Don't Stress! Summer Reading for Law Students

Summer reading, especially for law students, should be about summer vacation.

It's not the time to be cramming for tests. There will be plenty of opportunities for that in law school.

Rather, it's a time to relax with a good book, drift off into another world, and forget about the ... OMG! Law school is about to start!

Chillax With the Classics

Slow down, rookie. Do yourself -- and everyone else around you -- a favor and take a chill pill.

If there's one skill you need for law school, it's time management. So block out some time for leisurely reading and recharging.

Like a classic car, classic literature will remind you that they don't make them like they used to. "Billy Budd," "Crime and Punishment," "Measure for Measure," and "To Kill a Mocking Bird" will deepen your appreciation for justice, mercy and old-school principles.

And if you run out of time, you can always watch the movie adaptations.

If You Must Fuss

If you can't keep your mind off of law school, then read on. There are a bunch of books about that.

"The Paper Chase," "Law School Confidential," "Getting to Maybe," and "One L" will tell you what it's like. Of course, they are not all good stories because they tell some of the not-so-good things about law school.

"One L: The Turbulent True Story of a First Year at Harvard Law School," for example, looks at the anxiety and ugliness of that first year. Like Renwei Chung commented for Above the Law, it shows how law school can strip the humanity out of you.

Enjoy!

Related Resources:

• Books for Pre-Law Students (FindLaw's Law Students)
• What to Read Before Law School (FindLaw's Greedy Associates)
• Required Class: Avoiding Law School Debt (FindLaw's Greedy Associates)