accurate your predictions might be. And if you're prediction is wrong, then you'll be all the more intrigued by how the author takes twists and turns.

Reading and predicting based on Topic Sentences, will also help you keep the big picture in mind. You'll learn to treat each paragraph in units, and then (hopefully) you can learn to think about with the entire passage based on the interaction between these units. This helps you NOT get bogged down by details. 

Quantifiers | Give me "some some"

Some means at least 1 or more (all the way up to 100%).

Weird, huh? But that's the definition of some on the LSAT. Don't fight it. The sooner you accept this truth/theory, the better off you'll be on the LSAT.

Studying for the LSAT makes you smarter

If you've ever received an email from me (with exercises, drills, or study schedules), then you know that I endearingly call my students, "LSAT Genius (to be)"~

Over the years, I intuitively knew that the LSAT actually makes people smarter. I noticed my students become sharper and better at reasoning. I didn't need any "scientific study" to confirm my intuition.

But here it is - a scientific study that confirms my intuition. The Wall Street Journal did an entire piece on this.

So how is this suppose to make you feel better? Some of you view the LSAT as just another "evil barrier" standing between you and law school stardom. But this study confirms that anyone can become smarter and improve their LSAT score through consistent and regular exposure.

Does this mean that everyone will achieve a perfect 180. No. Of course not. Everyone hits a plateau. And from that point, it takes a lot of patience and practice to actually gain incremental point increases. Theoretically, I suppose it's possible for anyone to achieve a perfect score. But practically speaking, not everyone has the time and luxury to achieve it.

Next time you open up your LSAT book, I hope you have a grin on your face - knowing full well that you brain is getting smarter.

Free LSAT Prep Options

Doing well on the LSAT requires significant preparation. A decent LSAT course can easily cost $1500, and the fees for qualified LSAT tutors can range from $150 to $500 per hour.

Although LSAT prep courses and tutors do a great job at preparing people for the LSAT, not everyon can afford their services. If you fall in this category, then the following tips and advice are for you. There are plenty of ways to obtain free (or cheap) LSAT prep.

1. Prelaw Advisor. The first place to begin is your college's prelaw society or prelaw advisor. Your prelaw advisor may have organized LSAT courses for free or at a price much cheaper than the commericial courses.

2. Council on Legal Education Opportunity (CLEO). CLEO is a part of the American Bar Association (ABA). It probably has the most extensive prelaw program designed for first generation lawyers. In addition to providing invaluable and cost-effective LSAT prep options, CLEO provides assistance and guidance in every step of your Road to Law School.

3. LSAT Alumni. Folks who have already taken the LSAT and successfully matriculated at a law school have no need for their LSAT books/materials. Ask them for the books/materials. Some companies forbid former-students from "selling" or "giving away" their books. So if you're going to solicit old/used books, do it off the web - preferably in-person.

4. Public Library. Your local public library most likely has copies of LSAT prep books. Take advantage of your taxpayer resources! BTW, if you're using LSAT books from your public library, don't be that douche-bag who writes in them.

5. LSAT scholarships (from LSAT tutors!). Professional LSAT tutors occasionally offer unbelievable scholarships. My guess is that most behemoth test prep companies can't do this (despite their vast riches) because it's plain bad economics. But smaller, self-employed professional tutors can give of their own time (without having to deal with burecratic BS). Ask your LSAT tutor if he/she has scholarships available.

If you know of any other free LSAT prep options, please share!

LSAT Scare - Overblown?

When you've been doing this as long as I have (ten years!), there are some questions you get asked every year, on the one hand, and there are questions that return in waves every four/five years, on the other hand.

Questions of the latter type include:

"Is law school a doomed/stupid option - (given that article I read last Tuesday)?"

"Has the paradigm shifted?"

I want to address these types of questions. The norm (that makes sense to any rational person) is that the number of law school applicants spikes, when the economy takes a downward turn. Today, the economy ain't so hot, yet the number of applicants are no where near spiking...in fact, it's the exact opposite - the number of applicants are plummeting.

