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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"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
"Law Preview gave me exposure to cases that other students did not have on the first day of class. I also felt more prepared to brief and set a robust schedule."
Brittany C., Notre Dame Law School, Class of 2022
"I attended the Houston seminar at University of Houston in July 2010. I think the product you offer is excellent. Law Preview provided me with an advantage over my peers in a fair academic way. I would recommend taking the six day class to anyone entering law school. The class provided a foundation that allowed me to find clarity in the pile of case law assigned. The week before my Law Preview class, I read the entire prep book. I did not understand much of what I read, but I went though the exercise. I struggled to interpret the class discussions, but managed to stay focused. The six day work load was a serious grind, like a law school boot camp. While it may have been difficult, the course gave me exactly what I wanted out of it. It gave me a vision of what was to come. I was able to brace myself for impact and ride the turbulent wave through the first semester finish line. Even though preparation is key to success, hard work through out the semester is an essential element as well. My goal for this semester is to study more efficiently, to work smarter not harder. By finals in the fall, I was losing stamina. The work load started to wear me down and I may have wandered into the forest losing myself in the trees. In the end, I still managed to finish in a good place. This semester I have a new and improved game plan, but it is important to note that my original game plan came from Law Preview. Without this original game plan, I would have been lost in the trees from day one. Now, as my peers are wandering to a clearing, I am already crossing the field."
Lucas C., South Texas College of Law Houston, Class of 2013
"Having come from an atypical background for a law student, I had very little idea what to expect from law school, other than its general difficulty. Law Preview gave me solid expectations and the tools (especially the calendar) to maintain a high level of focus, productivity, and time management that allowed me to succeed. I have no doubt Law Preview led to my high GPA and my placement in what is historically the 10% of the class during an incredibly competitive year. I would (and have) recommended Law Preview to any prospective law student."
Sam N., Boston University School of Law, Class of 2024
"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
"The Law Preview overview of each of my first semester evening classes was an invaluable head start that was well worth the investment. Law Preview helped me mentally prepare for law school so that I stayed calm as I approached classes. I highly recommend Law Preview to every entering law school student."
Henry G., Suffolk University Law School, Class of 2013
"Law Preview not only gave me a head start into the substantive material of first year courses but also study skills, timelines, and personal expectations that my classmates spent weeks trying to figure out at the beginning of the semester."
Lauren Z., New York Law School, Class of 2022
"Wow! What a great investment! Law Preview put me ahead of the game from the very beginning. It helped show me what law school is really about and helped to settle my nerves. I was able to hit the ground running on day one while others were wondering what was going on. I highly recommend Law Preview for anyone. The Law Preview instructors were amazing! It was worth every penny!"
Joseph V., Faulkner University – Thomas Goode Jones School of Law, Class of 2012
"Law Preview provided me an outstanding overview of my 1L curriculum and allowed me to grasp the big picture of each course far earlier than I would have otherwise. The professors were really helpful and covered some of the most fundamental and hard to grasp topics in 1L courses, which I really appreciated when they came up the second time around and I was already well-prepared to deal with them. Thanks to Law Preview’s overview, from the moment that classes started I knew how to manage my time, which proved invaluable when reading period began and I was ready to invoke Law Preview’s exam preparation strategies right on schedule. By having a firm background on the basics, I was also able to make time to get a head start on the 1L summer job hunt, which allowed me to secure a position with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Southern District of New York, my first choice job. I would definitely recommend this class to any incoming law student! Thank you for an outstanding class."
Corey B., Harvard Law School, Class of 2013
"Law Preview really helped to acclimatize me to law school and put me on the right track to performing very well on my first-semester law school exams. [4.0 GPA after the first semester]"
Anonymous, New York University School of Law, Class of 2024
"I thought I came in with substantially less nerves about case briefing than many of my classmates. This made the adjustment to law school far easier than I anticipated [3.77 GPA after fall semester]."
Anonymous, Vanderbilt University School of Law, 2022
"Law Preview was the ‘Dummies Guide to Law School’ that I really needed. While the classes themselves helped give me a brief substantive overview, it was the organizational and study skills that I really appreciated. I was always prepared for class with the 2 day ahead approach but more importantly I was prepared for my exams because I had been studying all along and using the best study tools out there. Don kept telling us that everyone in our classes were going to know the exact same law going into the exam, but what was going to separate us from the rest of them was that we were going to know how to apply it because we hadn’t just been memorizing. Instead, we had been learning it, working with it, and wrestling with it from week one because of all the skills and techniques we learned from Law Preview."
Emily H., New England School of Law, Class of 2013
"Rutgers doesnt rank [after first semester]. Based on my GPA, I’m probably top 15%. Law Preview helped give an overview of the substantive areas, sampling of the Socratic method, practical advice about how to approach law school, especially the study calendar."
David E., Rutgers University School of Law, Class of 2011
"As someone who had been out of school for many years prior to entering law school, Law Preview helped me feel ready on day one. The instruction on reading and briefing cases allowed me to focus on the material when classes began. I returned to the outlines, lectures and other 1L Mastery materials throughout the semester. [3.91 GPA after the first semester]."
Anonymous, University of Minnesota Law School, Class of 2024
"My experience at Law Preview proved to be invaluable as I navigated law school and started my professional career. I received incredible academic support, as well as professional development support. Law Preview definitely prepared me for my 1L year – it helped me excel in the classroom, allowed me to become a Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar, and, in the end, enabled me to land an amazing 1L BigLaw job!"
