Summer Reading

Although I won't be ready to start this for a few weeks at least, on the advice of Jaremy Blachman [link via jd2b—who still needs permalinks!] I'm thinking about what to read this summer. Any ideas?

I'm thinking about some of the books on this list, but then, there's GW's list. The first list has the advantage of being shorter and being recommended by a law student. The second list has the advantage of coming from the school I'll be attending this fall, for whatever that's worth. (Should it bother me that GW recommends A Mattter of Interpretation by Justice Antonin Scalia?)

Any suggestions?

At the top of my list will be Getting to Maybe because so many people (including especially Sue) have recommended it. I've also heard good things about Law School Insider, primarily that it's supposed to be better than Law School Confidential, which I already have. And, of course, I'd like to read One L, mostly for fun.

Another option for fun would be Brush With the Law, which sounds, um, entertaining, to say the least. Could it be that the best-kept secret of the legal profession is that law school isn't really that hard? [1

What about Planet Law School? Is it worth a look? Does it contain anything the other "know before you go" books don't?

Then there's the venerable Bramble Bush, but I'm just not sure that would be any fun. (Fun is important to this reading list. This is a summer reading list, after all.)

What else should I be thinking about? Introductions to logic? U.S. history? A good novel or two? Study guides for Contracts, Civil Procedure, Torts, or criminal law? If any of these are a good idea, specific recommendations would be great.

(I realize that only a few weeks ago I was surprised to see people starting to read (and buy school supplies) in preparation for law school this fall, but now it seems I've caught the bug. Why waste the enthusiasm of starting something new?)

Footnote:
[1] ] According to this review , Frank Abagnale Jr.—the subject of last year's move, "Catch Me If You Can"—really did pass the Louisiana bar w/out any legal training. (Here's more on the accuracy/inaccuracy of the film.) Perhaps this is why the ABA works so hard to make sure people can't practice law w/out first getting a J.D. from an ABA-accredited school. It's a cartel, but then, you knew that, didn't you?

Posted May 9, 2003 07:20 AM | ai books