Cutts Graduate Reviews - Prelaw Programs

January

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Program 5. LSAT Logical Reasoning: This month’s suggested program for your group is a session to give each member an introduction to Logical Reasoning on the LSAT, a chance to practice it, and a chance to give each other feedback.

Goal: Learn the basic strategies for Logical Reasoning, including if/then logic, recognizing question types, and using the Adversarial Approach to get to the correct answer.

Rationale: Like the entire LSAT, Logical Reasoning has hidden agendas and hidden patterns that you need to recognize and understand. To learn how to master this section, it’s important to get in-depth expert instruction and to practice what you learn.

Preparation: This session requires some significant preparation. Members should read the Introduction, General Strategies chapter, and the Logical Reasoning chapter in the Barron’s LSAT, more recently republished as the Cognella LSAT Road Map (available summer 2023). Both editions are available on Amazon. The Cognella version is more current.

Why this book? There are lots of books available on the LSAT. As the author of the Barron’s/Cognella book, I feel that it goes into much more depth than the other books. I put all of my 30 years experience working individually with LSAT students into it. It is virtually a dissertation on the LSAT.

Members should also have access to one of the actual LSAT exams published by Law Services. It will help if everyone has the same test. You can make copies of one Logical Reasoning section from the test and distribute it if you want. If you do that, you will also need to duplicate the answer key. Members should NOT work on the test before your meeting. They will work on it together during the meeting.

Itinerary:

1) Meeting coordinator introduces the topic of the session, the goal, the rationale, and the itinerary for the session. The coordinator asks for any comments or questions about the topic of the session.

2) Members work in groups of 5 or so. Start by having everyone work on the first Logical Reasoning question in the test section you are using. Within each small group, when everyone has had enough time to work on the question (1-4 minutes), the members then share their answers and discuss. One person can look up the correct answer. (It’s best to keep this to one person because when you look up the answer, it’s easy to spot the answer to the next question.)

Time for item 2: 20-30 minutes

3) Reconvene as a whole group and discuss what you learned and what it will take to master the Logical Reasoning.

Time for item 3: 5-10 minutes

4) The meeting coordinator asks members for feedback on how members plan to work on the LSAT in general and discuss whether they would look more meetings on the LSAT.

Time for item 4: 5 minutes

Total session time: 30 to 45 minutes

Follow-up: We have other suggested meetings for working on the other sections of the LSAT. If you want, you can schedule a second section on the Logical Reasoning,

How to Announce This to Your Members:

In our meeting on __________ (date) we’re going to learn about the Logical Reasoning section of the LSAT and work on questions. We’ll be working with the specialized instructions from the Barron’s/Cognella LSAT book, which will give you in-depth strategies for if/then logic, an explanation of the types of Logical Reasoning questions, advanced tools for solving Logical Reasoning problems, and critical strategies for how to use your time.

To get the most out of this session, there is some work you need to do in adavnace. Please read the Introduction, General Strategies chapter, and the Logical Reasoning chapter in the Barron’s LSAT, more recently republished as the Cognella LSAT Road Map (available summer 2023). Both editions are available on Amazon. The Cognella version is more current.

[Prelaw officers: if you want students to bring a certain test section to the meeting, let them know that here. Otherwise you can copy one section and hand it out in the meeting. Members should NOT work on the section before the meeting.]

February

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Program 6. LSAT Analytical Reasoning: This month’s suggested program for your group is a session to give each member an introduction to Analytical Reasoning on the LSAT, a chance to practice it, and a chance to give each other feedback.

Goal: Learn the basic strategies for Analytical Reasoning, including if/then logic, recognizing question types, diagramming, and a systematic approach to solving the questions.

Rationale: Like the entire LSAT, Analytical Reasoning has hidden agendas and hidden patterns that you need to recognize and understand. The AR section poses a unique obstacle. It requires a systematic puzzle-solving approach. Without a systematic approach, most test takers flounder on the harder questions and have no strategy.

