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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"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
"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
"I am a 1L at UCI Law, I was a student in Law Preview for the online session last year. Guess what? First-semester 1L grades finally posted, and I got a 3.93!!! I really think my time in the Law Preview course was integral to my success. Thanks again for creating such a unique program!"
Patrick R., University of California, Irvine School of Law, Class of 2022
"You owe it to yourself to protect your $100-200K investment in law school by taking Law Preview. Law Preview taught me how to study and take exams successfully, how to budget my time effectively, as well as a general overview of my core IL courses. More than anything, Law Preview gave me the confidence to know what to expect in law school the very first day I started. I finished my first year of law school near the top of my class, which allowed me to earn much-needed scholarship money as well as several summer associate offers from BigLaw firms. I truly believe Law Preview was a big part of my success during the first-year and I would recommend it to anyone going to any law school."
Omar O., University of Texas School of Law, Class of 2011
"The best thing I got out of Law Preview was the practical advice. Part of being successful in any situation is strategy – learning how to maneuver within the circumstances. Law Preview was a great strategy resource. Law School is a foreign world, and knowing what to expect before you ever get there is a huge asset. Most people are totally baffled and have no idea what to do, but I felt a little more confident and had a game plan when I went in. I also really appreciated having some idea of how to approach my exams during the first semester. I got A’s in all my substantive classes, including the high grade in Contracts that was 15% above the second highest score. Thanks for everything! [Ranked #5 out of 266 after first semester]."
Anonymous, University of Houston Law Center, Class of 2013
"I can’t explain how much I believe this program helped me. Because of my experience at Law Preview, I came into my first term feeling comfortable with the material and hit the ground running. As I met more and more students, I realized that I was so much more ahead of them in terms of preparedness. I followed the schedule that the Law Preview suggested and I felt that its flow helped me to do my daily work, study on the weekends and to manage my time effectively. Many of my friends would come to me seeking advice or help with their briefs because they saw how streamlined my own process was. As the term went on I began to realize week after week how much the program really helped. And as I came into week ten I did not feel as stressed as most students. While they were spending late nights in the library trying to catch up and write their outlines; I was simply reviewing and developing strategies on how to attack my exams. I felt that the study tips and suggestions they gave at the Law Preview not only helped with learning content, but managing the stress of first term. Not that I wasn’t stressed, but I was substantially less freaked out/emotional than many other students. I would highly recommend this program to anyone interested in going to law school. To put it quite plain, I would call home and tell my parents all the time how thankful I was that I made the decision to attend the Law Preview. [Ranked 51 out of 325]."
Anonymous, Thomas M. Cooley Law School, Class of 2012
"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
"The program definitely made the transition smoother going into law school. the briefs I had before helped and doing the work for the week at Law Preview gave me a taste as to what to expect so there were no surprises. Knowing how to study and take tests were also essential."
Stephen K., Emory University School of Law, Class of 2011
"Law Preview impacted my study schedule and the daily hours I committed to each day – this was the biggest impact. I understood the dedication I needed to give and held myself to that high standard. Additionally, my GPA was the highest I ever achieved in a single undergrad semester, I attribute this to Law Preview’s frank and direct teaching on how to dedicate myself to achieve success."
Mary M., American University, Washington College of Law, Class of 2023
"Law Preview was helpful in that I found out how law school worked before I got to law school, so that it wasn’t all completely new. Like pretty much all law students, I was overwhelmed when classes started, but I feel like I would have been much more so without Law Preview."
Anonymous, Duke University School of Law, Class of 2013
"The course greatly exceeded my expectations! It provided in-depth exposure to every aspect of being a top law student as well as a general overview of each 1L course with access to office hours with the professors where we explored more nuanced topics. The course enabled me to develop valuable skills such as reading cases, drafting case briefs, forming outlines, and we even took a practice exam. The program also connected me with a support network within the Law Preview program and granted me free access to core study aids by Wolters Kluwer and Barbri that were of enormous use for my Contacts and Property courses. As a first generation college student and legal professional, this was instrumental in offsetting the additional challenges introduced through a fully remote first semester of law school and in allowing me to shine in my classes."
