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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"First and foremost, the law preview course gave me confidence. I followed the advise and schedule that was provided to the best of my ability, and I feel that it was the defining factor is my success. I received the highest grade on the memo that we wrote for the Research, Writing and Advocacy class, and the second highest grade in that class overall. I got all A’s and B’s in all of my classes. I used my notes from the Law Preview course on multiple occasions for clarification on various topics that we covered during the first semester. On that note, I feel that the instructors were amazing in their ability to convey so much information in such a concise and understandable way."
Anonymous, Ave Maria University School of Law, Class of 2012
"Law Preview helped ease the anxiety of not knowing what to expect. The overview for each class gave me a point of reference and helped me see the big picture from the start. Don gave us a great strategy to use academically but also mentally in how to approach the first year."
Valeria S., South Texas College of Law, Class of 2023
"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
"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 really helped me to understand how to take notes in class and study for finals, which was very different from my undergraduate study methods. As a first-generation student, I had no idea how law school worked or what kinds of things I should get involved in, so Law Preview was immensely helpful."
Anonymous, Yale Law School, Class of 2023
"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
"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
"Law Preview played a large part in my success during my first year. The program benefited me in several ways. It provided an accurate experience of what law school classes are like. For me, this was extremely helpful. My background is in science and I had been out of school for seven years before going back to law school. I was also unsure about how good of a fit law school would be for me, so Law Preview was a way for me try it out before quitting my job and taking on student loan debt. Law school is a stressful experience, and any way you can find to reduce that stress gives you an advantage. Some people in my class were overwhelmed and felt lost after the first week of school because they didn’t know how to read or brief cases. The reading assignments and case briefs I did for Law Preview helped me hit the ground running when school started and gave me an advantage over a lot of my classmates. Most importantly, it gave me confidence that law school was a good fit for me, which helped me fully commit to it. One of the keys to success in law school is finding a work schedule that allows you to complete your assigned readings and start preparing early for finals. The most beneficial part of Law Preview for me was that it provided a proven schedule for managing the heavy workload. I would have been lost without this schedule. It helped me stay on track throughout the semester and gave me an idea of when I needed to start my outlines for each class. Some people in my class waited until November or later to start their outlines. You can’t do that in law school. There is just too much information to process. Closely following the schedule Law Preview provided gave me significantly more time to prepare for finals than many of my classmates. This advantage was crucial in helping me excel in my classes. The post-program support provided by Law Preview also helped me to stay on track. Throughout the first semester, Don sent emails reminding alumni where we should be in terms of preparation and provided tips for succeeding on law school exams. Again, law school is all about finding ways to gain an advantage and these tips definitely helped. The thing that impressed me most, though, was that Don made himself available to alumni by email or phone after the program ended. During the first semester, I emailed Don about 6 weeks before finals starting to make sure I wasn’t too far behind on my preparation. He suggested we schedule a time to talk on the phone and we ended up speaking for 20 minutes about where I was and what I needed to do. He also convinced me to use the Law-in-a-Flash flashcards to prepare for my exams. I was concerned about the cost, but he assured me they were worthwhile. He was right. They were great and helped me excel at spotting issues on my exams. This type of individual feedback and support that Don provided is simply not available in law school. Having access to it gave me a definite advantage in preparing for finals. . . . Law school is expensive and you might be concerned about adding to that cost by signing up for Law Preview. I completely understand and had the same concerns. Ultimately, I chose to look at Law Preview as an investment, and it has really paid off for me. My law school doesn’t post individual class rankings, but I finished significantly above the class average first semester and did even better second semester. I owe a lot of my success to the preparation and support I received from Law Preview. For most people, attending law school is a $100k-180k investment. You wouldn’t invest that much money in the stock market without doing research and preparation to increase your odds of success. Law Preview is a proven way to increase your of odds of achieving a significant return on your investment in law school by earning high grades during your crucial 1L year. Given the current legal job market, you need to give yourself every advantage you can."
Anonymous, Notre Dame Law School, Class of 2011
"Law Preview provides the most comprehensive, interactive, and entertaining way to prepare for the challenges of law school. As someone with a non-traditional educational background, I was nervous about law school and its high expectations. Thanks to LP’s holistic training, I finished in the top 10% of my class for the fall semester. LP’s charismatic and knowledgeable instructors, all experienced professors, will give you step-by-step approaches to excel in coursework, time management, anxiety reduction, and exam success. They will map out for you how to analyze difficult cases, translate classroom discussions into exam preparation, and most importantly, make you a more articulate legal thinker, which will permeate all your law school endeavors. LP will simulate all elements of law school, so when you start classes, you will feel ready to go. I continually referred to my notes from the LP sessions throughout the fall semester and found comfort in seeing LP’s predictions about law school play out. The benefits of LP continue post-program, as I spoke to Don several times during the semester to fine-tune my study habits and outlining skills. LP gave me clear and concise methods to thrive, and I highly recommend the program!"
