Law Preview reviews

Our alums explain how Law Preview has helped thousands of incoming 1Ls become top law students

Our students thrive

Since 1998, BARBRI Law Preview has been helping students find success in law schools across the country. Consistently, they attribute their law school success to Law Preview and the important difference it made for them during their first year and beyond.

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"There’s nothing better than having a solid organizational structure in place so that you begin law school knowing what you will need to do to achieve your personal goals. That’s what Law Preview provided for me – allowing me to finish in the Top 15% of my class and earning me a spot on the Wisconsin Law Review."
Arie F., University of Wisconsin School of Law, Class of 2022
"Law Preview took away the learning curve of the first few weeks of law school. When other classmates were struggling to adjust to learning via cases and figuring out what details in a case were important to the class itself, I had already gained these skills through my week of Law Preview. Law school doesn’t teach you how to learn the material, but Law Preview did."
Lewis S., Drexel University School of Law, 2021
"Since I just received my grades from the first semester yesterday, I do not know what I’m ranked yet, but I did get 3 As and 1 A-!! Law Preview definitely made a huge impression on my law school experience. The most important thing I took out of it was how much Don stressed to us that the 1st year matters the most. I always had that in the back of my mind at all times and that is what kept me going and striving to succeed. While everyone around me I felt complained about how hard it was and basically wanted to give up, I just kept remembering what Don said every day that once you get through the 1st year, the rest is easy! It also made me not want to settle for anything less than a 4.0 and so that’s what I worked toward and I’m extremely pleased that I have no regrets about the effort I put in because I did everything I could have possibly done. . . . I also benefitted from Law Preview in that it stressed the importance of taking note of the things professors said in class that other students would think were trivial because those actually can matter the most and always find their way on the exam. For example, my torts professor mentioned one small detail in class that a certain case (that we were required to look up on our own time) might be on the exam, and I was SO happy i took the time to do that because the facts and issue in that case were EXACTLY the same on the exam and worth 20 essay pts! I really liked all the professors that came and lectured at law preview as well. My favorite was Jody Kraus who taught us Contracts because although he was intimidating at first, that definitely prepared me for some of the professors I had last semester! (I also really appreciated Don telling us to make sure we were well-prepared for that lecture!) Whenever I was called on to recite in class I just kept thinking how Jody told us that even if you’re not sure what you’re talking about, SOUND confident, and that helped a lot. . . . I also really found the schedule Law Preview laid out for us very helpful because I think a lot of people go into law school not knowing what the average time commitment is and I just kept thinking 9 hrs a day and would try to aim for that! In the beginning of school, I was trying to do my homework for class the night before and then I realized that on the schedule we were given it said to do the assignments 2 nights in advance and that definitely was helpful!! Much less stressful that way. . . . More than anything, thank you Law Preview for being my motivation to strive for a 4.0 and constantly remind myself how important the first year grades are!"
Chirstina G., Thomas M. Cooley Law School, Class of 2012
"Law Preview gave me the confidence and the tool set to hit the ground running during the first semester. While other students were falling behind on the readings, not studying smartly, and fearing the inevitable Socratic exchange, I was confidently working (instead of struggling) through the semester. When finals arrived, I knew how to study, what to study, and had a great overall plan to arrive in a good spot at the end of the semester. I’m glad I took Law Preview before beginning my law school career. I would have been lost without it."
Dustin L., Southwestern Law School, Class of 2011
"I felt comfortable with the course material and had a good idea about what the semester workload would look like thanks to the Barbri Law Preview."
Christina O., University of Texas Law School, Class of 2022
"I would definitely recommend Law Preview to any incoming 1L. I found the subject lessons to be extremely helpful and many of the cases in the Law Preview book were also in most of the school casebooks. I also benefited greatly from the advice Law Preview gives about how to brief, study, and manage time. The continuing emails I received from Don were also very helpful and encouraging. I believe the program is very worth taking. After my first semester I earned a 3.75/4.0 GPA."
Anna K., University of Miami School of Law, Class of 2013
"Law Preview helped very much! I was much better prepared on day one to begin learning the cases, as my classmates were still figuring out terminology and how to brief. Additionally, I already had begun my outlines using the tips I learned at Law Preview, (once I had the books), and it was a lot easier to stay ahead then how most of my classmates were disadvantaged and thus playing catchup. It was absolutely essential to my success and I do not think I would have done nearly as well without it! I would recommend it to anybody, especially if you don’t have the good fortune of a scholarship – it might cost money, but if you are going to pay $100,000 for law school on your own tab – this is the absolute BEST $1000+ I have spent, and the most cost effective means of helping me accelerate to the top of my class."
