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.

youtube-video-thumbnail
youtube-video-thumbnail
youtube-video-thumbnail
youtube-video-thumbnail
youtube-video-thumbnail
youtube-video-thumbnail
youtube-video-thumbnail
youtube-video-thumbnail
youtube-video-thumbnail
youtube-video-thumbnail
"Great experience with Law Preview. Support material (online videos) after the course and continual study tips helped reinforce the material taught in the classroom. Highly recommend. Felt prepared for class discussions and received A-s in the two courses that were introduced in-depth at Law Preview."
Anonymous, University of California, Los Angeles, School of Law
"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
"I thought I came in with substantially less nerves about case briefing than many of my classmates. This made the adjustment to law school far easier than I anticipated [3.77 GPA after fall semester]."
Anonymous, Vanderbilt University School of Law, 2022
"Law Preview was invaluable. I was hoping to be in the top 20%. I am in the top 8%. LP gave me a road map to law school. While fellow classmates were ‘freaking out’ and overwhelmed at orientation, I felt like I had been there before. When others were struggling with the concept of briefing a case, I had all my briefs completed. Without Law Preview I would have been just another average student. Instead, I’m on the Dean’s List. Thanks Law Preview!"
Mark F., Texas A&M University School of Law (formerly Texas Wesleyan University School of Law), Class of 2011
"Law Preview’s 1L calendar was integral to my success during the Fall semester. The schedule helped me stay on top of assignments and review, so that I could adequately prepare for my finals during the reading period. Thanks to Law Preview, I ended the Fall semester with a GPA in the top 10% of my class!"
Miranda C., American University, Washington College of Law, Class of 2023
"If I hadn’t taken this course I would have been absolutely railroaded by my classes."
Matt E., Stanford Law School, Class of 2021
"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
"Law Preview gave me a basic understanding of what to expect in each of my classes. Law Preview helped me realize that I was going to have to work hard for my grades, but also helped me realize that if I did I would be at the top of my class. Most importantly Law Preview gave me a heads up on how to prepare for final exams. I felt like I knew what to expect from day one. It was all a matter of keeping on top of everything and practicing like Law Preview taught me."
Ezra K., Texas Tech University School of Law, Class of 2011
"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 better prepared for what to expect during my first semester of law school. Others were much more stressed; I knew what was important to focus my attention on, instead of getting caught up with all the minute details in every case. Finding old exams, outlines from upper-levels, and utilizing study aids when I needed them, helped me so much. With a 3 year old at home, the preparation and knowledge that Law Preview gave me was (and is) invaluable!! . . . Law Preview lowered my level of anxiety at the beginning of the school year. Many of my fellow students were stressed and overwhelmed right from the start. Law Preview gave me the tools I needed to balance school with my responsibilities as a mom. . . . I haven’t received my rank yet, but I do know that I made dean’s list! Thanks Law Preview!"
Elise L., University of Cincinnati College of Law, Class of 2011
"The overview from Law Preview really helped me to get acquainted to law school quickly and start off strong. The sample schedule and pre-work gave me the confidence I needed. Because of my grades, I was able to land a summer associate position before school even started back up in the spring. I didn’t have to wait for the help of my school for a job and now I can relax going into the semester knowing I have a position secured."
Natalie W., Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law, Class of 2023
"I felt that it prepared me to know what was coming at me in the fall semester. I had a good understanding of the timelines and the dates that I needed to schedule for myself in order to be successful in my first semester."
Anonymous, University of California, Los Angeles, School of Law, Class of 2021
"Entering law school, I had been out of school for nine years. Law Preview eased me back into the classroom and gave me the tools necessary for success during my first semester of law school. The test-taking skills I learned during Law Preview were critical to me receiving the CALI award in Torts for my section. Thank you, Law Preview staff, for giving me the confidence and tools necessary to succeed during such a stressful time. I am especially thankful as a first-generation law student, woman of color, and mother. [3.99 GPA after the first semester]."
Anonymous, Howard University School of Law, Class of 2024
"Law Preview was beneficial in that it helped strip away some of the anxiety and myths about first year law school while also conveying the reality of the large amount of time and effort that would be required of students if they wanted to succeed. There are no magic words or formulas to success but Law Preview passed on tools and techniques for studying so that I was able to hit the ground running from the very first day of school. The tools and practice from Law Preview allowed me to focus on the substance of what was being discussed in class and in the readings. Rather than trying to remember what the heck IRAC was or learning how to write case briefs and read case books effectively the first few weeks of the semester I’d already had a week of practice on how to accomplish those tasks thanks to my time with Law Preview. One of the first legal writing assignments at my school during first semester was to write a case brief which I already knew how to write thanks to the templates from Law Preview and session on the topic. I got 100% on the brief. The familiarity and introduction to various topics and projects covered during the first year of law school became a huge time saver. And any law school student will tell you that anything that saves time is invaluable in law school."
Anonymous, Whittier Law School, 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
"I was able to achieve a 3.9 GPA during my first semester, and I was even asked to serve as a TA by one of my professors. I believe that my Law Preview course definitely contributed to my academic success so far, and I plan to continue applying Law Preview strategies for the rest of my law school career. I think the most important thing that helped me was being consistent about working hard throughout the semester. Law Preview’s email reminders and tips throughout the fall semester really helped keep me on track."
Anonymous, Columbia University Law School, 2019
"The Barbri 1L preview made me comfortable with the subject matter that I would encounter during my 1L year. The Legal Writing workshop directly contributed to my final grade in the actual course. The most useful aspect of the course was the study aids that were available, which gave me additional support through the semester."
