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
"Law Preview prepared me for each step of the first year experience. I was never left in the dark about what I should be doing or what to expect. Most importantly it gave me confidence that I needed to succeed. I believe others lost valuable time doubting their abilities."
William F., Duquesne University School of Law, Class of 2011
"I attended the Law Preview session in Austin. I was just writing to let you know how I did the first semester. I attend the University of Houston Law Center, and I received all A’s my first semester and am ranked #1 out of 266 students. Law Preview gave me the right mindset entering into law school, and I feel the class was a big part of my success. Not only did it help me succeed grades wise, but the class also gave me a sense of excitement to attend U of H, as there were 3 professors from the school who lectured at Law Preview, and I enjoyed all three!"
Shaun C., University of Houston Law Center, Class of 2013
"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)
"The techniques we learned were extremely helpful. During finals study time, everybody else was outlining; my outlines were finished as of the last class day so I was able to study and work on the hypos. I was even able to incorporate a ‘nugget’ section into my notes that came in very handy on the exams. Thanks for everything!"
Kate L., University of Denver College of Law, Class of 2013
"I was able to crush my first semester of law school having knowledge of cases already discussed during the course. I felt confident and established myself early on."
Anonymous, Howard University School of Law
"Last summer I was fortunate to receive a Law Preview Scholarship. The experience was particularly useful to me as a first generation law student. The class introduced me not only to doctrinal material from the first-year curriculum but it also exposed me to the law school nuances no one had told me about, like the Socratic method, briefing cases, and accessing prior exams as study aids. The benefits of being a Law Preview alum are numerous. I am still in contact with some of the students I met during the class. I also have access to Barbri webinars, which provide information on useful skills for the first year of law school and beyond, and the Job Network, which grants access to many of the law firm partners BARBRI has."
Carla L., Harvard Law School, 2020
"Looking back after the conclusion of my 1L, I owe much, if not most, of my success to the skills and strategies I learned during Law Preview. The learning curve in law school is very steep, and Law Preview allowed me to enter school immediately prepared; knowing what I had to do to succeed. Following Law Preview’s steps throughout the year, I finished in the top 5% of my class, was admitted to my school’s Law Review and landed a summer associate position at one of the world’s most prestigious law firms. I can’t thank Law Preview enough and think it is an invaluable experience every incoming law student should take part in."
Terrence O., Boston College Law School, 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
"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
"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
"Law preview helped me get ahead of the game. I learned what to expect in the classroom and how to do the readings. This helped me prepare for the unexpected, which is the most stressful part of law school."
Anonymous, Catholic University of America, Columbus School of Law, Class of 2022
"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
"If I hadn’t taken this course I would have been absolutely railroaded by my classes."
Matt E., Stanford Law School, Class of 2021
"I know that the skills Law Preview taught me made my first semester of law school successful and manageable. As you are well aware, law school is a unique and stressful environment, a mystery to those who have not experienced it. Law Preview demystified it for me. As a result, I knew how much time I should spend studying and when, what I should focus on, and how I should balance my classwork with other obligations. I did not have to waste precious hours acquiring this knowledge by trial and error. Additionally, Law Preview’s engaging professors introduced me to the substantive material I would encounter in my courses and made me excited about what I would learn in law school. Through its courses Law Preview gives incoming law students the tools they need to succeed in their first year and beyond."
Frances K., Mitchell Hamline School of Law (formerly William Mitchell College of Law), Class of 2013
"Law Preview allowed me to get a head start during my first year of law school. It was extremely helpful during midterms and finals. All of the available study aids helped me get a better understanding of each course. [3.93 GPA after first semester]."
Anonymous, Touro College Jacob D. Fuchsberg Law Center, Class of 2020
"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 helped me know early on what would be required of me all semester. It provided a familiarity of the subject matter, and gave me important tips on how to approach outlining and studying for exams. I was one of few students who began preparing early, and taking practice tests early, and taking them in to the professors for help, and it really paid off in my final grades."
Tanvi P., DePaul University College of Law, Class of 2011
"Law Preview did two things for me: (1) Gave me a plan and (2) helped me feel confident going into law school. There is a certain amount of adjustment for everyone when you get to law school depending on professors and the structure of the school you attend, but it really helped me anticipate the workload and have a plan before I started school. I thought it was great."