Nicholas G., Fordham University School of Law, Class of 2023
"I had a plan from the beginning and the confidence in knowing that I could truly succeed if I stuck to it. When other students didn’t know what was going on and trying to figure things out, I was already reading, outlining and reviewing materials to prepare for my exams. My hard work and the preparation I received during my week at Law Preview really paid off — I finished my first semester with a 3.91 GPA"
Anonymous, University of Texas School of Law, 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
"It made scheduling and not getting overwhelmed so much easier. [3.6 GPA after the first semester]."
Anonymous, Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law Yeshiva University, Class of 2022
"Law Preview laid the foundation for my study routine. Coupled with Barbri Mastery, I tried to adhere as closely as possible to Don’s schedule for reading, briefing, etc. Demystifying 1L was immensely helpful and I encountered many of the cases I read during Law Preview. It goes without saying that reading cases in advance is tremendously beneficial. Moreover, having a concrete process for briefing allowed me to hit the ground running for the first semester."
Anonymous, Georgetown University Law Center, Class of 2024
"I really feel like I was more prepared than anyone else in my class. This definitely gave me an edge. After the first year I did so well, I’ll be attending Washington University in St. Louis in the Fall! Thank you Law Preview! =) [Ranked #1 out of 63 students]."
Jonathan S., University of Akron School of Law, Class of 2013 (transferred to Washington University School of Law)
"Law Preview gave me both an introduction and an overview of all my first year courses that proved a strong foundation for the success I achieved."
David P., Arizona State University Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law, Class of 2021
"Law Preview really helped ease the transition into law school. Less confusion. I felt like a 2L compared to several of my fellow students."
Francis M., Boston College Law School, Class of 2013
"Law Preview helped me make a very intimidating experience a little less daunting. Throughout the semester, I recognized many concepts and cases that were studied in the program. My understanding of, and ability to think about, legal issues were dramatically enhanced by the background I acquired through Law Preview. I am thankful for how the program helped me feel more confident going into my first semester of law school."
Eduardo K., Syracuse University College of Law, Class of 2024
"Law Preview provided me with the tools needed for a successful 1L experience beginning with the live stream course followed by helpful advice throughout the semester."
Letrecia N., University of Georgia School of Law, Class of 2022
"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
"I think it helped me be better prepared for my classes and how to study for finals."
Anonymous, University of Southern California Law School, Class of 2022
"I felt I was definitely more prepared at the beginning of the semester when a lot of people wondered what a case brief was and what IRAC stood for whereas I could focus on the substantive courses because Law Preview taught me how to approach briefing and exam taking. The exam-taking strategies and advice from the professors were especially helpful. It’s like I knew what it took to get an ‘A. Thank you [ranked #15 out of 166 after first semester]."
Anonymous, Loyola University Chicago School of Law, Class of 2011
"The schedule and study techniques helped me get A’s in every class except one, and I felt more prepared than some of my classmates in their classes. I had the best grades of my academic career and made the dean’s list for the first time."
Steward L., Northern Illinois University College of Law, Class of 2023
"Law Preview helped in that it made me realize how much work law school would be. It helped me to mentally adjust and prepare to the rigorous workload and the mental thinking."
Anonymous, University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law, Class of 2011
"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
"Law Preview prepared me for what was coming and gave me good strategies for success."
Gabriel M., Charleston School of Law, Class of 2024
"I was selected to receive the Latham & Watkins Law Preview Scholarship last summer. The scholarship allowed me to participate in Law Preview, which would become my single most effective preparation for law school. Law Preview provided me with resources that helped me achieve success in my academic and career goals. Today, I am one of seven students selected to join Cornell Law School’s first-year clinic. I am also one of Latham & Watkins’ 1L Diversity Scholars. This summer, I will be doing my 1L internship with Latham & Watkins and Facebook. And I know these opportunities will enable me to do things in life that my parents nor I could ever have dreamed of."
Don I, Cornell Law School, Class of 2023
"Law preview helped me to know what to expect starting law school. The studying methods were especially helpful. I used the suggested final exam study schedule and would not have done as well without that knowledge."
Megan S., University of Florida Fredric G. Levin College of Law, Class of 2023
"I went into law school knowing how to brief cases, knowing the language of the law and knowing the subject matter that was being presented. That was all extremely beneficial to me; however, the best thing about Law Preview is that I met my best friend and a familiar face in my law school section. He and I have helped each other through the semester, formed a study group with other students and relied on our Law Preview materials to help along the way. I was thankful for the experience and the people I met."
Beka P., SMU Dedman School of Law, 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 (LP) gave me the confidence I needed to handle the pressure of the first semester of law school. Using LP’s schedule and techniques for reading and briefing cases made the workload completely managable and the weekly review sessions were critical to retaining the knowledge accumulated throughout the semester."
Anonymous, University of Oklahoma College of Law, Class of 2011