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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"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 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 didn’t really know what I was getting into during my summer before law school. I read blog posts about case briefs and torts class but everything seemed daunting. Law Preview was a significant reason why I was able to be in the top 1-15% of my class. I am extremely glad I enrolled and I would highly recommend it for incoming law students."
Anonymous, George Washington Univ. School of Law, Class of 2024
"I attended the session at the University of Houston Law Center during the summer of 2010. I not only enjoyed the wonderful professors who participated in that session, but I feel that attending Law Preview greatly eased my transition from the working world into the world of a law student. No one among my family or friends is in the legal profession and the only knowledge of law school and the legal field was from television and movies. So after being accepted to law school I began to dread what I had gotten myself into. My Princeton Review LSAT course instructor recommended that I look into the Law Preview program. The program seemed like a God-send for my piece of mind, so I decided to register and give it a shot. The program was all I could have asked for and more. I still use some of the materials we were given during the session and almost all the cases we reviewed have been used during my first year classes. I recommend Law Preview to anyone I meet who is considering attending law school. Washington and Lee doesn’t issue class rank, but I earned a 3.51 GPA during the fall semester and feel even more confident now in the spring semester."
Joshua V., Washington and Lee University School of Law, Class of 2013
"I felt as best prepared as I possibly could have been for my first year. I knew what I needed to do to be successful and feel proud of my performance and efforts. It was helpful starting law school with an idea of how to read cases and knowing I needed to outline my courses well before exams. My school does not have rankings, but I know I am towards the top of my class."
Anonymous, CCity University of New York (CUNY) School of Law, Class of 2013
"Law Preview did a good job of hustling its students along the learning curve associated with the transition to the dense material that is law as well as the Socratic Method of teaching. This valuable experience allowed me to focus on the substantive issues in the course earlier than my counterparts."
Joseph L., Rutgers University School of Law, Class of 2013
"1L year is like flying a plane, blindfolded. Law Preview gives you much needed guidance to help you succeed. There is no magic wand to help you ace all your exams. But, Law Preview points you in the right direction, and if you put in the work, you’ll be happy with your results."
Anonymous, George Mason University School of Law, 2021
"I came in feeling comfident in my ability to brief cases and Barbri taught me how to read cases. The learning curve was still very steep, but I went in feeling like I had already dipped my toes in over the summer before plunging in head first. Many of the cases we covered in Barbri were also covered in my class, which was very helpful too."
Anonymous, University of Michigan Law School, Class of 2022
"Law Preview made me feel comfortable walking into my first day of law school and knowing that I had a distinct advantage over my fellow classmates. Instead of spending valuable time figuring out how I was supposed to approach my courses, I was already assessing the material in a way that prepared me most effectively for exams."
Anonymous, Pepperdine University School of Law, Class of 2013
"Law Preview definitely gave me a heads up on the outlining and legal research part of my school’s curriculum. I am so glad that I attended the legal research and writing day because it helped to cut down on the workload during the semester as I was already somewhat familiar with the process."
Chelsea W., University of Virginia School of Law, Class of 2013
"Law Preview provided me an outstanding overview of my 1L curriculum and allowed me to grasp the big picture of each course far earlier than I would have otherwise. The professors were really helpful and covered some of the most fundamental and hard to grasp topics in 1L courses, which I really appreciated when they came up the second time around and I was already well-prepared to deal with them. Thanks to Law Preview’s overview, from the moment that classes started I knew how to manage my time, which proved invaluable when reading period began and I was ready to invoke Law Preview’s exam preparation strategies right on schedule. By having a firm background on the basics, I was also able to make time to get a head start on the 1L summer job hunt, which allowed me to secure a position with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Southern District of New York, my first choice job. I would definitely recommend this class to any incoming law student! Thank you for an outstanding class."
Corey B., Harvard Law School, 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
"Without Law Preview, I would have had no clue what to expect from my first semester. Instead, I felt a step ahead of all the other students. I had a plan of action to attack all the work, and I knew what the professors were looking for in classes. The price paid for Law Preview paid off. I ended up in the top ten percent of my class after the first semester with A’s in three out of my five classes."
