Dear Future Barrister:

“Are you planning to follow a career in Magical Law, Miss Granger?” asked Scrimgeour.

“No, I’m not,” retorted Hermione. “I’m hoping to do some good in the world!”

Welcome to the Wizarding World of the LSAT!

This email has been updated with information relevant to the 2024-25 administrations of the LSAT. This includes the most recent test dates, registration dates, and event dates & cancellations.
NOTE: ALTHOUGH THIS INFORMATION WAS UPDATED IN NOVEMBER 2024, SOME OF IT WILL POSSIBLY CHANGE DUE TO THE LSAC'S RAPIDLY EVOLVING POLICIES. Please subscribe to and read all emails from the LSAC.
Your invoice will follow via separate email, once it's been prepared and finalized. But you can start scheduling your appointments now via the scheduling link below.
You have TEN main tasks I want you all to accomplish over the next few months (depending upon your test date!):

1) Register for an LSAC ACCOUNT!

2) Register for the Credential Assembly Service

3) Register for the Candidate Referral Service

4) Start soliciting your letters of recommendation

5) Start adding applications to your LSAC account and reviewing application requirements

6) Start writing/revising your law school resume

7) Submit your transcripts to the LSAC for recalculation

8) Research and register for law school forums or events in your geographic area

9) Start preparing your addenda and additional essays for any law school asking for them

10) MOST IMPORTANTLY: START DRAFTING YOUR PERSONAL STATEMENT

THIS IS A LENGTHY EMAIL. But it accounts for almost every important date/deadline approaching in the next YEAR. READ THIS EMAIL IN FULL.

The LSAT is usually administered 8 times a year: January, February, April, June, August, September, October, and November. You can check upcoming test dates and register here. Registration deadlines tend to be approximately 6 weeks before the actual test dates. Do not register until you are absolutely sure you’re in the final states of your preparation.

Law schools have seen a significant increase in the number of applicants and the number of LSAT test-takers in the past 8 years. Given the fact that most law schools have also been reducing class size to increase competitiveness, this means more people applying for fewer spots, and so your LSAT score is more important than ever.

The ideal prep should last somewhere between 10 and 26 weeks, depending upon your starting score and desired goal score.

Also remember: the application process opens around September 1st, and early decision deadlines tend to be around November 1st to December 1st. Remember: some early decision options are binding. Some come with money attached, some do not. Final deadlines tend to be between mid-February and April 1st.

***** 

This email is broken into eight sections:

  1. Scheduling

  2. How to Use Your Student Resources

  3. Credential Assembly Service

  4. Candidate Referral Service & Free Applications

  5. Fee Waivers

  6. Testing Accommodation

  7. Personal Statements

  8. Law School Events

*****

SCHEDULING

Please use the scheduling app to schedule your appointments. You can find it here: https://atxlsat.youcanbook.me/

Scheduling through the app allows you to see my complete availability, and also allows you to reschedule should any conflict arise. I prefer you not make appointments via text or email. Please use the app! The first 10 sessions should each be 2 hours long unless instructed otherwise. 24 hours notice is required for cancellation or rescheduling, although I tend to be very flexible upon that.

I travel frequently between EASTERN TIME and CENTRAL TIME, but the scheduling app should adjust to your time zone. You can add me on Skype at richardjahillary.

HOW TO USE YOUR STUDENT RESOURCES:

http://www.atxlsat.com/resources


“LSAT LESSON BOOK” should be reserved for one-on-one sessions. The lesson book should NEVER be addressed outside of class. The content of this book has been chosen specifically for its overall representativeness of the LSAT's core content.

“Introduction & Theory” sections should only be reviewed AFTER sessions introducing these individual subjects. They are not required or even encouraged.

“Section Practice” is ideal after the student has completed the entire introductory module for individual sections of the test (Logical Reasoning & Reading Comprehension). These are 35 minute sections excerpted from older tests, perfect for quick study when pressed for time or to gain additional exposure to an individual section of the test.

“Mastery Practice” should be used for homework after the topic has been introduced.

“Additional Notes” provide summaries of the “Introduction & Theory” sections as well as concepts covered during one-on-one sessions. These should be reviewed AFTER the session. Not all sections will have notes. Some notes will be delivered to you via email.

CREDENTIAL ASSEMBLY SERVICE

The Credential Assembly Service, as the name tautologically implies, gathers together your credentials for your applications to law school. It is a required service to apply to any ABA accredited law school. It gathers together the following materials:

  • LSAT Score(s)

  • GPA (transcripts must be sent from ALL schools attended, including community college or transfer credits; your GPA will be recalculated for the purposes of the CAS)

  • Personal Statement (by FAR the 3rd most important piece of your application)

    • Additional Essays:

    • Diversity

    • Adversity

    • Time since graduation (for non-traditional candidates who have been out of school for more than a certain period of time)

    • Academic addenda

    • Criminal addenda (for those with youthful or non-youthful indiscretions)

    • Why This Particular Law School

    • Other essays (Georgetown and Pepperdine have some interesting and strange essay requirements)

  • Resume/Work History

  • Honors & Extracurriculars

  • Recommendations (most law schools require 2 and accept up to 4; ideally they should come from professors)

  • Dean's Certification (mostly required for Ivy League schools)

The Credential Assembly Service currently costs $207. You should register for it and submit your transcripts for processing ASAP. Transcripts can take several weeks to process at peak times.

