With a deep history tracing back to the gold rush, since the 1800s Fresno has been a vital part of Central California. As an economic and geographic hub, Fresno is the home of much of the important legal activity in the region, with some of the biggest and busiest trial courts in California. Since a large amount of legal activity is processed in Fresno, the legal industry is in great need of capable lawyers. In Central California, the average attorney's salary is well above average, and the typical Fresno lawyer earns $114,029 a year. With yearly job openings growing around 6%, it's the perfect time to set out on a path to become a licensed lawyer in Fresno.
As Fresno's demand for lawyers grows, the infrastructure around the programs continues to grow to support the pipeline for up and coming attorneys. Area universities and community colleges without law programs offer law prep and pre-law programs, working with students to help them meet the requirements for the rigorous law school admissions process. Moreover, educational institutions and programs are also helping students get placed in test prep programs, which is arguably the most important component in law school admissions.
One of the first steps in the path to a career in law is taking the standardized Law School Admissions Test, the LSAT. The score you receive on the LSAT is a huge part of what schools you can be accepted into, and it's vital to do well in order to get into one of the high-ranking law schools in the area. Law schools like the Oak Brook College of Law and the prestigious San Joaquin College of Law heavily weight LSAT scores when evaluating their applicants. With a high concentration of great law schools nearby in the San Francisco Bay Area, an increasingly competitive score is necessary. It takes a well prepared student with strong LSAT scores to embark on this career path. Tests are administered at specific dates throughout the year, and therefore studying should begin as soon as possible to get the best results.
Fortunately, there are now a great deal of resources for prospective law students to help prepare for the test. The list of preparation courses available are ever growing and ever more flexible, with both classroom and online options to teach you all the tips and strategies you'll need to earn the highest score possible. With LSATs often factoring into financial aid and scholarships, it's never been more important to get a great score on the exam.
Of course, not all LSAT prep courses are equally effective for maximizing your LSAT score, so you'll obviously want to do your research in order to find the best course possible. With our years of experience, we've learned a lot about the most important factors for an LSAT prep course to be effective in boosting scores. The best LSAT courses will always contain the following:
- Real LSAT questions and tests (Prep Tests) from previous years
- Detailed video explanations of every question type and concept
- Flexible pricing to accommodate any budget
- Some sort of support system and materials to use during and after the class
Online vs In-Person LSAT Classes
Different students have different preferences for online versus offline LSAT courses. Some students lean towards more flexible and inexpensive online versions, while others prefer a more traditional in-person classroom environment. Students who opt for a classroom environment usually prefer working alongside their peers and having the experience of an instructor in front of them in a classroom. Recently, classroom courses are seeing declining participation numbers and are decreasingly available in Fresno.
In-person classes are losing popularity due to some of their inconvenient disadvantages. Students often face challenges getting to the course every week on an inflexible schedule. For those with work and personal responsibilities, it's often quite difficult to adhere to a more rigid schedule. Furthermore, due to space and staffing demands, in-person courses are typically several times more expensive than online courses. With the inconvenience of driving to class at least once a week, it's hard for students to justify the additional costs for in-person prep classes.
Online courses, conversely, have flexibility built into their curriculum. These courses give students freedom and support when designing their own study plan. Resources are available to students 24/7, and they are accessible without the constraints of a classroom environment. Students still have instructors readily accessible to answer all of their questions. This format has improved and evolved in recent years, with more and more in-depth resources and support available to online students. Cost plays a huge part in this transformation, as online courses are offered at just a fraction of the price of in-class courses. Although there are students that find success with both styles of courses, online courses are increasingly meeting the needs of students more effectively than in-person classes.
| Pros of an Online Course | Pros of an In-Person Course |
| Total freedom to organize the class around your own needs and schedule | In-person instructors provide hand on guidance for students |
| Test materials, practice questions, and valuable resources are available at any time | Environment to learn and engage with peers around course material |
| Much less expensive than in-person options | Traditional classroom environment is preferred by some students |
| Personalized curriculum helps you hone the areas which need work and not waste time on your strengths | |
| Simulates real LSAT which is taken digitally on a tablet |
If you'd like some more information on the advantages of online vs. classroom learning for LSAT prep, check out this article on the case against in-class LSAT prep courses
The Best Online LSAT Prep Courses in Fresno
LSATMax LSAT Prep Course
Your secret weapon for getting accepted to the law school of your choice, the LSATMax online LSAT prep course from TestMax, is guaranteed to raise your scores. For a reasonable one-time fee, you’ll get instant access to a huge arsenal of tools to help you prepare for the exam on your own time. With countless five-star reviews across TrustPilot, Google Play, and the Apple App Store, LSATMax is clearly the best online LSAT course available.
What makes LSATMax the best online prep course for any pre-law student looking to max out their LSAT scores? First, because it’s available on both web and mobile, you will be able to access your course materials at any time. Next, unlike many online courses that use practice questions written by so-called experts, LSATMax only uses actual questions that have appeared on the LSAT. Your membership gives you access to up to 9,000 questions.
There are three LSATMax course packages available. All three contain the full LSATMax course catalog with over 100 hours of video from instructors who have all scored in the 99th percentile on the LSAT themselves. You’ll also have opportunities to get personalized help from our instructors via real-time chat, message boards and scheduled office hours Q&A sessions. All students can also access their sample questions using LSATMax’s digital LSAT simulator for an authentic experience that replicates and gets you ready for the real LSAT.
