The Three Stages of “Unless” Awareness (Ep. 263)
The summer’s coming to an end and future 1Ls are applying to law school or getting ready to take the LSAT. And since folks are about to dive headfirst into the fall LSATs? The guys get a bunch of pretty technical questions about the test. They discuss the mechanics of strengthen and weaken questions, they talk about how to handle questions that use “unless,” and they straight up answer a must be true question from practice test 65. Plus, they consider when a person should become a lawyer and they read a rather hilarious email from UC Hastings.
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Important Dates
9.23.2020 – If you plan to take the LSAT in November—this is the deadline for signups
10.03.2020 – It’s the start of the October LSAT-Flex testing week!
11.07.2020 – Break out the long sleeves, it’s the November LSAT-Flex testing week
4:34 – When is Crunch Time?
Caeden has been working hard at the LSAT and on the few practice tests he’s attempted, he’s scored in the low 160s. That’s pretty badass, Caeden! He’s been working with another test prep company but isn’t seeing much improvement thus far. And while the Demon sounds interesting, the $100/mo. isn’t in Caeden’s budget. He wants to know if three months of consistent prep will get him to his goal score in the low 170s. The guys talk about LSAT prep in general—how early is too early? what can you expect in terms of progress over time?—and suggest that Caeden could reach his goal score in a month of targeted prep. When it comes to any LSAT prep service you pay for, any money spent to improve your score is well worth the investment. You’ll see significant returns when it comes to the quality of school and scholarship opportunities.
12:46 – The Meaning of “If True”
J. is having trouble with LR questions that include the words “if true” in the question. It kinda throws him off. Generally, this phrase, along with “if valid” and others, can be found in strengthen and weaken questions. Ben and Nathan clarify—this phrase means…what it means. It’s a conditional clause that forces you to hold certain information as true in order to answer the question. The guys share how they think about these questions.
22:09 – Pearls vs. Turds
Ariana writes in with an “easy” way to teach a rule to students. The rule is: when you see “unless” on the test, you can replace it with “if not” to bring clarity to the passage or question. The guys have a lengthy discussion in which they weigh in on Ariana’s method of dealing with “unless.”
39:39 – UC Hastings Fun Fact
Matt writes in to give the guys a fun fact about Nathan’s alma mater, UC Hastings. Matt points out that Kamala Harris also went to UC Hastings and may very well end up being the first female vice president of the United States. While the guys do indeed hope that happens, they’re already bracing themselves for the onslaught of emails from Dean Faigman as a result. Nathan also reads a “very special recent alumni” email about a UC Hastings fundraiser for winos.
49:01 – Turning a Negative Rule into a Positive Rule
Patti challenges the guys to put their own logic to the test. Instead of telling y’all the reasons not to go to law school, Patti wants to know the reasons to go to law school. While there aren’t many, the guys oblige.
1:05:52 – LR Question 9 from Practice Test 65
Ben and Nathan dive into another logical reasoning question from prep test 65. This question is all about mosquitos and the West Nile virus. It’s a fact-filled adventure about illness! The guys slice and dice the question and share how they think about the solution.