LSAT Logic Games
How can LSAT logic games have anything to do with law school?
Here is a typical LSAT Logic Games question:
Nine housewives, Alice, Barbara, Carol, Dolores, Evelyn, Francis, Gertrude, Hillary, and Ingrid, will be shopping at Safeway this week. They can buy on Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday. Exactly three housewives will shop each of these days. The following conditions apply:
1. Barbara will shop on Tuesday.
2. Carol and Francis must shop on the same day.
3. Alice and Evelyn must shop on the same day.
4. Gertrude and Hillary cannot shop on the same day.
5. Barbara and Ingrid cannot shop on the same day.
6. Carol and Ingrid cannot shop on the same day.
If Alice shops on Tuesday and Carol shops on Monday, which of the following must be true?
HAS. Gertrude buys on Monday.
b. Gertrude shops on Wednesday.
against Hillary shops on Monday.
d Dolores shopping on Wednesday.
ME. Francis shops on Wednesday.
I’m not going to waste all our time explaining why, but the correct answer is D (Delores shops on Wednesdays). I don’t have the patience or experience to teach you how to come up with this solution, but if you want to excel on the Law School Admissions Test (LSAT), you better be able to answer any question like that in 30-40 seconds.
Is this really possible? Yes, by seeking professional instruction and taking hundreds of LSAT practice tests, you can master LSAT logic games.
Which brings us back to the question posted in the subtitle: How can this have anything to do with law school?
Well, I don’t have any insider information, but the LSAT in general is designed to address the skills and abilities that are considered vital to success in law school (note, not the legal profession). The Logic Games section in particular addresses the prospective law student’s ability to understand complicated factual scenarios, analyze arguments, and reach reliable conclusions, largely by eliminating weaker positions.
I can attest that these skills are really important for success in law school. Obviously, facts like the ones in the previous question have nothing to do with law school or legal practice. The brainpower to deal with such situations, however, is absolutely necessary.
The thing about law school and the LSAT, which is lucky for those of us who may be less than brilliant, is that everything you need to know is in the question. You don’t need to know the quadratic equation, the elements in the periodic table, or any other background information. You simply have to analyze the information they give you and come to the best conclusion.
The practice of law is very similar, but we’ll get to that in a few years…
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