Course Packages Available:
All LSATMax packages contain the full course catalog and a subscription to LSAT Prep Plus which gets you access to every LSAT practice exam available from the LSAC. You can choose between 3 flexible packages that give you access for the length of time you need to study for the LSAT.- LSATMax 60: This package gives you 60-day access to the full LSATMax course. It is great for students who have a shorter amount of time to study before their exam or who only need to raise their score a few points.
- LSATMax 180: This 180 day access package is designed to fit the needs of most students by giving access to the course for longer than the average time spent studying for the exam.
- LSATMax 365: This package is the best value for those who have a longer time frame to study for the exam or need to raise their score as much as possible.
No matter which package you choose, TestMax offers 0% financing for up to a full year through Affirm. Remember, the earlier you begin preparing for the LSAT, the higher your scores will be.
Pros:
- Get instant access to flexible packages and pricing
- Guaranteed to boost your LSAT score or your money back
- Interactive instruction with real LSAT experts
- Digital LSAT simulator for 100% realistic test experience
Manhattan Prep
https://www.manhattanprep.com/
Like most of the online LSAT prep courses in this list, Manhattan Prep has instructors with very impressive credentials. With over 20 highly qualified instructors to help you prepare for your LSAT, Manhattan Prep is focused on in-person test prep, but their “LSAT Interact” self-guided prep course is a viable option for students looking to prepare for the test on their own time. With over 60 hours of video lessons included, you’ll also get access to lots of practice tests. There is also an option to upgrade your membership to include 1-on-1 tutoring.
Pros:
- 60+ hours of LSAT training from qualified instructors
Cons:
- Does not track your performance on practice tests
- Course enrollment lasts 6 months, but can be extended for a fee
TestMasters Online LSAT Prep Course
https://www.testmasters.net/online-lsat-course
The TestMasters Online LSAT Prep Course gives you a chance to watch live training courses for up to 100 days before your LSAT is administered. Available for a moderate price, this course is taught by Robin Singh who holds the record for the most perfect LSAT scores. TestMasters uses a large selection of real questions from previous LSAT exams in its curriculum. Rather than creating on-demand video lessons exclusively for the online course, the TestMasters Prep Course features recorded videos from previous live classes. While the information is good, this lack of interactivity makes you feel more like a fly on the wall of a prep course rather than an active participant.
Pros:
- 160+ hours of recorded classroom training
- Uses real LSAT questions
Cons:
- More expensive than most LSAT prep courses
- Taught by an instructor who was a “natural” at the LSAT, so it can be hard to relate for those of us who need extra help
The Best In-Person LSAT Prep Courses in Fresno
- Test Masters
- 855 Gettysburg Avenue, Clovis, CA, 93612
- (800) 696-5728
- https://www.testmasters.net/Lsat-Prep-Courses/california-fresno
- Test Masters has extensive experience delivering LSAT prep courses in the immediate Fresno area. For Clovis residents, Test Masters is one of the more convenient choices. With a huge database of test questions and content, Test Masters is a recognized name in the industry. The company has experienced and well-trained instructors. A mix of evening and morning classes, two days a week, make sure these providers fit with your schedule. Also keep an eye on when your test date is compared to your prep course dates and how big the gap is – you don't want to forget anything before taking the test.
- Manhattan Elite Prep
- 150 E San Fernando St, San Jose, CA, 95112
- (480) 850-0966
- https://www.manhattaneliteprep.com/lsat-san-jose-prep-course-class/
- Known for strong, elite-scoring instructors, Manhattan Elite Prep offers a course in San Jose at the Martin Luther King library with multiple convenient scheduling options. Although it's located a little out of the way in San Jose, this LSAT prep course offers the option of longer class sessions and therefore shorter class terms. It makes our list for its week-long LSAT prep sessions which, although intense, work well with some learning styles. Keep in mind the drive time when scheduling with Manhattan Elite.
- Manhattan Review
- 300 Almaden Boulevard, San Jose, CA 95110
- (408) 624-1241
- https://www.manhattanreview.com/san-jose-lsat-prep-courses/
- For those willing to drive a longer distance to attend LSAT prep sessions, Manhattan Review is a solid option. With well-qualified, high-scoring test instructors, it is a reliable choice that focuses on the achievement of its students. Manhattan Review is notable for having the option of private tutoring that can be purchased in tandem with their in-person classes. They offer weekend classes only, over a six week session. Learning plans are coupled with practice tests, but the main benefit here comes from their local, weekend classes.
The Best Law Schools Near {City}
| Law School | Location | Website | Admissions Email |
| Oak Brook College of Law | Fresno, California | obcl.edu | info@obcl.edu
|
| San Joaquin College of Law | Clovis, California | sjcl.edu | dsteel@sjcl.edu |
| University of California, Davis School of Law | Davis, California | law.ucdavis.edu/ | admissions@law.ucdavis.edu |
| Lincoln Law School of San Jose | San Jose, California | lincolnlawsj.edu/ | admissions@lincolnlawsj.edu
|
| Santa Clara University School of Law | Santa Clara, California | law.scu.edu/ | success@scu.edu
|
Looking to learn more about the best law schools in the state? Take a look at our article on the Top 10 law schools in California.
