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.
"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 helped me feel more confident beginning law school, making the transition much smoother [ranked #20 out of 200 after first semester]!"
Anonymous, University of Southern California Law School, Class of 2011
"Law Preview was beneficial in that it helped strip away some of the anxiety and myths about first year law school while also conveying the reality of the large amount of time and effort that would be required of students if they wanted to succeed. There are no magic words or formulas to success but Law Preview passed on tools and techniques for studying so that I was able to hit the ground running from the very first day of school. The tools and practice from Law Preview allowed me to focus on the substance of what was being discussed in class and in the readings. Rather than trying to remember what the heck IRAC was or learning how to write case briefs and read case books effectively the first few weeks of the semester I’d already had a week of practice on how to accomplish those tasks thanks to my time with Law Preview. One of the first legal writing assignments at my school during first semester was to write a case brief which I already knew how to write thanks to the templates from Law Preview and session on the topic. I got 100% on the brief. The familiarity and introduction to various topics and projects covered during the first year of law school became a huge time saver. And any law school student will tell you that anything that saves time is invaluable in law school."
Anonymous, Whittier Law School, Class of 2011
"Law Preview is an intense one-week course that gives you a real sense of what 1L looks like: It asks you to read fifty pages a day, make case outlines, and get prepared to be called on by instructors who are experienced professors from great law schools. I felt a lot of pressure when taking the course, but that is exactly 1L, isn’t it? Looking back, I cannot imagine what my law school journey would be like if I did not take the course. The study methods taught in the course helped me get good grades in 1L, and those grades played a crucial role in my applications for 1L and 2L summer internships. All start from that ‘painful’ yet amazingly productive week, so I cannot say enough how impactful it is to my law school journey and my legal career."
Han S., University of Washington School of Law, Class of 2022
"First, a note about my rank: University of Michigan does not rank its students. I do know, however, that our classes are curved around a mean of 3.19, which means that 50% of students get higher than that GPA overall. Also, I’ve heard that a 3.4 represents the lower limit of the 25th percentile. After my first year at UM Law, I have a 3.75 GPA. I went in with an LSAT that put me in the lowest quartile, and now I have a GPA that puts me maybe in the top 10% of the class! At the beginning of the year, my goal was to get a 3.2, and I have exceeded that by far. I believe that part of the reason for my success was indeed the Law Preview program. By taking Law Preview, I was able to get a solid base for all the substantive material that I was to learn in class. In at least every one of my first year courses, I read cases that I read in Law Preview. For example, in Torts during my first semester at law school, I think the first 3 cases we read I had read in Law Preview. That gave me a huge advantage in class because while doing my reading, I knew what to look for and what nuances were important. Also, I was able to participate confidently in those classes. Also, procedurally, Law Preview helped me tremendously. I knew how to brief cases before the first day of class so when I was engaging in my reading, I could really focus on the material. My classmates at this time were still struggling with their cases briefs. Also, I closely followed the suggested schedule that Law Preview gave us and kicked into high gear at the appropriate moments. I was able to finish my outlines by the last day of class and was able to use our entire study period brushing up on material, using my study aids, and taking practice tests. Again, at this time my classmates were barely finishing their outlines and maybe taking one practice test. I believe both the substantive and procedural information I learned from Law Preview was monumental to my success in my first year of law school and enabled me to achieve much more than I had expected. Thank you!"
Anonymous, University of Michigan Law School, Class of 2011
"Looking back after the conclusion of my 1L, I owe much, if not most, of my success to the skills and strategies I learned during Law Preview. The learning curve in law school is very steep, and Law Preview allowed me to enter school immediately prepared; knowing what I had to do to succeed. Following Law Preview’s steps throughout the year, I finished in the top 5% of my class, was admitted to my school’s Law Review and landed a summer associate position at one of the world’s most prestigious law firms. I can’t thank Law Preview enough and think it is an invaluable experience every incoming law student should take part in."
Terrence O., Boston College Law School, 2019
"Law Preview made all the difference for me. As a first generation law student, I wasn’t sure what to expect in law school. Law Preview took away all that fear and set me up for success – I earned a 3.93 GPA during my 1L year!"
Josh V., University of Texas School of Law, Class of 2022 (transferred to Harvard Law School)
"Law Preview was critical in giving me the strategic advantages that allowed me to excel during the 1L year. Many of my colleagues did not realize the correct pacing and preparation schedule until it was far too late. I appreciated Don’s realistic and blunt advice about the difficulties you will face during the first year. Law school is about hard work and proper preparation, and Law Preview made this unambiguously clear through the Strategies for Academic Success sessions, as well as the experience of preparing for the mini-courses at Law Preview. . . . Last, and maybe most important, I left Law Preview excited to start school. When the year began I was able to step through the doors with the confidence of having an explicit and detailed plan about what was going to happen. Carrying through with the Law Preview schedule allowed me to go into exams confident, relatively stress-free, and somewhat rested. While this it was not a particularly fun experience to go through finals, I know that my experience was far better than most. [Ranked top 1% after first year]."
