Episode Archives

Dan Currell, former Department of Education official, joins the podcast to break down how colleges and law schools use opaque pricing, fake tuition numbers, and binding early decision contracts to maximize returns from students.

A viewer writes in asking about their chances at the T14 while being a super splitter. They explain their work history includes founding a multimillion

The updated rankings for law schools have dropped! Ben and Nathan discuss the changes, the schools that refused to participate, and what applicants should

Ben and Nathan react to two stories: California pushing to require AI training in law schools, and Oklahoma's surprisingly hands-off approach to AI in the

A listener asks how to negotiate scholarships, especially when schools claim they don’t negotiate. Ben and Nathan advise always asking for more and using

A listener asks whether they should include their experience as a professional poker player in their application materials. Ben and Nathan advise that

A listener asks whether they should quit their job to focus on LSAT study and law school applications. Ben and Nathan explain that there’s only so much

Nathan and Ben react to WashU offering a new institutional loan to help students cover tuition beyond federal loan limits. They argue that chasing a

A listener asks about alleged changes to Logical Reasoning that an LSAT YouTuber has reported. Ben and Nathan push back, maintaining that the test hasn’t

LSAC announces that upcoming LSAT administrations will return primarily to in-person testing. Ben and Nathan discuss the shift away from remote testing

Reagan writes in after following Ben and Nathan’s advice from a previous episode to retake the LSAT and reapply. She shares her success story, including

Ben and Nathan react to Harvard considering A+ grades in response to grade inflation. They discuss how grading practices have changed and what could

A listener wonders if another LSAT retake will improve her chances at her dream law school. Ben and Nathan explain why retaking may not help when she’s

On the January LSAT, some test-takers noticed their RC section lacked a comparative reading passage. LSAC had quietly updated the test to allow zero to

After each test administration, a group of Demon users leave the platform and share their parting advice. Ben and Nathan dive into a selection of insights

A viewer asks whether to register for the LSAT while their scores are still improving. Ben and Nathan advise the student to sign up if they are happy with

A student writes in asking whether they should focus on studying for the LSAT while having a low GPA. Ben and Nathan advise them to prioritize focusing

The ABA has released new 509 data revealing how LSAT and GPA medians have shifted over the past year, along with updated data

The internet is full of opinions, and not all of them are kind. This week, Ben and Nathan dig into a reddit thread, reacting to some of the tougher criticisms

The FTC submitted a letter to the Texas Supreme Court supporting its decision to drop the ABA as the state’s official accreditor.

Ben and Nathan dig into a striking chart showing dozens of schools clustering their LSAT medians at 150 and 160, while almost nobody reports 149 or 159.

A listener writes in asking how to handle the pressure of their final official LSAT attempt. Ben and Nathan remind them that their highest score

A listener writes in after a disappointing first round of scholarship offers. Ben and Nathan explain that initial offers are rarely a school’s best

A listener writes in asking whether they should retake a 173, worried that a future attempt could be lower. Ben and Nathan explain why they should be

When LSAC accused a student of cheating, claiming his score jump had “Powerball odds,” Ben and Nathan dug into the details. They break down LSAC’s vague

Since the October score release, there's been some online chatter claiming the October LSAT was unusually difficult. Nathan and Ben respond to one concern

Nathan and Ben highlight a notable increase in law school applications per the latest LSAC reports. These numbers have nervous students rushing to apply

Ben and Nathan explain why applying broadly maximizes admissions and scholarship opportunities. They advise students to consider waiting another cycle.

Ben and Nathan weigh in on New England Law’s conditional, full-tuition scholarships. They criticize conditional scholarships that can leave a majority

Ben and Nathan dig into the ABA’s decision to put Cooley Law School on probation and the broader issue of weak oversight in legal education.

Santa Clara Law is offering every admitted student a $16,000 scholarship to align tuition with the new federal loan cap for law school borrowers.

Ben and Nathan dig into a law professor’s claim that law school tuition is collapsing and explain what that really means for future students.

Ben and Nathan dig into a law professor’s claim that law school tuition is collapsing and explain what that really means for future students.

Ben and Nathan host a special marathon edition of the Personal Statement Gong Show. They kick things off by laying out the fundamentals of personal statements

When you substitute understanding with gimmicks, you hamper your score now and in the long term. Tips like “10 questions in 10 minutes” or “If you don’t understand an answer, it’s probably correct” excuse poor reading and rushed test-taking. When you accept that the LSAT is easy and every question is solvable, you’re more likely to commit to a problem until you solve it. No shortcuts needed.

Ben and Nate break down the measurable cost of applying late in the law school admissions cycle. Your LSAT score has the most value on the day that

Ben and Nathan share strategies for using visualization to stay engaged in Reading Comprehension. They also explain that getting a full-ride to law school

Ben and Nathan field a handful of questions with a common theme: they come from students who are moving too fast on the LSAT, attempting too many questions

In preparation for test week, Ben and Nathan remind students of a foundational piece of advice: treat the official test exactly like you would any other practice test.

Ben and Nathan push back against hype-driven decisions, urging students to ignore rising August LSAT registrations and wait to test until their practice

This week, Josh and Nate tackle the misconception that the Demon isn’t built for beginners—a belief that emerges from the absence of an introduction to LSAT theory

After an influx of GPA addenda questions, Nathan and Josh address several examples in a rapid-fire segment. Their main point: you probably shouldn’t write

Ben and Nathan tackle Parallel Reasoning questions, a question type that some students prefer to skip. They assure listeners that these questions work

On this week’s Thinking LSAT, Josh joins Ben to answer questions from students who feel stuck. They explain that plateaus often come from ignoring

Ben and Nathan discuss how law school admissions resemble a “market for lemons,” where students face steep information asymmetries. They highlight tools

Ben and Nathan explore how AI is acing law school exams and what that says about legal education. They unpack Donald Rumsfeld’s “unknown unknowns” and how

Law schools manipulate scholarships to obscure what they’re actually willing to pay for LSAT scores. Ben and Nathan reveal how some schools offer LSAT Point

Michael Freedman joins Nathan on Thinking LSAT to share his story as a trial lawyer in some of the nation’s most high-profile criminal cases.

