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.
"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
"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 really gave me a head start on the subject matter as well as some helpful advice on how to navigate law school. Being not only a first-generation law student, but also a first-generation college student, I have often had to figure out higher education on my own. Having the Law Preview experience before beginning my first semester gave me peace of mind and showed me what to look out for in my 1L year and what things I needed to prioritize. This definitely got me off on the right foot and led me to achieve a 4.0 GPA my first semester."
Jared G., American University, Washington College of Law. 2019
"When I entered my first year of law school at The University of Florida School of Law, I was very happy with that opportunity. Although I was an ‘average’ student going in, I ended up doing very well — finishing in the top 2% of my 1L class. The success I enjoyed as a 1L at Florida allowed me to transfer to Harvard Law School, and that’s something that was certainly not an option I had prior to starting school. I definitely think that Law Preview was one of the reasons I did so well my first year. Law Preview gave me a process to follow and an understanding about how to study and absorb the material I’d be learning. In addition, the law professors who teach with Law Preview provided me with an overview of each of my 1L classes, so I had a good understanding about the material I’d cover throughout the year. Finally, learning how to take a law school exam and walk through Law Preview’s exam-taking strategies with a law professor from a top law school was a great opportunity and something that I truly appreciated; I was able to use these strategies many times throughout the first year of law school. I would recommend the Law Preview program to anyone — whether you are planning to go to a small regional school or a large national one. No matter what law school you attend, how well you do during your first year is going to dictate the job opportunities you’ll have in the end, which is why I think this program is really for anybody."
Mike P., University of Florida Fredric G. Levin College of Law, Class of 2011 (transferred to Harvard Law School)
"It gave me a more comfortable sense of what law school was going to be like. The lectures on how to prepare and what not to get caught up in and waste time with really kept me focused on the task at hand, which was getting good grades. I was in the top 16% of my class this first semester and at least some of that work has to be attributed from some of the stuff I gained from Law Preview. The exam taking strategies and writing skills helped as well."
Anonymous, St. John’s University School of Law, Class of 2011
"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
"As a recipient of a scholarship to attend Law Preview, I was so grateful to have this resource available to me before starting law school. Once I started classes, it was so great to recognize a case that had already been explained to me, and to be able to see the big picture from day one. Attending Law Preview also helped me to demystify so many of the new terms that come with starting law school, from “briefs” to “write-ons” and more. It made me feel more confident starting off, and allowed me to focus on the right parts of each daily class and each course as a whole. [3.7 GPA after first semester]."
Anonymous, University of Southern California 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
"I thank Law Preview for setting me up for success! It gave me the perfect preview for what my schedule would be, in terms of reading, briefing, etc. for the semester and prepared me to my best! I went in knowing how to brief which was my greatest asset! I ranked number 7 out of my class of 271 with a 3.93 GPA and made Dean’s List. None of that would have been possible without my week of Law Preview!"
Anonymous, UIC John Marshall Law School, Chicago, 2022
"Law preview helped me hit the ground running with regards to my study schedule and outlining. It also gave me an edge on what to look for when reading a case. I finished my first semester with a 3.628 and an A in our 4 credit Torts class!"
Anonymous, Catholic University of America, Columbus School of Law, Class of 2019
"The Chicago Law Preview course prepared me how to study right and stay on track during my first year. Finishing my 1L year in the top 10% of my class was something I could not have done without working hard and following the guidelines given to me in the Law Preview course. Now, going into my 2L year, I have a foundation of great grades and am confident I will be able to get the job I want after graduation."
Chris E., Michigan State University Detroit College of Law, Class of 2012
"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
"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
"I would absolutely suggest Law Preview to any student about to enter law school, especially if you are looking to end your 1L year at the top of your class. When all of my classmates were confused on how to study for class, prepare outlines, or write exam answers, Law Preview was my guide. I felt comfortable and prepared going into exam time, and without Law Preview, I know this could NOT have been possible. Law Preview gave me a huge advantage over other students in my class. Further, I was able to have in-depth analysis and discussions with professors about our case material since I had already encountered it during Law Preview. I owe my successful 1L year, and a shot at transferring to a top-25 law school, to Don and the distinguished professors at the program. Law Preview is the best preparation any student could do before entering law school. Thank you!!! [Ranked #4 out of 126 students after the 1L year]."
