2025-2026 Student Senate Bar Prep Matching Program Sign-Up

The Student Senate’s Bar Prep Matching Program connects public interest students with firm-bound students who have the opportunity to provide them with a free bar prep course.

Eligible firm-bound students can offer a free bar prep course (Themis, Kaplan, or Barbri) to eligible public interest students. Please note that the bar prep companies "gift" the courses to public interest students, so neither you nor your firm will incur additional costs to provide a course.

For more information on eligibility requirements and the matching process, refer to the frequently asked questions (FAQs) or each bar prep company’s respective website. 

NOTE: ONLY FILL OUT ONE OF THE TWO FORMS BELOW

For Firm-Bound Students: 

If you are willing to donate a course to any public interest student in need, we would greatly appreciate your support. Please fill out the form linked here, and we will begin finding a match for you. If you would prefer to donate a course to a specific public interest student, please let us know at the bottom of the form. 

For Public Interest Students: 

If you’re interested in receiving a bar prep course, please fill out the form linked here. Note that this process takes time, so we appreciate your patience as we work to find a match.

Deadlines: Students will be notified on a rolling basis up until the final deadlines.

  • Themis: The deadline to be matched with a Themis course is November 1st.
  • Kaplan & Barbri: The general program deadline for all other bar prep courses is January 15th.


More information on each of the bar prep courses are linked here. 

 Here are some FAQs you may find helpful:  

  • What are the eligibility requirements for each bar prep company?
    • Each company has specific criteria. Please refer to the FAQ drop down below and documents here for more information. Note that some companies have different requirements for JDs and LLMs, and different definitions about what counts as "public interest."
  • Can I choose which student I am matched with?
    • Yes! If both individuals apply by the deadline, you will be automatically matched with your chosen partner. If you apply after the deadline, we will do our best to facilitate a match, but we cannot guarantee it.
  • Are there any additional costs for students who receive a “free” course?
    • While the course itself is free, there may be additional costs associated with it, such as fees, shipping, and deposits.

 

If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to reach out to the Student Senate Secretary at [email protected].

 

BARBRI BOGO Program:

  • Firm-bound students (2026 Columbia Law School Graduates) who are directly billing their firm through BARBRI (not through stipend or reimbursement) can sponsor or match with a public interest JD student and gift them a Premium course package with free tuition (if hardcopy books are requested, then PI student will be responsible for the refundable book deposit, shipping charge, and about $5 in tax).
  • This applies to only JD students graduating in 2025. For LLMs to be eligible, they must have already accepted a post grad Public Interest job
  • Public interest students must apply for the Public Interest Scholarship to complete their enrollment (with a $25 deposit if hardcopy books are requested) to finalize and accept their free Premium course bar review package
  • Public interest students need to contact the Columbia BARBRI director, Barbara Gutman ([email protected]), after enrollment (with $25 deposit down if PI student wishes to have the hardcopy books included) to confirm their match by providing the Firm student's name and email address. Barbara will ensure that tuition is waived for PI student

 

Kaplan Gift of Knowledge:

  • Firm-bound students (2024 Graduates) must directly bill their employer to be eligible to “gift” a prep course to a public interest student.
  • This includes both JD and LLM students graduating in 2024.

 

Themis Cares program:

  • A public interest student matches with a firm bound student in order to get a free bar review course (they, the public interest student, only has to pay a $295 registration fee which includes shipping).
  • For firms that provide their incoming associates with a STIPEND to cover all bar prep related expenses and do NOT participate in direct billing. Students going to one of these firms can still participate in Themis Cares and donate once they pay in full the regular Themis tuition.

 

Barbri:

For JD eligibility purposes, BARBRI considers “public interest” to include any JD student who is either employed or committed to being employed in the public sector with an annualized salary of $75,000 or less. For an LLM student to be eligible, they must have already been offered and accepted a post grad position in the public sector with an annualized salary of $75,000 or less. This includes:

  • Clerkships
  • Government employment (including DA and PD offices, military positions)
  • Employment within the public interest sector
  • Fellowships

(Note: Public interest participation is not contingent on secured employment in the public interest sector for JD students. But Public interest participation is contingent on secured future employment in the public interest sector for LLM students). For more information, please visit the BARBRI website.

Kaplan:

Public interest is defined by a broad range of activities. Public interest lawyers work to effect change in social policies, advocate on 'not-for-profit' terms, or represent underrepresented or marginalized individuals. Instead of serving private clients or economic interests, public interest lawyers protect the rights, health, or finances of vulnerable communities and the public at large.

Themis:

What qualifies as Public Interest?

  • Clerkships
  • Fellowships
  • Government Employment
  • Employment within the Public Interest Sphere
  • History of Public Service/Interest employment/focus. (Public interest participation is NOT contingent on secured employment in the public interest sector.)
  • The above qualifiers would need to be verified prior to enrollment, usually with their resume.

Barbri:

BARBRI Public Interest Scholarship that offers a limited number of public interest scholarships are available for select BARBRI Bar Review courses

Kaplan:

Kaplan’s Public Interest discount allows you to request a reduced rate on bar prep courses.

Themis:

For students who don't find a match, Themis has the public interest scholarship that brings the course tuition price down to $1695 (through November 30).  

Students don't have to pay the full tuition amount at one time.  Final payments have to be made before April 1 if studying for the July exam.  A PI student only needs to pay $295 towards their balance to lock-in that rate, and their balance is not due until April 1.

Yes! If both individuals apply by the deadline, you will automatically be matched with your chosen partner. If you apply after the deadline, we will make every effort to match the firm-bound student with their preferred public interest student, but we cannot guarantee this will happen.

While the course itself will be free, there may be additional costs associated with it, such as fees, shipping costs, deposits, and other expenses.

Please note that this is not an exhaustive list.

STIPEND FIRMS

  • Akin Gump
  • Arnold & Porter | Kaye Scholer
  • Ballard Spahr
  • Blank, Rome
  • Cooley LLP
  • Covington & Burling
  • Cozen O'Connor
  • Dentons
  • Dinsmore & Shohl LLP
  • Duane Morris
  • Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath
  • Fenwick & West LLP
  • Fox Rothschild
  • Greenberg Traurig (Los Angeles)
  • Holland and Knight
  • K&L Gates
  • Latham & Watkins
  • Manatt Phelps
  • Miller & Chevalier
  • Morrison & Foerster LLP
  • Munger Tolles & Olson
  • Nelson Mullins
  • Nixon Peabody
  • Paul Hastings
  • Phelps Dunbar
  • Seyfarth Shaw LLP
  • Sidley Austin LLP
  • Steptoe & Johnson
  • Thompson Coburn LLP
  • Wiley Rein
  • WilmerHale
  • Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati