Best Books for Lawyers: 24 Books Every Lawyer Needs to Read

Being published back in 1999, it’s easy to dismiss this masterpiece.

But consider it a bridge between law school and being a practicing lawyer. With humour and insight, Messenger shares what he’s learned, including tips on law office life, managing complex relationships with senior attorneys, drafting memos, researching like the best of them, and even how to deal with clients.

It’s not a tough, stuffy read either. Perfect for the graduate who’s tired of textbooks but wants a leg up in the workplace.

When you leave law school, you’ll know how to think, write, and research like a lawyer. You’ll be able to go toe-to-toe with the best of them.

But there are some things you can only learn from experience (or in this case, someone else’s experience).

This handbook teaches you everything you need to know about working in law.

Need advice on handling difficult clients? You’ll find that here. Want to learn how to maintain a healthy work-life balance. You’ve got it.

What we love is that it’s easy to follow. Thalacker outlines her tips in an easy-to-follow and approachable way.

A more modern approach to guiding professionals from law school to lawyering, Lee provides a “framework for becoming successful—both as a lawyer and in life.”

If you’re wracking your brain with big questions like, “was law school the right choice?” or “how do I get a job?”, this book is for you.

You’ll find advice on everything from choosing your classes while in law school and how to write well to mistakes to avoid making when you get your first job.

And it’s suitable for lawyers in all practice areas and in firms of any size. If you care about law, give it a read.

Gerber writes in a casual, easy-to-understand style that makes all of his advice that much more digestible.

And if you’re looking to get your business up and running, and want to do it quickly and efficiently, you’ll need straightforward advice.

It serves as a complete guide to getting your law firm off the ground and running successfully. And there’s additional advice from attorneys who’ve put Gerber’s principles into practice and started their own firms.

Although a bit outdated, this classic has helped thousands of lawyers start their own successful law firms.

Foonberg shares what he’s learned from his decades of experience, including “guidance on identifying the right location, finding clients, setting fees, managing your office, maintaining an ethical and responsible practice, maximizing available resources, upholding your standards, and much more.”

We appreciate that all of the advice is realistic, practical, and easy to follow. Plus, there are templates and checklists to keep you on track.

Where Furlong shines is in giving lawyers actionable advice on how to stay innovative in a hypercompetitive and ever-evolving legal landscape.

He explains that law has become a buyer’s market, where clients are shopping around for lawyers are more in control of their relationships with law firms.

He then gives actionable advice on how to create a client-centered law firm that “rethinks the business model, culture, client service, competitiveness, growth strategies, diversity, and leadership of legal enterprises.”

While not specifically for lawyers and law firms, this book has crucial tips and guidance for law firms struggling with finding and keeping clients.

Fox’s writing style is witty and captivating, and all of his advice is practical–real tips that you can use in your day-to-day life.

It’s the type of book you read once and keep nearby to refer to when you need a sales-refresher.

Whether you’ve been practicing law for 30 years or are fresh out of law school, Trachtman’s book is worth a read.

He shares his trade secrets that’ve been honed over decades of practice. By the end of it, you’ll have improved “your analytical thinking, your foundational legal knowledge, and your confidence as you win arguments for your clients, your organizations or yourself.”

Mastering the art of argument can help you not only in court but in business dealings and even when you’re trying to win clients.

The legal market is always shifting, and it’s been seeing some rapid changes over the past ten or so years. As clients become empowered and technology advances, what was once a stuffy, by-the-book field has become more transactional.

Ries shares how all businesses can continue to adapt and adjust to changing market conditions by staying innovative.

We recommend this not only for law firm owners but for anyone interested in staying on top of their industry.

What has been hailed as one of the most influential business books of all time, Allen’s bible of productivity may be what you need to stay on top of business and life.

It’s so well-known that it’s inspired an entire way of living. “GTD” is now shorthand for a way of approaching personal and professional organization.

Gawande acknowledges that with advancing technologies and more advanced training needs, it’s becoming harder to stay on track of tasks.

He takes us through captivating stories of times when checklists literally saved lives.

If you’re struggling to stay on top of things, mastering the checklist could be what you need.

Taking a more scientific approach to productivity, Medina, a molecular biologist, shares how brain science can affect the way we work and live.

In each chapter, he goes over a brain rule–confirmed findings of how our brains work–and provides actionable advice to employ them in our daily lives.

