Is It Too Late to Study for the LSAT This Summer? (Honest Answer) (Ep. 60)

Ben kicks off the episode with Madeline, who has just finished her first year of law school (1L). She breaks down why spring semester felt so much harder than fall — not because of the coursework alone, but because job interviews, appellate briefs, oral arguments, and finals all collided at once. (0:00) Despite the chaos, she kept mostly normal hours, backing up Ben's core point that focused, consistent study beats logging endless unfocused time — whether you're in law school or prepping for the LSAT.The conversation moves into Madeline's summer associate position at a major regional civil firm in Lexington, Kentucky, and her fall 2L course lineup — Federal Courts, Administrative Law, Election Law, a judicial clerkship, and Law & Economics. (18:00) They also get into how to pick law school classes strategically: professor reputation and schedule fit matter more than the subject itself, and tenured professors tend to coast more than their non-tenured counterparts.The back half is all about LSAT and application timing. (38:00) Ben makes the case that starting LSAT prep in May for a fall 2027 start is already cutting it close, then reads and dismantles a combative Instagram comment from a T14 student arguing that applying in October has no cost. Ben explains the rolling admissions decay model — offers go out September 1st and diminish from there. They close with a live breakdown of SMU's early decision program, showing why most applicants should avoid it: you surrender all scholarship negotiating leverage in exchange for, at best, a marginal aid package.For more LSAT strategy and admissions guidance, visit heyfuturelawyer.com — and grab a spot in the free monthly class at heyfuturelawyer.com/free-class.