about scoreitup and mark sacks

INTRODUCTION

My name is Mark Sacks, and I founded ScoreItUp LSAT Prep in 2008 after working as an instructor for a national LSAT Prep company, teaching dozens of University law courses, graduating from Harvard Law School, and scoring in the 99th percentile on the LSAT.

ScoreItUp offers live, instructor-led LSAT Prep courses serving students across the United States and internationally. ScoreItUp is designed for students seeking a “deep dive” into their LSAT Prep, including a detailed breakdown of individual questions and answer choices that go far beyond standard explanations.

Most students attend classes live on Zoom from a wide range of locations. In-person courses are also offered as a very appealing (and hard-to-find!) option for students in Southern California who prefer a traditional classroom experience. 

I remain deeply committed to ScoreItUp because I love teaching the exam and providing serious students at all levels with a more in-depth and effective alternative to corporate LSAT Prep. I know from being in your shoes how overwhelming studying for the LSAT often feels – and I also know how to make the experience far more enjoyable and productive.

INSTRUCTOR GUARANTEE

One of the many things that sets ScoreItUp apart is a simple Instructor Guarantee: every lesson is taught by me, the company’s founder. 

You will benefit from a highly motivated instructor who has personally taught thousands of LSAT Prep students. You also will receive clear, engaging, and precise explanations—whether you are (1) brand new to the LSAT, (2) looking for more in-depth guidance and LSAT analysis than your current prep provides, or (3) an advanced student aiming to refine and fine-tune your LSAT skills.

My ScoreItUp students have earned acceptance into all of the nation’s top law schools, as well as “full-ride” merit-based scholarships to T-14, regional and local law schools. For more details on ScoreItUp’s unique benefits, see Top 15.

CHALLENGING LSAT QUESTIONS

A core part of my teaching approach is helping students master even the most challenging LSAT questions–including wrong answer choices. As part of the analysis, I explain why certain incorrect answers are tempting and how to avoid similar traps in future questions.

My live lessons are reinforced with ScoreItUp’s extensive online video and text resources. A detailed syllabus provides flexible options allowing you to supplement class lessons with carefully developed, self-study homework using only real LSAT questions.

For more details on the way my live courses for the new LSAT are structured, see Detailed Course Overview.

LEGAL EXPERIENCE
 
In addition, your lessons will be infused with analogies drawn from real-world stories (including high-stakes jury trials) stemming from my work as a criminal prosecutor, BigLaw civil litigator and law professor.
 
I was the lead trial attorney in 70 criminal jury trials, and separately led the landmark “sudden unintended acceleration” civil prosecution by the OCDA against a major car manufacturer. 
 
The analogies taken from real-life “war stories” help clarify difficult LSAT concepts, give you a sense of what life as a lawyer can be like, and make LSAT Prep a lot more fun! 
 

ADMISSIONS ADVICE

ScoreItUp courses also address common mistakes on law school applications and personal statements. In addition, 1-on-1 assistance with me is separately offered.

This application advice is based on (1) my extensive conversations with law school admission committee members throughout the nation, and (2) my years of experience on Harvard University’s admissions advisory board.

Whether you are applying to local law schools or top-ranked ones, this added perspective enables you to avoid making costly application errors. It also helps ensure that your life story resonates powerfully with admission committees.

HOMEWORK OPTIONS

To help students get the most out of lessons, I also provide guidance on self-study homework.

Are you interested in modern AI tools (adaptive learning, analytics, sorted question banks, etc.) to organize your at-home practice? Do you prefer an old-school “books-and-pencils” approach? Or do you think you’d benefit from using a combination of modern and traditional study resources? 

Modern platforms and analytics tools can be useful, but they are not a substitute for effective strategies that come from detailed, instructor-led analysis. Combining effective instruction with a student’s preferred method of self-study leads to meaningful score improvement.

STUDENT RESULTS/REVIEWS

My students regularly praise ScoreItUp for the LSAT results they achieve as well as the quality and clarity of their instruction. You can see ScoreItUp reviews on Yelp and Student Comments, view a full set of my UCI Student Evaluations, and read about a rare ScoreItUp multi-student 180 LSAT score accomplishment.

Our mutual goal is simple: help you get into your dream law school, earn substantial scholarship money, and prepare for future success beyond the LSAT–and have a lot of fun while doing it!

MARK’S METRICS

  • LSAT Prep Teaching: 20+ years
  • University Teaching: 50+ law courses (UCI, CSUF and Chapman)
  • Admissions: 5 years (Harvard advisory board)
  • Jury trials: 70 (lead prosecutor)
  • ScoreItUp Yelp Rating: 4.9/5.0 (100+ reviews)
  • ScoreItUp BBB Rating: A+
  • Higher Score Guarantees: 2
  • Rotating Instructors: 0

MARK’S FAVORITES

  • Favorite meal: Spaghetti (it’s the only meal I cook)
  • Favorite sports team: LA Rams
  • Favorite movies (Legal): My Cousin Vinny, Legally Blonde, A Few Good Men
  • Favorite movies (Oldies but Goodies): The Shawshank Redemption, Meet the Parents, Mean Girls, The Hangover (all three!)
  • Favorite games: Texas Hold’em and Bridge
  • Favorite high school subject: Math
  • Favorite LSAT section: Logical Reasoning