Perhaps law practice (in general) IS doomed. But as any good LSAT test taker knows there may be alternative explanations/conclusions to the evidence. While I agree with the pessimists that law school ain't the same, I disagree with the extremists that blatantly call all who apply to law school "naive idiots."

The law is here to stay. As long as we are a law driven liberal democracy, we will always need good lawyers to protect our rights. And as long as America is a capitalist society, businesses will need attorneys to help grow their profits. Lawyers are always going to be needed.

While some may argue that there are already way too many lawyers, I would argue that we don't have enough good lawyers. I recently volunteered as a poll watcher in Chicago. My good friend is the senior staff attorney of a large non-profit organization; he asked me to volunteer. I happily agreed. While I thought that the event was a success, I later learned that he had difficulty recruiting enough attorneys. Later he told me, "Dave, most law grads flock to the big law jobs, but there are so many industries and areas of life that need really good attorneys."

Look, my point is simple. If you are going to law school purely for the sake of making money, I would discourage you from going to law school. There's nothing wrong with wanting to be rich or wanting to make tons of money. But just as we are critical of medical students who got into medicine purely to become filthy rich, we are critical of attorneys who choose the law purely for the sake of making $160,000 right off the gate. Choose the law because you have an inherent passion beyond money. Think carefully and critically before you choose to invest $150,000+ into your grad school education.

In an odd way, I am sort of happy that the economy is the way it is. It's caused pre-law students to be more careful and cautious. For those who decide to apply to law school despite the big red label warnings (see here and here), good for you! I trust that you are intelligent enough to weigh your options and understand what you're getting yourself into. Don't say you haven't been warned. But also, once you've made the decision, don't let the party poopers ruin your dream/passion. 

February 2012 LSAT Score Release

Thumb twiddling. The waiting game is getting hard to bear. Soon (probably next week) your LSAT score will be released. The wait will soon be over.

Hang in there.

LSAT Answer Keys

The answers to every released LSAT - right below!

Now you can scrap the answer key(s) attached to your LSAT PrepTest book(s) and avoid the temptation of peeking while studying. Form good habits. Don't cheat yourself by prematurely peeking at the answers. If you're not taking full practice exams, then I recommend finishing at least an entire page of Logical Reasoning or one game of Analytical Reasoning or all questions to one Reading Comp passage before checking your answers.

Yoda's logic game tactic...

I just finished watching a scene from Star Wars; Yoda is so awesome! He is truly the master of masters.

Many of us are no Anakin Skywalker when it comes to the LSAT. But who wants to be a pompous, self-absorbed genius, when you can strive to become YODA!

For those struggling with logic games, let me share with you a 3-step study method; it'll transform you into a true Jedi game master. I call the 3-step method, "SuperGames Week."

Gather 15-20 games. Do them ALL! Time upwards (from 00:00:00 to however long it takes you). After each game, write down how many you got wrong and how long it took you (for each game you have approximately 9 minutes). Then follow these steps...

Step 1: Categorize all the games into one of three classes: A, B or C.
Class "A" is all the games that took you less than 10 minutes and you got at most 2 wrong.
Class "B" is all the games that took you 10 minutes or more, and you got at most 2 wrong.
Class "C" is all the games that took you 10 minutes or more, and/or you got 3 or more wrong.

Class "A." You got these and you understand them! Put'em away!
Class "B," although you got the game....it took you WAY too long. Briefly review and evaluate how you could improve your speed.
Class "C," ....you just didn't get these games. Even if you finished the game within 6 minutes, you got 3 wrong (that's 50% of the game)! You need to take time to study these.

Step 2: Take Class "C" and redo the above step! (YAY!) Categorize everything into A, B, and C (again). Ideally, this time around you should have zero Class "C's."

Step 3: After Step 2, if you have more than 10 games in Class "C" go grab a box of tissues and start crying. Cry now because you will need to exhaust these games until you can recite them by heart! I'm being serious. If you're not getting it after several attempts, then your only hope of learning these games is to memorize the logic behind it.

Some may think this method bizarre, but trust me, it's helped thousands! After several "SuperGames Week," you will not only become a Jedi Knight, but Yoda in the games section of the LSAT.