During your initial years in law school, expect to have instructors assign around 300 to 600 pages of text every week for you to read — and this usually increases over time. That’s why it’s best to condition yourself and read appropriate books early on, whether it discusses the legal opportunities of franchising food businesses or general criminal law — getting a head start can do wonders for you.

To help you get a good start, here are five highly-engaging books that will inspire and prepare you for your law school journey.

About Law

About law by Tony Honoré gives you a clear insight into the law and the justice system itself, giving you a basic introduction of the practice and allowing you to understand it even without prior knowledge. Tony Honoré, the author of the book, is a well-known and respected legal academic who has managed to condense his expertise in one book, giving an introduction to law in a simple yet interesting way. The book sheds light on all types of topics, such as the purpose of the law, how it works, and the English legal system.

If you’re looking to join law school and want to get a good glimpse of what you’re getting into, About law is an insightful and short book that can provide just that.

Landmarks in the Law

Landmarks in the law by Lord Denning runs through some of the most significant or controversial legal events in English law, including historical events taking place. Lord Denning, the author of the book, was also one of the most influential and successful judges in history and getting an overview of the justice system through his thoughts and words is priceless. He focused on making the law accessible to the average citizen, and he did just that.

Letters to a Law Student

 

The letters to a law student by Nicholas McBride is a collection of messages to a fictional law student discussing what it’s like studying law while giving some basic explanations of the general legal system. The book focuses on telling the reader how to study law efficiently, and the advice it provides has proven to be useful, according to several actual law students. The author provides all types of sensible and useful advice, ranging from general subjects like how much you should be doing when studying to more specific ones like how to make notes on a case effectively.

To Kill a Mockingbird

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee is a fictional novel discussing racism and society as a whole back in American in the 1930s. It’s been dubbed a classic by many. The specific relevance it has to help you with studying law is that the protagonist of the book, Atticus Finch, is an attorney tasked with defending a lonesome man shunned by society. Finch represents the legal ideas of equality and justice, serving as a fantastic source of inspiration for those wondering why the law is crucial and why rights need to be protected.

Winning Arguments

Winning arguments by Jay Heinrichs is another fictional novel that can give you an insight on how to efficiently make a valid argument as to when you become a student or full-pledged lawyer, much of your work will involve coming up with good arguments.

If you plan on going to law school, you’re likely doing everything you can to ensure your personal statement stands out. After all, getting into the course is challenging enough. The books mentioned can help you attune yourself and give you a good insight into law — giving you an upper hand on the first day.