You can check current fee schedules here.

CANDIDATE REFERRAL SERVICE & FREE APPLICATIONS

The Candidate Referral Service offers FREE APPLICATIONS to registrants, basically in exchange for sharing your info with law schools. After you log into your LSAC account (you have to log in first), you should be able to check your current status with CRS here: https://os.lsac.org/Release/MyLSAC/Profile/CRS.aspx

For instance, the University of Texas School of Law offered all Texas residents registered with CRS a free application last year, and many other schools offer similar free applications to registrants.  Keep in mind: applying to 10 schools could easily cost $750 in application fees alone (and another $450 in score reports).  Applying to more schools increases your chances of getting into a GREAT school and receiving a GREAT scholarship offer.

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FEE WAIVERS

If you feel like you may be eligible for a fee waiver, you can apply here: http://lsac.org/jd/lsat/fee-waivers

I would encourage ANYONE who feels like they might be eligible to at least apply. Most of you are young. Most of you are students or in entry level jobs. PLEASE TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THIS PROGRAM. Law school is expensive, and the fee waiver gives you access to goods and services that would normally cost $700+.

Each approved LSAC fee waiver will entitle you to

TESTING ACCOMMODATION

Also, you feel like you may be eligible for a testing accommodation due to a diagnosed learning disability, you can find information on that here: http://www.lsac.org/jd/lsat/accommodated-testing

Accommodations should be requested approximately 6 to 8 weeks before the test registration deadline. If you have ever received an accommodation at the high school or university level, you may be eligible. Accommodations range from left handed seating, having a reader for the visually impaired, or even receiving extended time if you suffer from ADHD or another learning difference. Some test takers receive as much as 70 minutes per section, and your score report to law schools will NOT note this. Your accommodation is completely anonymous.

PERSONAL STATEMENTS

"The Guide to Writing Effective Personal Statements" covers the process of creating your personal statement from format to brainstorming to writing to editing. It contains an extensive list of DOs and DON'Ts, and addresses the most common mistakes students make when writing a law school personal statement. You should read this document in full.

"29 Personal Statements That Made a Difference" is a collection of 29 personal statements from my own students. In each and every case, these personal statements opened the door at law schools where LSAT and GPA alone would not have ensured an offer of admission. Read through at least a few of these. All of these are very good; a few are truly exceptional and set a high bar for your own work.

"How to Choose Your Law School" is an excerpt from a book I wrote a couple of years ago on choosing a law school program that best fits your own personal needs and post-graduation career plans. The application process at almost every law school in the country opens between September 1st and October 1st, and the sooner you can submit your applications, the more competitive your application becomes.

UPCOMING LAW SCHOOL EVENTS

University of Texas Law Fair: October/November - Texas Union Ballroom

120+ law schools attend this event every year making it one of the largest non-LSAC affiliated law fairs in the country, and it permits significant interaction with the very people who will be making your admissions decision. THERE ARE MANY OF YOU WHO ARE NOT IN STATE. Allow me to assure you that your largest local state university will hold a similar event. Registration is NOT required for the law fair, but there are occasionally workshops on financial aid and application assistance that DO require registration.

Texas Law Day: September/October

This event is specifically for students interested in applying to the University of Texas School of Law (which is--and I say this without any preconceived bias--the BEST school of legal education in the United States of America). There are mock classes, student life panels, and tours of the facilities. If you're considering UT Law then I highly recommend this event. Many other law schools also offer similar events on their campuses. Dates not announced yet. Registration is required.

The Law School Admissions Council--which creates, administers, and scores the LSAT, in addition to processing your law school applications--runs events across the country in the fall. Start planning your trip now. These events gives you the opportunity to talk to hundreds of different law schools, as well as offering panels on the law school application process, financing law school, and the actual practice of law. 

LSAC Law School Forums are usually scheduled in the following cities in September/October/November:

  • Washington, DC

  • Toronto, ON

  • Chicago, IL

  • Los Angeles, CA

  • Miami, FL

  • Atlanta, GA

  • New York, NY

  • San Francisco, CA

  • Houston, TX

  • Boston, MA

REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED. Digital forums are also usually held September/October/November.

Finally, all law schools permit in-person visits, and for those of you with flexible schedules and the financial resources, I would strongly encourage you to visit any and all law schools to which you plan to apply. It denotes strong interest and can truly help you in the admissions process. Don't wait until next January to do it. Every desperate soul wants facetime with the Dean of Admissions next January.

Guided tours of the University of Texas School of Law, for example, can be arranged here: https://law.utexas.edu/admissions/tours/index.php

Here's Georgetown's visitor site, here's Berkeley's, here's Northwestern's. Start thinking about your fall travel and starting visiting the places you plan to spend THE NEXT THREE YEARS OF YOUR LIFE.

Before you head to any of these events or take a guided tour, be sure to read the LAW FAIR SURVIVAL GUIDE found in your online syllabus. It contains a guide to the sorts of questions you should be asking law school administrators to make the best possible impression.

Also be sure to consult the US News Rankings before asking questions on LSAT and GPA.

*****
As always, if you have any questions, concerns, or comments, please do not hesitate to text (484-903-3138) or email (atxlsat@gmail.com).

Cheers,

Richard + Bruce