Any books I should read before law school starts?? Forum

Ver9832 · Post by **Ver9832** » Tue May 01, 2007 5:35 pm

I was wondering if anyone could recommend me any books about law school...what it is like, what to expect. Also, should I try to read some books of classes I will take? Someone recommended to me Blond's Law Guides.

Any thoughts?

Thanks!

kktoot · Post by **kktoot** » Thu May 03, 2007 12:49 pm

Law School Confidential and Getting to Maybe.

And the Boston Bartending Guide.... for when you are stumped.

caribelita · Post by **caribelita** » Thu May 03, 2007 12:52 pm

I read Law School Insider and Law School Confidential, but I think the former was much, much better. Law School Confidential tries to scare you (which I guess might be good for some who aren't scared already), but Law School Insider does more in the way of providing concrete guidance, tips, and wisdom about the law school experience.

Ver9832 · Post by **Ver9832** » Thu May 03, 2007 8:12 pm

I will check those out. Thanks so much!

gilchy · Post by **gilchy** » Fri May 04, 2007 5:20 pm

here are a few good books-

Succeeding in Law School by Herbert Ramy
Starting Off Right in Law School by Carolyn Nygren
Reading Like a Lawyer by Ruth McKinney
Expert Learning for Law School by Michael Schwartz

if not only if then · Post by **if not only if then** » Sun May 06, 2007 12:38 pm

a book titled, "Should You Really Be a Lawyer"

if not only if then · Post by **if not only if then** » Sun May 06, 2007 12:42 pm

http://www.shouldyoureally.com/

lioness · Post by **lioness** » Sun May 06, 2007 9:33 pm

Neither Amazon.com nor B&N.com have Law School Insider. It's only available as a used copy. Where did you get your copy?

I'm currently reading law School Confidential. So far, (1st 10 chapters) I like it.

I'll buy Getting to Maybe, but I'd also like to get a copy of Law School Insider.

caribelita · Post by **caribelita** » Sun May 06, 2007 10:54 pm

I actually ended up getting my copy of Law School Insider from Ebay. The person didn't have any highlightings, so it worked out great for me.

I remember that there were 2 or 3 other copies on ebay other than the one that I got (but my shipping was lower), so you may want to check on ebay.

Anyhow, again, I'd highly recommend Law School Insider. It's very, very good.

I also bought Getting to Maybe, but I haven't read it yet.

lioness · Post by **lioness** » Mon May 07, 2007 6:45 pm

Thanks for the advice. I found a copy on ebay today for a song.

I'll buy 'Getting to Maybe" from Amazon.

sbjohnsn · Post by **sbjohnsn** » Mon May 07, 2007 8:16 pm

I just read a book that provided a really interesting view on the nature and meaning of private property in America. It really changed how I understand the instutition of private property, and it was really well written. It's called The Land We Share: Private Property and the Common Good by Eric Freyfogle, a professor of law at the University of Illinois. It was a good read, and it provided some interesting context for property class next year.

lordarka · Post by **lordarka** » Wed May 09, 2007 2:04 pm

I second "Getting to Maybe." It's a very no-nonsense approach to mastering exams, and was indispensable to me. And once you're there, always remember on essay exams that "because" is the most important word you could possibly use, and your analysis of any facts the teacher gives you should always outweigh the statement of law, issue, or conclusion.

Mime · Post by **Mime** » Mon Oct 22, 2007 11:44 am

From what I have heard, Law School is not so much about learning the substantive issues of the law as much it is learning how to think like a lawyer. understanding how the cohesive the various areas of the law really are I think must be crucial.
For this reason I study a lot of economics because I believe that economic analysis applies kind some of the same techniques of problem solving as legal reasoning does. I read books like Judge Posner's Book Economic analysis of the law and David Friedman's Law's order. I think a good study of the Coase theorem is useful as well. But I am also reading Lord Edward Coke, Sir William Blackstone, and John Locke , to get a good historical context of the english common law. I also have Oliver Wendell Holmes' book Common Law. Since I am particularly interested in corporate law I have a book called the economic structure of Corporate Law from Frank Easterbrook. I am considering getting this book called Logic for Lawyers from a guy named Ruggero J Aldisert. I also read a book called Intro Legal Reasoning By Edward Levi that is pretty good as well. On top of that I am reading some stuff by Plato with the intention of drilling Socratic dialogue into my head. I also intend to have a good grasp of Syllogistic logic too. Anyway what do you all think of my reading selections? I'm not sure if doing the optimal thing or not really. Maybe I should keep it a little simpler. A good thing to watch is America and the Courts when it comes on C-span. Another thing I like is that Law Schools like Duke Law have webcasts or Podcasts that you can watch presentations from some of the greatest law professors in the world, very good stuff.

eqmassa · Post by **eqmassa** » Mon Oct 22, 2007 12:03 pm

Posner, Coase, and Holmes? Getting indoctrinated pretty quick huh... I think it's pretty dangerous to just assume that the Law and Economics school and its predecessors have it right, and to prepare for law school by reading works from one SCHOOL of thinkers, as opposed to trying to get a general overview of the law by reading widely. Look at the people Posner attacks in his footnotes and read some of their stuff too for a broader view...

