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Law Books
Affordable Course Materials for Law Students
Types of Law Books
As a law student, you will be introduced to many new concepts that require extensive reading. The foundation of legal education are law books. These can be broken down into 5 basic categories:
- Casebooks - Collections of excerpts from legal cases that showcase specific areas of law being applied
- Coursebooks - Legal research, legal writing, trial and pre-trial - not case-based law.
- Case and Statutory Supplements - Covers changes in law or ground breaking new cases that happen between editions of Casebooks.
- Legal Treatises and Study Aids - Formal publications to help aid in the understanding of law.
- Law Dictionaries - Legal definitions & associated/relevant terminology.
Law Books for Pre-Law
Here are some of our top-selling course materials for those in the summer before law school, after being accepted to law school. Since these editions are regularly updated, consider renting these items for the semester for additional savings.
Top Selling Pre-Law Books
- A Lawyer Writes
- Essential Lawyering Skills
- Researching the Law: Finding What You Need When You Need It
- Plain English for Lawyers
Top Selling First Year Law Books
What textbooks do top law schools use?
There are a few common textbooks used at many prestigious law schools around the country. Here are a few of the top selling fist-year law books:
Civil Procedure
Civil Procedure: A Coursebook, Fourth Edition
- ISBN13: 9781543826258
- Edition: 4th
- Copyright: 2021
Civil Procedure: A Coursebook offers students doctrinal clarity without sacrificing analytical rigor or glossing over ambiguities. The book’s accessibility, organization, and interior design support its innovative pedagogy making it the ideal text for any civil procedure course.
Interactive Casebook Series: Civil Procedure, A Contemporary Approach | Sixth Edition
- ISBN13: 9781684675494
- Edition: 6th
- Copyright: 2021
The 6th Edition of Civil Procedure: A Contemporary Approach is designed to provide a clear and actively engaging presentation of civil procedure in a manner that enables both students and professors to assess learning success throughout the course.
Cases and Materials on Civil Procedure | Seventh Edition
- ISBN13: 9781531013981
- Edition: 7th
- Copyright: 2019
The seventh edition of Cases and Materials on Civil Procedure is updated to reflect recent changes in procedural rules and practice. While essentially a traditional casebook organized along the lines of the events in a lawsuit, this edition retains the unique features that have made prior editions a success
Contracts
Cases and Materials on Contracts | Ninth Edition
- ISBN13: 9781634606530
- Edition: 9th
- Copyright: 2019
This classic casebook, now in its 9th Edition, offers first-year students a solid and inviting introduction to contract law, recognizing both the English and American common law traditions and bringing them into our age of statutes, most particularly the Uniform Commercial Code.
Farnsworth, Sanger, Cohen, Brooks and Garvin's Cases and Materials on Contracts, 9th - CasebookPlus | Ninth Edition
- ISBN13: 9781640205185
- Edition: 9th
- Copyright: 2018
Like earlier editions, the 9th Edition features carefully-selected cases, well-tailored notes and problems, and authoritative textual discussions of major developments in current contract law.
Contracts: Transactions and Litigation (American Casebook Series) 5th Edition | Fifth Edition
- ISBN13: 9781684674558
- Edition: 5th
- Copyright: 2019
This text covers the materials used in a two semester Contracts course and a Sales course covering U.C.C. article 2. It blends classic common law contract cases with 21st-century opinions and draws heavily upon the problem method of instruction.
Criminal Law & Procedure
Bundle: Criminal Law, Loose-Leaf Version, 13th + MindTap Criminal Justice, 1 term (6 months) Printed Access Card | Thirteenth Edition
- ISBN13: 9781337500890
- Edition: 13th
- Copyright: 2017
The author, Thomas J. Gardner, is a proven author and widely respected practicing attorney with more than fifty years of experience, including several years as an assistant district attorney in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Mr. Gardner received his law degree from Marquette Law School.
Cases and Materials on Criminal Law (American Casebook Series) | Eighth Edition
- ISBN13: 9781683288220
- Edition: 8th
- Copyright: 2019
This popular casebook, through the selection of classic and modern cases, provides an excellent tool for teaching students the common law foundations of the criminal law and modern statutory reform, including the Model Penal Code.
