Did you ever wonder who's behind the Law Preview phenomenon? A lot of work goes into each Law Preview session and only a group so talented . . . so dedicated . . . so completely out of their minds could enjoy reliving the horrors of being a 1L every summer.
We founded Law Preview in 1996 to help future, incoming and current law students succeed in law school. Although we each achieved tremendous success in law school, we humbly admit that we are not geniuses. We recognize that success in law school is all about proper preparation and understanding the "big picture."
Our job is more than just giving you the proper foundation upon which to launch your legal career. We encourage you to stay in contact with us once the Law Preview course is completed and your law school classes have begun. Sure, we've received our share of phone calls at 2:00 AM the night before students' first exams . . . but having witnessed, firsthand, the frustration and disappointment that commonly plagues students during the all-important first year, we have dedicated ourselves to showing students how to conquer law school.
To read the New York Law Journal’s feature story about the founding of Law Preview, click here.
Donald Macaulay, President & Founder
- Don is the President of Law Preview and the President of AdmissionsDean.com. He received his J.D. from Albany Law School in 1995 and his B.A. from Loyola College of Maryland in 1992. Before founding Law Preview and AdmissionsDean.com, Don was an associate at Rogers & Wells in New York City (now Clifford Chance US LLP) where he specialized in antitrust and securities litigation. Don resides in Duxbury, Massachusetts with his wife, two daughters and son.
Jeff Drichta, Founder
- Jeff has served as Counsel at Clifford Chance US LLP, a global law firm, where he specialized in antitrust and complex commercial litigation, in addition to serving on the firm's Employment Committee. He received his J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law in 1997 and his A.B. from Duke University in 1994. Jeff taught Mass Media Law as an Adjunct Professor of Law at St. John's University School of Law in New York. Jeff currently resides in Washington, DC with his wife.
Brian Breheny, Founder
- Brian is a partner in the Washington, DC office of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP. Prior to joining Skadden, Brian held a number of leadership positions in the Division of Corporation Finance at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and has taught as an Adjunct Professor of Law at Georgetown University Law Center and Howard University School of Law. Brian received his J.D. from St. John's University School of Law in 1996 and his B.S. from St. John's University in 1990. Prior to joining the government, Brian was an associate at Clifford Chance US LLP in New York City, where he specialized in mergers and acquisitions and corporate finance matters; he also served on the firm's Personnel Committee. Prior to attending law school, Brian worked as a Certified Public Accountant with KPMG LLP. Brian resides in Washington, DC.
Tim Treanor, Founder
- Tim is a partner in the New York City office of Sidley Austin LLP. Before joining Sidley, Tim was the Deputy Chief of the Organized Crime Unit in U.S. Attorney's office for the Southern District of New York. Tim received his J.D. from Fordham University School of Law in 1995 and his B.A. from the College of Holy Cross in 1989. Prior to his appointment, he worked as an associate at Clifford, Chance, Rogers & Wells in New York City, specializing in antitrust, white-collar criminal defense, and media litigation. After graduating from law school, Tim clerked for the Honorable W. Harold Albritton, III, Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the Middle District of Alabama. Tim resides with his wife and two daughters and son in Westchester, New York.
Your relationship with Law Preview extends far beyond the 6-day program . . .
Law Preview played a large part in my success during my first year. . . . Throughout the first semester, Don sent emails reminding alumni where we should be in terms of preparation and provided tips for succeeding on law school exams. Again, law school is all about finding ways to gain an advantage and these tips definitely helped. The thing that impressed me most, though, was that Don made himself available to alumni by email or phone after the program ended. During the first semester, I emailed Don about 6 weeks before finals starting to make sure I wasn't too far behind on my preparation. He suggested we schedule a time to talk on the phone and we ended up speaking for 20 minutes about where I was and what I needed to do. He also convinced me to use the Law-in-a-Flash flashcards to prepare for my exams. I was concerned about the cost, but he assured me they were worthwhile. He was right. They were great and helped me excel at spotting issues on my exams. This type of individual feedback and support that Don provided is simply not available in law school. Having access to it gave me a definite advantage in preparing for finals.
I just wanted to thank you for the program and the personal attention you give all of us. I couldn't believe the in-depth emails I received from you. . . . I attended your 6-day session at Harvard in August and loved it. I stayed focused and followed your plan and I have benefited greatly at the Florida State University College of Law. I have been waiting to receive my fifth grade for weeks and I am just too excited not to tell you how I did now. I received the highest grade in my 4 credit Civ. Pro (99). Also, I received the highest grade in my Legal Writing class by 3 points (97). I made a 95 in my 4-credit Torts and a 94 in 2-credit Property. My average is a 96.5 and the closest person to me in my section is at a 93.5.
Dear Don, I received my grades and I did great! I received two As and one B resulting in a 3.76 GPA. I wanted you to know that the skills I learned at Law Preview have played a large part in the success I'm currently enjoying at GULC. I also wanted to thank you for all of your follow-up with the Law Preview students. Your program is excellent not only for the before-school preparation, but also your continued support which I did not expect, but certainly appreciate. I will always proudly recommend Law Preview.
. . . I was most impressed by the quality of the professors and by the interest that the Law Preview staff took in its students and their future. In what other prep program will the president email you with follow-up advice after you finish the class and once you've started law school?