Not that preparatory reading is likely to help much anyway. It's all about what you do once you get there. Read a hornbook or something if you're that paranoid. You learn to "think like a lawyer" from distilling and applying rules, writing conclusions and counter-conclusions, etc., not by reading books that purport to tell you what it is to think like a lawyer.

Mithrandir · Post by **Mithrandir** » Mon Oct 22, 2007 12:43 pm

Here are the books I've read that I've found helpful:

Planet Law School II- presents a pretty harsh look at the law school process, and while overly negative about the methods of instruction, it's pretty insightful about some of the things you'll run into and has a lot of really in-depth guides for cases, reading, study guides, etc.

Learning Legal Reasoning by John Delaney- a very simple, easy to understand guide about the basics of legal reasoning and how to brief cases

Law School Confidential- gives a pretty good overview of the law school process from applications to getting your first job, although some of it is a little cheesy and ridiculous (color-coded case briefings? what are we, 5?)

I am working my way through the Examples & Explanations series for Contracts, Torts, Property, and Civ Pro, but I don't know that I'd recommend everyone doing this (mostly because I don't want to lose my edge).

chris0805 · Post by **chris0805** » Mon Oct 22, 2007 12:44 pm

I would recommend reading books that are fun... and exercising... and keeping in touch with friends and family... and anything else that you like to do that you won't have so much time for once law school starts.

Book like getting to maybe might help for exams (and I might buy it), but really, a lot of law school success seems to come from intuition, ability, and work ethic. Don't try too hard to prepare because I don't think it will do much.

If you just want to be entertained, that's fine, but those law school books probably won't really help you even though they are somewhat informative.

SecondTimeAround · Post by **SecondTimeAround** » Mon Oct 22, 2007 4:25 pm

For sheer dramatic legal prose in a trial situation, have a look at this:

http://www.law.umkc.edu/faculty/project ... ation.html

A lot of good reasoning and persuasion is in here.

Mime · Post by **Mime** » Wed Dec 12, 2007 12:19 am

So reading Blackstone and Coke is indoctrination? Yeah, David Souter is one of my favorite Justices because i'm so biased. I also like Chemerinsky too. I never mentioned any book about "How to think like a lawyer"
I'll bet ACLU Lawyers spend a lot of time reading Ricachard Epstein while study the Coase thoerem. Indoctrination? (Didn't Ronald Coase win a Nobel Prize ? ) I on the other hand will read anything that has excellent legal scholarship.

GodSpeed · Post by **GodSpeed** » Wed Dec 12, 2007 12:55 am

I did those readings. Worthless. If anything, they just get you scared and anxious. Read some commercial outlines or something.

Ricachard Epstein

I was upset he wasn't my prof at first. then I heard about his final. Thank God.

The dude is supposedly really really really good though.

Post by **Corsair** » Wed Dec 12, 2007 1:06 am

GodSpeed · Post by **GodSpeed** » Wed Dec 12, 2007 1:15 am

Contracts, if anything.

edit: crap. Just checked. It's David Epstein, not Richard. Wrong dude.
David is like the contracts God or something.

Post by **Corsair** » Wed Dec 12, 2007 1:57 am

ktlulu1 · Post by **ktlulu1** » Wed Dec 12, 2007 2:26 am

He did the Bar Bri contracts review video for 1Ls. He seems... crazy.. but brilliant also. He's kind of obsessed with 73 cadillacs.

CharcolMafia · Post by **CharcolMafia** » Wed Dec 12, 2007 10:05 am

I would read Getting To Maybe, then I would read Naked Economics. Then I would read very slowly and for understanding Posner's Law & Economics textbook.

Getting To Maybe
http://www.amazon.com/Getting-Maybe-Exc ... 233&sr=8-1

Naked Economics
http://www.amazon.com/Naked-Economics-U ... 257&sr=1-1

Economic Analysis Of The Law
http://www.amazon.com/Economic-Analysis ... 302&sr=1-4

ETA: As an introduction to ONE school of thought, not as a comprehensive study of law. Just a school of thought that's a little more difficult to approach. As you read, poke holes.

dssinc · Post by **dssinc** » Wed Dec 12, 2007 4:56 pm

Getting to Maybe - which you will want to review about a month before exams. All about how to approach exams.

A Civil Action - a great work of non-fiction following a seminal pollution case in Massachusetts, so you can learn what amazing lawyering looks like.

The Quran, the Torah, the Bible, the Baghavad Gita, the Tibetan Book of Days, and, perhaps most importantly, the Tao T'Ching. This will come in handy later in your career when it is time to start praying for your soul.

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