Books on how to be a lawyer

From your first class in law school until your last case or matter when practicing, books are there to guide you in every stage of your legal career. With your limited time and resources, what books should you prioritize reading before or during your law school days?

We’ll talk you through some of our suggested books on how to be a lawyer. This article is for aspiring lawyers who are either in their senior high or in undergraduate studies who want to start reading some law school books.

What are the important books on how to be a lawyer?

There are many books that you can read to help you become a lawyer in Canada. But to trim down on your search on what to buy and read, you may look at law school books under two categories:

• fiction: stories about fictitious law students or lawyers, whose stories try to show the internal conflicts of the legal system, the path that students and lawyers should take, or the author’s ideal thoughts on what should the legal profession be
• nonfiction: includes casebooks, commentaries on statutes and cases, autobiographical books, and anthologies

We’ll be discussing these nonfiction books below. Check out our article on books for aspiring law students for 3 fiction must-reads to add to your list.

e-books for your consideration

As you slowly discover your way through law school, you’ll also notice some personal preferences when it comes to studying. This includes whether you like using hardbound textbooks or e-books as reference material.

However, the question of whether to use e-books or hard copies of books is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the legal profession’s adjustment to new technology. Colin Levy’s book titled The Legal Tech Ecosystem: Innovation, Advancement & the Future of Law Practice discusses this topic.

Hear more about this book with this podcast from CL Talk:

In the podcast, Levy defines what legal tech is. Interested in knowing more? Here’s our Readers’ Choice picks for Canada's top legal tech for 2023.

Casebooks: basic explainers of important case laws

Your casebooks and commentaries are your objective books that explain a law, a case, or a statute. While they don’t have any inspirational accounts from their authors, these are equally important books on how to be a lawyer.

A casebook — just like its name suggests — is a collection of cases decided by the court that have become important precedents or case law. These landmark cases can be those which established principles and doctrines for the first time, or those which overturned previous decisions. It may also be a pronouncement which expands or limits an earlier established precedent.

Common law jurisdictions, such as in Canada, treat case law as one of its main sources of law. This urges law students to read court decisions as part of understanding a statute and the law.

Each case discussed in a casebook would be the watered-down version of its original or full text. It may also be an explainer on how the case reached the appellate court from the trial court. In a casebook, cases may also be divided into different parts:

• the facts of the case
• the issue or conflict to be resolved
• the different arguments of the parties
• the judgment of the court in resolving the issue

Casebooks are crucial for law students, especially 1L students, because these books help them understand court decisions which may seem complicated at first look. These also guide them on how to read future cases without the need for a casebook itself.

Commentaries: a guide on major Canadian laws

A commentary is a summary or an explanation of a certain legal topic, statute, subject area, doctrine, or principle. In doing so, each topic may include excerpts of court decisions, treatises, and other authorities. Commentaries may also provide legal analysis on the law or relating them to a different subject area.

Also called looseleaf services or reporters, these types of law school books may also break down a specific federal or provincial statute. It then explains (or "comments" on) each provision on or topic in the statute.

Casebooks and commentaries will be prescribed by your law school professor. They may also specify which ones are required (read them from cover to cover!) or are only suggested (supplemental readings to the ones you already have).

Autobiographies: connecting the pioneers and the present

One advantage of having common law is that you won’t be starting from scratch whenever you have a new case that you’ll be handling. The same goes with anecdotes or autobiographies of topnotch legal personalities, whom we can learn a lot from. From former judges, litigators, and advocates, their lives are full of lessons that serve as inspiration for the new generation of lawyers and law students.

Lord Denning, A Life by Iris Freeman

Alfred Thompson Denning, or Lord Denning, is a celebrated barrister, judge, and author (one of his books is featured below) in the early 1900s in England. This biography explores Lord Denning’s private and public life, including his being the Master of the Rolls, and the judgments he rendered which are turnarounds during that time.

Canadian Maverick: The Life of Ivan C. Rand by William Kaplan

This is a book that tackles the career of Ivan Rand, one of Canada’s previous Supreme Court justices. It also explores Rand’s life as a politician, judge, dean, and academic, along with his judgments related to Canadian civil liberties, labour law, not to mention his development of the Rand Formula affecting collective bargaining contracts.

