Ben and Nathan push back against hype-driven decisions, urging students to ignore rising August LSAT registrations and wait to test until their practice scores consistently reflect readiness. They caution against chasing perceived trends, whether that means rushing to take an “easier” test or relying on gimmicks like diagramming. Even if more conditional logic appears in Logical Reasoning, the path to success remains the same: focus on intuitive understanding and resist shortcuts that only complicate the test.

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0:30 – August 2025 Registrations

Despite an increase in August test registrations, Ben and Nathan stress that this shouldn’t affect your personal test date. Wait to sign up until your practice test scores indicate that you’re ready. They remind listeners that perceptions of an “easier” test are misleading.

14:26 – Still No Need To Diagram

Henry asks if LR sections now contain more conditional logic. Ben defends the intuitive approach even on the most conditional-heavy questions, while Nathan notes that LR will never match the complexity of logic games. Diagramming, among other gimmicks, are magic beans sold to students. These strategies only complicate the test and inhibit meaningful understanding.

22:17 – Michigan AI Essay

Jordan sends in a Michigan Law prompt inviting applicants to use generative AI. The guys are critical of the prompt but applaud the school for acknowledging AI’s role. They discuss how this reflects evolving attitudes toward AI in legal education.

30:06 – Why Don’t You Want Me to Go This Fall?

Lizzy expresses pressure to apply quickly despite not feeling ready. Ben and Nathan explain why waiting until you have your best score matters most. They warn against a “one-and-done” mindset and emphasize that rushing leads to lower scores, worse offers, and possible regret.

40:20 – Listing Awards

A listener asks whether they should list awards they haven’t officially received yet. The advice: yes, include them—just mark them as “expected.”

42:08 – Online JD Programs

Are online JDs respected? Do they get scholarships? The guys argue there’s little meaningful distinction between online and in-person programs. Applicants should still apply early and broadly to maximize scholarship offers.

51:22 - Word of the Week - Unless

Innovation cannot thrive unless organizations embrace risk-taking.

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This week, Josh and Nate tackle the misconception that the Demon isn’t built for beginners—a belief that emerges from the absence of an introduction to LSAT “theory”. They explain that a bloated curriculum, disconnected from questions, often confuses students and can even reduce scores. The Demon advocates jumping right into questions and letting the test, paired with our explanations, be your teacher.

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0:33 – Announcements

Registration deadlines are coming up. You know you’re ready to sign up when your practice tests match your goal score.

Registration Deadlines

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6:07 – Logical Reasoning Mindset

Nate and Josh explore the mindset required for success in Logical Reasoning, emphasizing that each question has one objectively correct answer. Rather than starting with abstract theory, they advocate an intuitive, hands-on approach: dive into real questions, make mistakes, and learn from them. The Demon is built for beginners. By focusing on solving problems and reviewing mistakes, students can build a strong foundation for sustained success.

18:50 – Candidate Referral Service

Josh and Nate revisit the candidate referral service and consider whether it’s worth signing up. Several Demon team members share how they used the service and received CAS fee waivers to apply early and widely. Still, be cautious—don’t let school marketing sway you. Stay skeptical of marketing gimmicks from these schools and be a savvy applicant.

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26:54 – Tale of Two Careers

Jacob is thinking about a pivot to law from a very successful accounting career. Josh and Nate recognize there is a meaningful career opportunity, but caution him not to go to law school just because he has great reasoning skills. Instead, meet tax attorneys and decide if that is a job that you want.

36:41 – Studying with a Buddy

Demon Student Alex asks how to study with a buddy. Josh and Nate encourage him to practice teaching questions to each other. Josh encourages Alex to utilize the LSAT Demon Discord to find a study buddy.

LSAT Demon Discord

44:46 – Studying for One Hour

Alexis doesn’t feel like she is making progress with only one hour per day during her lunch break. The guys encourage her to continue her slow and steady approach to studying, but encourage her to improve the quality of her hour. Your LSAT hour needs to be your best hour of the day: interruption-free, focused, and energized.

57:23 – Full Practice Test Fails

Paige’s scores plummet when she takes full practice tests instead of timed sections. Josh suggests that the score is distracting her from giving the test 100% of her mental effort. The guys then suggest that Paige must not be applying her normal process to practice tests. Nate concludes: You should have a growth mindset when it comes to practice tests. Ask yourself how you can learn from this test, not what score you will get.

1:04:43 – Comparative RC

Gavin struggles with comparative passages. Josh and Nate encourage him to start explicitly focusing on comparing and contrasting as he’s reading.

1:12:11 - Word of the Week - Specious

The difference between “literary” and “genre” fiction is a specious distinction.

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After an influx of GPA addenda questions, Nathan and Josh address several examples in a rapid-fire segment. Their main point: you probably shouldn’t write one at all. Addenda highlight weaknesses and provide information that admissions committees may hold against you. Skip the sob stories and focus on showing why you’ll succeed in law school.

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0:42 – Big Beautiful Bill

Nathan and Josh discuss provisions of the Big Beautiful Bill that cap law school loans at $50,000 per year. They argue it’s not the crisis some students fear, noting that borrowing six figures for law school is unwise and the cap protects less informed applicants. They see the bill as targeting predatory schools, not students.

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23:52 – Rapid Fire Addenda

The guys advise students to avoid addenda. Addenda draw attention to the weakest parts of your application and must be concise and strategic if used. An effective addendum highlights positive traits and avoids overexplaining. The goal is to shift focus away from negatives and give admissions officers something strong to latch onto.

38:46 – Role Questions

Nathan and Josh explain how to approach role questions, which ask about the function of specific sentences in an argument. They remind listeners that sentences are usually in one of two key categories: premises and conclusions. While answers are phrased abstractly, you succeed by reading answer choices with the same care and engagement used on the passage itself.

50:18 – Accuracy Up but Speed Stalled

Nathan urges students not to chase speed at the expense of comprehension. Every missed question indicates another question you got correct, but didn’t understand. Rereading whole passages is a red flag for poor initial reading. Meaningful engagement with the passage allows students to trust their comprehension in the face of flawed arguments.

1:04:05 – Broken Questions

Josh and Nathan refute the idea of “broken” LSAT questions. While some answer choices may be stronger than others, all correct answers are defensible. Blaming the test forfeits a chance to improve. When struggling, walk away and revisit the question with fresh eyes—some days you’ll simply perform better than others.

1:11:14 – Personal Statement Gong Show

Hannah sends in her submission for the Personal Statement Gong Show. Josh and Nathan read the personal statements and hit the gong when something goes wrong. The standing record to beat is 21 lines, held by Danielle.

1:27:07 - Word of the Week - Effect

Pollination of fruit tree flowers, a necessary step in fruit production, is effected only by certain insects.

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