Podcast
Thinking LSAT
Hosted by Nathan Fox and Ben Olson · EN
Ben Olson and Nathan Fox started the Thinking LSAT Podcast to become better LSAT teachers and have some fun. Please 1) subscribe, 2) rate and review, and 3) send us questions: help@thinkinglsat.com. Don't pay for law school!
Learn more at lsatdemon.com
46episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
175 Is the New 173 (Ep. 572)
Yesterday01:22:07Tap to summarizeLSAC has released its annual LSAT percentile table, showing how score distributions have changed over the past three testing cycles. Ben and Nathan explain that while more test takers are earning higher scores, small changes in percentiles matter far less than the score improvement students can make. Also in this episode:- The difference between necessary vs. sufficient questions- Why applying early without your best score will hurt your application- A tip from a student in the LSAT Demon Discord You’re Never Early with a Bad Score, Thinking LSAT (Ep. 521)Study with our Free PlanDownload our iOS appWatch Episode 572 on YouTubeCheck out all of our “What’s the Deal With” segmentsGet caught up with our Word of the Week library0:00 Test D Question — Agamemnon's pride10:31 Necessary vs. Sufficient Assumption24:05 LSAT Percentile Changes30:16 Applying Early or with the Best LSAT Score38:24 Pearls v. Turds51:07 Tips from Departing Demons59:34 Attending a Regional Law School1:12:39 Word of the week — casuistry1:18:38 Email of the week
Transcribe →This GPA Change Could Help You (Ep. 571)
1w ago01:07:26Tap to summarizeLSAC has changed how it calculates an applicant's undergraduate GPA: college courses taken during high school will no longer count toward the UGPA. Ben and Nathan discuss how this could benefit many applicants and how students can get their UGPA updated.Also in this episode:- A viewer who is applying to law school for the third time- Washington cancelling their bar exam after technical difficulties- The next contestant on the Personal Statement Gong ShowStudy with our Free PlanDownload our iOS appWatch Episode 571 on YouTubeCheck out all of our “What’s the Deal With” segmentsGet caught up with our Word of the Week library0:00 LSAC UGPA Change4:14 Avoiding Strike Three on Law Applications11:24 Washington Cancelled Bar Exam18:32 Test D Question — Linguistic anthropologist 32:58 Exit Survey on Demon Explanations38:55 Ask Button Secret Feature42:18 Personal Statement Gong Show59:32 Word of the week — logomachy
Transcribe →Don't Drill Yourself Into a Corner (Ep. 570)
2w ago01:28:50Tap to summarizeA listener asks whether drilling one question type until they've "mastered" it beats mixed practice. Ben and Nathan explain why focusing on a single type creates a false sense of progress. They argue that mixed practice better prepares students for the unpredictability of the real LSAT.Also in this episode:- A law school asks waitlisted applicants to take a “situational judgment” test- Which test a student with only two attempts left should register for- How to reapply after being dismissed from law schoolStudy with our Free PlanDownload our iOS appWatch Episode 570 on YouTubeCheck out all of our “What’s the Deal With” segmentsGet caught up with our Word of the Week library0:00 Drilling Method8:47 Tips on Predicting22:11 Waitlist Games41:13 Test D Question — Planet Y58:50 When to Register1:04:32 UC Law SF Alumni Email1:09:12 Reapplying After Law School Dismissal1:23:14 Word of the week — intransigent
Transcribe →Why Law Firms Can't Stop Hiring (Ep. 569)
3w ago01:32:10Tap to summarizeDan Currell returns to unpack a decade of major shifts in legal education and hiring. Nathan and Dan discuss employment outcomes for recent law graduates and the unusually frothy market in law firm hiring. Also in this episode:- What's fueling the surge in law school application- The mounting pressure students face once enrolled- Grade inflation at the undergraduate levelEmployment Outcomes Since 2016Hiring by Firm Size Since 2016Law School Applications by YearMean UGPA for First-Year ClassStudy with our Free PlanDownload our iOS appWatch Episode 569 on YouTubeCheck out all of our “What’s the Deal With” segmentsGet caught up with our Word of the Week library0:00 Introduction5:21 Enthusiasm or Fear: What's Driving Applicants?16:26 Employment Outcomes for Recent Law Graduates25:53 The Frothy Market in Law Firm Hiring34:24 The Super-Star Effect42:25 Removal of Logic Games49:09 The Rise in Law School Applications59:06 Pressure on Students1:04:30 Take-Home LSAT Change1:12:55 Grade Inflation
Transcribe →Did RC Secretly Get Harder? (Ep. 568)
4w ago01:24:18Tap to summarizeThe Demon team discovered that LSAC removed a Reading Comprehension feature in its updated interface. The test will no longer highlight referenced text in the passage. Ben and Nathan talk about this change and what it means for students.Also in this episode:- Chicago Law Releases Update on AI Strategy- Whether to pursue a master’s degree before law school- The next Personal Statement Gong Show contestantUniversity of Chicago Law PolicyStudy with our Free PlanDownload our iOS appWatch Episode 568 on YouTubeCheck out all of our “What’s the Deal With” segmentsGet caught up with our Word of the Week library0:00 No More Blue Highlighting on RC14:12 On the Parallel Reasoning Ledge25:58 Chicago Law Banning Phones and Laptops 36:19 Tips from Departing Demons40:12 Test D Question — Athleisure48:17 Pursuing Master’s Before Law School55:24 Personal Statement Gong Show1:19:48 Word of the week — recalcitrant
