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.
"The [Law Preview] program allowed me to start law school with a game plan. It helped me to set a weekly schedule, stay disciplined and gain a leg up on my fellow students. I had been out of school for a while before going back to law school, and the Law Preview helped me refresh old, and gain new study skills. We are not ranked after our first semester, but I ended with a 3.81 GPA."
Nicole G., University of Miami School of Law, Class of 2011
"I followed the Law Preview plan exactly: briefed every single case, did all reading on schedule, reviewed with flashcards, made my own outlines… and there were no surprises. I was prepared for everything. The biggest plus is that Law Preview helped me start ahead of the pack. Taking the course the summer before school really prepared me mentally as well, so I understood the challenges I was facing but also had the confidence in the skill set I’d developed over the summer to get the job done and stay focused on my goals. The schedule Law Preview provided helped me stay on track, and I also appreciated that Law Preview didn’t leave me hanging during the semester. They promptly responded to every question I emailed, and I there’s nothing better than candid advice. Now I’m in the top 2% of my class, and I have confidence that I can continue to excel. . . . Thanks so much and I’m making sure my younger brother (who will start law school Fall ’09) will be registering for your course soon as well! Now it’s just doing it all over again second semester, but I know I have the skills to repeat the process thanks to Law Preview!"
Anonymous, University of Houston Law Center, Class of 2011
"I was prepared for the doctrinal exposure. I could see the forest for the trees and knew how to case brief. My class participation boosted my overall grades in part because I case brief consistently as instructed. Overall, very worthwhile experience for an educational journey where so much of the process is not explained by one’s school."
Anonymous, Brooklyn Law School, Class of 2023
"Law Preview helped me understand the big picture of what I was studying in class. As a first-get student, it was challenging to understand the method in which law school content is taught and having Law Preview available was extremely helpful in helping me digest and understand the important concepts."
Marlenee B., University of California, Berkeley, School of Law, Class of 2023
"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
"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 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
"Law Preview helped prepare me for what was a vastly different workload from undergraduate studies. During my week at Law Preview, I made the mistakes I would have made during my first semester. I was better prepared for the difficult questions, study aides, and workload than my classmates. I found myself comfortable with the law school rhythm, I knew how to make outlines before many of my classmates realized how crucial they would be. Because I was comfortable with the grading system, the class structure, the importance of my first semester grades, I focused immediately on my classes without fear, hesitation or trepidation. Law Preview is not the answer to an ‘A’ in a particular class, but a set of tools which teach students what law school (grades, competition, workload, exams, stress, Socratic Method, etc.) is like. Throughout the semester, I knew what was expected of me and what I could expect to experience in the traditional classes, on the exam, and in the legal research & writing course."
Anastacia G., Dickinson School of Law, (formerly Pennsylvania State University, The Dickinson School of Law), Class of 2013
"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 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
"It drilled into me the fact that grades are the most important thing the first semester–otherwise, I would have been lured into all kinds of activities that were advertised by the school. I’m so glad I didn’t–truly, grades are the only things employers seem to care about when it comes to the first semester. I also appreciated Don Macaulay’s lectures–they were super entertaining and all the study skills he shared came in very handy to me. I have a young child, so I didn’t quite ever do 12 hours a day, but I probably did study 8-10 hours every day because Don scared me into believing I wouldn’t be successful without spending those kinds of hours. And he was right! [4.3 GPA after the first semester]."
Anonymous, Santa Clara University School of Law, Class of 2023
"The most beneficial part of Law Preview is that it prepared me by telling me what to expect and providing a great schedule. By sticking to the schedule, I never fell behind or felt completely overwhelmed. Because I briefed every case for all my classes I was always prepared. Law Preview’s advice about starting outlines early was probably the best advice because I was done with them by Thanksgiving when other students were just starting or way behind. That way, I had plenty of time to study my outlines before finals, which is probably why I did very well my first semester."
Anonymous, DePaul University College of Law, Class of 2011
"As an international student, it helped me to become acquainted with the methods of learning, taking accurate notes and briefing cases, which proved to be essential to every class I have taken and do obtain great grades. I’m proud to report that after my 1L year I was invited to join the CUNY Law Review."
Nelly O., City University of New York (CUNY) School of Law, Class of 2022
"Before starting law school I had no idea what a case brief was or what to expect in law school. After taking the Law Preview course all of my anxieties were gone and I was confident that I could excel in law school. The recommended reading and outlining schedule helped me organize my time (which is one of the hardest things to master during your 1L year) and the e-mail reminders throughout the year gave me the guidance I needed to put my best foot forward in law school. Furthermore, the hornbooks I received from the program helped me master my 1L classes. My high grades from 1L year were undoubtedly influenced by my experience in the Law Preview course and I would definitely recommend that prospective law students take this course."
