Class Action Suit Against BAR/BRI

A notice arriving in countless law students' mailboxes these days about a class action suit filed against BAR/BRI, the bar review course behemoth, could change how students prepare for the biggest exam of their lives. More, it could affect their pocketbooks. It's a letter signed by U.S. District Judge Manuel L. Real and applicable to students who've purchased a review course from the company anytime since August 1997. From the letter:

"Plaintiffs allege that BAR/BRI, violated the federal antitrust laws by agreeing with Kaplan, Inc., to prevent competition in the market for full-service bar review courses."

In essence, the companies gouged law students on prep courses. According to the letter, defendants contend that their conduct was legal.

What's interesting from the explanation in the letter is that every student who receives one is already part of the suit; you have to actually file a letter in order to exempt yourself.

The letter points former students here.