Jordan D., University of Southern California Law School, Class of 2013
"As a first-generation law student, I had no idea what to expect from law school. I knew about cold calling and I knew vaguely that classes would be competitive. However, I did not know what exams were like, what day-to-day classes and studying would look like, how I should structure my semester, what classes would be taught, or what mattered for my resume (i.e. Journal). Law Preview taught me everything I needed and more to feel comfortable starting law school and not like a fish out of water. Had I not taken Law Preview, I would have felt incredibly uncomfortable starting school, hearing others talk about briefing cases and outlines for classes and Law Review. It was all a foreign language to me, before. At the end of my 1L year I earned Dean’s List Honors and was invited to serve on the Law Review. The biggest asset you can have going into 1L year is confidence and a sense of comfort. Law Preview gave me exactly that."
Summer Z., Northwestern University Pritzker 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
"It was great. Definitely helped first semester. But it’s a two part game. I’ll let you know how this all went after second semester."
Anonymous, University of Maine School of Law, Class of 2022
"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
"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
"Using the tools provided by the Law Preview course, I was able to attain a ranking in the top 25 students of my 145 student class. With the first semester under my belt, I hope to use what this summer course provided me with a more efficient way to climb to rank among the top 10 students in my class."
Jack H., University of Richmond School of Law, Class of 2022
"I am happy to report that I just received my last grade and have an overall GPA of 4.15 at Albany Law! Better than I could have even dreamed of (and pretty good for having 2 small kids!). I just wanted to say thank you- the info I received in law preview was a huge part of knowing how to study and what to do to get where I wanted to be. I just wanted to say thank you- the info I received in law preview was a huge part of knowing how to study and what to do to get where I wanted to be."
Paige F., Albany Law School of Union University, 2021
"I’m writing to thank you for the Law Preview course I took last summer. I was barely admitted into the school via wait list, and I had absolutely no studying skills before I attended Law Preview. Law Preview gave me an outstanding overview which helped me formed my study plans, so I knew exactly what to do, when to do them, and how to do them. What helped me the most was your lecture on the right attitude to go into law school with; I was able to maintain positive the entire semester even though at times it was frustrating and many things seemed to go wrong. Now I have an above 4.0 GPA: 2xA+,2xA, 1xA- after first semester, which puts me at about top 1-2%. Thanks again, couldn’t have done it without you."
Anonymous, South Texas College of Law Houston, Class of 2011
"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 was a great introductory class. I could feel the law school environment in advance and can be more prepared than others. The 1L mastery classes were super helpful during the semester as well. I used the video mainly for review purposes, and it really helped me understand the whole structure of each course and prepare my outlines. [3.75 GPA and Top 15% after the first semester]"
Anonymous, George Washington University Law School, Class of 2023
"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
"I attended the Houston seminar at University of Houston in July 2010. I think the product you offer is excellent. Law Preview provided me with an advantage over my peers in a fair academic way. I would recommend taking the six day class to anyone entering law school. The class provided a foundation that allowed me to find clarity in the pile of case law assigned. The week before my Law Preview class, I read the entire prep book. I did not understand much of what I read, but I went though the exercise. I struggled to interpret the class discussions, but managed to stay focused. The six day work load was a serious grind, like a law school boot camp. While it may have been difficult, the course gave me exactly what I wanted out of it. It gave me a vision of what was to come. I was able to brace myself for impact and ride the turbulent wave through the first semester finish line. Even though preparation is key to success, hard work through out the semester is an essential element as well. My goal for this semester is to study more efficiently, to work smarter not harder. By finals in the fall, I was losing stamina. The work load started to wear me down and I may have wandered into the forest losing myself in the trees. In the end, I still managed to finish in a good place. This semester I have a new and improved game plan, but it is important to note that my original game plan came from Law Preview. Without this original game plan, I would have been lost in the trees from day one. Now, as my peers are wandering to a clearing, I am already crossing the field."
Lucas C., South Texas College of Law Houston, Class of 2013