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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"It gave me the confidence to approach each class with an open mind and a solid foundation to start with."
Darryl B., New York Law School, Class of 2022
"Law Preview helped give me a solid foundation for my first semester of law school. I felt prepared for not only how to take notes in class, but also how to create solid and comprehensive case briefs and outlines. Additionally, the suggested (and doable) daily/weekly schedule really helped me stay on top of my work and not feel completely overwhelmed by the course load. Overall, Law Preview helped me feel confident and in control of my first semester of law school!"
Anonymous, Suffolk University School of Law, Class of 2021
"Law Preview was so helpful as I️ navigated my first year of law school, especially when it came time to prepare for finals. The videos and instructors synthesized complex doctrine and made the course material much more clear. I️ would recommend Law Preview and the BarBri 1L Mastery Courses to everyone!"
Anonymous, Yale Law School, Class of 2024
"I was able to crush my first semester of law school having knowledge of cases already discussed during the course. I felt confident and established myself early on."
Anonymous, Cornell University Law School, Class of 2022
"Law Preview gave me the techniques that have allowed me to be successful my first year. [3.95 GPA after 1L year]."
Anonymous, SMU Dedman School of Law, 2022
"Law Preview prepared me to treat law school like a full time job. It also gave me the knowledge that first year grades were the key to success for any one who wants to seek quality employment in the legal field."
Benjamin G., Fordham University School of Law, Class of 2013
"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
"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
"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 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
"In addition to providing a great overview of each of my first-year classes, Law Preview gave me the confidence to believe that law school success is an achievable goal while eliminating fear of the unknown."
Jhanice D., Seton Hall University School of Law, Class of 2002
"I did not come straight from undergrad. I spent the past 5.5 years as an Army Officer. Although school was a major adjustment, Law Preview’s introduction to the subject matter and tips for success were instrumental for me in developing a structure and study plan that led to success."
Patrick C., American University, Washington College of Law, Class of 2021
"While I do not know my class rank because UVa does not release such data, I do have a 3.73 (3 As and a B because I was sick and totally bombed 1 question)– at UVa only 10% of each class can have an A or A- so I am confident that I am in the top 10% of my class. Law preview taught me three important things that I largely credit my success to. First, to continue my pattern of hard and consistent work throughout the semester. I never missed a class or did not brief a case. I was always caught up (if not ahead) in the reading. By staying a little ahead, I was able to start studying during Thanksgiving Break, which brings me to my second Law Preview lesson: practice exams! I got in touch with students from other schools and also tapped UVa’s old exam database. I took at least 10 practice exams in each subject. This is a step that my friends did not do– or if they did look at practice exams, that was all the did (literally just LOOK at them!) — and their grades show that they failed to adequately prepare. Finally, Law Preview’s outlining strategy made getting ready for finals so easy because I had already been editing and digesting my notes throughout the whole semester. While I had excellent study habits coming into law school, Law Preview reminded me to keep them up and gave me the tools to start using my habits from day one, without having to wait to figure out the mundane details of law school."
Anonymous, University of Virginia School of Law, Class of 2012
"Law Preview helped me feel more confident and prepared going into 1L and helped me to beat the curve in two of my courses and hit median on the curve in two others, putting me in approximately the top 30% of students after the first semester."
Lindsey C., University of Virgina School of Law, Class of 2023
"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
"BARBRI Law Preview was invaluable in helping me understand what I needed to do to succeed in law school and gave me a good overview of the 1L topics. Also, thanks to Barbri’s online resources throughout the semester, I was able to better understand some of the more confusing aspects of my classes. [3.9 GPA after the first semester]."
Anonymous, University of Texas School of Law, Class of 2023
"As someone who had been out of school for over 4 years before starting law school, Law Preview was a great mental exercise to get me back into the swing of being a student. More importantly, it gave me a sneak peak on what my 1L readings would look like, and gave me early practice of case-briefing. In addition, I didn’t have any family members who attended law school, and not too many friends either; Barbri resources helped answer questions that I had about 1L, or gave me the footing to figure out which questions to ask in the first place. [3.65 GPA after first semester]"
Anonymous, Boston College Law School, Class of 2023
"Law Preview had a tremendous impact on the start of my 1L year. Like many, my undergrad degree is in the hard sciences, and I came straight through from undergrad. Law Preview provided me the background in course material and gave me the intro to legal language that I had never been exposed to before. This was extremely important to ensure a strong foundation of understanding in the very beginning of law school. Moreover, the course provided realistic expectations of workload and prepared me for 12-14hr workdays. In the end, the hard work definitely paid off – earning me a 3.8 1L GPA, designation as a GW Scholar, an invitation to serve as a research assistant to two law professors, and a spot on the George Washington Law Review."
Allyson C., George Washington University Law School, Class of 2020
"Helped level expectations and prepare for the worst. It was challenging and law preview helped provide a basis for getting through it successfully."
Alyssa A., Loyola Law School, Los Angeles, 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 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
"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
"Pushing for briefing cases rather than simply reading them was the biggest impact. Also, pushing to start outlines early and taking practice tests really impacted. The actually substantive overview of the courses were significantly less useful than the study skills. However, the study skills were so useful that they we’re worth the price alone. Although UCLA does not rank, my GPA was a 3.7."
Anonymous, University of California, Los Angeles, School of Law, Class of 2011
"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
"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 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
"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
"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)
"Great preparation for what to expect and the level of effort required for As."
Courtney G., University of Colorado Law School, Class of 2024
"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