Recommended Summer Reading List (2008)
Over the years, many students have asked if there are any books they can read over the summer to help prepare them for law school. The books listed below provide a mix of information students might find useful – one book focuses on how to succeed in law school while the other books focus on specific legal cases. These books are available at many local and national bookstores, as well as from on-line resources, such as www.amazon.com and barnesandnoble.com.
- The following books are intended to help prepare students for the law school experience.
They discuss the study skills necessary for law school and contain practical advice for
beginning law students.
Herbert N. Ramy, Succeeding in Law School (Carolina Academic Press 2006) (available in paperback);
Ruth Ann McKinney, Reading Like a Lawyer: Time Saving Strategies for Reading Law Like an Expert (Carolina Academic Press) (available in paperback).
- The following series of books will give students a very brief introduction to the subjects studied in the first semester of law school.
Various Authors, Law In a Nutshell Series (West Publishing Paperback Series) (with individual titles in all first-year courses).
- The following books are about actual legal cases, but they read like novels. They provide a good overview of the legal system and its operation. They also may be required or recommended in some first year courses.
Jonathan Harr, A Civil Action (Random House 1995) (hardcover, also available in paperback);
Richard Kluger, Simple Justice: the history of Brown v. Board of Education and black America's struggle for equality (originally published 1976) (available in many editions from several publishers);
Anthony Lewis, Gideon’s Trumpet (Vintage Reissue Edition 1989) (available in many editions from several publishers).
