LSAT Writing Section Use in Application
The Importance of the LSAT Argumentative Writing Task
The LSAT Argumentative Writing task is a 50-minute assessment of test takers' essay writing skills in which they are asked to write an essay on a given topic. The Writing task is completed on a laptop or desktop in the test taker's home or other quiet location, and is proctored remotely through the computer's webcam and microphone. You may complete the Writing task from up to eight days before or one year after completing the multiple-choice section of the LSAT, but you don't complete the multiple-choice section and the Writing task at the same time. Law school applicants are required to have a writing sample on file to view their LSAT scores and have the scores sent to their designated law schools. If a test taker has completed the Writing task within the past five years, they don't need to take it again.
The LSAT Writing task underwent a significant revision in July 2024. Before this update, the task was relatively straightforward: test takers were given 35 minutes to address a dilemma by choosing one of two competing options. Several advantages and disadvantages were presented for each option, and test takers were asked to select an option and craft an argument in an essay in favor of it, incorporating the provided advantages and disadvantages.
Following the 2024 revision, test takers are now given a debatable issue. Rather than being provided with advantages and disadvantages, test takers are now given three to four different perspectives that provide context, as well as additional information about the issue. These perspectives may agree with one another, disagree, or simply provide a new point of view about the topic. Equipped with competing ideologies and arguments about the prompt, test takers must use this information to craft a well-organized essay that argues for or against a certain position.
According to LSAC, these changes were made for two reasons. First, the earlier version of the Writing task focused more on demonstrating logical reasoning abilities than writing skills. The task allowed for little creativity and did not permit test takers to demonstrate the argumentative skills necessary for a career as a lawyer. Since its revision, the Argumentative Writing task now assesses a test taker's ability to construct a strong argument using several varied evidentiary sources. According to LSAC, providing test takers the opportunity to construct an original thesis and defend it based on their own judgement allows for a more thorough understanding of their ability to utilize complex decision-making skills, as well as their ability to employ numerous rhetorical techniques critical for argumentative writing.
The second, and perhaps more important, reason for the Writing task update is that it's part of LSAC's effort to better assist law programs in understanding the innate writing abilities of prospective candidates. Over the past few years, students have increasingly turned to using AI-assisted technologies to write their personal statements and complete law school applications. This makes it difficult for admission department officials to gain a solid understanding of potential students' innate writing skills or how they will fare in law school.
LSAC started the process of addressing the needs of law programs by updating the Writing task to the Argumentative Writing task, but there is more to come. Although the Writing task is currently unscored, LSAC has made it clear they intend to change that and start scoring the essays in the near future. LSAC said the Argumentative Writing task would remain unscored for the 2024-2025 testing cycle. However, they also noted that they would be analyzing data from this testing cycle to assess the reliability and validity of the Argumentative Writing task "with a long-term goal of providing a scored LSAT Writing assessment that schools may use in their holistic admission process."
This means that sometime soon, the Argumentative Writing task will become a scored part of the LSAT. It is unknown whether this score will be a stand-alone score or will be incorporated into the LSAT Total score, although the former seems more likely. Regardless, it is clear that the Argumentative Writing task is becoming an increasingly important part of the LSAT and students are encouraged to view it that way.
How is the Argumentative Writing Task Specifically Used by Law Programs?
Given that the Writing task is currently unscored, law schools differ in how they use an applicant's writing sample. Some programs read the entire essay and consider it carefully as part of a holistic application process. Others use the essay as a tool to help them decide between two applicants who are similar in areas such as undergraduate GPA, LSAT score, and recommendation letters. Still other programs use it to learn more about an unconventional applicant, such as someone who has a big time gap between completing their undergraduate education and applying to law school, or someone who has had a successful career in an unrelated area, but is now applying to law school. Schools do not always disclose how they use the Argumentative Writing task in their admission process, but given the increased importance being placed on writing abilities, it's safe to say that most, if not all, law programs will be reading essays much more closely.
In light of the increasing importance of the Argumentative Writing task, students would do well to treat it as a priority and take preparing for this section of the LSAT seriously. While it may not warrant the same level of preparation as Logical Reasoning or Reading Comprehension questions, test takers can set themselves up for Writing task success by composing essays on randomly generated topics within a 35-minute timeframe. The more you practice writing essays on topics you don't know much about under a strict time limit, the more familiar you will become with the pacing of your writing, and the faster you'll be at choosing a position, crafting a thesis, and creating a strong argument in a well-written essay.