Valy M., Columbia Law School, Class of 2022
"First, Law Preview basically demystified law school. I know a lot of students who came in and were just spinning their wheels the first month or two. Even worse, they were reverting back to their college mentality of there’s always tomorrow. I knew from the summer that tomorrow was something that you had to be ready for. In fact, I usually prepared for tomorrow’s tomorrow. Law Preview really got me thinking about how to plan and how to prepare for the endgame, exams. Without the focus, I don’t think I would have done as well as I did. Starting from the first day I had a schedule I kept to fairly strictly when I started, but then I let loose a little as I found out what my strengths and weaknesses were (work well in the morning – good to take a break in the afternoon – need some time off before bed). Law Preview helped me sort out the hours and figure out how to make it so that it would be a realistic schedule so I wouldn’t burn out come November. I saw a lot of people do the opposite – skirt the stuff in September/October and then end up way behind with no time to review OR prepare properly for exams. This is a little less of a direct effect, but it also gave me some confidence in terms of being willing to make mistakes. I remember during the summer session I offered an answer to a question posed by the Contracts professor and I was dead wrong (he was nice about it). Although it was somewhat humiliating at the time, the experience prepared me to be willing to accept my errors and learn from them – it was the fact I thought through the question AND could see what was wrong with my logic that mattered more. I’m not afraid to raise my hand in class and offer an answer to a difficult question because it will either affirm my knowledge or help me understand my mistakes. It is far better to blush in class than to panic on the exam or explain to a prospective employer why you received a C in Contracts. I guess you could say Law Preview made me a little bolder."
Christopher L., Suffolk University Law School, Class of 2013
"I’m not sure what my rank is. My school only ranks 1Ls at the end of the academic year. My grades after first semester were: A in Contracts, A in Crim Law and A- in Torts. The top 10% gets A’s and the next 15% get A-‘s. . . . I am very happy that I attended Law Preview for the following reasons: practice reading and briefing cases; having some briefs already written at the beginning of law school; knowing what some of the seminal cases are about in each subject area; getting it beaten into my head that I need to actually brief all the cases (which I did); doing the reading two days ahead so I never got behind, even if something came up; learning about reporter names, how to tell where a case is from, research strategies; having the confidence at the beginning of the semester that I knew what I was doing . . . Being in Law Preview was really exciting because it confirmed for me that I find the law interesting and that law school was the right decision for me. Also, having confidence at the beginning of the semester is a huge advantage. Even if by the end of the semester it seemed like everyone else was comfortable with the material, etc., I still think I benefited by being calmer/more confident right from the beginning."
Anonymous, Case Western Reserve University School of Law, Class of 2011
"Most importantly, Law Preview helped me understand what to expect. This, I think, is the most helpful part of Law Preview. As LP alums, we had a head start in having seen and heard terms that our classmates didn’t. We had the benefit of knowing not only what a case brief was, for example, but how to write one up."
Jonathan W., New York Law School, Class of 2011
"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
"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
"Law Preview did two things for me: (1) Gave me a plan and (2) helped me feel confident going into law school. There is a certain amount of adjustment for everyone when you get to law school depending on professors and the structure of the school you attend, but it really helped me anticipate the workload and have a plan before I started school. I thought it was great."
Jordan D., University of Southern California Law School, Class of 2013
"Law Preview gave me a head start on the competition [ranked #4 out of 85 students]."
Anonymous, Michigan State University Detroit College of Law, Class of 2011
"As an older student, Law Preview provided a good overview of what to expect, both in terms of law and in terms of rejoining the academic environment. In fact, my preparation for law preview alone by briefing 40 cases over the summer allowed me to hit the ground running. The professors at law preview were so good, that even though I have enjoyed my professors during 1L, I remember them fondly and wish I could take their law classes. [Ranked top 10% after first semester]."
Anonymous, University of Baltimore School of Law, Class of 2012
"Law Preview taught me to engage the law in the text, rather than just sorting through it to find answers for the Socratic method. Overall I enjoyed and benefited from your program–all of the advice was spot on."
Anonymous, University of Cincinnati College of Law, Class of 2012
"Law Preview gave me the perspective I needed to hit the ground running and reach my goals. While my classmates were still trying to figure out what was happening, I was well into my outlines. At the end of the semester I knew how to use the outlines to write excellent exams because I knew what to expect."
Janet L., University of North Carolina School of Law, Class of 2021
"Law Preview allowed me to gain an edge over my fellow classmates by familiarizing me with the content most law students cover during their 1L year, and by exposing me to strategies that helped me manage my time appropriately. Additionally, I was able to bypass most of the usual anxiety associated with the first semester of law school because I knew what to expect from both professors and the material I would be faced with. Law Preview has helped me achieve a 3.88 GPA (top 5 ranking) and an invitation to join our school’s Law Review. I would highly recommend this course to anyone looking to achieve success in law school. Thanks, Law Preview!"
Anonymous, Stetson University College of Law, Class of 2023
"Entering law school, I had been out of school for nine years. Law Preview eased me back into the classroom and gave me the tools necessary for success during my first semester of law school. The test-taking skills I learned during Law Preview were critical to me receiving the CALI award in Torts for my section. Thank you, Law Preview staff, for giving me the confidence and tools necessary to succeed during such a stressful time. I am especially thankful as a first-generation law student, woman of color, and mother. [3.99 GPA after the first semester]."
Anonymous, Howard University School of Law, Class of 2024
"I am happy to report that I just received my last grade and have an overall GPA of 4.15 at Albany Law! Better than I could have even dreamed of (and pretty good for having 2 small kids!). I just wanted to say thank you- the info I received in law preview was a huge part of knowing how to study and what to do to get where I wanted to be. I just wanted to say thank you- the info I received in law preview was a huge part of knowing how to study and what to do to get where I wanted to be."
Paige F., Albany Law School of Union University, 2021
"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
"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."
Anonymous, University of California, Los Angeles, School of Law