Anonymous, University of Kansas School of Law, Class of 2011
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Looking back as I finish my 3L year, I wholeheartedly believe that Law Preview is the best antidote to the curse of assumed knowledge. Getting a primer on important doctrinal subjects in digestible but focused sessions—and being introduced to the Socratic method in a realistic but low-stakes environment—was exactly what I needed to prepare for my 1L year. Law Preview taught me concepts that soon become central to my life as a law student: how to brief, what an outline looks like, how to write an exam, and what a tort (disappointingly, not the dessert) is. And, as someone who had not known the ins and outs of law journals before Law Preview, I can confidently say that the program helped earn my spot on the Stanford Law Review. I honestly can’t imagine delving into my 1L year without having participated in the program.  Beyond the academic head start, Law Preview helped me build a strong professional network. I met other law students committed to success headed to my school and schools across the country. I got a taste of several different first-rate professors’ teaching styles. And I became a part of the larger Law Preview network: I finally had folks in my corner. If I had to boil it down, Law Preview helped me start out on the right foot. Law school is intimidating. Maybe you can’t change whether you were born into a family of lawyers or whether you’ve spent years working as a paralegal, but you can change how prepared you feel to start. The key to that, in my experience, is Law Preview. If starting over, I would choose Law Preview again every time.

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Kat G., Stanford Law School, Class of 2021
"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)
"I do not think I will ever be able to know how much Law Preview has helped me. It was by far the best investment I could have ever asked for. I would recommend it to anyone that is going to law school. I continue to step back and think, wow, I wonder where I would be without that class. It was just very eye opening and helpful in my first semester. I enjoyed the non-scary professors as a mini-icebreaker to the class. I also found all the tips very helpful. I may not remember all the terms that we discussed or went over, but I am familiar with the topics and this helps tremendously to get my arms around each class. Thanks again"
Lauren H., Nova Southeastern UniversityShepard Broad Law Center, Class of 2011
"Law Preview really helped me to find grounding and my bearings before starting law school. My first semester was far more challenging than anything else I have ever done, so knowing what was coming helped me greatly, and having earned a 4.0 has already set up up with great opportunities and a lot less stress! Thank you, Law Preview!"
Anonymous, Northwestern University School of Law, Class of 2021
"Law Preview prepared me for what I should expect with law school in regards to course load, outlining, type of people that will surround you, and how professors teach. ‘Law school’ sounds intimidating, but like with anything you do in life, to be successful you must prepare yourself. Law Preview is almost necessary, because why would you put your heart into something for three years, and not use a source like Law Preview to put you a step ahead of your peers? Law Preview should be considered an essential step to the Law School process if you want to be ahead of the competition, or help with the stress that comes with law school."
Ryan B., University of Baltimore School of Law, Class of 2013
"It helped me learn how to approach and brief cases for their maximum educational value, while building confidence in my abilities to be a successful law student."
Erin F., Case Western Reserve University School of Law, Class of 2011
"Great preparation for what to expect and the level of effort required for As."
Courtney G., University of Colorado Law School, Class of 2024
"I was often asked during the first few weeks where I’d worked in the law previously. I had literally no legal experience before BarBri Law Preview other than having read a couple of cases, not the ones we’d studied. But the Law Preview course both set me on the right footing for the year and gave me an overview of how the coursework would fit together. Finally, the practice outlining was invaluable."
Peter S., Northwestern University School of Law, 2022
"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
"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 experience with Law Preivew was instrumental in the achievements of my first semester. Without the study skills and insight it gave me I would not have received the only A+ in my Criminal Law class. I highly recommend taking this course it was very helpful in preparing me for law school."
Beth P., William & Mary Law School, Class of 2021
"I am so glad I did Law Preview because I was pretty prepared when most of the other first year students were very nervous in the first few weeks of the semester. I also adhered to most of the things that were recommended by Law Preview (I followed the calendar schedule of when to start outlining, reviewing my flashcards, etc). [Ranked 14 out of 217]."
Anonymous, Syracuse University College of Law, Class of 2012
"As the first in my family to attend law school and having grown up with no exposure to the legal world, Law Preview provided the perfect introduction into the start of my legal studies. The combination of classes, workshops, and materials equipped me with the knowledge and proper mindset I needed to begin my first year of law school with confidence and ease. I was able to begin the semester feeling reassured and familiar with the structure and pace. I truly owe the success of my first semester to the headstart this program gave me, and I cannot recommend Law Preview enough for any student about to begin their 1L year! [3.91 GPA and ranked #2 after the first semester]."
Anonymous, University of Houston Law Center, Class of 2023
"In addition to providing a great overview of each of my first-year classes, Law Preview gave me the confidence to believe that law school success is an achievable goal while eliminating fear of the unknown."
Jhanice D., Seton Hall University School of Law, Class of 2002
"The schedule and study techniques helped me get A’s in every class except one, and I felt more prepared than some of my classmates in their classes. I had the best grades of my academic career and made the dean’s list for the first time."
Steward L., Northern Illinois University College of Law, Class of 2023
"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 gave me an edge my first semester of law school that I would not have had otherwise."
Michael R., Villanova University School of Law, Class of 2011