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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"Law Preview prepared me to excel in my first semester. I have my undergraduate degree in nursing. Nursing school and law school are nothing alike. Had I not completed the Law Preview course I know I would have spent the first 8 to 10 weeks figuring out what was going on and trying to understand what the professors were talking about. Knowing in advance what a case brief was, how to complete one, how to immediately begin outlining each of my classes, and other basics of how material is presented in law school helped me tremendously. I felt much more confident in myself and my grades were definitely higher than what they would have been without Law Preview."
Natalia S., Mitchell Hamline School of Law, Class of 2022
"Law Preview laid the foundation for my study routine. Coupled with Barbri Mastery, I tried to adhere as closely as possible to Don’s schedule for reading, briefing, etc. Demystifying 1L was immensely helpful and I encountered many of the cases I read during Law Preview. It goes without saying that reading cases in advance is tremendously beneficial. Moreover, having a concrete process for briefing allowed me to hit the ground running for the first semester."
Anonymous, Georgetown University Law Center, Class of 2024
"Law Preview was tremendous in helping me shoot out of the gate strong. From the first day I walked on campus I had a plan and a purpose thanks to LP. In addition to the organizational and structural advantages I had thanks to the schedule and preparation materials, I left LP with a sense of confidence. Law Preview really helped be demystify the law, in breaking it down into something practical and manageable. I also believe that the long hours during the program set my expectations for the amount of time and effort I needed to be successful, which led to a smooth and natural transition into the real thing. I would recommend this program to anyone who is entering law school, especially in this market where grades are EVERYTHING. [Ranked 5 out of 339]."
Anonymous, St. Mary’s University School of Law, Class of 2012 (transferred to SMU Dedman School of Law)
"As someone who had been out of school for many years prior to entering law school, Law Preview helped me feel ready on day one. The instruction on reading and briefing cases allowed me to focus on the material when classes began. I returned to the outlines, lectures and other 1L Mastery materials throughout the semester. [3.91 GPA after the first semester]."
Anonymous, University of Minnesota Law School, Class of 2024
"I was better prepared for what to expect during my first semester of law school. Others were much more stressed; I knew what was important to focus my attention on, instead of getting caught up with all the minute details in every case. Finding old exams, outlines from upper-levels, and utilizing study aids when I needed them, helped me so much. With a 3 year old at home, the preparation and knowledge that Law Preview gave me was (and is) invaluable!! . . . Law Preview lowered my level of anxiety at the beginning of the school year. Many of my fellow students were stressed and overwhelmed right from the start. Law Preview gave me the tools I needed to balance school with my responsibilities as a mom. . . . I haven’t received my rank yet, but I do know that I made dean’s list! Thanks Law Preview!"
Elise L., University of Cincinnati College of Law, Class of 2011
"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
"Law Preview helped me stay focused on exams. It was definitely true that much of each class is spent talking about policy, theory, and cases, but when it comes right down to it all that matters for exams is the black letter law (and how to apply it). Thanks to Law Preview, I understood that and I don’t think a lot of my classmates did."
Joseph W., University of Toledo College of Law, Class of 2011
"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
"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
"Don, I just wanted to thank you for starting the Law Preview course. I truly feel confident going into my first year at Georgetown Law. The advice and encouragement you gave me has relieved much of the anxiety and mystique around the law school process. No matter how my grades turn out, I at least know that I am mentally ready for the challenge. The overview Law Preview provides is second to none and I can’t wait to give you an update in the years to come! Please feel free to give my name to any potential students of Law Preview. THANKS AGAIN!"
Jeb W., Georgetown University Law Center, Class of 2004
"Latham & Watkins’ genuine commitment to diversity, inclusion, and excellence has had a tremendous impact on both my academic and professional career. In 2019, Latham gave me a scholarship to attend Law Preview prior to entering Stanford Law School — a truly unique opportunity that gave me the foresight to succeed in my first year of law school. The program armed me with the key concepts of the first-year curriculum and taught me how to prepare for classes and exams early, efficiently, and effectively. Based on my academic achievements, not only was I invited to join the Stanford Law Review, but I also joined Latham as a 1L Summer Associate and received an offer to return next summer (as well as Latham’s 2L Diversity Scholarship). I will be forever grateful that Latham invested ~$1000 in my academic success prior to starting law school — their initial investment in me has paid dividends. Law Preview clearly had a significant impact on my success at Stanford Law School. If law school were karate, Don Macaulay would be the Mr. Miyagi of the legal community."