Preparation: This session requires some significant preparation. Members should read the Introduction, General Strategies chapter, and the Analytical Reasoning chapter in the Barron’s LSAT, more recently republished as the Cognella LSAT Road Map (available summer 2023). Both editions are available on Amazon. The Cognella version is more current. If they haven’t done so already, members should read the if/then logic section of the Logical Reasoning chapter.

Why this book? There are lots of books available on the LSAT. As the author of the Barron’s/Cognella book, I feel that it goes into much more depth than the other books. I put all of my 30 years experience working individually with LSAT students into it. It is virtually a dissertation on the LSAT.

Members should also have access to one of the actual LSAT exams published by Law Services. It will help if everyone has the same test. You can make copies of one Analytical Reasoning section from the test and distribute it if you want. If you do that, you will also need to duplicate the answer key. Members should NOT work on the test before your meeting. They will work on it together during the meeting.

Itinerary:

1) Meeting coordinator introduces the topic of the session, the goal, the rationale, and the itinerary for the session. The coordinator asks for any comments or questions about the topic of the session.

2) Members work in groups of 5 or so. Start by having everyone work on the first Analytical Reasoning game in the test section you are using. Start by working together as a small group to come up with a diagram for the game and to summarize and symbolize the conditions.

Next, within each small group, members work individually on the first question. When everyone has had enough time to work on the question (1-4 minutes), the members then share their answers and discuss. One person can look up the correct answer. (It’s best to keep this to one person because when you look up the answer, it’s easy to spot the answer to the next question.)

Time for item 2: 20-30 minutes

3) Reconvene as a whole group and discuss what you learned and what it will take to master the Analytical Reasoning.

Time for item 3: 5-10 minutes

4) The meeting coordinator asks members for feedback on how members plan to work on the LSAT in general and discuss whether they would look more meetings on the LSAT.

Time for item 4: 5 minutes

Total session time: 30 to 45 minutes

Follow-up: We have other suggested meetings for working on the other sections of the LSAT. If you want, you can schedule a second section on the Analytical Reasoning,

How to Announce This To Your Members:

In our meeting on ___________ (date) we’re going to learn about the Analytical Reasoning section of the LSAT.

Analytical Reasoning has hidden agendas and hidden patterns that you need to recognize and understand. The AR section poses a unique obstacle. It requires a systematic puzzle-solving approach. Without a systematic approach, most test takers flounder on the harder questions and have no strategy.

You’ll need to prepare in advance of this meeting. Read the Introduction, General Strategies chapter, and the Analytical Reasoning chapter in the Barron’s LSAT, more recently republished as the Cognella LSAT Road Map (available summer 2023). Both editions are available on Amazon. The Cognella version is more current. If you haven’t done so already, you should read the if/then logic section of the Logical Reasoning chapter.

[Prelaw officers: if you want students to bring a certain test section to the meeting, let them know that here. Otherwise you can copy one section and hand it out in the meeting. Members should NOT work on the section before the meeting.]

March

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Program 7. LSAT Reading Comprehension: This month’s suggested program for your group is a session to give each member an introduction to Reading Comprehension on the LSAT, a chance to practice it, and a chance to give each other feedback.

Goal: Learn the basic strategies for Reading Comprehension, including how to set up the passage, the types of questions, and the Adversarial Approach for getting to the right answer.

Rationale: Like the entire LSAT, Reading Comprehension has hidden agendas and hidden patterns that you need to recognize and understand. The most challenging aspect of the RC is learning how to set up the passage in an efficient way, including understanding the essential dichotomies on which each passage is based.

Preparation: This session requires some significant preparation. Members should read the Introduction, General Strategies chapter, and the Reading Comprehension chapter in the Barron’s LSAT, more recently republished as the Cognella LSAT Road Map (available summer 2023). Both editions are available on Amazon. The Cognella version is more current.

