How to compare the GRE and the LSAT

[Anonymous]

A 99th percentile LSAT is more intellectually impressive than a 99th percentile GRE. I don’t know if the general GRE pop is more intellectual than the LSAT pop but for the GRE-submitting pop vs LSAT-submitting pop specifically for law school apps, the latter would be more impressive because those who took the GRE for physics phd’s generally aren’t the ones applying to law schools. Furthermore, the GRE would be for those who thought the LSAT was too difficult. Same thing for b-school apps where people who find the GMAT too difficult switch to the GRE. I’m not saying exceptions don’t exist though.

[Anonymous]

Being "intellectual" is more of a subjective or aesthetic judgment. Intellectual or cognitive ability is the more appropriate term.

[Anonymous]

Philosophy, economics, math and engineering majors tend to do well on the LSAT, likely due to the logical reasoning component.

[Anonymous]

I think the average IQ of lawyers is probably around 120, higher obviously among T14 graduates and in big law, lower in small firms and graduates of other schools. A group that stands out in particular are patent attorneys.

Very few are at the 140+ level. Very smart people tend to want to study interesting things and I can think of few things more boring than law, especially the kind of law practiced in big law.

[Anonymous]

Look up the Top 14 schools that take the GRE and google 509 reports for those schools. The reports list the percentage in the incoming JD class that submitted the GRE and their median scores for it.

Less than 10 percent of the class usually submits it. The ones who do usually have graduate degrees already.

Taking the GRE is a mistake for law school, unless you are a terrible LSAT taker.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think the average IQ of lawyers is probably around 120, higher obviously among T14 graduates and in big law, lower in small firms and graduates of other schools. A group that stands out in particular are patent attorneys.

Very few are at the 140+ level. Very smart people tend to want to study interesting things and I can think of few things more boring than law, especially the kind of law practiced in big law.

Recent study put it at 129 for Harvard LAw students. https://inoriseo.com/legal-insights/average-iq-of-lawyers/

[Anonymous]

129 for Harvard Law students or all lawyers? There is no citation for or link to this study.

The first is plausible but I'd be very surprised if the typical lawyer is at the 97th percentile for the general population.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think the average IQ of lawyers is probably around 120, higher obviously among T14 graduates and in big law, lower in small firms and graduates of other schools. A group that stands out in particular are patent attorneys.

Very few are at the 140+ level. Very smart people tend to want to study interesting things and I can think of few things more boring than law, especially the kind of law practiced in big law.

Recent study put it at 129 for Harvard LAw students. https://inoriseo.com/legal-insights/average-iq-of-lawyers/

It says a Harvard study of lawyers, not HLS. Anyways, the guy doesn’t even cite the study and I can’t find it online. Sounds dubious

[Anonymous]

Yeah, sounds made up.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The LSAT is more difficult than the GRE for most--at least according to those planning to attend law school.(Based on many whom I know who have taken both tests.)

The GRE is more flexible because it can be a substitute for both the LSAT and the GMAT (MBA programs).

Disagree with the OP's thought that those headed for PhD programs are more intellectual or more intellient than those headed to law school.

The GRE is more heavily G loaded than the LSAT in part because of the quantative reasoning section of the GRE.

This only means that the GRE measures native intelligence better than the lsat.
I have no doubt that the average law student is more intelligent than the average PhD in education but the average math PhD is probably more intelligent than the average law student and the GRE is better at identifying those students.

[Anonymous]

There's about four times as many takers of the GRE as LSAT and a wide range of intellectual ability. It includes both aspiring elementary teachers and aspiring physics PhD's.

[Anonymous]

FWIW Mensa accepts LSAT scores for membership. 95th percentile on the LSAT qualifies one for Mensa. Mensa members are 130+ IQ, or 98th percentile and up, but the comparison group is college seniors and college graduates so the threshold is a bit lower.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:FWIW Mensa accepts LSAT scores for membership. 95th percentile on the LSAT qualifies one for Mensa. Mensa members are 130+ IQ, or 98th percentile and up, but the comparison group is college seniors and college graduates so the threshold is a bit lower.

Sign me up.