Jessica D., University of California, Los Angeles, School of Law, Class of 2023
"It helped me prepare for the law school experience and familiarize myself with the curriculum."
Anonymous, University of Southern California School of Law, Class of 2022
"Rutgers doesnt rank [after first semester]. Based on my GPA, I’m probably top 15%. Law Preview helped give an overview of the substantive areas, sampling of the Socratic method, practical advice about how to approach law school, especially the study calendar."
David E., Rutgers University School 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
"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
"It improved my preparation and gave me more overall understanding as a first-generation lawyer/student."
Aaron Y., American University, Washington College of Law, Class of 2022
"I believe Law Preview gave me that path and plan to attack 1L Fall."
Patrick D., Emory University 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 definitely useful in that it stressed the rigors of the first semester to the point that I was prepared. By preparing me for what was to come, as well as setting out effective tips for study and work habits, I was able to to focus on the work itself by adopting what I had learned in Law Preview rather than waste time developing my own strategy. The schedule plan laid out by Law Preview allowed me to achieve academic success during my first semester."
Joshua V., New York Law School, Class of 2013
"Definitely took the edge away. Law Preview helps you to understand the substantive law, but that is not truly its purpose. I feel like it takes the anxiety and the struggle away from the first year of law school. [Ranked top 10% after first semester]."
Anonymous, Loyola Law School, Los Angeles, Class of 2012
"The suggestions were really helpful about how to spend breaks and prepare for midterms and finals. The calendar was really useful to see how to spend my time. It was a good feeling to know walking in to school that I had seen some of the cases before and knew how to brief a case."
Jessica R., Touro College Jacob D. Fuchsberg Law Center, Class of 2011
"It helped me be more prepared when the first day of class arrived. Additionally, I knew how to pace myself for exams and while everyone was attempting to figure out how to study, I already had a plan and was actually implementing the plan into my study time."
Anonymous, Elon University School of Law, Class of 2011
"Pushing for briefing cases rather than simply reading them was the biggest impact. Also, pushing to start outlines early and taking practice tests really impacted. The actually substantive overview of the courses were significantly less useful than the study skills. However, the study skills were so useful that they we’re worth the price alone. Although UCLA does not rank, my GPA was a 3.7."
Anonymous, University of California, Los Angeles, School of Law, Class of 2011
"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 everything I needed to succeed academically during 1L and throughout law school. Because of this academic foundation, I was able to work in large firms both 1L and 2L summer (which led to post-graduate employment), and interview for judicial clerkships. The legal research and writing aspect of Law Preview helped me to become a journal board member and to publish an article. It was also amazing to have a network of other Law Preview students to connect with at the early stages. Looking back, my law school experience gave me everything I could have hoped for personally and professionally and it’s all thanks to Law Preview. Thank you Don for creating this amazing program!"
Jo G., Washington University School of Law, Class of 2021
"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
"Law Preview got me in the mindset to hit the ground running and keep the eye on the big picture."
Anonymous, Fordham University Law School, Class of 2024
"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
"Law Preview is both a wake-up call and a road map to success in your first year of law school. I received personal attention and exposure to many of the fundamental concepts of my 1L courses. Law Preview not only prepared me to excel, it also gave me the confidence to face an otherwise daunting first year. I finished my first year in the top 10% of my class and will transfer to a higher ranked law school in the fall. Thank you, Law Preview! [Ranked #20 out of 269 students]."
Anonymous, Michigan State University Detroit College of Law, Class of 2013
"I think Law Preview helped me most with preparation. I felt much more comfortable going into my first year with a few strategies, some basic comprehension and overall less anxiety about what I was about to face. I can’t say with certainty that it helped my GPA but I do think it helped me feel more confident going into exams and it definitely helped me stay on a schedule. The calendar provided to me was a godsend because I have a lot of trouble setting deadlines for myself and even if I didn’t stick exactly to the calendar I had constant reminders to keep me on track. [3.67 GPA after the first semester]."
Anonymous, Georgetown University Law Center, 2023