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

Stop us if you’ve heard this one before: "...and even if you don’t end up being a lawyer, there are so many jobs you can do with a JD!"

But what jobs, exactly? Branden & Jelena break down some non-lawyering options for law school grads, while also discussing the question of whether or not you should go to law school if you think you’d prefer a non-lawyer job.

Listen and learn . . .

1. Which non-lawyering jobs for lawyers ac...

Thinking of applying to WashU (#16 USNWR, #6 ATL)? Then this is a must-listen.

But even if you’ll be applying elsewhere, Branden & Jelena’s interview with WashU’s Director of Admissions and Vice Dean for Institutional Success will put you on the right path to acceptances galore.

Listen and learn . . .

1. Why WashU lets you redact your GPA or LSAT score when applying
2. What admissions officers really want to see in your person...

It’s our hundredth episode! Plus, our announcement of the winner of the biggest LSATMax giveaway ever.

To celebrate, Branden & Jelena share their top 100 LSAT and law school admissions tips from all their years of helping students ace the LSAT and get into the law schools of their dreams.

Listen and learn . . .

1. Jelena’s best Logic Games strategy hacks
2. Branden’s secret reading tactics for a higher Reading Comprehension sc...

Ever thought to yourself, “Being a lawyer sounds great, but I wish we had uniforms?” Wished 1L year was a little more like actual boot camp, and a little less like lawyer boot camp?

Good news: the military needs lawyers! USAF Major and happy lawyer Samantha Sliney joins the podcast to talk about her career as a JAG, or Judge Advocate General, and how you can pursue a legal career in the armed forces, too.

Listen and learn . . .

There have been a few Logical Reasoning questions in the history of the LSAT that were about as long as a Reading Comp passage, and every single one of them is a Parallel Reasoning or Flawed Parallel Reasoning question.

These questions are frustrating and time consuming. Luckily they aren’t the most common types of questions, so lots of people skip them, but if you want an elite score, you’ll have to learn how to answer these corre...

We’re interviewing happy lawyers about why they love their jobs! First up is Olivia St. Clair-Long, Founder and Principal Attorney at O. Long Law in Evanston, Illinois.

Find out why she left a big firm to hang a shingle in family law—and how her area of practice, as well as running her own firm, keeps her excited about the law.

1. All about a day in the life of a family lawyer
2. What it takes to run a firm while also being its top ...

Show (you) the money! We all know a high LSAT score means access to more scholarships . . . but what about all the other ways to get scholarships for law school, like diversity, practice area, and financial need?

Jelena & Branden give you a brief run-down of the kinds of scholarships you might be eligible for as a law student—and the scholarships you might not be aware of for the costs you’ll incur before and after law school....

Our tutor spotlight series continues with UNC Chapel Hill grad and former project manager Adam Sommers, who took the LSAT in 2020 and has been tutoring the exam ever since.

If you’re looking to improve your reaction to the LSAT, good news—he majored in chemistry!

Listen and learn . . .

1. How to handle retaking the LSAT back-to-back (if you can’t avoid it!)
2. What to do if applying to law school is an impulse decision for you . . ...

Did you know the LSAT was created in part because of World War I? This test we all have to take to apply to law school goes back way farther than most of us realized.

This week, Branden & Jelena explore the LSAT’s roots and growth over time, along with some of the controversies along the way.

Listen and learn . . .

1. When the first LSAT was administered
2. How the LSAT was initially developed
3. Why some law schools wanted the ...

For several years now, some ABA accredited schools have accepted applications from students with a GRE score instead of an LSAT score. Although it hasn’t replaced the LSAT, more change is afoot because the ABA is considering allowing schools to ditch standardized tests altogether for admission.

Given the uncertain landscape, Branden and Jelena sat down with TestMax’s in-house expert on both exams, Clyde Engle, who will be attending...

Twitter exploded with news of the “end of the LSAT” after a recent ABA Strategic Review Committee memo was released, detailing proposed changes to ABA rules that would make the use of standardized testing in admissions optional for accredited law schools.

So, is the LSAT really going the way of the buggy whip? Can you stop studying? Or is this, just maybe, a little bit of standard-issue social media hyperbole?

Listen and learn . . ...

In Branden’s absence, Jelena interviews Duke Law 1L and former LSATMax tutor Thomas Fogarty about his first year at Duke, a surprisingly laid-back T14 in beautiful Durham, North Carolina.

Listen and learn . . .

1. How Duke supports students interested in public interest and government jobs
2. What kind of culture you can expect as a Duke Law student
3. Why side effects of mock trial might include wanting to become a federal prosecutor
...

The events of the past week may have some Levelheads thinking about dedicating their legal careers to reproductive rights & justice.

Branden and Jelena dig into the options available for law students to study and work on reproductive issues.

Listen and learn . . .

1. Which law schools have the most courses dedicated to reproductive rights & justice
2. How to get practical experience on reproductive rights & justice issu...

Did you know there’s an essay portion of the LSAT? Did you know you can’t get your score until you complete one? Yikes!

The good news is that the writing sample isn’t scored, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t turn in your best performance. So, listen as Jelena & Branden break down the format of the Writing Sample and work through an example.

Listen and learn . . .

1. What the purpose of the writing sample is
2. How law schoo...

Meet LSATMax tutor Jacob Kennedy, who interned with the JAG Corps to prepare for law school, and now spends his time traveling through Europe and playing chess.

While living his best mid-20th century life, Jacob stopped by the podcast to tell the Levelheads all about his LSAT journey, future plans, and top tips for students.

Listen and learn . . .

1. What the JAG Corps is (and what their interns do)
2. How chess is, and isn’t like ...

Jelena & Branden dive into the parts of your law school application that you don’t actually have to do (but maybe you should).

From diversity statements to addenda to those weird Georgetown 250-word mini-essay prompts, it’s all here.

Listen and learn . . .

1. Why not all diverse applicants should write a diversity statement
2. When an addendum can help, and when it would do more harm than good
3. How admissions departments may be ...

That’s right! There’s a new round of that thing you should pretty much ignore as you’re deciding on where and how to apply: The 2023 U.S. News & World Law School Rankings.

Because we are looking out for our listeners, we’ll process the findings and deliver them to you so you don’t have to sully yourself with rankings analysis.

Listen and learn . . .

1. What factors USNWR uses to rank schools, and how those factors are weigh...

Our 2021L series continues with Washington & Lee University of School of Law 1L Max Blumenthal, who shares his experiences at a law school known for its small class size and a unique, completely experiential 3L program.

Listen and learn . . .

1. What it’s like to compete in Moot Court in front of real judges after less than a year of law school
2. How those 1L doctrinal classes work at a school so small that everyone knows each...

There’s a method of reasoning to our madness this week, as Branden & Jelena take you through a step-by-step prescription for improving your performance on Methods of Reasoning and Argument Structure questions.

These may not be the flashiest questions on the LSAT, but they’re a consistent source of points if you approach them with the right strategy.

Listen and learn . . .

1. How to identify the most common argumentative tec...