Tracey B., Widener University School of Law, Class of 2022
"I was prepared for the first few weeks of classes and I know what to expect from class. The biggest advantage was that I knew how to outline. The study guides recommended by Law Preview are truly the best ones and I used them a lot. Don Macaulay is wonderful! He is so helpful even after the course is over!"
Anonymous, Duquesne University 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 provided me with the confidence and routine necessary to succeed my first semester of law school. Prior to the first day of class, I was able to have set in place a reading and study schedule that kept me on top of my assignments. This allowed me to ensure I was learning the material over time and not waiting until the end of the semester to see if I had retained it along the way. Now, I find myself in a great position while applying for summer employment and have received interviews from my top firms."
Reaghan W., University of North Carolina School of Law, Class of 2023
"Law Preview helped me stay focused on exams. It was definitely true that much of each class is spent talking about policy, theory, and cases, but when it comes right down to it all that matters for exams is the black letter law (and how to apply it). Thanks to Law Preview, I understood that and I don’t think a lot of my classmates did."
Joseph W., University of Toledo College of Law, Class of 2011
"Law Preview gave me a strategy to attack a semester that was very different from anything I had previously been exposed to. I found myself repeatedly going back to Law Preview study tactic notes, using the Barbri 1L Mastery videos, and practicing essays to review key strategies and prepare. If you follow the calendar and recommendations from this course, you will succeed."
Anonymous, New York University School of Law, Class of 2022
"First, a note about my rank: University of Michigan does not rank its students. I do know, however, that our classes are curved around a mean of 3.19, which means that 50% of students get higher than that GPA overall. Also, I’ve heard that a 3.4 represents the lower limit of the 25th percentile. After my first year at UM Law, I have a 3.75 GPA. I went in with an LSAT that put me in the lowest quartile, and now I have a GPA that puts me maybe in the top 10% of the class! At the beginning of the year, my goal was to get a 3.2, and I have exceeded that by far. I believe that part of the reason for my success was indeed the Law Preview program. By taking Law Preview, I was able to get a solid base for all the substantive material that I was to learn in class. In at least every one of my first year courses, I read cases that I read in Law Preview. For example, in Torts during my first semester at law school, I think the first 3 cases we read I had read in Law Preview. That gave me a huge advantage in class because while doing my reading, I knew what to look for and what nuances were important. Also, I was able to participate confidently in those classes. Also, procedurally, Law Preview helped me tremendously. I knew how to brief cases before the first day of class so when I was engaging in my reading, I could really focus on the material. My classmates at this time were still struggling with their cases briefs. Also, I closely followed the suggested schedule that Law Preview gave us and kicked into high gear at the appropriate moments. I was able to finish my outlines by the last day of class and was able to use our entire study period brushing up on material, using my study aids, and taking practice tests. Again, at this time my classmates were barely finishing their outlines and maybe taking one practice test. I believe both the substantive and procedural information I learned from Law Preview was monumental to my success in my first year of law school and enabled me to achieve much more than I had expected. Thank you!"
Anonymous, University of Michigan Law School, Class of 2011
"The program placed a lot of the important legal concepts and doctrines in my mind early in the semester. This helped shape and sharpen my thinking for my first year courses."
Jeffrey F., George Mason University School of Law, Class of 2011
"Law Preview taught me the habits that I used to succeed during my first semester of law school. Had it not been for the class, I would not have understood the importance of briefing cases, integrating my notes from class with my initial notes, and outlining, and how these practices impact performance on the final exam. Because I knew how imperative it was to discipline myself into practicing these strategies on a daily basis, I was able to stick to an efficient schedule that ultimately produced successful results."
Monica C. Georgetown University Law Center, Class of 2021
"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
"My school only allows 5% of students in each course to receive an A+, which is about three students for my section. Thanks to Law Preview, I received an A+ in two courses. I was also told my Civil Procedure exam and Torts final paper were best in the class. I’m so grateful to the firm that gave me the scholarship to take the course and would recommend it to any incoming law student."
Sasha B., Northwestern University, Pritzker School of Law, Class of 2024
"From where I am now, it’s hard to believe I ever hesitated to do Law Preview. Because of Law Preview, I walked into my fall classes feeling familiar with the language, basic concepts, and general framework of each subject. As a result, I felt more confident about participating in class and believe I distinguished myself from day one. Aside from exposure to the material, I finished Law Preview with a concrete sense of what I needed to do on a daily and weekly basis to stay on track throughout the semester. Once on campus, I heard a lot of conflicting advice about how to prepare for class, when to start outlining, and how to approach exam prep.  While different things work for different people, I found a lot of this advice to be reactionary, not proactive, and that much of it just came too late. Law Preview will help you get your mind right and internalize a game plan well before you start orientation. While many of my classmates are now trying to figure out what went wrong with first semester grades and how they can catch up in the spring, I’m able to focus on maintaining my performance and making small adjustments to my system, which takes some of the pressure off of an already stressful time. I would not have approached my first semester of law school the way I did were it not for what I learned through Law Preview. Do yourself a favor and invest in yourself and in Law Preview, the sooner the better. [3.78 GPA after the first semester]."
Anonymous, Fordham University School of Law, Class of 2024
"The combination of the overviews from law professors preeminent in their fields and honest, practical insights into surviving the first year from recent, successful law school graduates cannot be beaten! . . . I would recommend this program to anyone beginning preparations for law school. When the first semester is underway and you have an immediate grasp of the case method, depth of understanding of your course material, and are effectively managing your time (and your life as a 1L), you’ll be glad you took Law Preview. I’m glad I did."
Jason O., Yale Law School, Class of 2003
"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