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, 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
"Law Preview does exactly as it’s name purports: it is a preview of law school. I found that the stimulated class sessions mirrored my actual law school classes. For me, attending Law Preview helped to reduce my anxiety and apprehension of the first week of classes and what to expect. Because many schools do not teach you how to brief cases or compose an outline, I felt at ease while completing my first homework assignments because I had already learned those skills at Law Preview. I highly recommend Law Preview for incoming 1L students."
Anonymous, University of Chicago Law School, Class of 2013
"Law Preview helped decrease the nerousness about starting law school because it gave me a good idea of what to expect and how to cope with certain pressures inherent to it."
Anonymous, University of Texas School of Law, Class of 2012
"It definitely gave me a plan of action. I felt like I definitely had an upper hand on how to study, and I knew that I couldn’t cut corners and expect to end up on top. I feel like it was an invaluable part of helping me be successful and landing in the top 10% which was my goal."
Anonymous, University of South Carolina School of Law, Class of 2013
"Law preview helped me start off on the right note! It helped me set a schedule that allowed me to handle my reading load and provided time for weekly review. It was also great having an overview of classes! I attribute Law Preview for much of my first-semester academic success during a very challenging year of virtual law school."
Sabrina S., University of Michigan Law School, Class of 2023
"I went into law school knowing what to expect. When everyone didn’t know how to write a case brief, I did. I went in knowing when to start outlining and how to prepare for class from day one."
Anonymous, Rutgers University School of Law, 2021
"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 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
"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 am not ranked because I have yet to meet the credit hour threshold for being ranked (I am a part-time student). However, in 3 classes, I’ve managed to secure an A- in legal research and writing, an A- in civil procedure, and a B+ in contracts, amounting to a 3.556 GPA. The most important aspect I could say that I learned from Law Preview is how to brief and to ALWAYS brief your cases. . . . [T]he general discussions about law school (studying strategies, time management, success strategies, etc.) were invaluable."
Robert W., Charleston School of Law, Class of 2011
"I am 5th in my class right now. I just wanted to say thank you for that course. You are going to laugh but I think the biggest thing I took away from the course is that planner and the general concept of time management. Outlining early as part of that and taking 1L seriously in terms of hours put in. All of those things come down to time management though. It’s amazing how far even an idiot like myself can get with wise management of time and an intentional attitude. Anyway, thank you again!"
Ivan S., University of Miami School of Law, Class of 2022
"The first semester in law school picks up pretty quickly. Law Preview helped me to be prepared in regards to outlining and case briefing. I feel that this left me less overwhelmed than others."
Derya L., Fordham University School of Law, Class of 2021
"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
"Law Preview helped me stay focused and goal-oriented. It made me realize that I wasn’t wasting time studying and thoroughly learning each case as I briefed. Law Preview also gave me a better idea of what to expect from the workload, the other students, and from the professors. I didn’t feel lost at all when classes started."
Kendra K., University of Nevada Las Vegas William S. Boyd School of Law, Class of 2013
"Law Preview helped introduce me to the subjects that I later encountered during my 1L Fall. The transition to law school was much easier because I had that early exposure to the material."
Anonymous, Yale Law School, Class of 2022
"Law Preview was tremendous in helping me shoot out of the gate strong. From the first day I walked on campus I had a plan and a purpose thanks to LP. In addition to the organizational and structural advantages I had thanks to the schedule and preparation materials, I left LP with a sense of confidence. Law Preview really helped be demystify the law, in breaking it down into something practical and manageable. I also believe that the long hours during the program set my expectations for the amount of time and effort I needed to be successful, which led to a smooth and natural transition into the real thing. I would recommend this program to anyone who is entering law school, especially in this market where grades are EVERYTHING. [Ranked 5 out of 339]."
Anonymous, St. Mary’s University School of Law, Class of 2012 (transferred to SMU Dedman School of Law)
"Law Preview has allowed to realize the time restrictions I have as a law school student. It taught me how to maximize the time I do have by disciplining my self with staying ahead in class and studying for finals well before the last week of class."
Dorothy S., Florida A&M University School of Law, Class of 2011
"Hi Don, I just wanted to let you know I finished strong my first semester. Dean’s List, a 3.4 GPA — all A’s and B’s. Law Preview gave me the confidence I needed going in. I knew what to expect and had a huge advantage because of that. Than you so very much!"
