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.
"Don, I just wanted to thank you for starting the Law Preview course. I truly feel confident going into my first year at Georgetown Law. The advice and encouragement you gave me has relieved much of the anxiety and mystique around the law school process. No matter how my grades turn out, I at least know that I am mentally ready for the challenge. The overview Law Preview provides is second to none and I can’t wait to give you an update in the years to come! Please feel free to give my name to any potential students of Law Preview. THANKS AGAIN!"
Jeb W., Georgetown University Law Center, Class of 2004
"Law Preview boosted my confidence going into my 1L year. By the time the first day of classes rolled around, I felt like I already had a big picture idea of each core subject. At the end of 1L, I was invited to serve as an Editor of the Yale Law Journal and as a Submissions Editor of the Yale Journal on Regulation."
Kristin S. Yale Law School, Class of 2022
"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 know that the skills Law Preview taught me made my first semester of law school successful and manageable. As you are well aware, law school is a unique and stressful environment, a mystery to those who have not experienced it. Law Preview demystified it for me. As a result, I knew how much time I should spend studying and when, what I should focus on, and how I should balance my classwork with other obligations. I did not have to waste precious hours acquiring this knowledge by trial and error. Additionally, Law Preview’s engaging professors introduced me to the substantive material I would encounter in my courses and made me excited about what I would learn in law school. Through its courses Law Preview gives incoming law students the tools they need to succeed in their first year and beyond."
Frances K., Mitchell Hamline School of Law (formerly William Mitchell College of Law), Class of 2013
"Definitely took the edge away. Law Preview helps you to understand the substantive law, but that is not truly its purpose. I feel like it takes the anxiety and the struggle away from the first year of law school. [Ranked top 10% after first semester]."
Anonymous, Loyola Law School, Los Angeles, Class of 2012
"My school does not rank students, so I don’t know my percentile. But I am very pleased with my grades–almost all As. I know that Law Preview was particularly helpful in getting me into the right mindset from the very beginning. I already had a framework for each course, and it made it easier for me to see the big picture from day 1. This is where I feel I excelled past my classmates–my ability to understand the material thematically. I did not spend my first weeks struggling over minute, unnecessary details, or teaching myself the components of a brief, as others did."
Anonymous, University of Pennsylvania Law School, Class of 2011
"Law Preview taught me the habits that I used to succeed during my first semester of law school. Had it not been for the class, I would not have understood the importance of briefing cases, integrating my notes from class with my initial notes, and outlining, and how these practices impact performance on the final exam. Because I knew how imperative it was to discipline myself into practicing these strategies on a daily basis, I was able to stick to an efficient schedule that ultimately produced successful results."
Monica C. Georgetown University Law Center, Class of 2021
"As someone who had been out of school for a while, Law Preview really set me up for success in fall of 1L. Having already been introduced to many of the topics we would discuss, I found it was much easier to understand and retain the material as it was introduced. The test taking and time management strategies also helped me minimize the exam stress at the end of the semester that plagued my classmates while still making it on the honor roll!"
Anonymous, Notre Dame Law School, Class of 2023
"Law Preview prepared me to hit the ground running when I started Law School. I was better prepared than my classmates for the many changes between law school and college. [3.9 GPA, Dean’s List Honors after the first semester]."
Anonymous, Washington University (St. Louis) School of Law, Class of 2024
"Law Preview gave me the confidence to know that hard work could pay off in law school. During the first semester, law students often hear the cliche, “Study smarter, not harder.” Unfortunately, nobody really tells us what that means. Law Preview gave an actual playbook to success. If a student follows Don’s schedule and stays consistent during their first semester, they will succeed. The first semester of law school will test your abilities as a student both mentally and emotionally. Therefore, gaining the knowledge and confidence to know what success in law school requires makes taking the class worth it."
John C., University of California, Los Angeles, School of Law, Class of 2022
"Law Preview was a great introductory class. I could feel the law school environment in advance and can be more prepared than others. The 1L mastery classes were super helpful during the semester as well. I used the video mainly for review purposes, and it really helped me understand the whole structure of each course and prepare my outlines. [3.75 GPA and Top 15% after the first semester]"
Anonymous, George Washington University Law School, Class of 2023
"They do not put out class rank for the first semester but I got two As and and A- in my substantive classes and a B+ in Legal Writing and Research. Going by last year’s numbers, my 3.9 GPA puts me in the top 15% or better. Law Preview gave me a method of preparing for class that allowed me to make the most of lectures from the start. The tips about making use of the table of contents and starting to outline early were the most useful in retrospect. During the final reading period, I was able to focus on old tests and adjusting my finished outline to be more useful in the test scenario. I’m incredibly happy with the results."