Why this book? There are lots of books available on the LSAT. As the author of the Barron’s/Cognella book, I feel that it goes into much more depth than the other books. I put all of my 30 years experience working individually with LSAT students into it. It is virtually a dissertation on the LSAT.

Members should also have access to one of the actual LSAT exams published by Law Services. It will help if everyone has the same test. You can make copies of one Reading Comprehension section from the test and distribute it if you want. If you do that, you will also need to duplicate the answer key. Members should NOT work on the test before your meeting. They will work on it together during the meeting.

Itinerary:

1) Meeting coordinator introduces the topic of the session, the goal, the rationale, and the itinerary for the session. The coordinator asks for any comments or questions about the topic of the session.

2) Members work in groups of 5 or so. Start by having everyone work on the first Reading Comprehension passage in the test section you are using. Start by working together as a small group to analyze the structure of the passage and identify the dichotomies.

Next, within each small group, members work individually on the first question. When everyone has had enough time to work on the question (1-4 minutes), the members then share their answers and discuss. One person can look up the correct answer. (It’s best to keep this to one person because when you look up the answer, it’s easy to spot the answer to the next question.)

Time for item 2: 20-30 minutes

3) Reconvene as a whole group and discuss what you learned and what it will take to master the Reading Comprehension.

Time for item 3: 5-10 minutes

4) The meeting coordinator asks members for feedback on how members plan to work on the LSAT in general and discuss whether they would look more meetings on the LSAT.

Time for item 4: 5 minutes

Total session time: 30 to 45 minutes

Follow-up: We have other suggested meetings for working on the other sections of the LSAT. If you want, you can schedule a second section on the Reading Comprehension.

How to Announce This to Your Members:

In our meeting on ___________ (date) we’re going to learn about the Reading Comprehension section of the LSAT.

Reading Comprehension has hidden agendas and hidden patterns that you need to recognize and understand. The most challenging aspect of the RC is learning how to set up the passage in an efficient way, including understanding the essential dichotomies on which each passage is based.

This session requires some preparation. You should read the Introduction and General Strategies chapters (if you haven’t already read them), and the Reading Comprehension chapter in the Barron’s LSAT, more recently republished as the Cognella LSAT Road Map (available summer 2023). Both editions are available on Amazon. The Cognella version is more current.

[Prelaw officers: if you want students to bring a certain test section to the meeting, let them know that here. Otherwise you can copy one section and hand it out in the meeting. Members should NOT work on the section before the meeting.]

April

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Program 8. LSAT Timing and Essay: This month’s suggested program for your group is a session to give each member an introduction the LSAT Essay and to timing strategy on the LSAT. They will discuss timing and then do a practice essay and give each other feedback.

Goal: To discuss and understand the unique timing strategy for the LSAT. To practice an essay and get feedback on it.

Rationale: Timing is critical on the LSAT. Most students approach timing on the LSAT the same way they would approach timing on a test in school. This costs them many points. The essay, while not scored, can influence the decision of the admissions committee. If you understand the fundamentals of the essay, you can write one that at least doesn’t hurt your application and possibly enhances it.

Preparation: This session requires some significant preparation. Members should read the Introduction, General Strategies chapter, and the Essay chapter in the Barron’s LSAT, more recently republished as the Cognella LSAT Road Map (available summer 2023). Both editions are available on Amazon. The Cognella version is more current.

Why this book? There are lots of books available on the LSAT. As the author of the Barron’s/Cognella book, I feel that it goes into much more depth than the other books. I put all of my 30 years experience working individually with LSAT students into it. It is virtually a dissertation on the LSAT.

Members should also have access to an essay from one of the actual LSAT exams published by Law Services. It will help if everyone has the same essay. You can make copies of one Essay prompt from a test and distribute it if you want. Members should NOT work on the essaty before your meeting. They will work on it together during the meeting.

Itinerary:

1) Meeting coordinator introduces the topic of the session, the goal, the rationale, and the itinerary for the session. The coordinator asks for any comments or questions about the topic of the session.