Ron P., Florida Coastal School of Law, Class of 2011 (transferred to Wake Forest University School of Law)
"Law Preview has given me a firm foundation as to how I should approach my classes to do well. After attending LP, I was able to formulate an attack plan for law school such that when school actually started, I felt better prepared."
Anonymous, University of Chicago Law School, Class of 2022
"Wow! That’s how Law Preview has effected my law school experience. Attending that intense week of Law Preview set me up for success. Not only did I have the opportunity to get a ‘preview’ of the classes and the type of environment that I would be entering into, I got to look at some of the hardest cases before the real thing even started. That might not seem like a lot, but reading Palsgraf through once simply isn’t enough. Through the first semester I’m ranked in the top 10% of my class. There’s room for improvement for sure, but I know that I wouldn’t have gotten this far without the help of Law Preview!"
Anonymous, Dickinson School of Law (formerly Pennsylvania State University, The Dickinson School of Law), Class of 2011
"The overview from Law Preview really helped me to get acquainted to law school quickly and start off strong. The sample schedule and pre-work gave me the confidence I needed. Because of my grades, I was able to land a summer associate position before school even started back up in the spring. I didn’t have to wait for the help of my school for a job and now I can relax going into the semester knowing I have a position secured."
Natalie W., Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law, Class of 2023
"As someone who had been out of school for over 4 years before starting law school, Law Preview was a great mental exercise to get me back into the swing of being a student. More importantly, it gave me a sneak peak on what my 1L readings would look like, and gave me early practice of case-briefing. In addition, I didn’t have any family members who attended law school, and not too many friends either; Barbri resources helped answer questions that I had about 1L, or gave me the footing to figure out which questions to ask in the first place. [3.65 GPA after first semester]"
Anonymous, Boston College Law School, Class of 2023
"Law Preview definitely gave me a heads up on the outlining and legal research part of my school’s curriculum. I am so glad that I attended the legal research and writing day because it helped to cut down on the workload during the semester as I was already somewhat familiar with the process."
Chelsea W., University of Virginia School of Law, Class of 2013
"Law Preview has allowed to realize the time restrictions I have as a law school student. It taught me how to maximize the time I do have by disciplining my self with staying ahead in class and studying for finals well before the last week of class."
Dorothy S., Florida A&M University School of Law, Class of 2011
"Law Preview helped prepare me for what was a vastly different workload from undergraduate studies. During my week at Law Preview, I made the mistakes I would have made during my first semester. I was better prepared for the difficult questions, study aides, and workload than my classmates. I found myself comfortable with the law school rhythm, I knew how to make outlines before many of my classmates realized how crucial they would be. Because I was comfortable with the grading system, the class structure, the importance of my first semester grades, I focused immediately on my classes without fear, hesitation or trepidation. Law Preview is not the answer to an ‘A’ in a particular class, but a set of tools which teach students what law school (grades, competition, workload, exams, stress, Socratic Method, etc.) is like. Throughout the semester, I knew what was expected of me and what I could expect to experience in the traditional classes, on the exam, and in the legal research & writing course."
Anastacia G., Dickinson School of Law, (formerly Pennsylvania State University, The Dickinson School of Law), Class of 2013
"It’s pretty unbelievable to me that a year ago right now, I was getting ready to begin Law Preview. It’s been a long, hard year, but a successful one. I finished out the year on Dean’s List, and in the top 10% of my class at Fordham University School of Law! Not bad for someone who graduated from college five years ago with a degree in acting, and hadn’t read more than a magazine since then. There were times over this past year that I would be in class, and would have a deep sense of deja vu, or I would somehow just instinctively know what the professor was asking or how to look at the issue. Of course, I realized pretty quickly that it wasn’t actually deja vu or amazing natural legal ability on my part; so much of what was covered in my classes this year, we talked about in Law Preview. Just that one week of studying made so much of my coursework in the first year seem familiar, and much less intimidating. I guess this is just a long way of saying THANK YOU! And I would be happy to act as a reference for anyone who has questions as to whether or not they should do Law Preview (they should!)."
Anonymous, Fordham University School of Law, Class of 2012
"It was so useful, even though the learning curve was still steep during the first semester I knew where it was going and what my goals should be. I gave it 200% and I was proud of my first semester grades and I look forward to doing even better this semester!"
Jeannine C., Pace University School of Law, Class of 2012
"Law Preview gave me critical early exposure to law school concepts and exam strategies that gave me an edge in my first semester of law school."
Reagan L, University of Houston Law Center, Class of 2021
"Great experience with Law Preview. Support material (online videos) after the course and continual study tips helped reinforce the material taught in the classroom. Highly recommend. Felt prepared for class discussions and received A-s in the two courses that were introduced in depth at Law Preview. Thanks!!"