Anonymous, University of California, Hastings College of the Law, Class of 2012
"I’m so glad I did the Law Preview course. I was coming into law school after years in the performance arts, and definitely felt out of my depth! This short course really helped me feel more prepared headed into 1L. It also helped me feel like I had a plan of action moving forward. Law school was definitely a very different experience compared to undergrad, and Law Preview provided support so that I knew how to make the most out of my first year right off the bat! [3.71 GPA after first semester]."
Anonymous, Georgetown University Law Center, Class of 2024
"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 gave me the confidence to know that hard work could pay off in law school. During the first semester, law students often hear the cliche, Study smarter, not harder. Unfortunately, nobody really tells us what that means. Law Preview gave an actual playbook to success. If a student follows Don’s schedule and stays consistent during their first semester, they will succeed. The first semester of law school will test your abilities as a student both mentally and emotionally. Therefore, gaining the knowledge and confidence to know what success in law school requires makes taking the class worth it."
John C., University of Southern California School of Law, 2022
"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
"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)
"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
"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 completely prepared me for what was to come. It taught me exactly how to study in order to succeed and gave me tips along the way. Nothing came as a surprise, due to my Law Preview experience, which not only helped boost my confidence, but ensured that I was doing everything I needed to do in order to reach my desired outcome."
Laurel F., New York Law School, Class of 2012
"I think Law Preview prepared me for what law school would look and feel like. The interactive mock classes with professors gave me a baseline foundation of terms and information, but the setting allowed me to ascertain what being in a law classroom would be like."
Lexi W., University of Michigan Law School, Class of 2022
"As I have just gotten back my last grade from my fall exams, I wanted to share with you my deep appreciation for Law Preview. I succeeded this past semester even more then I could have ever imagined: A+ in Torts, A in Crim, A+ on my Property midterm, A+ on my Civ Pro midterm, and an A on both my Legal Writing memos. I remember you mentioned in one of the sessions that we should reach out to you halfway through the year with success stories, so I wanted to do that and to say a HUGE thank you to you and to this awesome program you’ve put together! I can confidently say that I would not have been in this position without seeing the forest through Law Preview. It was such a helpful tool for me that I know put me several steps ahead of my classmates. So thank you so much, and I only hope to continue my success this upcoming semester as well!"
Tal E., Loyola Law School, Los Angeles, Class of 2022
"I strongly believe my Law Preview experience allowed me to go into law school feeling familiar with the central topics of each doctrinal class. Having this feeling of familiarity, it allowed me to not stress. Not only that, I was able to manage my time extremely well due to the tips we learned during Law Preview. I took on other responsibilities during the first semester, but because I was able to balance them all in addition to school, I was able to finish the semester with Honors in all three of the fall doctrinal classes. Thank you, Law Preview!"
Anonymous, Northeastern University School of Law, 2021
"The Barbri 1L preview made me comfortable with the subject matter that I would encounter during my 1L year. The Legal Writing workshop directly contributed to my final grade in the actual course. The most useful aspect of the course was the study aids that were available, which gave me additional support through the semester."
Tracey B., Widener University School of Law, Class of 2022
"Law Preview helped ease my anxiety tremendously. I walked into class knowing how to case brief, using many of the same cases I’d see later in my textbooks. It prepared me for the workload, helped me set realistic expectations, and it really was a preview of what my 1L experience would be like. At the end of this first semester, my GPA is 3.87 on a 4.0 scale and I know Law Preview helped me hit the ground running!"
Samir C., Loyola University Chicago School of Law, Class of 2023
"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
"Law Preview truly prepared me for my first semester of law school. Thanks to a mere six days spent in your classes this summer, I knew what to expect, how to brief, how to take efficient notes, and even what to expect out of exams. I am happy to report that I received the highest grade in my Contracts class and that although we do not receive rankings until the end of the year, I expect that I am currently in the top 3-5% based on grade distributions. I would recommend Law Preview to anyone who wants to obtain an edge during first semester!"
Katie W., Georgia State University College of Law, Class of 2011
"After a very successful 1L year at South Texas—thanks to the assistance of Law Preview—I am happy to be continuing my legal education at Texas Law. On top of that, I received multiple 2022 Summer Associate offers and am so excited to be joining Kirkland at their new Austin office! I am beyond thankful for you and your program’s assistance. I could not have achieved this without you!"
Hayden S., South Texas College of Law, Class of 2023 (transferred to Univ. of Texas Law School)
"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
"I thought it did come in handy, I was prepared to understand what a brief was, and while I changed it a bit to suit my own style and the professors recommendations, I wasn’t completely in the dark like some people."
Luke W., UIC, John Marshall Law School, Chicago, Class of 2012