Camilla G., University of Pennsylvania Law School, Class of 2013
"Since I just received my grades from the first semester yesterday, I do not know what I’m ranked yet, but I did get 3 As and 1 A-!! Law Preview definitely made a huge impression on my law school experience. The most important thing I took out of it was how much Don stressed to us that the 1st year matters the most. I always had that in the back of my mind at all times and that is what kept me going and striving to succeed. While everyone around me I felt complained about how hard it was and basically wanted to give up, I just kept remembering what Don said every day that once you get through the 1st year, the rest is easy! It also made me not want to settle for anything less than a 4.0 and so that’s what I worked toward and I’m extremely pleased that I have no regrets about the effort I put in because I did everything I could have possibly done. . . . I also benefitted from Law Preview in that it stressed the importance of taking note of the things professors said in class that other students would think were trivial because those actually can matter the most and always find their way on the exam. For example, my torts professor mentioned one small detail in class that a certain case (that we were required to look up on our own time) might be on the exam, and I was SO happy i took the time to do that because the facts and issue in that case were EXACTLY the same on the exam and worth 20 essay pts! I really liked all the professors that came and lectured at law preview as well. My favorite was Jody Kraus who taught us Contracts because although he was intimidating at first, that definitely prepared me for some of the professors I had last semester! (I also really appreciated Don telling us to make sure we were well-prepared for that lecture!) Whenever I was called on to recite in class I just kept thinking how Jody told us that even if you’re not sure what you’re talking about, SOUND confident, and that helped a lot. . . . I also really found the schedule Law Preview laid out for us very helpful because I think a lot of people go into law school not knowing what the average time commitment is and I just kept thinking 9 hrs a day and would try to aim for that! In the beginning of school, I was trying to do my homework for class the night before and then I realized that on the schedule we were given it said to do the assignments 2 nights in advance and that definitely was helpful!! Much less stressful that way. . . . More than anything, thank you Law Preview for being my motivation to strive for a 4.0 and constantly remind myself how important the first year grades are!"
Chirstina G., Thomas M. Cooley Law School, Class of 2012
"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
"My undergrad grades were mediocre and I had graduated a few years ago, so law school was very intimidating. Law Preview was great way introduction with valuable, practical advice; my first semester grades far exceeded my hopes."
Andrew Y., Georgetown University Law Center, Class of 2013
"Law Preview took away the learning curve of the first few weeks of law school. When other classmates were struggling to adjust to learning via cases and figuring out what details in a case were important to the class itself, I had already gained these skills through my week of Law Preview. Law school doesn’t teach you how to learn the material, but Law Preview did."
Lewis S., Drexel University School of Law, 2021
"The calendar was incredibly helpful and disturbingly accurate. The study schedule was useful in that it was an extreme to shoot for that kept me the right amount of ahead on my work. Reading some of the major cases before starting the class got me in the perfect mindset for reading. It was a head start that was greatly appreciated. The different perspectives on those cases provided by the professors also gave me some insightful ideas that I totally passed off as my own thoughts in class."
John O., American University, Washington College of Law, Class of 2022
"I was definitely more prepared than my peers when the school year started."
Kristina R., University of Florida College of Law, Class of 2022
"I just wanted to say that I really enjoyed LP – not only was it educational, but it also really excited me even more for 1L. I read both Law School Confidential and 1L of a Ride but nothing matches the information you relayed throughout your success tactic lectures. The course-by-course lectures with each professor made me all the more comfortable with previously foreign subjects. I feel highly equipped to crush my 1L year – so thank you!! I’m sure you receive similar messages all the time, but I thought I’d share my 2 cents because this made my life so much easier."
Anonymous, Hofstra University School of Law, Class of 2024
"Dear Don, I hope you are doing well. I wanted to thank you so much for all of your guidance and encouragement last semester. I am proud to report that I received 4 Hs and will be working as a 1L summer associate at [an AmLaw Top 5 firm] in New York this summer. I am so grateful to you and Barbri for helping me achieve these goals!"
Anonymous, Havard Law School, Class of 2024
"I signed up for Law Preview hoping it would arm me with the tools to be at or slightly above median at Duke. Instead, I finished the year with a 3.89 (#1 in my class) and landed EARLY interviews with EVERY top firm I was interested in. It was a great feeling to be recruited in May after 1L, and to have my pick of firms. Law Preview armed me with tools that put me at a huge advantage coming out of the gates. In particular, Law Preview taught me how to study efficiently — I had time for Netflix, friends, and daily workouts throughout the year because Law Preview taught me how to avoid wasting time. I performed better than people who were smarter and worked harder, and I stayed happy and fit throughout the year. I’m so grateful I signed up for the course, it was definitely a fantastic investment. Now that I am one year into practice at a top tier BigLaw firm, Don continues to be someone I can call on for advice and guidance. Thank you, thank you."
Tanya S. Duke University School of Law, Class of 2019
"Great overview of the subject matter covered. Also instilled in me an internal clock/checklist so that I had a sense of where I needed to be–in terms of final exam preparation– during the course of the semester."
Anonymous, Notre Dame Law School, Class of 2012
"Law Preview was awesome! I learned how to prepare for class, study for exams, and take exams. The semester calendar was invaluable."
Anonymous, Ohio State University Moritz College of Law, Class of 2011
"My school does not rank 1L’s until the end of the year in the spring. Law Preview helped me to anticipate what each class was going to be like, as well as what law school in general would entail. The mock classes, along with their printable power-points, and the other general academic preparation materials all helped me to prepare and succeed in law school. I would recommend Law Preview to any incoming 1L without reservation."
David D., Quinnipiac University School of Law, Class of 2011
"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
"Law Preview provided a good insight into the law school experience before I actually started which calmed all my anxieties by having an idea of what to expect. The knowledge of the subject matter discussed in Law Preview also came in handy when it came up during the lectures which made it seem more like a revision as it was familiar, especially in areas like Torts and Contracts."
Farari M., Texas Southern University, Thurgood Marshall School of Law, Class of 2024
"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
"The course allowed me to enter the semester with greater confidence in my preparation than I would have had otherwise."
Homer L., Georgetown University Law Center, 2022