Anthologies: inspirational real-life stories for students

Aside from books that tell stories and those that summarize the law and actual cases, there are other books that work as a step-by-step guide for students. These books guide readers on how to prepare for a trial, while others work as an inspirational guide to improve your skills. These books can help you in your law school subjects as they show the practical side of lawyering that only experience can teach you.

Below are some of these suggested anthologies on how to be a lawyer:

McElhaney's Trial Notebook by James McElhaney

This book guides readers on every stage of a trial, with important notes on honing your skills as a litigator. It also has stories that will inspire you to become a great litigator and wholehearted advocate for your clients.

Winning Arguments by Jay Heinrichs

A book on how to structure your arguments as a powerful tool for persuasion, this is a good resource for law students who would be arguing — orally and on paper — most of the time. The book features lessons, tactics, techniques, and secrets in the art of persuasion.

Legal Research and Writing by Ted Tjaden

As a law student, you’ll learn that lawyering is not just about debating and standing in court; most of it is also about researching and writing. Authored by a Canadian lawyer and law librarian, this book will become handy to improve your practical skills on legal research and writing, whether it’s in print or online.

Voicing Identity: Cultural Appropriation and Indigenous Issues, edited by John Borrows and Kent McNeil

This anthology on Indigenous law and culture contains essays by 15 Indigenous and non-Indigenous academics. It explores themes and issues of being Indigenous in the Canadian context, along with the discussion of the responsibility of non-Indigenous sectors in engaging on these issues. Law students who want to specialize in Indigenous legal practice can find this book especially helpful.

These books are a great addition to what you’ll be learning in law school. Not everything will be discussed within the four corners of the classroom. Having additional resources, such as these anthologies, is helpful when applying your legal knowledge in an actual case.

For other suggested nonfiction books on how to be a lawyer (other than casebooks), you can listen to this podcast:

Start your journey in becoming a lawyer by reading our complete listing of Canadian law schools. It shows key details when studying law, such as where to study, how much law school is, among others.

Historical books: looking at the legal profession’s past

Aside from anecdotes, anthologies, and autobiographies, historical books can also provide insights to help you better understand what the legal profession is about. These books may be helpful when doing research for your law school submissions, or to improve your argument using historical bases in your position papers.

Here are some examples of these historical legal books:

Landmarks in the Law by Alfred Denning

This book contains most of the important cases, personalities, and events that raised legal questions and may have affected what has become of English law today. Each chapter is named after a general topic (e.g., High Treason, Torture and Bribery) and discusses different cases under each topic.

The Fiercest Debate by C. Ian Kyer and Jerome Bickenbach

This is a gripping account of one of the debates in the history of Law Society of Upper Canada (now the Law Society of Ontario) in the late 1940s. On one side were the those who wanted to maintain the traditional legal education in the province; on the other side (which included Cecil Augustus Wright) were the proponents of reforms against the status quo of legal education at that time.

Did you know that Cecil Augustus Wright was once dean of Osgoode Hall Law School? It's part of our list of the best law schools in Ontario.

Tips on where and how to get books on how to be a lawyer

First off, you can ask lawyers you know for the best law school books to read. Chances are, they can even give you a copy of it, or recommend where to get one.

Next, when you’re already admitted to a law school, you must get a copy of the prospectus or syllabus of all your classes. There, your professors will be indicating their required or suggested books for their class.

Looking for the perfect summer read? Check out the #UofTLaw summer reading list: https://t.co/9S0hrmun01

A special thank you to our students, faculty, staff and alumni who submitted recommendations 🙏

— U of T Law (@UofTLaw) July 22, 2024

While online sources may be your first thought to access these books, you may also want to check your law school library.

Most law schools would also have partner bookstores where you can get a discount when purchasing your own books, whether it be in a hard or soft copy.

Books on how to be a lawyer: a law student’s must-haves

Most (if not all) lawyers would tell us that a lawyer’s job is to read, read, and read. But choosing the right books and resources is crucial, especially if you’re still learning the basics and the significant aspects of Canadian laws.

Whether you’re still undecided to pursue law school, or have already started your journey as a first-year student, law school books can help you prepare for this challenging yet fulfilling path. So, pick a comfy chair, get a cup of tea ready, and start reading.

Which of these books on how to be a lawyer are you looking forward to reading? Let us know in the comments