No matter how confident someone is about something in their head, it’s obviously not okay to falsify documents if you don’t have the actual information. That is silly and absurdly prideful.
But here’s the thing: in talking to Hall for 15 minutes, he said harsher things about himself than nearly anything I read online. It seems that the pride that got him into this pickle has been vaporized.
He told me what he did was, “if not the single dumbest thing, one of the dumbest” decisions he has ever made.
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He repeated that it felt like the LSAC had robbed him by not releasing his scores, which, combined with his previous overconfidence, led to the image alteration. Again, though, he said, “I realize that’s arrogant and stupid.”
But he does find it ridiculous that people think he was being intentionally deceptive. It’s absurd, Hall says, “that I would make up a third [perfect score]. I already have two.”
Regardless of intentions, is it reasonable to think his customers were misled by a claim of three perfect scores, as opposed to two? (I would probably say no. The bigger issue for me as a hypothetical prospective customer would be broader questions of trust.)
It’s not as if Hall is trying to make excuses or avoid responsibility. He seems pretty aware that he not only made a mistake, but that it comes with consequences.
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At the same time, it’s worth noting that Hall clearly does have a large group of devoted fans and former students.
There has been a “tremendous outpouring of support” from his students, he said. (Some of that support is even visible in the more antagonistic Top Law School boards.) He expressed gratitude for emails and phone calls and “incredible kindness” he has received, in spite of the negative publicity.
Readers, how would a situation like this affect your opinions of a former LSAT tutor, or — if you could time travel to your pre-law school days — of a tutor you were considering hiring? Feel free to discuss, in the comments.
UPDATE (8/2/2013): Dave Hall recently contacted us to let us know that he achieved his third perfect score.
Velocity Test Prep
Correcting the Record about My LSAT Scores [Top Law Schools]
How Many People Get Perfect 180? [Top Law Schools]
TestMasters v. David Hall, Complaint [Superior Court For the State of California for the County of Riverside]