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For those of us who are pre-law and preparing to apply to law school, what are some of the best books you've read and would recommend to others that detail what law school is like?

I'm interested in trusted sources/authors having heard so many different types of "crazy" tales and divergent opinions online. I'm just hoping to gain a good perspective of what to expect in law school that is the real deal.

Thanks so much for your time! Look forward to checking out people's responses and recommendations.

Law School Confidential is a collaboration of like 20 graduate POVs so it feels necessarily accurate to their respective schools at least. It's as good as any if you have to read one.

If you're interested in a very antiquated and really quite depressing take on law school, read 1L by Scott Turow and watch The Paper Chase. They both both rustled my jimmies and got me excited about law school at the same time.

They're all a waste of time.

2014 wrote:Law School Confidential is a collaboration of like 20 graduate POVs so it feels necessarily accurate to their respective schools at least. It's as good as any if you have to read one.

Thanks. I read some reviews of it (after you mentioned it) that also say it's a sort of must read. ...There were a few reviews that said to take it with a grain of salt too (I think they critiqued the book as being overly dramatic), but mostly it looks like a good view into the world of legal education. Will have to definitely check that one out.

North wrote:If you're interested in a very antiquated and really quite depressing take on law school, read 1L by Scott Turow and watch The Paper Chase. They both both rustled my jimmies and got me excited about law school at the same time.

Uh oh...a depressing take, huh? I don't mind that, lol, if it's accurate and/or useful. Do you know how applicable some of the material may still be from 1L? Is it possibly so old as to be no longer relevant to legal education?

Thanks!

I really appreciated McClurg's 1L of a Ride. I also skimmed Shapo's Law School Without Fear: Strategies for Success (because it was required by the school I planned on attending before I was accepted elsewhere) and I thought it was horribly dry, but provides a decent intro to the material you learn in 1L.

tigershark wrote:I really appreciated McClurg's 1L of a Ride. I also skimmed Shapo's Law School Without Fear: Strategies for Success (because it was required by the school I planned on attending before I was accepted elsewhere) and I thought it was horribly dry, but provides a decent intro to the material you learn in 1L.

'1L of a Ride' was a great read to prepare for law school. It really set me at ease and sparked excitement for law school. I suggest this one. You wouldnt need to read any others except for some intro to legal writing books. Best of all, the aformentioned book isn't a drag to read; I had a few good laughs.

I concur with 1L of a Ride, I'm about 2/3 through it and have enjoyed it so far. You have to keep in mind it is written from a professor's POV though which is great because it gives insight into how an exam is graded but also potentially flawed in that he insists repeatedly to brief cases while TLS typically suggests not briefing after about the 2nd week.

2014 wrote:I concur with 1L of a Ride, I'm about 2/3 through it and have enjoyed it so far. You have to keep in mind it is written from a professor's POV though which is great because it gives insight into how an exam is graded but also potentially flawed in that he insists repeatedly to brief cases while TLS typically suggests not briefing after about the 2nd week.

Also, he includes tidbits of information from his former students, some of whom agree with him and some of whom disagree. While he is heavy handed on briefing, I think it was a nice touch to have dissenting opinions in the book.

Recommend two law school personal narratives: Ivy Briefs by Martha Kimes and Lawyer Boy by Rick Lax. They're funny, modern (I believe 90s and 2000s, respectively) versions of One L written by....sunnier personalities. Either book should give you a good sense of what law school is like. Ivy Briefs extends beyond the author's 1L year itself to graduation and beyond.

For admissions books, you can't beat Susan Estrich's How to Get Into Law School.

Definitely Anna Ivey! The Ivey Guide to Law School Admissions.. It's perfect. Former Dean of Admissions for Chicago.

chimp wrote:They're all a waste of time.

+10,000

I'd spend my little time before 1L doing more fun things if I were you.

SPAM.