Criminal Law 12th | Twelfth Edition
- ISBN13: 9781305577381
- Edition: 12th
- Copyright: 2017
Providing the undergraduate criminal law course with a nationally acclaimed blend of analysis and illustrative cases, Joel Samaha's CRIMINAL LAW has been the textbook of choice among instructors for more than 30 years.
Legal Research & Writing
Legal Research Demystified | 2019
- ISBN13: 9781531007836
- Copyright: 2019
Legal Research Demystified offers a real-world approach to legal research for first-year law students. The book guides students through eight steps to research common law issues and ten steps to research statutory issues.
Legal Research, Analysis, and Writing 4th | Fourth Edition
- ISBN13: 9781543801637
- Edition: 9th
- Copyright: 2017
Providing the undergraduate criminal law course with a nationally acclaimed blend of analysis and illustrative cases, Joel Samaha's CRIMINAL LAW has been the textbook of choice among instructors for more than 30 years.
Prosser, Wade and Schwartz's Torts, Cases and Materials | Fourteenth Edition
- ISBN13: 9781684674077
- Edition: 14th
- Copyright: 2020
Through its excellence in scholarship, clarity, and ease of use, this casebook engages readers in critical thinking about tort law and its operation in modern social settings. It sets forth crisply-edited classic tort cases, new tort law trends, and nuances in developing case law that impact the law and its application in the real world.
Top Law Book Publishers
While there are dozens of publishers who produce law books, there are only a handful of major publishers. Two of our top selling law book publishers are Aspen and West Academic. Aspen produces the “red and black” Aspen Casebook series that is popular among first year students. Additionally, both of these publishers have begun offering digital companions or supplemental materials that aid in understanding the concepts in the book.
Keep in mind that supplemental materials & connected casebooks are only available with NEW purchases, not used or rentals.
Aspen | CasebookConnect
Connected eBooks are enhanced digital textbooks and study aids that come with a suite of online content and learning tools designed to maximize student success. Connected eBooks feature a full e-book version of your text; outlining and case briefing tools to enhance your learning and save you time; a topical news feed to connect what you are learning to your everyday lives; and for select titles, a Study Center complete with practice questions from leading study aids like the Examples & Explanations and Glannon Guides.
West Academic | Casebook Plus
Casebook Plus allows you to gain access to a digital Learning Library that includes self-assessment quizzes keyed to your casebook, leading study aids, an outline starter, and more.
Open Access Textbooks - Lipincott Open Access
There are also a variety of journals & educational resources available for free on Lipincott Open Access.
Law Book FAQs
What textbooks are commonly used in the first year law school?
Foundational first-year courses in law school include:
- Civil Procedure
- Constitutional Law
- Contracts
- Torts
- Criminal Law & Procedure
- Legal Research & Writing
- Property Law
How many books do you read at law school?
Required reading varies widely in law school, but generally speaking, students report reading 150+ pages per week, or 4-5 law books per semester. Remember that law books are quite dense and lengthy compared to undergraduate textbooks. First year law students read much more than 2nd or 3rd year students, allocating on average 21.7 hours per week.(source)
Is it a good idea to start reading law cases now to get used to them?
Yes. Legal jargon is often compared to a foreign language, and first year students only read and comprehend on average three pages per hour. (source) Beginning to read cases early will establish a better understanding of common legal phrasing for beginner law students.
What should you study in advance when you take a law course?
Before entering law school, undergraduate (pre-law) students often pursue majors in the area of law they might be interested in. These might include:
- English
- Business
- Economics
- Journalism
- Criminal Science
Keep in mind that undergraduate students who take classes they enjoy are found to have higher GPA scores.
The Most Trusted Law Book Site
eCampus.com
Students looking to succeed at law school know to trust eCampus.com for their course materials. But don't just take our word for it. Here are just a few of our most recent happy students:
Textbook Discounts for Law Students
Here are a few additional tips & tricks to getting the best deals on your law books:
- Visit Our Coupons Page
- Shop Early - During busy periods, book availability & pricing may require you to spend more on your textbooks.
- Purchase Multiple Items Together - Take advantage of free shipping over $35 by ordering several items together. We frequently offer better discounts for larger orders as well!
- Subscribe to our Email List - The first ones to know about new discounts are those who subscribe to our email list. We won’t bother you too much, but we also try to remind you when it’s time to think about ordering your books again.
