9 Best & Must-read books for law students [2024]

Here is the list of the best & must-read books for law students and young lawyers that I have found more useful in building a successful career in the legal industry

NB: The books are not only a must-read but also a must-have.

Let’s get started

Read also:

• How to study law and pass (pro tips for beginners)
• Best free online law courses you can start anytime anywhere

Books for law students

The following are the best books for the law students

1. Letters to a Law Student by Nicholas J. McBride
2. Learning the Law  By Glanville Williams
3. Turning Points at Trial: Great Lawyers Share Secrets, Strategies, and Skills by Shane Read
4. Law school confidential by Robbert H. Miller
5. Letters to the young lawyer by Professor Allan Dershowitz
6. Thinking like a lawyer: A New Introduction to Legal Reasoning Fredrick Schauer
7. Making your cases: The art of pursing Judges by Bryan A. Garner and Antonin Scalia
8. Satan’s advice to young lawyer By Aleister Lovecraft Esq.
9. Roadmap: The Law Student’s Guide to Meaningful Employment by Neil W. Hamilton

Letters to a Law Student by Nicholas J. McBride

Letters to a Law Student is a perfect book for law students or anyone thinking of studying law.

My first year of studying for an LL.B was terrible. I decided to find a way to improve my studies. This book was the way.

I read this book before I started my second year. It was super useful.

This book showed me how to manage stress while studying law, how to study law, what citations mean in law reports, getting through books and articles, how to write a summary of a case, write dissertations, and much more.

Everything you need to succeed as a law student is covered if that is what you want, this is the perfect book for you.

Learning the Law  By Glanville Williams

I remember when I pursue my LLB, our Legal method lecturer, can’t allow you to stay in class unless you have this book on the table.

Though it is very little, this book laid down the foundation for studying and understanding the law.  It is a must-have book for law students.

Turning Points at Trial: Great Lawyers Share Secrets, Strategies, and Skills by Shane Read

This book will help you to learn the art of litigation. It shares powerful trial secrets from top litigators, which you can easily apply in your next case- the secret to the examination of witnesses, and oral argument.

The best thing I like about this book is it contains the profile of an attorney famous for his or her skills and an analysis of court transcripts where that skill was displayed. This is the best way to learn through real-world examples. The transcripts show how the secret was applied and how it worked.

Don’t go to court unless you have read this book.

Law school confidential by Robbert H. Miller

This book made my law school life more comfortable. I read it soon after completing my LL.B when I prepared to attend law school.

This book contains real-life situations of law school graduates. It helped me to get into law school in advance.  Among other things, the studying and exam strategies shared helped me to do better in my studies.

if you wish to have a ‘wonderful’ life in law school, you should check this book

Letters to the young lawyer by Professor Allan Dershowitz

I have read this book in 2017 when I finished law school. This book is inspirational to me. Although it focuses more on the American legal system and criminal law, it gives outstanding insights into ethics, life-work balance, etc.

This book inspired me to start this blog.

If you are looking for a book to inspire you to become a great lawyer, I think you should read this one.

Thinking like a lawyer: A New Introduction to Legal Reasoning Fredrick Schauer

This is the only book that I found it teaches the art of critical thinking by mixing theory and practice. It broadly and repetitively explains concepts like a rule, precedents, analogies, etc.

If you want to think like a lawyer and/or understand how a lawyer thinks, this book is for you.

Making your cases: The art of pursing Judges by Bryan A. Garner and Antonin Scalia

This book is the foundation for litigation.

It helped me to understand the art of persuasion both oral and written.

If you want to learn the essentials of sound legal reasoning, including how to develop the syllogism that underlies any argument, the art of brief writing, especially what to include and what to omit so that you can induce the judge to focus closely on your arguments and what it takes to succeed in oral argument, then, you should read this book.

Satan’s advice to young lawyer By Aleister Lovecraft Esq.

Can you imagine Satan talking to a lawyer? What should a lawyer do? Should the lawyer do what Satan says (be dishonest and make a lot of money) or what he thinks is right (being honest and making little)?

I don’t know how to explain this small book. I think the best way to understand it is by reading it yourself.

Roadmap: The Law Student’s Guide to Meaningful Employment by Neil W. Hamilton

This book will help you to transform what you have learned in class into real-world applications as it focuses more on professional development and competence.

Turn your academic into employment. Read this book.