Anonymous, Indiana University School of Law, Bloomington, Class of 2011
"BARBRI’s Law Preview course was an amazing program! It was great to have an overview of each of the courses and major cases before classes started. I was terrified before starting law school that I wouldn’t do well, and I ended up ranking 1st in my section, 2nd in my class, and I transferred to Boston University School of Law! This program is definitely worth taking. The professors are amazing, and the exam preparation is extremely helpful! I recommended this course to everyone I knew starting law school."
Sophia O., Suffolk University School of Law (transferred to Boston Univ. School of Law), Class of 2022
"I am a part-time student and ranked #5 of 96 students. The tools Law Preview provided me with did help get me off the ground running. As I stood on top of my outlines throughout the semester, other students were just beginning their outlines the week before midterms, and then did not touch them again until review week while I was taking past exams. The emails throughout the semester were also very helpful, they certainly kept me focused! So far, Law Preview has been worth the money spent. Thanks!"
Anonymous, Thomas Jefferson School of Law, Class of 2013
"Law Preview expels the mystery that lies behind the first-year of law school. The program effectively highlights what it takes to navigate your first-year with success and confidence. LP revealed to me that success in law school depends greatly on your approach. The tips and tools that I gleaned through my time in this program were invaluable in that they gave me a how to navigate the first-year of law school that many of my peers were not as fortunate to have. I firmly believe that anyone who utilizes the LP approach and puts in the time and effort will find themselves at the top of their class and perhaps most importantly, find the law school experience to be enjoyable and satisfying."
Matthew G., Thomas Jefferson School of Law, Class of 2013
"It helped me be more prepared when the first day of class arrived. Additionally, I knew how to pace myself for exams and while everyone was attempting to figure out how to study, I already had a plan and was actually implementing the plan into my study time."
Anonymous, Elon University School of Law, Class of 2011
"Law Preview made me much more prepared for law school. The specific subject lessons were nice, but it was the overall lessons about preparedness and what to expect that helped me to not be blindsided when I got here. I can definitely say that the program paid off because after my first year I am ranked #15 out of 500 students in my class."
Michael S., University of Miami School of Law, Class of 2012
"Law Preview on demand was a great choice for me as an evening law student working full time. I wasn’t able to take off for a week of in-person Law Preview, but I could fit On-Demand into my schedule. Law Preview helped me go into my first year of law school with confidence by teaching the basics of the core 1L subjects, case briefing, and what to expect from my professors. I even spoke with Don Macaulay over the phone and he helped me figure out how to structure my study schedule around work and other commitments for the first semester. All of this preparation helped me come out of my first semester with an A average. Overall, I couldn’t be happier that I decided on Law Preview!"
Samantha K., University of Maryland School of Law, Class of 2022
"I felt that it prepared me to know what was coming at me in the fall semester. I had a good understanding of the timelines and the dates that I needed to schedule for myself in order to be successful in my first semester."
Anonymous, University of California, Los Angeles, School of Law, Class of 2021
"Overall, Law Preview took away much of the anxiety other students typically experience in their first year. With an overview of the first year courses, there weren’t that many surprises. Law Preview also helped me develop a sensible schedule to tackle the heavy workload for the first year. Additionally, the portion of the course on taking law school exams was especially helpful. While I knew what to expect, and I could plan accordingly, many other students had no idea what a law school exam was like or how to prepare. I feel like Law Preview gave me an advantage, particularly in the first semester."
Jason E., Texas Tech University School of Law, Class of 2013
"Law Preview set the tone for the entire semester. I took the recommendations seriously, studied hard, and stayed focused. Law Preview provided me with an overview of the basic law courses and the structure of our judicial system. This overview helped to lay the foundation for success. The study aid recommendations and real world advice on how to succeed in law school was very helpful. I sincerely enjoyed the Law Preview course and would recommend it to anyone entering law school."
Heather S., Mitchell Hamline School of Law, Class of 2021
"At the end of my 1L year I was ranked in the Top 1% of my class and was invited to serve on the Florida Law Review. I attribute my success wholly to Law Preview. It gave me the tools to succeed from the very beginning while others were still focusing on getting their feet on the ground. I truly felt like I knew what I was doing throughout the whole year."
Caitlin O., University of Florida Fredric G. Levin College of Law, Class of 2022
"Law preview provided me with the right mindset to approach day one of law school. I had an attack plan and knew what pitfalls to avoid because of the Law Preview course! [4.05 GPA after the first semester]."
Anonymous, University of Caliornia Hastings College of the Law, Class of 2023
"Provided a honest assessment of the work required to succeed. Made it easier to acclimate to law school. Calendar helped provide structure. Learned how to read and brief quicker. Courses were more familiar and easier to understand."