Gayle B., Florida A&M University School of Law, Class of 2013
"It’s pretty unbelievable to me that a year ago right now, I was getting ready to begin Law Preview. It’s been a long, hard year, but a successful one. I finished out the year on Dean’s List, and in the top 10% of my class at Fordham University School of Law! Not bad for someone who graduated from college five years ago with a degree in acting, and hadn’t read more than a magazine since then. There were times over this past year that I would be in class, and would have a deep sense of deja vu, or I would somehow just instinctively know what the professor was asking or how to look at the issue. Of course, I realized pretty quickly that it wasn’t actually deja vu or amazing natural legal ability on my part; so much of what was covered in my classes this year, we talked about in Law Preview. Just that one week of studying made so much of my coursework in the first year seem familiar, and much less intimidating. I guess this is just a long way of saying THANK YOU! And I would be happy to act as a reference for anyone who has questions as to whether or not they should do Law Preview (they should!)."
Anonymous, Fordham University School of Law, Class of 2012
"Law Preview really helped me prepare for my first year of law school. Going into NYU Law, I was a bit nervous; I had heard about how daunting the first year of law school could be and had no idea what I was getting myself into. Law Preview really exposed me to what to expect during my first year and how best to schedule my time, organize myself, and maintain a calm composure that really helped me not only succeed in my first year of law school but enjoy my time. I think that is perhaps the most important part — beyond succeeding in school — is learning how best to enjoy it. Having been introduced to and somewhat familiar with the first year curriculum and having experienced the amazing faculty that the Law Preview program offers, I really got to enjoy my first year in ways that my peers did not."
Alex, New York University School of Law, Class of 2012
"Starting law school is a daunting task especially when they barrage you with enormous amount of new information. Law Preview was like CliffNotes for law school. It helped me to set my bearing and rest in the fact that unlike so many of my classmates, law school classes were not the first time I heard the new terms like promissory estoppel. Having a head start definitely put me at an advantage. I would definitely recommend it to any rising 1Ls."
Yon S., SMU Dedman School of Law, Class of 2011
"I decided to take the Law Preview summer course because I came from an art background, had never taken a single political science class, and hadn’t scored as high as I would have liked on the LSAT. But I did everything Law Preview said and at the end of the semester I had earned a 4.0 and had scored the highest grade on my Criminal Law exam. Because of that, I got a scholarship that more than covered the cost of Law Preview. It’s the best kept secret and the best investment any entering law student could make toward launching their career."
Dawn H., Southwestern Law School, Class of 2012
"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
"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 played an important part in preparing me for my first year of law school. Every Professor and instructor at Law Preview provided insights on the little things that law students should do in order to succeed. Additionally, each Law Preview professor instilled confidence and gave me reassurance that I was doing the right things in order to be prepared come exam time. Law Preview is not just a one week course, but a program that helps each of its students get through their entire first year. With all the tools Law Preview provided, I was able to not only learn the complex material more easily, but also found time to enjoy my first year. No doubt, Law Preview gave me the information and confidence to enter law school knowing I would succeed. [Ranked top 1%-15% after 1L year]."
Anonymous, George Washington University Law School, Class of 2013
"I attended the session at the University of Houston Law Center during the summer of 2010. I not only enjoyed the wonderful professors who participated in that session, but I feel that attending Law Preview greatly eased my transition from the working world into the world of a law student. No one among my family or friends is in the legal profession and the only knowledge of law school and the legal field was from television and movies. So after being accepted to law school I began to dread what I had gotten myself into. My Princeton Review LSAT course instructor recommended that I look into the Law Preview program. The program seemed like a God-send for my piece of mind, so I decided to register and give it a shot. The program was all I could have asked for and more. I still use some of the materials we were given during the session and almost all the cases we reviewed have been used during my first year classes. I recommend Law Preview to anyone I meet who is considering attending law school. Washington and Lee doesn’t issue class rank, but I earned a 3.51 GPA during the fall semester and feel even more confident now in the spring semester."
Joshua V., Washington and Lee University School of Law, Class of 2013
"Without Law Preview, I would have had no clue what to expect from my first semester. Instead, I felt a step ahead of all the other students. I had a plan of action to attack all the work, and I knew what the professors were looking for in classes. The price paid for Law Preview paid off. I ended up in the top ten percent of my class after the first semester with A’s in three out of my five classes."
Anonymous, University of Kansas School of Law, Class of 2011
"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
"From the very first day of class I felt ahead of the learning curve as far as preparation and study habits goes. The tips from Law Preview were very helpful in establishing a good base for finals preparation and it really showed when exam period came around."
Louis S., Texas A&M University School of Law (formerly Texas Wesleyan University School of Law), Class of 2011
"It helped me learn how to approach and brief cases for their maximum educational value, while building confidence in my abilities to be a successful law student."
Erin F., Case Western Reserve University School of Law, Class of 2011