BARBRI Appoints First Woman Co-CEO in Strategic Push for Global Tech Dominance

DALLAS, TX – April 08, 2026 – Legal education giant BARBRI today announced a landmark leadership change, promoting Lucie Allen to Co-CEO in a move that signals a deepened commitment to technological innovation and global expansion. Allen becomes the first woman to lead the 59-year-old organization, a significant milestone for a company synonymous with preparing generations of lawyers for the bar exam.

The transition is structured for continuity, with Allen set to lead alongside current CEO and Chairman Steve Fredette throughout 2026. Fredette will then move into an Executive Chairman role in early 2027, continuing to guide the company’s strategic direction. The appointment comes at what the company calls a "pivotal moment" for both BARBRI and the legal profession, which is grappling with rapid technological change and a widening skills gap.

"I am very proud of what our team has accomplished, growing and transforming BARBRI into the full spectrum legal ed-tech company it is today," said Fredette in a statement. "Lucie has been my planned successor, and I have the highest confidence in her ability to lead and expand BARBRI, guide new innovation, and establish strategic partnerships that deliver meaningful value to our learners."

A New Leader for a New Era

Lucie Allen is not a new face within BARBRI's leadership ranks. Before her promotion, she served as Chief Growth Officer and previously as Managing Director of the company's international business, where she was instrumental in expanding its global footprint. Her background includes over two decades of commercial experience, including a seven-year tenure at Thomson Reuters where she held a global leadership role in its legal segment.

This experience positions her as a leader deeply familiar with both the corporate and educational sides of the legal industry. Allen is also a vocal advocate for diversity and inclusion, overseeing the BARBRI Bridges program, which aims to increase accessibility within the legal profession, and holding leadership roles in organizations like "She Breaks the Law" and the "Thrive with Mentoring" program. Her appointment is seen not just as a leadership change, but as a reflection of the evolving face of the legal world itself.

Under Allen's leadership, BARBRI is expected to accelerate its transformation from a traditional test-prep company into a comprehensive, tech-enabled educational partner for legal professionals at every career stage.

Responding to a Shifting Legal Landscape

The legal profession is in the midst of a profound transformation. Law firms and corporate legal departments are no longer just seeking graduates with strong doctrinal knowledge; they demand professionals equipped with modern skills in areas like data analytics, cybersecurity, project management, and regulatory compliance. This has created a significant skills gap that traditional legal education often struggles to fill.

BARBRI's strategic shift under its new leadership aims directly at this challenge. "The legal profession is changing, and so are the learning needs of the people within it," Allen stated. "Our focus is on understanding those changes and ensuring we provide accessible, high-quality education that meets learners where they are and supports where they are going."

The company's focus on technology-enabled, flexible learning pathways is a direct response to these market demands. By offering everything from U.S. bar exam and U.K. Solicitors Qualifying Exam (SQE) preparation to specialized professional development courses, BARBRI is positioning itself as a lifelong learning provider for a globalized legal workforce.

The Strategy Behind Co-Leadership

The decision to implement a Co-CEO structure is a deliberate strategic move. While sometimes viewed as complex, this model is increasingly used by companies navigating significant transitions or complex markets. It allows for a division of labor and leverages complementary skill sets, which can be critical during a period of innovation and expansion. A Harvard Business Review study found that companies with long-term co-CEOs delivered higher average annual shareholder returns than their sole-CEO counterparts, suggesting the model can foster stability and growth.

In BARBRI's case, the co-leadership period with Fredette ensures a seamless handover of institutional knowledge and strategic relationships. It allows Allen to fully integrate into the CEO role while benefiting from Fredette's long-term experience, mitigating the risks often associated with leadership changes. This planned succession signals to the market and to learners that BARBRI is focused on stable, long-term growth rather than disruptive change. It provides a runway to execute a shared vision for the company's future as a dominant force in the global legal ed-tech space.

Beyond the Bar Exam: Innovation and Competition

For decades, BARBRI's name was virtually synonymous with the grueling post-law school ritual of bar preparation. While it remains a dominant player in that market, its survival and growth now depend on its evolution into a diversified ed-tech company. The company faces stiff competition from players like Themis Bar Review and Kaplan, which often compete on price and appeal to different learning styles with more concise content or different question banks.

To stay ahead, BARBRI has invested heavily in its digital learning platforms. A cornerstone of its modern offering is the AI-powered Personal Study Plan (PSP), which creates a bespoke, adaptive study schedule for each learner. This technology, combined with spaced repetition and interleaved learning techniques, is designed to maximize retention and make study more efficient. The company also boasts extensive practice question banks and detailed analytics that provide learners with insights into their performance, including a "Pass Predictor" tool for bar exam candidates.

This focus extends globally, particularly with its preparation courses for the U.K.'s SQE, where BARBRI has reported pass rates significantly above the national average. By providing tech-driven, structured learning for this new qualification pathway, the company has successfully captured a significant segment of the international market. This global and technological push under Allen's leadership is set to define BARBRI's next chapter, moving it far beyond its original mandate to meet the complex needs of the 21st-century legal professional.