Transcribe →The Diagramming Debate (Ep. 567)
Jul 1301:33:27Tap to summarizeA student pushes back on the Demon's advice against diagramming on the LSAT. Nathan and Ben respond with why their intuitive approach helps students answer questions faster and more accurately.Also in this episode:- A viewer follows up on their score hold- A judge's advice on sharing personal struggles in a personal statement- Whether being a KJD hurts your applicationStudy with our Free PlanDownload our iOS appWatch Episode 567 on YouTubeCheck out all of our “What’s the Deal With” segmentsGet caught up with our Word of the Week library0:00 Prematurely Registered for the LSAT17:10 Accusation of Cheating41:08 Pearls v. Turds44:40 Confused with LSAT Demon49:57 Test D Question — Evil Oil Barons1:04:13 Sharing Struggles in Personal Statement1:16:16 KJD Tax1:25:29 Word of the week — auspicious
Transcribe →Don't Choke On Test Day (Ep. 566)
Jul 601:27:40Tap to summarizeA viewer writes with disappointment about an underperformance on their last two LSAT administrations. Ben and Nathan remind her that scores naturally fluctuate, and that if you've been scoring high, the answer is almost always to be registered for the next test.Also in this episode:- A viewer who underperformed on their June LSAT administration- An update from a former Demon student after their first year of law school- How a splitter can boost their law school applicationStudy with our Free PlanDownload our iOS appWatch Episode 566 on YouTubeCheck out all of our “What’s the Deal With” segmentsGet caught up with our Word of the Week library0:00 June Score Release8:30 Underperforming on the LSAT17:16 SCOTUS Writing Jargon 19:50 Wake Forest Law Deferral for Increased Scholarship45:47 Test D Question — State senate election55:20 Demon Alum 1L Update1:06:10 How to Boost Application1:21:25 Word of the week — proprioception
Transcribe →Above The Law Ranks for Big Law (Ep. 565)
Jun 2901:14:38Tap to summarizeThe 2026 “Above the Law” law school rankings just dropped. Unlike US News, Above the Law only ranks 50 schools and weighs employment outcomes almost exclusively. The result? Some schools rank much higher than expected while others fall despite their prestige.Also in this episode:- Advice on pass/fail courses from an academic advisor- The Department of Education lowers loan rates for borrowers- What to do in your last five minutes on RCStudy with our Free PlanDownload our iOS appWatch Episode 565 on YouTubeCheck out all of our “What’s the Deal With” segmentsGet caught up with our Word of the Week library0:00 Above the Law Rankings16:17 Pass/Fail Advice from Academic Advisor20:35 Department of Education Lowers Student Loan Rates33:31 Test D Question — Vocabulary48:30 LSAT Retake Advice from Dean Z1:02:53 Last 5 Minutes of Reading Comprehension1:09:39 Word of the week — abrogate
Transcribe →Welcome to the Waitlist Games (Ep. 564)
Jun 2201:30:57Tap to summarizeLaw schools have started to give out acceptances off of their waitlist. Ben and Nathan give advice to a viewer who received a spot off the waitlist from a higher ranked school with no scholarship offer. Also in this episode:- How to consistently study while working full-time- A viewer email asks whether they should register for the August LSAT- The next contestant on the Personal Statement Gong ShowStudy with our Free PlanDownload our iOS appWatch Episode 564 on YouTubeCheck out all of our “What’s the Deal With” segmentsGet caught up with our Word of the Week library0:00 Studying and Working Full-TIme7:37 Decision Advice on Waitlist27:01 #thirstylawschools37:33 Should I Take the August LSAT?51:59 Test D Question — Smartphone ban1:03:25 LSAT Study Timeline1:11:16 Personal Statement Gong Show 1:24:50 Word of the week — contumacious
Transcribe →Big Law Pays 455k. Here's the Catch (Ep. 563)
Jun 1501:12:15Tap to summarizeMilbank raised salaries for their associates with many law firms expected to follow. Ben and Nathan discuss the type of students who are the most likely to land in big law and the potential downsides of working in such firms.Also in this episode:- Whether you should review answers you get right- AI outperforms law professors in a Stanford study on tutoring- Tips from students who crushed the LSATBloomberg Law ArticleReuters Article Study with our Free PlanDownload our iOS appWatch Episode 563 on YouTubeCheck out all of our “What’s the Deal With” segmentsGet caught up with our Word of the Week library0:00 Big Law Associate Raise12:27 Reviewing Correct Answers18:15 Ready for Timed Sections?30:26 AI Beat Law Professors In Stanford Study38:37 Test D Question — Michelson and Morley52:17 Tips from Departing Demons58:42 Hope for a Splitter1:07:40 Word of the week — garrulous
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