Daniel K., Stanford Law School, Class of 2023 (President of the Stanford Law Review)
"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
"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
"The overview from Law Preview really helped me to get acquainted to law school quickly and start off strong. The sample schedule and pre-work gave me the confidence I needed. Because of my grades, I was able to land a summer associate position before school even started back up in the spring. I didn’t have to wait for the help of my school for a job and now I can relax going into the semester knowing I have a position secured."
Natalie W., Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law, Class of 2023
"Law Preview provided me with an overview of how 1st year grades impact future employment and suggested strategies and techniques that helped me perform at my individual best. The substantive overview of 1st year courses provided invaluable context on what to expect prior to arriving in class. I referenced my notes from Law Preview frequently to remind myself of big picture concepts."
Josh H., Belmont University School of Law, 2019
"Law Preview had an amazing impact on my education and social life – I felt prepared from the very beginning of the year and met my best friends during the week-long class. It covered every aspect of how law school is structured. How to strategically approach classes and exams, and how the legal job process works. While other new students were trying to figure out how to study and how to balance their time, I was already in a comfortable routine after Law Preview. As a true testament to the program’s efficacy, my friends and I (all former Law Preview students) obtained summer associate positions with various big law firms after our 1L year. This is usually very rare for first-year law students, but Law Preview enabled us to start strong and plan ahead for opportunities that other students didn’t even know about. I’m so glad I took Law Preview’s class."
Linda Q., Northwestern University School of Law, 2020
"Law Preview gave me confidence entering law school after 11 years of post-graduate work. I ended up in the top 25% of my class, and I couldn’t be happier with the skills Law Preview provided me."
Alex K., Emory University School of Law, Class of 2024
"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
"Law Preview helped me tremendously with my law school experience, especially the writing class. I felt more confident and prepared when I began."
Scott G., Thomas M. Cooley Law School, Class of 2011
"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
"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
"Law Preview taught me the habits that I used to succeed during my first semester of law school. Had it not been for the class, I would not have understood the importance of briefing cases, integrating my notes from class with my initial notes, and outlining, and how these practices impact performance on the final exam. Because I knew how imperative it was to discipline myself into practicing these strategies on a daily basis, I was able to stick to an efficient schedule that ultimately produced successful results."
Monica C. Georgetown University Law Center, Class of 2021
"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
"Law Preview prepared me for what I would face in law school. It gave me confidence and relieved a great deal of stress before and during law school."
Anonymous, University of Arizona James E. Rogers College of Law, Class of 2011
"If I hadn’t taken this course I would have been absolutely railroaded by my classes."
Matt E., Stanford Law School, Class of 2021
"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
"Law Preview certainly helped to prepare me for my 1L year not only by simulating the rigor of a law school classroom, but by providing tools and guidance throughout my first semester. With the support of LP, I was able to succeed in my first semester and receive a GPA of 3.78 which places me in the top 10% of my class! I am so grateful for this program and all the opportunities it has provided!"
Melissa F., Fordham University School of Law, Class of 2021
"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
"Law Preview really helped me in regards to exams. I had a hard semester, but when it came to exams, I followed the procedure set forth by Law Preview. I was able to out-perform my classmates by a considerable degree. My law school does not provide us our rank unless we request it, and I am still waiting for it, but judging from my grades, I am ranked highly."
Anonymous, Texas A&M University School of Law (formerly Texas Wesleyan University School of Law), Class of 2011
"I did not come straight from undergrad. I spent the past 5.5 years as an Army Officer. Although school was a major adjustment, Law Preview’s introduction to the subject matter and tips for success were instrumental for me in developing a structure and study plan that led to success."
Patrick C., American University, Washington College of Law, Class of 2021