University of Virginia Library

Kevin Mannix

Four-Year Cram For LSAT's

The LSAT (Law School
Admission Test) is a source of
consternation among pre-law
school undergraduates
everywhere. Virtually every
good law school in the country
requires the LSAT as one of
several means for ascertaining
an applicant's ability to study
the law.

The test is similar in many
respects to the College Boards
virtually everyone underwent
to get into undergraduate
school, but familiarity with the
type of test doesn't seem to
have allayed the fears of
undergraduates faced with the
LSAT. Since competition to
get into law school is tough, a
number of concerns –
legitimate as well as dishonest
– have sought financial success
by offering LSAT guides,
review courses, and cram
courses.

Craming Costs

The unfortunate fact is that
many people are spending
considerable sums of money on
materials and courses which
will do them little, if any,
good. Cram review courses in
particular are undesirable, and
they are especially suspect
because of their high cost.
Such courses cost from $75 to
$150 for a few hours of cram
reviewing under the tutoring of
a variety of individuals, in
many cases lawyers.

The Dean of Admissions of
Harvard Law School advises
undergraduates to ignore such
cram courses as virtually
worthless. Since the LSAT is
an aptitude rather than a
"knowledge" test, one is best
prepared for its rigors by
getting a good night's sleep the
night before and by bringing
along a candy bar for "instant
energy." Mr. Albert R.
Turnbull, Director of
Admissions at this University's
law school, also stresses that a
cram course is not helpful. As
he puts it, if one has the
aptitude one will do well
enough. If one does not have
the aptitude, no amount of
cramming will help. Cramming
will not make the difference.

In order to prepare for the
LSAT, a person ought to get a
copy of the free Law School
Admission Bulletin or a copy
of the $2.00 1972-73 Prelaw
Handbook, which is the official
law school guide published by
the Association of American
Law Schools and the Law
School Admission Council.

Handbook Advice

The policy statement of these
organizations as stated on page
18 of the Prelaw Handbook
makes the point clear enough:
Commercial publications
and cram courses purport to
help you prepare for the
LSAT. These are, of course,
unofficial, and are not
approved by the law
schools, the Law School
Admission Council, the
Association of American
Law Schools, or the
Educational Testing Service.
Such publications and
courses probably provide a
familiarity with the
instructions and types of
questions in the LSAT, but
at least that much is
provided by the sample
LSAT in this handbook and
by the sample questions in
the free Law School
Admission Bulletin.

The pre-law advisors,
working out of the Placement
Office in Minor Hall, are
available to help applicants to
law school. The Pre-Law
Handbook is available by
writing the Law School
Admission Council,
Educational Testing Service,
Box 944, Princeton, N.J.
08540.

Cram review courses are a
rip-off. Don't waste your
money and time.

Peer Appraisal

A professor in this
University's law school asked a
class in a second-year required
course whether the students
thought that a review course
would be helpful for the
LSAT. Without discussion,
only approximately 20 out of
135 students raised their
hands. This was reference to a
review course – not a cram
course. If you won't accept the
judgment of the authorities,
perhaps you'll accept the
judgments of your peers Good
luck.