Ben and Nathan investigate income-debt ratios for average law students. Their findings paint a sobering picture for the average law school graduate.

Applying this late in the cycle shows desperation. And schools love to charge full price for desperation.

Colleges use advanced data tracking to fine-tune scholarship offers based on what they think you’ll pay and to make you feel good about your price.

Rachel Cohen, a former Skadden associate, joins Ben and Nate to discuss how Big Law is responding to recent executive orders aimed at major firms.

Logical Reasoning predictions rely on the basics: accept the premises, assume the conclusion is false, and don’t read the question first.

The secret to scoring a 170 on the LSAT? Don’t finish the section—just slow down and focus on accuracy. Ben and Nathan share an excerpt from their new

Ben and Nathan break down the newly released U.S. News law school rankings, including an initial error that caused some confusion. They explain why slight

Ben and Nathan focus on shifting the power dynamic in law school admissions. Sometimes, that means rejecting law schools that aren’t making the cut when

On Episode 500 of Thinking LSAT, Ben and Nathan tackle the most pervasive myths surrounding the LSAT, law school, and the legal profession.

Back by popular demand, Ben and Nathan kick off the return of Thinking LSAT’s personal statement review segment with a listener's personal statement

Law school tuition is designed to exploit the students willing to pay full price, even though very few actually do.

The clock shouldn’t affect you on the LSAT—but you still need to practice ignoring it.

If you don’t have a burning passion to do the work of a lawyer, don’t go to law school.

This week, Ben and Nathan encourage students to plan on taking the test five times, but not to waste their official attempts by signing up before they’re ready.

Nathan and Ben weigh in on the reports from some test-takers that the February LSAT featured more LG-style questions in Logical Reasoning.

Nathan and Ben outline their plan of attack in Logical Reasoning.

Nathan and Ben discuss how to predict answers and what to do when your prediction doesn’t appear in the answer choices.

Nathan and Ben examine a low-ranked law school that reduces roughly two-thirds of its conditional scholarships every year.

Nathan and Ben criticize the obfuscation of scholarship data in ABA 509 reports.

Ben and Nathan highlight the importance of timed practice and how to manage negative emotions from practice test scores.

Ben and Nathan criticize schools that mislead pre-law students about their law-school prospects.

Ben and Nathan insist that any downsides to retaking the LSAT are negligible, while the upsides can be life-changing.

Nathan and Ben dig into newly released admissions data and discuss the impact of the Supreme Court’s affirmative action ban.

Ben and Nathan urge listeners to read like lawyers: every word matters.

Some law schools might soon bypass the ABA’s admission test requirement, allowing them to admit more students without LSAT scores.

Ben and Nathan examine the admissions statistics and bar passage rate at Cooley Law School.

Nathan and Ben urge listeners to stop overthinking their study schedules and to start doing LSAT questions.

Nathan and Ben demonstrate a three-step process for objecting to an argument that confuses correlation for causation.

The only reliable way to get faster on the LSAT is by slowing down and solving one question at a time.

Nathan and Ben imagine a kinder world where everyone pays the same price for law school.

Ben and Nathan discuss why those who conquer the LSAT don’t settle for fifty-fifty guesses.

Ben and Nathan outline their flexible approach to prediction.

Nathan and Ben discuss how LSAT prep goes hand-in-hand with law school prep.

Ben and Erik discuss why positive self-talk is vital to your relationship with the LSAT.

The guys encourage listeners to drop their note-taking crutches and to engage with the LSAT on a more immediate level.

You can solve any Logical Reasoning question without diagramming by reading carefully and engaging your common sense.

Nathan and Ben advise a discouraged student to ease up on the gas pedal and take it one question at a time.

The guys celebrate listeners’ successes on the August LSAT.

LSAT growth comes from thoroughly reviewing your mistakes. But what does a thorough review look like?

Nathan and Ben shine a light on a shady scholarship practice.

Nathan and Ben examine the root cause of underperformance on the LSAT: too much concern for the clock and not enough focus on understanding.

Ben and Nathan discuss the new format for LSAT Writing and critique a practice essay submitted by an LSAT Demon student.

Recent law school graduates have benefited from a hot hiring market, but there are signs that the market might be cooling off.

Nathan and Ben encourage LSAT students to pursue the upside of their score range by taking the test multiple times.

Ben and Nathan break down two critical skills that form the foundation of LSAT mastery.

Nathan and Ben critique a listener’s personal statement through the eyes of harried admissions officers.

Nathan and Ben discuss the number one reason why some people underperform on test day.

Nathan and Ben discuss why a no-nonsense mindset is vital to LSAT success.

Clearbrief CEO Jackie Schafer joins Ben for a conversation about what aspiring lawyers should know about the future of AI in legal tech.

Nathan and Ben advocate a less-is-more approach to LSAT study, centered on carefully reviewing one mistake at a time.

Nathan and Ben share the highlights from a recent study on law school application timing. TL;DR? “Applications submitted earlier enjoy a considerable advantage

Why do you want to become a lawyer? If you’re chasing prestige, then you might want to reconsider.