The Best Books for New Lawyers | John F. Davenport | Law Website
So you’ve made it through law school, passed your bar exam with flying colors, and even managed to land a good first job. You may find yourself second-guessing yourself, full of anxiety for the world ahead. No longer are the training wheels of law school on, where you’re free and safe to make mistakes. However, you are no longer out of luck because of the lawyers that came before you. Here are some of the best books that you can read as a new lawyer.
Best Overall: The Young Lawyer’s Jungle Book: A Survival Guide
Your first year outside of law school will always be the toughest. This book is full of everything you’re going to need to learn to get by. From workplace etiquette to researching tips, navigating the tough relationships you may have with the people you work with, drafting memos that will knock your socks off, and most importantly, learning from your mistakes and handling your demanding workload. The author also shows illustrations and gives helpful anecdotes from their own life. This is a must-read for anyone new to the world of lawyers.
Best Workplace Primer: The New Lawyer’s Handbook
Law school teaches you the basics of being a lawyer, the research work, and the responsibilities that you may have. However, that’s only half of the primary job. Once you’ve landed a job in either a large firm or a smaller private law firm, you must learn to create lasting relationships. You need to know how to handle demanding customers and work well with others. This is a shorter book that’s easy to read and essential for a recent law school graduate. Even though some of it may seem like common sense, the tips and tricks the author provides are going to prove to be invaluable to you.
Best if you feel like giving up: From Law School to Lawyer
You’re going to have second thoughts, no doubt about it. Three years of your life, hundreds of thousands of dollars, all for a piece of paper that can tell you to represent people in court. If you’re not finding yourself in a successful job after school, it’s only natural that you may be feeling like you want to quit, but read this book first. It’s incredibly helpful in pushing away the clouds of despair. This book is full of anecdotes of people who decided to quit and had fulfilling jobs entirely outside of the law profession. This can be helpful if you’re feeling stuck and wondering if investing in law school was the right choice, but it is also helpful to comfort you if you’re scared about feeling pinned in a corner with no options outside of practicing law.
These are just a few of the many books that are good to read as a budding lawyer.
Originally published at https://johnfdavenport.com on March 7, 2022.
