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.
"My school does not provide student rankings until the end of the first year. However, my current GPA (with 4 of 5 grades reported) is a 3.78/4.00. Law Preview certainly helped me achieve sucess in my first semester of law school. Probably the biggest benefit for me was that it made me feel comfortable with the material right from the start. It helped me keep my fears to a minimum and so I was able to learn and participate in class right from the start. Many of the cases we covered in Law Preview were cases that we covered in my classes. Having previous exposure to these cases made the transition a lot easier for me. While overall, the substantive law that I learned at Law Preview did not give me an edge, I was able to pick up what my professors were discussing more easily because it was not the first time that I had seen the material. It is an expensive program, but I think that it is worth it."
Melissa C., Roger Williams University School of Law, Class of 2013
"A year after completing the Law Preview program I am an articles-editor on my school’s Law Review, an extern with the enforcement branch of a federal agency, and sitting pretty with a GPA I’m too polite to share. I am confident that I wouldn’t have accomplished all of those things if it wasn’t for the instruction I received during my week of Law Preview."
Raimund S., American University, Washington College of Law, 2022
"I felt more confident starting in the fall and had a better understanding of the material as I progressed through the year. [Ranked top 10% after 1L year]."
Anonymous, American University, Washington College of Law, Class of 2013
"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 kept me on course while my classmates seemed confused."
Joshua W., University of Arkansas Little Rock William H. Bowen School of Law, Class of 2011
"In law school you don’t know what you don’t know. For many, it’s the first time you actually have to study. Law Preview gave me a jump start on my first semester by teaching me how to think like a lawyer."
Christian M., University of Connecticut School of Law, Class of 2021
"They do not release rankings for the first semester only after the second. I do know that the curve falls around a 2.86 and I finished with around a 3.3 GPA. I think learning how classes were going to be and knowing what to do helped a lot."
Anonymous, Charleston School of Law, Class of 2011
"Law Preview allowed me to gain an edge over my fellow classmates by familiarizing me with the content most law students cover during their 1L year, and by exposing me to strategies that helped me manage my time appropriately. Additionally, I was able to bypass most of the usual anxiety associated with the first semester of law school because I knew what to expect from both professors and the material I would be faced with. Law Preview has helped me achieve a 3.88 GPA (top 5 ranking) and an invitation to join our school’s Law Review. I would highly recommend this course to anyone looking to achieve success in law school. Thanks, Law Preview!"
Anonymous, Stetson University College of Law, Class of 2023
"Since I am the first in my family to graduate from college, I did not know how to prepare for law school. BARBRI Law Preview provided me with the tools to not only survive my first semester, but to also excel. I followed their recommendations and specifically their recommended calendar for allocating my time, which is something that I struggle with. This program is 100% worth it and I highly recommend it."
Anonymous, Loyola University Chicago School of Law, Class of 2021
"Law Preview was very instrumental in enabling me to be successful in my first year of law school. Not only did the course help prepare me for the rigors of the 1L curriculum, but it gave me a level of confidence walking into my first law school class that many of my peers did not acquire until well into the semester. While nothing can completely prepare you for the amount of hard work that it will take to out perform many of the other success driven people that will be sitting next to you in your law school classes, Law Preview comes pretty close. I finished my first year of law school ranked #10 (Top 5%) in my class, and I just received an invitation to become a member of my school’s law review. There is no doubt in my mind that attending the Law Preview course was a significant factor in helping me to achieve these results. Law Preview’s exam taking strategies, success tactics, and course overviews were all invaluable aids to me throughout my 1L year."
Antonio A., Texas A&M University School of Law (formerly Texas Wesleyan University School of Law), Class of 2012
"It prepared me to know what to expect and how to manage the task load with a solid background and foundation to enhance my learning capabilities."
Barbara H., Northeastern University School of Law, Class of 2022
"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
"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
"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
"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 first semester]."
Anonymous, University of California, Hastings College of the Law, Class of 2023
"Law Preview was a great decision for me. I have been out of school for a few years and needed a jump start. The comprehensive program gave me the framework to start classes confident and prepared [ranked #1 out of 140]."
Anonymous, Western State University College of Law, Class of 2011
"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
"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
"Law Preview provided me with invaluable insight and helpful tools for tackling the rigors of 1L. The program gave me a level of confidence which allowed me to hit the ground running as I embarked on my law school experience. There is no doubt in my mind that Law Preview was instrumental in enabling me to finish my 1L year in the top 10% of my class and being invited to join the Law Review. Don, thank you for an outstanding course!"
Paul G., Boston College Law School, 2020
"Law Preview really helped me understand topics in more direct and concise terms."
Anonymous, University of California, Hastings College of the Law, Class of 2022
"Law Preview gave me an edge in class when we would discuss the same topics and cases that I had reviewed this summer. This was especially so in property when we went over estates. Law Preview also helped me keep on track with the task calendars. I wrapped up the fall semester with a 3.82 GPA and top 7% in my class."
Anonymous, Florida State University College of Law, 2021
"Law Preview gave me an idea of how fast paced classes and school in general were going to be. Once you fall behind in the readings you just cannot catch up. I took a lot of notes while in Law Preview (pages upon pages upon pages). I wrote down stuff that didn’t even make any sense at the time. And before all of my finals I went back and read through that stuff. It certainly helped."
Anonymous, SMU Dedman School of Law, Class of 2011
"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 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
"Law Preview was super helpful for me in getting a sense of large doctrinal concepts that will be covered in law school. It provided a great launchpad for me and I ended up scoring in the top 15% of my section after my 1L fall."
Anonymous, Georgetown University Law Center, 2022
"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
"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
"It certainly worked well for my GPA! [3.72 GPA after the first semester]"
Anonymous, American University, Washington College of Law, 2023
"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
"It was fabulous, and really realistic about how much was needed for certain placements in class rank. If I followed their advice to the letter I think I could have made the top percent."
Taylor B., Boston College Law School, Class of 2012