Anonymous, University of California, Los Angeles, School of Law, Class of 2022
"From the very first day of class I felt ahead of the learning curve as far as preparation and study habits goes. The tips from Law Preview were very helpful in establishing a good base for finals preparation and it really showed when exam period came around."
Louis S., Texas A&M University School of Law (formerly Texas Wesleyan University School of Law), Class of 2011
"They do not release rankings for the first semester only after the second. I do know that the curve falls around a 2.86 and I finished with around a 3.3 GPA. I think learning how classes were going to be and knowing what to do helped a lot."
Anonymous, Charleston School of Law, Class of 2011
"Law Preview allowed me to get a head start during my first year of law school. It was extremely helpful during midterms and finals. All of the available study aids helped me get a better understanding of each course. [3.93 GPA after first semester]."
Anonymous, Touro College Jacob D. Fuchsberg Law Center, Class of 2020
"It helped me understand the rigor and intensity of the environment. I came in with a strong sense of urgency which helped me stay on pace."
Anna H., University of Miami School of Law, Class of 2023
"I felt more prepared than many of my fellow students in the importance of outlining, keeping up with classwork daily, and how to manage my time. I also felt as if the test-taking skills I learned through Law Preview made a substantial impact on my performance on law school tests. While nothing can fully prepare you for the academic rigor and of law school, Law Preview definitely assisted in making my first semester of law school more manageable, less stressful, and gave me the confidence I needed to face the competition amongst my peers and the challenges that law school brought."
Amy D., Liberty University School of Law, Class of 2012
"Law Preview really helped put into perspective what the first semester of law school would be like. The substantive overview of each core first year class really prevented me from feeling lost or overwhelmed, the study calendar helped me know when and how to study, and the materials on exam writing are absolutely invaluable. Law Preview is the difference between drowning and succeeding your first semester."
Amelia D., University of California, Hastings College of the Law, Class of 2012
"Law Preview gave me a good grasp on the different fields of law studied during the first year of law school. It also introduced me to famous cases and how to brief them, which gave me a monumental step up over my colleagues. [Ranked 10 out of 160]."
Anonymous, Florida International University School of Law, Class of 2012
"I would absolutely suggest Law Preview to any student about to enter law school, especially if you are looking to end your 1L year at the top of your class. When all of my classmates were confused on how to study for class, prepare outlines, or write exam answers, Law Preview was my guide. I felt comfortable and prepared going into exam time, and without Law Preview, I know this could NOT have been possible. Law Preview gave me a huge advantage over other students in my class. Further, I was able to have in-depth analysis and discussions with professors about our case material since I had already encountered it during Law Preview. I owe my successful 1L year, and a shot at transferring to a top-25 law school, to Don and the distinguished professors at the program. Law Preview is the best preparation any student could do before entering law school. Thank you!!! [Ranked #4 out of 126 students after the 1L year]."
Anonymous, Northern Illinois University College of Law, Class of 2013
"Law Preview helped me feel comfortable going into school. I knew the tasks that were ahead of me and how best to handle them. I understood how to brief, how to organize a study schedule, and some of the basic premises of core courses that allowed me to be able to focus my studying and class preparation more efficiently. Furthermore, Law Preview simply provides students with confidence which, especially during the first semester, is lacking because no feedback is received (except in Legal Writing) until January. I do not know my current class rank because my school does not rank after the first semester, but I finished with a 3.69 and Law Preview played a large role in my first semester success."
Raymond G., New York Law School, Class of 2011
"Latham & Watkins’ genuine commitment to diversity, inclusion, and excellence has had a tremendous impact on both my academic and professional career. In 2019, Latham gave me a scholarship to attend Law Preview prior to entering Stanford Law School — a truly unique opportunity that gave me the foresight to succeed in my first year of law school. The program armed me with the key concepts of the first-year curriculum and taught me how to prepare for classes and exams early, efficiently, and effectively. Based on my academic achievements, not only was I invited to join the Stanford Law Review, but I also joined Latham as a 1L Summer Associate and received an offer to return next summer (as well as Latham’s 2L Diversity Scholarship). I will be forever grateful that Latham invested ~$1000 in my academic success prior to starting law school — their initial investment in me has paid dividends. Law Preview clearly had a significant impact on my success at Stanford Law School. If law school were karate, Don Macaulay would be the Mr. Miyagi of the legal community."
Daniel K., Stanford Law School, Class of 2023 (President of the Stanford Law Review)
"Law preview helped me start off on the right note! It helped me set a schedule that allowed me to handle my reading load and provided time for weekly review. It was also great having an overview of classes! I attribute Law Preview for much of my first-semester academic success during a very challenging year of virtual law school."
Sabrina S., University of Michigan Law School, Class of 2023
"Felt much more comfortable about what was going to be coming at me than I would have been otherwise."
Anonymous, New England School of Law, Class of 2022