Paul T., American University, Washington College of Law, Class of 2023
"Law Preview does exactly as it’s name purports: it is a preview of law school. I found that the stimulated class sessions mirrored my actual law school classes. For me, attending Law Preview helped to reduce my anxiety and apprehension of the first week of classes and what to expect. Because many schools do not teach you how to brief cases or compose an outline, I felt at ease while completing my first homework assignments because I had already learned those skills at Law Preview. I highly recommend Law Preview for incoming 1L students."
Anonymous, University of Chicago Law School, Class of 2013
"The best thing I got out of Law Preview was the practical advice. Part of being successful in any situation is strategy – learning how to maneuver within the circumstances. Law Preview was a great strategy resource. Law School is a foreign world, and knowing what to expect before you ever get there is a huge asset. Most people are totally baffled and have no idea what to do, but I felt a little more confident and had a game plan when I went in. I also really appreciated having some idea of how to approach my exams during the first semester. I got A’s in all my substantive classes, including the high grade in Contracts that was 15% above the second highest score. Thanks for everything! [Ranked #5 out of 266 after first semester]."
Anonymous, University of Houston Law Center, Class of 2013
"After a personal crisis during the middle of finals, my grades still came back the way I wanted them to because Law Preview had me studying throughout the semester, so I already had the knowledge I needed, and the loss of some study time did not cripple me."
Anonymous, Dickinson School of Law , Class of 2022
"Law Preview really prepared me for the the rigors of my first semester of law school. Not only was I presented with an excellent overview of the main topics covered during my first year, I was also presented with a realistic view of the workload and what it would truly take to be a successful 1L student. Law Preview really reduced the anxiety I had about law school and I feel that the class enabled me to maintain a cool head during the more stressful points in my fall semester. I attribute much of my successful first semester to this class."
Meredith G., Seton Hall University School of Law, Class of 2021
"The most helpful aspects of Law Preview were time management, exam preparation, and the importance of the weekly review that you recommend. [4.0 GPA after the first semester.]"
Anonymous, New York Law School, Class of 2024
"I honestly believe that without Law Preview, I would not have finished my 1L year in the Top 6% of my class. I was able to hit the ground running while most of my classmates were just trying to not be overwhelmed. The head start Law Preview provides allowed me to earn the highest grade in two classes and a spot on my school’s Law Review."
Caleb T., New England School of Law, Class of 2022
"Law Preview was completely responsible for my ability to hit the ground running fall semester of my 1L year. I knew how to brief a case, how to approach outlining, and what to expect from exams. Armed with my study calendar, I jumped into my first year nervous but prepared. I think my 4.28 GPA was significantly helped by attending Law Preview and utilizing the tools it gave me. Shout-out to Don Macaulay, an MVP mentor who provides pre- and post-Law Preview guidance throughout your 1L year and beyond."
Susan P., Pepperdine University School of Law, Class of 2023 (transferred to Harvard Law School)
"I can’t explain how much I believe this program helped me. Because of my experience at Law Preview, I came into my first term feeling comfortable with the material and hit the ground running. As I met more and more students, I realized that I was so much more ahead of them in terms of preparedness. I followed the schedule that the Law Preview suggested and I felt that its flow helped me to do my daily work, study on the weekends and to manage my time effectively. Many of my friends would come to me seeking advice or help with their briefs because they saw how streamlined my own process was. As the term went on I began to realize week after week how much the program really helped. And as I came into week ten I did not feel as stressed as most students. While they were spending late nights in the library trying to catch up and write their outlines; I was simply reviewing and developing strategies on how to attack my exams. I felt that the study tips and suggestions they gave at the Law Preview not only helped with learning content, but managing the stress of first term. Not that I wasn’t stressed, but I was substantially less freaked out/emotional than many other students. I would highly recommend this program to anyone interested in going to law school. To put it quite plain, I would call home and tell my parents all the time how thankful I was that I made the decision to attend the Law Preview. [Ranked 51 out of 325]."
Anonymous, Thomas M. Cooley Law School, Class of 2012
"Law Preview gave me a wonderful and literal preview of the doctrines, precedents and methods to expect in law school, bolstering and reigniting my passion for Law as an institution-and further dissuaded me of any fears I may have had about the horrors of 1L. The pace was somewhat grueling, but, well worth it-a good way to prepare for the grind of law school. . . . Special thanks to Professor Martin Flaherty and Professor Alexandra Lahav for Con. Law and Civ. Pro."
Joseph S., New York Law School, Class of 2012
"I was really pleased with how Law Preview prepped me for my first semester! I knew exactly what I needed to do to prepare for classes, what to focus on in taking class notes, and how I should prepare for exams. While my peers struggled and floundered in the first few months trying to figure out how to read a case or write a brief, I was confident that I knew what to look for and it made it much easier to get more out of class from the very start and finish the semester strong. Also, the schedule suggested in terms of outline preparation really worked for me and gave me enough time to complete the outlines, consolidate them, and use them on practice tests. This familiarity with my outline in a test-like setting made all the difference in the world."
Anonymous, Georgetown University Law Center, Class of 2011