Pre-Law Guide - LSAT and LSDAS

The LSAT

All candidates applying to American Bar Association approved law schools are required to take the Law School Admission Test (LSAT). The LSAT is administered four times per year and measures skills that are thought to predict success in law school: the ability to read and comprehend complex texts, the ability to manage and organize information, and the ability to process information and reach conclusions.

The most recent version of the LSAT includes one non-scored section, commonly referred to as the experimental section. In addition, the LSAT includes a Writing Sample timed at 35 minutes.

Although the writing sample is not calculated in your overall score, law school admissions officers read the writing sample. If you do not put a concerted effort into writing this essay, law school admissions officers will not consider you a viable candidate for admission into law school.

Arrangements for Taking the LSAT

A candidate for the LSAT should obtain a copy of the LSAT & LSDAS Registration and Information Book from OCC or view the information on the Law School Admission Council’s website http://www.lsac.org. An updated Information Book is distributed each year in time for the June administration of the test. It contains information on test dates and locations for the coming year, registration forms and instructions, sample questions, and some test explanation.

The LSAT is offered in June, October, December, and February. Registration must be completed at least one month before the desired test date. Late registration is possible, but at some additional expense and with less assurance that you will be assigned to the location you prefer.

There is no prescribed time to take the LSAT. Some juniors take the LSAT in February or June. Some seniors take the LSAT in October. Some students know that they are planning to attend law school in a few years, but they want to take the LSAT while they are in the study mode. Remember, your LSAT score is good for five years.

If you are planning to enroll in law school in the fall after your senior year, you should submit your law school applications by Thanksgiving. The results of your LSAT are sent to you approximately three weeks after the LSAT is taken. Once you receive these results, you can create a more focused list of law schools to target.

Preparing for the LSAT

Since most law schools place a strong emphasis on the LSAT score, it is important to prepare thoroughly for the LSAT. Even a single point one-way or the other can make a difference. Do not, under any circumstances, use an actual test administration as practice. Remember that on this test you must get a majority of questions right to obtain a high score.

The following resources provide opportunities to study for the LSAT:

LSAT & LSDAS Registration and Information Book:

This booklet contains a practice test and information on how to order actual tests and simulated prep tests. The Information Books are available free from the Office of Career Counseling.

Commercial Preparation Courses

There seem to be two conflicting schools of thought on whether an LSAT review course helps to improve your score. One is that the applicant should do anything possible to improve his/her chances of admission, and that if a review course will improve the score, it is a good buy. The other is that there is no real indication that a review course does improve LSAT scores. Two of the most popular courses are Princeton Review and Kaplan. The Law School Admission Council discourages review courses because the LSAT is designed to measure intellectual qualities that develop gradually and types of knowledge that accumulate over relatively long periods of time.

Review course advocates frequently argue that even if they cannot prepare you extensively in terms of content, they can at least make you feel more comfortable with this kind of test.

Retaking the LSAT and Cancellations

You have nine calendar days from the test date to request that your scores be canceled. For details, see the Information Book. Remember, the fact that you canceled your score will be reported to law schools.

As a rule of thumb, the LSAT should be taken only once, and it is generally considered advisable not to retake it. If you were ill, feel that some other external circumstance caused you not to perform well the first time, or if your first score does not correspond to your SAT verbal score, you should consider retaking the LSAT. Before you decide to take this next step, you should to consult the pre-law advisor and the individual law schools.

If you plan to retake the LSAT, what new approaches will you use when preparing for the LSAT? You are taking a risk that your second score might be a couple of points lower or possibly a couple of points higher than your original score. The LSAT report contains the results from each LSAT taken and the average these scores. If law schools receive an LSAT report with multiple scores, they tend to look at the average LSAT score when reviewing a candidate’s application file.

LSDAS

The Law School Data Assembly Service simplifies the admissions process by providing a centralized, computerized application service. Most law schools require applicants to register with the LSDAS. The LSDAS provides law schools designated by the candidate with a report containing standardized summaries of academic work, copies of college transcripts, LSAT scores and the writing sample.

You must have an official transcript sent to LSAC/LSDAS from every institution (undergraduate, graduate, and professional) listed on your registration form.

The registration fee for LSDAS includes access to electronic law school applications. LSAC provides a Letter of Recommendation service that allows candidates to submit up to four letters. These letters of recommendation are copied and sent to law schools with the LSDAS report. Advantages of the service are that candidates can inquire about their letters directly to LSAC. Each writer sends the letter of recommendation to one place. The cost of this service is built into the LSDAS and report fees.

You should register for the LSDAS in the year when you plan to apply to law school.

Fee Waivers for LSAT and LSDAS

Registration fees for both LSAT and LSDAS can be waived in cases of genuine financial constraint. This year, LSAC is providing students with the option of applying for a fee waiver online. In addition the fee waiver packet can be downloaded from the LSAC.org website or by requesting the packet from law school admissions offices or the pre-law advisor. LSAC recommends that you submit your completed fee waiver application at least four weeks before the regular registration deadline for a particular test date.