Volatility: The Unexpected Friend Of Top LSAT Prep Students

Why Volatility Is a Future Lawyer’s Friend

You may have heard that “volatility” in financial markets is something to fear. However, the impact of volatility depends significantly on where you are in life.

When someone is older and possessing assets, sharp market swings can feel threatening. But if you’re early in your career—asset-light, flexible, and playing a long game—volatility is often a benefit, not a danger.

Why? Because volatility creates opportunity.

Law School Students Often Benefit From Volatility

Periods of uncertainty are times when prices can drop meaningfully, interest rates fall, and attractive options suddenly appear. Those opportunities reward those who possess time, perspective, and the ability to wait. When you’re young, time is working on your side.

Understanding the potential value of volatility is especially relevant for future lawyers. Law school and early legal careers are long arcs. Your earning power is still ahead of you. Patience, long-term planning, and handling risk thoughtfully  when you are young can compound powerfully over time.

The LSAT Parallel: Progress Isn’t Linear

There’s a useful parallel here to LSAT prep. Progress on the LSAT is rarely linear. Scores fluctuate. Some practice tests feel discouraging. Strong students don’t try to eliminate that volatility—instead, they learn from it. For dedicated students, missed questions are learning opportunities to expand one’s understanding of the exam–they are not unalterable mandates of future scores.

The big takeaway here is simple: volatility–whether in your practice LSAT scores or in financial markets–isn’t the enemy. Misunderstanding and failing to capitalize on it is.

Playing The Long Game

It’s worth keeping that perspective in mind—not just while preparing for the LSAT, but as you plan for your legal career. Over the course of my legal career I have seen significant swings in home prices, stock market prices, interest rates, and employment benefits (e.g., pensions). In each case, young lawyers who thought long-term and stayed patient were the ones who turned volatility into their friend, and found an opportunity to experience dramatic benefits.