And his writing style is vibrant and friendly, making the stories and anecdotes all the more effective.

If you’re feeling unhappy or are questioning your career in law, it might be time to take a step back and examine why you’re unhappy.

The Happy Lawyer looks at what aspects of law typically make lawyers unhappy and outlines a path toward a more rewarding and fulfilling career in law.

It goes over everything from the science of happiness to the small details, like choosing the right job to maximize your happiness. Plus, there are even tips for firm managers struggling to keep their team’s morale up.

As science has begun to validate the benefits of meditation and mindfulness, interest has skyrocketed. But lawyers value logic, and many struggle to see the value in sitting still for any amount of time.

Gifford and Cho’s The Anxious Lawyer found relief in meditation as practicing lawyers and created a guide for others in the profession.

It’s a straightforward 8-week guide with step-by-step instructions. We promise if you give it a try, you’ll become a better you.

If you’ve been struggling with negative thoughts, you need to give this a read.

This international bestseller gives you practical tips you need to reinvigorate your life and start thinking more positively about yourself, your career, and life.

With it, you’ll learn to believe in your power as a practicing lawyer, improve your relationships, and find ways to manage self-doubt and anxiety.

Lawyers are storytellers by nature. They tell stories in court, in the boardroom, when meeting with clients, and when speaking to other lawyers.

Being an effective storyteller is a key skill for any legal professional. If you can confidently construct a narrative that has an emotional impact on its intended audience, you’ve done your job.

But there’s a lot to storytelling that doesn’t come naturally (and it isn’t taught in law school). Learning how to construct a narrative and turn boring facts into a compelling story is a skill.

Meyer explains the importance of narrative in litigation and provides a toolkit and practical tips for lawyers hoping to learn to craft their own legal stories.

This international best-seller has helped millions of people, including CEOs, presidents, parents, teachers, and lawyers become more effective professionals.

It’s chock-full of practical anecdotes and insights that help illustrate Covey’s principle-centred approach for solving both personal and professional problems.

The principles of fairness, honesty, integrity, and dignity shape the 7 habits Covey outlines which can help you become a more effective and adaptive person.

Based on the work of the Harvard Negotiation Project, Getting to Yes is a national bestseller that’s helped millions of people learn to negotiate.

A necessary skill for any lawyer, Fisher outlines a step-by-step strategy to becoming a better negotiator. The best part is that it’s not just filled with theory–there are practical steps that are applicable to everyone.

Written by a self-proclaimed curmudgeon, this collection of essays has practical advice for surviving in the legal industry.

It covers everything from law firm etiquette and the basics of working in a law practice to how to do effective research and what to wear.

But it distinguishes itself by providing helpful advice through a humorous, tongue-in-cheek lens.

Whether you’ve just graduated from law school or are a seasoned lawyer, this book is sure to have some valuable insight.

Aaker and Bagdonas have created something special here. It’s a guide to using humor as a tool for leadership, a thought most lawyers have never had.

They claim that because of this unprecedented period of uncertainty that we live in, many of us are deficient in human connection and mental health.

The remedy? Laughter.

This book is a companion to their Stanford course, where they draw on findings of behavioral scientists and comedians to teach you how and why you should use humor in your professional life.

There’s not much to say here.

This is a classic collection of acclaimed lawyer cartoons that are great when you just need a laugh.

Steve Oney recounts the case of Mary Phagan’s murder and accused Leo Frank’s commutation and lynching, a case that’s been the subject of many Hollywood productions.

It’s an illuminating case on America’s history, and Oney tells a gripping narrative while he goes over all the facts of the case.

It’s worth a read for anyone in the legal profession.

This is the story of Clarence Darrow, a famous corporate, labor, and (perhaps what he’s best known for) criminal lawyer. It’s an intimate autobiography where Darrow goes into some of his most celebrated cases, including the Chicago “thrill” murder case with Leopold and Loeb.

Written in his conversational style, it’s mandatory reading for any lawyer interested in getting some perspective into some landmark cases and, ultimately, Clarence Darrow.

A New York Times bestseller, My Life in Court is Nizer’s autobiography which recounts his significant civil and criminal cases.

Critics praised it as “entertaining and philosophically instructive, an unusual combination.”

While taking a dramatic and compelling look at his famous cases, including the famous libel action which would be turned into a Broadway play, Nizer shares some real insight into his court processes and decisions.