What To Read Before Law School (Part 2)

Here is a continuation of  the blog "What to Read Before Law School (Part 1)":

One L (ISBN 0-446-67378-1)
Scott Turow; Grand Central Publishing

Don’t read this book unless you’re going to someplace known for its competitive atmosphere. And don’t read it unless you’re using a time machine to go to school in the 1970s. It certainly isn’t informative of the experience at QULaw. It’s a fine book, but not as an information resource for this school. Maybe this is not true for some other schools. I can’t really speak to that.

The Legal Analyst (ISBN 978-0-226-23835-7)
Ward Farnsworth

Professor Long here recommended several texts in preparation for law school—in the words of Kingsfield, they point towards how to “think like a lawyer.” I read or at least played around with four of these. Far and away, the most useful of the bunch was this book.
Most of the classes and tests for 1Ls seem to be oriented on Black-Letter law—applying basic legal principles—and the Farnsworth text is pretty much not that. It is a bunch of theory. Nevertheless, it has given me another layer to consider as I approach issues in class. This text can't really help you with the meat of legal analysis most 1Ls here face, but it can help you put the cherry on top of that analysis. I can offer interesting perspectives in class. I am better able to make connections between classes. In more than a few cases, I have been able to anticipate what the judgment would be: even though there might seem to be a conflict with a previous case, I can identify distinguishing factors. On most "really hard" questions in class--ones where no one raises a hand--I can formulate a meaningful response, even though there may be a "better" answer. As someone who was anything but an economics major, I found this text to be absolutely worthwhile, helpful, and fun.
The usefulness of this text as a preparation will depend on the particular views of each given professor, but it will enable a new student to attack problems in class with meaningful thoughts. Don’t worship this text, but do consider it as a useful tool in analysis. Showing off is not almost always not a good idea, so don’t—but it’s cool to apply ideas from this text with discretion, especially when you look around and everyone is stuck on a problem. It's also nice for chewing the fat on a problem outside of class in an email, or perhaps at the end of class.
Another great thing about the Farnsworth text is it reads in discrete units. Even though chapters refer back to each other, each chapter is short and summative. Every one is a fun read. About halfway through the book turns from "good" to "wow." The language is approachable and the reader does not need a specific academic background to understand and follow along. This was a great book and I would recommend it to anyone identified in Farnsworth's self identified target audience.
I hope this was useful to you. Best wishes to you on your journey and choices as you go forward.

Mario Cerame
1L