3 Ways the LSAT Prepares Students for Law School

Prospective law school applicants often experience anxiety when it comes to the LSAT. The exam plays a large role in your law school admissions results and requires extensive studying. .

With the University of Arizona James E. Rogers College of Law and Harvard University Law School accepting GRE scores in lieu of the LSAT, aspiring J.D.s may hope that other programs will follow suit. Harvard conducted a 2016 study that concluded "the GRE is an equally valid predictor of first-year grades."

[Read about GRE, LSAT test prep considerations for law school.]

However, the vast majority of law schools continue to require the LSAT. And although as an admissions counselor, I often encounter frustrated applicants who complain that the LSAT has nothing to do with the study of law, the exam plays a key role in preparing students for law school. Here are three ways your LSAT preparation pays dividends beyond test day .

-- Substance: The LSAT was specifically designed to test the aptitude of applicants interested in studying law.

According to the Law School Admission Council's website, "The LSAT is designed to measure skills that are considered essential for success in law school: the reading and comprehension of complex texts with accuracy and insight; the organization and management of information and the ability to draw reasonable inferences from it; the ability to think critically; and the analysis and evaluation of the reasoning and arguments of others."

Analyzing, comparing and critically evaluating arguments is fundamental to the study and practice of law. As a law student, you will be asked to spot legal issues from a set of hypothetical facts and discuss the various legal consequences. You may also need to make policy arguments about the merits of certain laws and regulations.

To excel on law school exams, you will need to have strong skills in analyzing, comparing, critically evaluating and drawing conclusions about arguments. Sound familiar? Those are the very skills the LSAT requires you to master.

-- Endurance and speed: The LSAT is also a test of endurance and speed. Composed of five multiple-choice sections, each 35-minutes long, and a 35-minute unscored writing sample, the LSAT is three-and-a-half hours of testing.

At Harvard Law School, where I studied, in-class exams typically last between two and four hours, while eight hours are allotted for take-home exams. Note that bar exams last two days.

You will need to become comfortable sustaining rigorous analysis and logical reasoning as a law student. The LSAT can help you build that critical thinking endurance.

[Know how to manage your time for each section of the LSAT.]

If the LSAT is a marathon in terms of endurance, it is also a sprint in terms of speed. You will have about one minute to answer each question if you divide your time equally between question types. That means you need to work efficiently and analyze problems quickly.

Lawyers need to work hard and be good at thinking on their feet. This skill is not only applicable in dramatic courtroom scenes but also in depositions and negotiations, as well as when reviewing contracts and conducting due diligence. Clients charged by billable hours also appreciate efficiency.

-- Long-term study: Unlike the GRE, the LSAT does not test your knowledge of external subjects. In other words, you do not have to study math and vocabulary words to do well.

While you do not need to have external knowledge to pass the exam, most test-takers would benefit from long- term study. The LSAT is not a test you can cram for. The reason for extended study is because the analytical and logical reasoning skills, as well as the format of the questions, are unfamiliar to the majority of test-takers.

The Pre-Law Advising Office at the University of Massachusetts-- Amherst suggests applicants develop a study plan of "at least 4-6 hours a week for at least three to four months prior to the test date."

[Follow a four-month LSAT study plan.]

Guess what else requires long-term study? That's right -- law school exams and the bar exam.

Doing well in law school requires diligence and months of study leading up to finals. In many respects, your three years in law school are preparation for the bar. On top of that, you will have to commit to months of bar prep after graduation.

The GRE also prepares students in many of the same respects. That is why schools like Harvard and the American Bar Association have accepted it as an alternative to the LSAT.

Nonetheless, the LSAT is likely to remain a key criteria of law school applications for many years to come. Embracing the ways the exam will prepare you for a career in law may alleviate some test anxieties.

Have questions about how law schools evaluate LSAT scores? You can reach me at lawadmissionslowdown@usnews.com.