Sitting for the LSAT in October or December? How to Prepare for the LSAT

The LSAT is an integral part of your law school application and it can make it or break it for you.  Many have asked what the key to success is.  Our new book, Law School Lowdown: Secrets of Success from the Application Process to Landing Your First Job, has many important pointers on this subject and here are some pointers.

There are many courses that you can take to prepare you for the LSAT.  I paid over $1000 for a month long in class course and it was helpful.  Signing up for a course will increase your score for sure.  Some course providers like Kaplan  provide a money back guarantee if you get a lower score on the actual exam than your first practice test.  This is somewhat misleading though, as it is virtually impossible to get a lower score than your first attempt as your first attempt is done without any preparation. 
 

A preparation course is a great way to prepare as the course will stress some exam “tricks” and you will also do several practice exams in exam like conditions.  Moreover, the course will force you to stay focused and set a fixed schedule for you to devote to exam studying.  If you are not disciplined, a preparation course is highly recommended.  LSAT preparation has really changed over the years and the traditional classroom courses offered by Kaplan and other providers are not that appealing to some.  As such, you may want to try LSAT freedom, LSATMax, Manhattan LSAT, or  FindMyLawTutor.  They all offer alternatives to the traditional LSAT courses and you can find out more about them by accessing their websites. 

The key to doing well on all sections of the LSAT is practice.  You should complete hundreds if not thousands of questions prior to the exam so you should become very familiar with the patterns of the different questions.  Of course though, part of doing well on the LSAT will be your aptitude for doing well on this type of standardized test.  Notwithstanding this though, you will always be able to improve your score with practice.

As part of this practice, you should sit for several timed exams and you should grade them to see how you are doing.  In fact, when you take many practice exams and grade yourself, you will have a good indication of the score you will get on the actual exam.  As such, if you sit for a timed practice exam two day prior to the actual exam, you will have an excellent idea of how you will score.  When I sat for the LSAT, I scored within two points of my final practice exam and many students have recounted the same thing to me. Do not expect a miracle on exam day.

This is one of many law school admission tips that you will find in the new book, Law School Lowdown (Barron's Publishing). Order it today by clicking here. 

http://www.amazon.com/Law-School-Lowdown-Secrets-Application/dp/143800317X

Good luck!

Need a Reference Letter for Law School - Some Tips of Who To Ask To Write it.

When you complete your law school application you will almost certainly be asked to submit a number of reference letters.  Many prospective law students have asked me who they should ask to write them and here are a few pointers. 

The key to any reference letter is that it is relevant and comes from someone that knows you and can speak to why you would succeed in law school.  Letters should be current (written within the last 6 months), and keep in mind that admission’s committees are not looking for character references. To this end, the best letters come from your college professors who know you and are familiar with your academic achievements.  This usually means that you had the professor for a semester or you had performed research for the professor.  In addition, if you received a high grade in his/her class this will also help. 

If for some reason you cannot get a professor to write a letter or you have been out of school for a long time there are other options.  Another good letter is a letter that comes from a lawyer that knows you and can speak to your scholarly potential.  This is especially the case if the person will be able to illustrate why you would do well in law school.  Another great source is a past or current employer -- especially if the employer can write about your analytical skills, problem solving ability or scholarly ability.  Finally, another good area is a relevant reference provider (someone who can speak to your intellectual ability) that attended the law school that you are applying to.  Keep in mind that college professors are at the top of the list but these other categories are also options.

It is also important to develop a strategy when selecting the base of reference providers that you select.  Specifically, pick reference providers from a wide range of areas that the admission’s committee will find useful.  For example, select a couple of professors, a couple of lawyers and a couple of people from other relevant areas.  When I applied to Harvard Law School, each of my letters was selected to cover off an area that I thought would interest the admission’s committee.  Namely, one came from someone that attended Harvard, another came from a Judge that could speak to my scholarly ability, others came from professors where I did well in their class and others came from my previous employers.  Each was strategically selected and the selection worked well for me. 

Do not fall into the trap of submitting what I will call an irrelevant reference letter to a law school.  This includes a letter from a professor who is a friend of your parents or who you have never met.  Also, letters from friends, family members, or people that you have not met (even if they are famous) will generally be disregarded.  These types of letters will actually hurt you as the admission’s committee will wonder why you could not find a relevant reference. 

Make no mistake that reference letters are important. Give your selection some careful thought as in addition to the content, the people who are deciding whether or not to admit you will certainly review who you have selected.

You can also see this article on LSAT Freedom.  LSAT Freedom is an excellent LSAT preparation course who offers LSAT preparation online.

This summary is one of many law school admission helpful tips in the new book Law School Lowdown: Secrets of Success from the Application Process to Landing the First Job – (Barron's Publishing) - Author Ian E. Scott.  You can order Law School Lowdown on Amazon by clicking here.

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If you're a law school student, or if you're planning to apply to law school, you'll find the practical guidance you'll need for success--plus tips on pitfalls to avoid--when you open this important new book. Written by a recent Harvard Law School graduate who worked with major Wall Street law firm, this brand-new blueprint for legal accomplishment gets down to specifics with that will help you succeed in law school.  Law School Lowdown is now available to order!  Just click here or on the image!

What sets The Law School Lowdown apart from typical law school books is that it explores the entire law school experience. From the application process, through the rigorous years during law school, to post-law school employment, The Law School Lowdown addresses:

• The law school application process and tips on taking the LSAT
• Selecting a law school, applying for scholarships, and deciding between top-ranked and lower-ranked schools
• Making the grade during the vital first year at law school
• The best courses to take in second and third years
• The advantages of publishing papers while in law school
• Seeking out summer positions at law firms
• Taking and passing state bar exams
• Finding employment at a law firm after graduation
• Other post-law school options, including judicial clerkships
• Effective résumés, a model brief of a case for class, and much more

Valuable appendices give you still more advice, and include a completed model law school application form, effective résumés, a model brief of a case for class, and much more. Written by a successful attorney and based on his own law school experiences, Law School Lowdown zeroes-in on both the rigors and satisfactions that comprise the law school experience, offering the advice and counsel that will pave your way to a successful career in law.

Written by a successful attorney and based on his own experiences, The Law School Lowdown focuses on both the difficulties and satisfactions that comprise the law school experience, offering advice and counsel that will pave the way to a successful law career. Order now by clicking the below link!

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