2) Start by having everyone in the meeting discuss what they learned about timing strategy from the Barron’s/Cognella book. Because the strategy is different from what most people are used to, it will be helpful to raise questions or concerns about the strategy and discuss together.

Next, members can work in groups of 5 or so. Each member will take 35 minutes to write their own response to the essay prompt. Then they will share their essays and discuss. One

Time for item 2: 45-50 minutes

3) Reconvene as a whole group and discuss what you learned and what it will take to master the Reading Comprehension.

Time for item 3: 5 minutes

Total session time: 50 to 55 minutes

Follow-up: Using the guidelines in the Barron’s/Cognella book, you can schedule a session in which students do a timed Reading Comprehension section, keeping track of time spent on each question, and then discuss how successful their timing strategy was.

How To Announce This to Your Members:

In our meeting on __________ (date) we are going to learn about and practice the LSAT Essay and review advanced timing strategies for the LSAT.

Timing is critical on the LSAT. Most students approach timing on the LSAT the same way they would approach timing on a test in school. This costs them many points. The essay, while not scored, can influence the decision of the admissions committee. If you understand the fundamentals of the essay, you can write one that at least doesn’t hurt your application and possibly enhances it.

You’ll need to do some preparation for this session in advance. If you haven’t already done so, you should read the Introduction and General Strategies chapter in order to learn about timing. Then read the Essay chapter. These are all in the Barron’s LSAT, more recently republished as the Cognella LSAT Road Map (available summer 2023). Both editions are available on Amazon. The Cognella version is more current.

May

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Program 9. Summer Planning: This month’s suggested program for your group is a session to give members a chance to plan how they are going to work on their prelaw plan during the summer.

Goal: To review what each member needs to be working on for their long-range plan, depending on their personal timeline. To create a plan for carrying out what they need to do for their long-range plan over the summer.

Rationale: Lack of planning is one of the biggest obstacles to a successful application to law school. Summer is the best time for students to catch up on their long-range plan.

Preparation: If possible, members should review their personal timeline before the session. This can be accessed at https://www.cuttsreviews.com/lsat/directions.htm

In order to keep up with their plan, members should sign up on the free LawTrack list for monthly reminders. This can be done at https://www.cuttsreviews.com/prelaw/

Itinerary:

1) Meeting coordinator introduces the topic of the session, the goal, the rationale, and the itinerary for the session. The coordinator asks for any comments or questions about the topic of the session.

2) Working as one whole group, the meeting coordinator introduces each of the following topics one at a time and invites discussion on that topic. For each topic, give members 5 minutes to make notes on what they need to do over the summer to address the topic before going on to the next topic.

Topics:

A. GPA and prelaw advising
B. Career research and school research
C. Personal Statement
D. Practical Experience/Special Research Project
E. LSAT
F. Law School Application

Time for item 2: 30-40 minutes

3) Meeting coordinator wraps up session by asking some members to volunteer to talk about their plan. Mention resources that students can use during the summer, including:

A. Summer internships
B. Summer prelaw programs (CLEO, etc.)
C. Summer Prelaw Intensive (SPI) Program (see https://cuttshome.wordpress.com/lsat/

Time for item 3: 5-10 minutes

Total session time: 35 to 50 minutes

Follow-up: Using the guidelines in the Barron’s/Cognella book, you can schedule a session in which students do a timed Reading Comprehension section, keeping track of time spent on each question, and then discuss how successful their timing strategy was.

How to Announce This to Your Members:

In our meeting on _____________ (date) we’re going to go over what you can do during your summer to advance your prelaw preparation.

Lack of preparing in advance is one of the biggest obstacles to getting accepted. You probably have more time to work on your plan during the summer, so please join us to learn what to do.

Before the meeting, you should review your personal timeline. This can be accessed at https://www.cuttsreviews.com/lsat/directions.htm
In order to keep up with your plan, you can sign up on the free LawTrack list for monthly reminders. This can be done at https://www.cuttsreviews.com/prelaw/