[1] Because of the general difficulty of state bar exams, a majority of law school graduates choose to take some form of preparation course.

The company's predecessors were founded in the 1950s by William A. Rutter in California and in 1967 by three Chicago attorneys – Richard Conviser, Lewis Collens and Beardsley Ruml.

[6] In July 2022, Barbri acquired Strafford, an online education company for attorneys, accountants, and other professionals.

[7] Barbri offers preparation courses in every state and the District of Columbia for both the summer and winter administration of the bar exam.

Barbri also provides course books which include summaries of the substantive law, note-taking outlines, and practice questions.