If you’re wondering what in the world the Logic Games section is doing on the LSAT, you’re not alone. Why do they torture you with these silly puzzles that seemingly have nothing to do with being a lawyer? Here you are, Mr. or Ms. Serious Aspiring Law Student, ready to take on the world and stamp out injustice (or make billions brokering corporate mergers), and what do they throw in your way? Bears. Jugglers. Seven snot-nosed kids at some stupid birthday party where you, of all people, have to figure out the order for pin-the-tail-on-the-donkey. And what about those scenarios they dream up? Sounds like a bad joke: Three rabbis, a priest, and an elephant walk into a bar . . .

Guess what? No joke. Fast forward to the future . . .

Packed courtroom. Palms sweating. Your client’s fate hanging in the balance. And suddenly it dawns on you that if you combine the testimony offered by witnesses 1 and 7 with the testimony offered by witness 3, there’s no way that key witness 4 can be telling the truth. Two things become immediately clear to you: First, you’re going to win this case. Second, the LSAT Logic Games section is more than the mere sadistic ritual you thought it to be.

Sure, not every law career involves dramatic courtroom scenes, but the relevance of Logic Games extends to many aspects of legal study and practice—we’ll talk more about the “why” of this section later. The good news is that logic games, like all puzzles, get easier with practice and familiarity. So buckle up for a heaping helping of drills and games as we dissect this formidable challenge and cut it down to size.