Anonymous, Northern Illinois University College of Law, Class of 2013
"I think Law Preview really helped give a foundation to what was going on. First semester was a little overwhelming, but it would have been a lot more so if LP hadn’t warmed me up to briefing, some of the material, research, and what to expect."
Jared M., University of Nevada Las Vegas William S. Boyd School of Law, Class of 2011
"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
"Law Preview really helped me to understand how to take notes in class and study for finals, which was very different from my undergraduate study methods. As a first-generation student, I had no idea how law school worked or what kinds of things I should get involved in, so Law Preview was immensely helpful."
Anonymous, Yale Law School, Class of 2023
"First and foremost, the law preview course gave me confidence. I followed the advise and schedule that was provided to the best of my ability, and I feel that it was the defining factor is my success. I received the highest grade on the memo that we wrote for the Research, Writing and Advocacy class, and the second highest grade in that class overall. I got all A’s and B’s in all of my classes. I used my notes from the Law Preview course on multiple occasions for clarification on various topics that we covered during the first semester. On that note, I feel that the instructors were amazing in their ability to convey so much information in such a concise and understandable way."
Anonymous, Ave Maria University School of Law, Class of 2012
"The most helpful aspects of Law Preview were time management, exam preparation, and the importance of the weekly review that you recommend. [4.0 GPA after the first semester.]"
Anonymous, New York Law School, Class of 2024
"Helped prepare me in a way that I didn’t even know I needed. There’s no way to be 100% prepared for law school, but Barbri gets you as close as you can possible get."
Anonymous, Temple University School of Law, Class of 2022
"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
"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
"Thanks for your tips, advice, and class. It gave me the tremendous advantage of foresight, the knowledge of how to prepare for my first year, and the grave consequences of the alternative."
Chris W., New York Law School, Class of 2013
"Law Preview was a great experience that certainly helped me excel in my first semester. My law school does not rank students but I am thrilled (and surprised!) to report I got an A in two out of my three classes – an honor that only goes to the top 5-10% of the class. Law Preview helped me achieve such success by introducing me to the core, fundamental doctrines and important cases that frequently appeared on my final exams."
Anonymous, Columbia University Law School, Class of 2011
"I felt prepared from day one to do what I had to do. The plan was before me: my only difficulty was in sticking to it. [Ranked 1 out of 226]."
Anonymous, University of Illinois College of Law, Class of 2012
"The program helped me understand the challenges that lay ahead. Specifically, it was good to learn how to brief a case… since I did not use this format in undergrad, it was nice to know ahead of time the importance of briefing cases. While my law school does not rank, ultimately, I was satisfied with my grades."
Anonymous, Boston College Law School, Class of 2011
"Law Preview was a great way to get ahead of the curve and understand the basics before arriving for my first day of classes. It was especially helpful in understanding how to prepare for class and participate in class discussions as to get the most out of class. I am very proud of the grades I achieved as a result of my hard work in Law Preview and throughout the fall semester. I would recommend Law Preview to all incoming 1Ls!"
Shelby H., University of California, Hastings College of Law, Class of 2024
"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
"There’s nothing better than having a solid organizational structure in place so that you begin law school knowing what you will need to do to achieve your personal goals. That’s what Law Preview provided for me – allowing me to finish in the Top 15% of my class and earning me a spot on the Wisconsin Law Review."
Arie F., University of Wisconsin School of Law, Class of 2022
"Law Preview gave me the jump start I needed so that i didn’t wasted time trying to figure out law school. I walked into class the first day and was miles ahead of my classmates. I was focused on learning from the first moment, not worrying about how to brief a case or wonder what was important. The supplements provided in class also gave me the boost I needed to supplement the text book. Thanks Law Preview! The BEST money I’ve spent on my education =) I’ll recommend you to ALL future law students!"
Ashleigh K., Loyola Law School, Los Angeles, Class of 2011