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.
"Law Preview set the stage for my success at Columbia. I don’t have any lawyers in my family and none of my close friends went to law school, so I didn’t have any guidance before I started. Law Preview gave me practical advice that I could trust on the basics, like how to brief a case, what a supplementary companion is, and when to outline. I still use the templates and timelines provided for all of my law school classes. The course put me in the right mindset going into law school and provided me with the foundational knowledge on how to do well that I would not otherwise have had. [4.0 GPA after the first semester]."
Anonymous, Columbia Law School, Class of 2024
"Law Preview helped me know early on what would be required of me all semester. It provided a familiarity of the subject matter, and gave me important tips on how to approach outlining and studying for exams. I was one of few students who began preparing early, and taking practice tests early, and taking them in to the professors for help, and it really paid off in my final grades."
Tanvi P., DePaul University College of Law, Class of 2011
"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
"Law Preview really helped me to find grounding and my bearings before starting law school. My first semester was far more challenging than anything else I have ever done, so knowing what was coming helped me greatly, and having earned a 4.0 has already set up up with great opportunities and a lot less stress! Thank you, Law Preview!"
Anonymous, Northwestern University School of Law, Class of 2021
"Law Preview had an amazing impact on my education and social life – I felt prepared from the very beginning of the year and met my best friends during the week-long class. It covered every aspect of how law school is structured. How to strategically approach classes and exams, and how the legal job process works. While other new students were trying to figure out how to study and how to balance their time, I was already in a comfortable routine after Law Preview. As a true testament to the program’s efficacy, my friends and I (all former Law Preview students) obtained summer associate positions with various big law firms after our 1L year. This is usually very rare for first-year law students, but Law Preview enabled us to start strong and plan ahead for opportunities that other students didn’t even know about. I’m so glad I took Law Preview’s class."
Linda Q., Northwestern University School of Law, 2020
"Practice, practice, and MORE practice. I am four years removed from getting my undergraduate degree. Law Preview immersed me back into the “student mindset” that I needed in order to do my best this semester. You have to be open and willing to learn about yourself in order to effectively use Law Preview. Take heed to the timing suggestions, practice, and outline early. Your grades will reflect the hard-work. Remember, law school is marathon not a sprint. Law Preview gives you that refresh of water between each lap."
Adrieene Brown, University of Florida College of Law, Class of 2022
"Here is a quick update from my first semester. I got my grades back, and they turned out really well! I fortunately got all Honors and Dean’s Scholar grades (school-specific grading system that translates to 4.0+). I think it was in no small part due to the headstart I got with attending Law Preview. The tip to start outlining really early on saved me because I had to travel a bit for a wedding abroad during study period, but I was already on top of it thanks to that great advice. It was amazing how many times throughout the semester I had already read the cases discussed in class during Law Preview. I only wish that I could go back and sit in on the corresponding classes for this semester fresh now. Also, the 1L Mastery videos on topics like Conspiracy in CrimLaw or Personal Jurisdiction in CivPro really helped clarify concepts that could be boiled down simply but are often taught in complicated ways. Anyway, I am hoping to replicate the success of last semester now, so wish me luck!"
Anonymous, Harvard Law School, Class of 2022
"Your class helped me feel prepared for my first semester. Thanks a million"
Emmet P., UIC, John Marshall Law School, Chicago, Class of 2013
"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)
"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 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 was great in preparing me for the intensity that’s was the first semester of law school."
Dorothy C., Fordham University School of Law, Class of 2021
"My school believes in maintaining a non-competitive environment and does not rank, however I will say that Law Preview was very helpful. Although I was not ranked in my class, I received 3 A-‘s for the semester and I am among the top 25 students in my year."
Anonymous, City University of New York (CUNY) School of Law, Class of 2012
"It was nice to have a preview of the cases that we would read as 1Ls. I had a good idea of what to expect as a first year student before classes started. Every advantage is needed to be successful. You MUST hit the ground running. There are people who have been paralegals, federal investigators, etc. in law school, who have experience others may lack. Law Preview was instrumental in not starting at a disadvantage."
Chris B., Rutgers University School of Law, Class of 2011
"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
"By the time I got into classes I already knew how to read an analyze cases. I also knew the basic concepts so I was able to get up to speed about the intricacies introduced in class much faster. Other people struggled with the more complicated concepts, but I had already gone over them once in Law Preview and the second time just helped my clarify my understanding. Learning to brief the cases before starting was helpful because I did not need to spend an inordinate amount of time on each case. I knew what I needed to extract from the cases and had a template in which to place the information. Law preview helps you hit the ground running in your first year."
