LSAT Preparation - Part 1

About This Course

Taking both part 1 and part 2 will prepare you to perform well on all three question types on the LSAT: reading comprehension, logical reasoning, and analytical reasoning. We recommend that you practice on actual LSAT exams, which can be purchased from Law School Admission Council at www.lsac.org. You will also learn proven test-taking techniques. LSAT Preparation - Part 1 provides an overview of law school entrance procedures, a career in law and law school survival techniques. You will also participate in an intensive review of analytical reasoning questions, including techniques for drafting the three most helpful types of diagrams, and explanations for and interpretations of correct answer choices. You will also learn the outline format that law school admissions counselors favor for preparing the writing sample.

About The Instructor

This course includes a knowledgeable and caring instructor who will guide you through your lessons, facilitate discussions, and answer your questions. The instructor for this course will be Scott and Lisa Hatch.

Scott Hatch has presented paralegal courses since 1980. He is listed in Who's Who in California, Who's Who Among Students in American Colleges and Universities, and has been named one of the Outstanding Young Men of America by the United States Jaycees. He was a contributing editor to The Judicial Profiler (McGraw-Hill and the Colorado Law Annotated (West/Lawyers Co-op)series, and editor of several award-winning publications. He is author of Paralegal Procedures and Practices, published by West Publishing, as well as books on mediation and legal investigation.

Lisa Zimmer Hatch, M.A., has been teaching legal certificate and standardized test preparation courses since 1987. She graduated with honors in English from the University of Puget Sound, and received her master's degree from California State University. She is co-author of numerous law and standardized test texts.

Syllabus

A new section of each course starts monthly. If enrolling in a series of two or more courses, please be sure to space the start date for each course at least two months apart.

Week 1

Wednesday - Lesson 01

You're taking the LSAT, but that's just a step toward attending law school, which is just a step toward a career in law. We know the real reason you're here, so we'll start this course with a lesson that gives you a peek into what a career in law actually looks like and what your opportunities are.

Friday - Lesson 02

Your LSAT score is just one of many factors that law school admissions committees will consider during your application process. In today's lesson, we'll go through an overview of the whole process and give you advice on how to maximize your chances of gaining acceptance to the school of your choice.

Week 2

Wednesday - Lesson 03

In today's lesson, we'll explore some of the things you need to know about the general makeup of the LSAT so you'll know exactly what you're getting into come test day. We'll discuss what to expect from all question types, not just the ones covered in this first course. You'll discover the basics of reading comprehension, logical reasoning, and analytical reasoning questions, and you'll get an overview of the writing sample. Everything you need to know about scoring procedures will also be revealed today.

Friday - Lesson 04

You may have heard that you can't study for the LSAT. But that's just not true! There are a bunch of general things you can do to prepare for the LSAT, and the more time you spend preparing, the better your scores will be. You'll also learn how to relax when you start feeling panicky on test day.

Week 3

Wednesday - Lesson 05

In today's lesson, we'll continue where we left off in the previous lesson by going over specific tips on how to approach LSAT question types, how to eliminate the wrong answers the tests try to entice you to choose, how to guess when you're not sure of the right answer, and how much time to spend on each question. After you've completed this lesson, you'll be ready to learn more about the specific questions, starting with analytical reasoning.

Friday - Lesson 06

The analytical reasoning question type probably worries more potential LSAT takers than any of the others. So in this lesson, you'll learn how to think of this question type as a game—something you'd like to do for fun in your spare time, if you had any! We'll examine in detail what you should look for when tackling these questions, and then we'll outline your approach.

Week 4

Wednesday - Lesson 07

The analytical reasoning question comes in two main types: spatial order and group membership. In today's lesson, you'll find out all about each type, complete with examples. You'll also learn about the subsets of questions for each type.

Friday - Lesson 08

In this lesson, you'll learn how to master LSAT group membership analytical reasoning questions. We'll go over the proper diagrams to draw to keep information straight, and we'll go through plenty of practice with detailed explanations.

Week 5

Wednesday - Lesson 09

Next, you'll learn how to deal with the spatial order type of question. The diagrams you draw to handle this question type are a little different than those for group membership, so we'll go through detailed instructions with lots of practice questions.

Friday - Lesson 10

Knowledge is power, but practice makes perfect! In today's lesson, we'll steer through all kinds of LSAT analytical reasoning questions that have appeared on past tests to reinforce the step-by-step approaches you've already learned. You'll practice your skills on actual LSAT test questions and have the opportunity to discuss your efforts with your instructor and other classmates.

Week 6

Wednesday - Lesson 11

Your response to the LSAT writing sample doesn't get calculated in your LSAT score, but you have to write it, and the admissions committee does get a chance to read it. So don't slack too much on this task. If the thought of writing a complete analysis of a scenario in 30 minutes or less has you running for the hills, don't despair. In this lesson, we'll go through a specific plan for making the most of your time so you can prove to the admissions committee of your favorite law school that you put your thoughts together in a cohesive and interesting essay.

Friday - Lesson 12

Before you impress the admissions committees with your essay, you'll get a chance to wow your peers. For this lesson, you'll read sample essays, and then compose your own and share it with your instructor and classmates for review. You'll also get the chance to read what other test-takers write and provide them with your enlightened commentary!

Requirements

Internet access, e-mail, the Microsoft Internet Explorer or Mozilla Firefox Web browser, and the Adobe Flash and PDF plug-ins (two free and simple downloads you obtain at http://www.adobe.com/downloads by clicking Get Adobe Flash Player and Get Adobe Reader).