Anonymous, University of California, Hastings College of the Law, Class of 2011
"Law preview gave me the tools and confidence I needed to hit the ground running when school began. It was just like you said, when I was outlining everyone else was still reading, when I was breaking my outline down to something I could internalize, everyone else was outlining. This left me time to take plenty of practice exams and bring my A game during exams. [Ranked #14 out of 150 students]."
Anonymous, Brigham Young University J. Reuben Clark Law School, Class of 2013
"Law Preview gave me an introduction to each core first year course and helped prepare me for the shock of trying to understand what I was reading. Almost all of the cases we reviewed in Law Preview were crucial cases in my classes first semester."
Anonymous, Seton Hall University School of Law, Class of 2012
"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
"I just wanted to thank you guys for the program – as an evening student I was already extremely nervous to tackle classes on top of everything else in life, but I went into my first year focused, ready to analyze and brief cases in a way that I wouldn’t have figured out on my own until halfway through the year. A good chunk of cases we read was stuff we’d already covered during the program! Following that great calendar that was sent out to us, I outlined early and was taking practice tests when everyone else was just starting to prepare to outline . . . and now at the end of my first year, I’ve got a 4.09 GPA and I’m ranked first in my class. You turned a difficult journey into a smooth one and I wanted to thank you!"
Anonymous, Loyola Law School, Los Angeles, Class of 2011
"I think Law Preview helped me most by simply improving my confidence as I entered my 1L year. Granted, we learned a lot within a week’s time, but there was still PLENTY to learn once arriving at school. Where many students were frazzled just getting an idea of what law school was going to take, I had calendars and attack plans to govern how I organized my semester. Therefore, I was able to concentrate on the substantive material while many students were concentrating on how to attack the semester."
Chelsea G., Louisiana State University, Paul M. Hebert Law Center, Class of 2013
"Law Preview really made me aware of how much time is required to prepare for classes and successfully perform. Law Preview also stressed the importance of beginning outlines early, and the schedule provided was also a very beneficial guide. [Ranked 50 out of 300]."
Anonymous, University of Florida Fredric G. Levin College of Law, Class of 2012
"I found that Law Preview gave me a head start on the first couple of weeks of classes, practice briefing cases, and familiarity with a few of the ‘famous’ cases – cases which all laws students study. These might not sound like much, but when you’re graded on a curve and time is a commodity, advantages and efficiencies like these are invaluable."
Edward B., University of California, Hastings College of the Law, Class of 2013
"It was nice to have some of the fundamental cases under my belt for each class. The rigor of the class also helped prepare me for the workload I faced when I arrived at law school."
Anonymous, William & Mary Law School, Class of 2013
"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)
"I can’t tell you how much I appreciated Law Preview. I was only accepted to Albany off the waitlist in early June 2009, and I wasn’t feeling too great about my prospects for success. Now, after having completed my 1L year, I’m proud to report that I ranked #19 out of 250 students. Beyond preparing me for the substantive classes, LP helped me gain confidence and avoid the potholes that challenge every 1L no matter where they go to school. I definitely feel that Law Preview also gave me a leg up on my classmates in a number of ways — whether it was briefing cases or putting together an effective study schedule — Law Preview removed a lot of the trial and error and I entered my first year with a plan of attack and that was without question a major factor in my success."
Joseph B., Albany Law School of Union University, Class of 2012 (transferred to George Washington University Law School)
"The course greatly exceeded my expectations! It provided in-depth exposure to every aspect of being a top law student as well as a general overview of each 1L course with access to office hours with the professors where we explored more nuanced topics. The course enabled me to develop valuable skills such as reading cases, drafting case briefs, forming outlines, and we even took a practice exam. The program also connected me with a support network within the Law Preview program and granted me free access to core study aids by Wolters Kluwer and Barbri that were of enormous use for my Contacts and Property courses. As a first generation college student and legal professional, this was instrumental in offsetting the additional challenges introduced through a fully remote first semester of law school and in allowing me to shine in my classes."
Jessica D., University of California, Los Angeles, School of Law, Class of 2023
"The Chicago Law Preview course prepared me how to study right and stay on track during my first year. Finishing my 1L year in the top 10% of my class was something I could not have done without working hard and following the guidelines given to me in the Law Preview course. Now, going into my 2L year, I have a foundation of great grades and am confident I will be able to get the job I want after graduation."
Chris E., Michigan State University Detroit College of Law, Class of 2012
"Using the tools provided by the Law Preview course, I was able to attain a ranking in the top 25 students of my 145 student class. With the first semester under my belt, I hope to use what this summer course provided me with a more efficient way to climb to rank among the top 10 students in my class."
Jack H., University of Richmond 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