Here are 58 books that Talking Law fans have personally recommended if you like Talking Law. Shepherd is a community of 12,000+ authors and super readers sharing their favorite books with the world.

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Book cover of In Black and White: A Young Barrister's Story of Race and Class in a Broken Justice System

V. Charles Ward Author Of Legal Profession: Is It For You?: A No-Nonsense Guide to a Career in the Law

From my list on becoming a lawyer in the UK.

Why am I passionate about this?

I have been a lawyer for more than 50 years and I love what I do. I also want to share my enthusiasm for what I regard as the world’s most exciting profession, where every day is a little different. I am also a legal writer. But I don’t just write for other lawyers. I want to make the law accessible to everyone. That includes anyone who may be thinking seriously about a legal career but has yet to make the leap.

V. Charles' book list on becoming a lawyer in the UK

V. Charles Ward Why V. Charles loves this book

For me, Wilson’s book provides an engaging first-hand account of a young mixed-race barrister’s entry into, what is still, a predominantly white, privately-educated, profession. What prompted her to become the barrister was the senseless murder of her cousin on a London street. Her book is easy-to-read and packed with personal anecdotes from her early years as a barrister. She also discusses her encounters with unconscious racism in the profession, with a focus on how she was able to deal with it. An inspirational book for anyone thinking of becoming a UK barrister. 

By Alexandra Wilson ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked In Black and White as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?


**PAPERBACK FEATURES NEW CONTENT. NOW WITH AFTERWORD AND READING GROUP QUESTIONS**

'A compelling and courageous memoir forcing the legal profession to confront uncomfortable truths about race and class. Alexandra Wilson is a bold and vital voice. This is a book that urgently needs to be read by everyone inside, and outside, the justice system.' THE SECRET BARRISTER

'A riveting book in the best tradition of courtroom dramas but from the fresh perspective of a young female mixed-race barrister. That Alexandra is "often" mistaken for the defendant shows how important her presence at the bar really is.' MATT RUDD, THE SUNDAY…


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Book cover of Aggressor

Aggressor by FX Holden,

It is April 1st, 2038. Day 60 of China's blockade of the rebel island of Taiwan.

The US government has agreed to provide Taiwan with a weapons system so advanced that it can disrupt the balance of power in the region. But what pilot would be crazy enough to run…

Book cover of The Secret Barrister: Stories of the Law and How It's Broken

V. Charles Ward Author Of Legal Profession: Is It For You?: A No-Nonsense Guide to a Career in the Law

From my list on becoming a lawyer in the UK.

Why am I passionate about this?

I have been a lawyer for more than 50 years and I love what I do. I also want to share my enthusiasm for what I regard as the world’s most exciting profession, where every day is a little different. I am also a legal writer. But I don’t just write for other lawyers. I want to make the law accessible to everyone. That includes anyone who may be thinking seriously about a legal career but has yet to make the leap.

V. Charles' book list on becoming a lawyer in the UK

V. Charles Ward Why V. Charles loves this book

This anonymously written and entertaining book will tell you what your barrister is really thinking, behind the polite smile and measured language, when they are defending you against a criminal charge. An insider’s view of the UK criminal justice system and its failings. Ever wondered why there are so many miscarriages of justice? Not just those which make the headlines. The writer contrasts the professionalism of the crown court trial, with its judge and jury, with the wild west of the magistrates’ court, in which more than 91% of UK criminal prosecutions begin and end.

By The Secret Barrister ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Secret Barrister as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

An anonymous barrister's darkly comic and moving first-hand account of life in the legal system, and how it's failing us all.

The Sunday Times number one bestseller.
Winner of the Books are My Bag Non-Fiction Award.
Shortlisted for Waterstones Book of the Year.
Shortlisted for Specsavers Non-Fiction Book of the Year.

'Eye-opening, funny and horrifying' - Observer

You may not wish to think about it, but one day you or someone you love will almost certainly appear in a criminal courtroom. You might be a juror, a victim, a witness or - perhaps through no fault of your own -…


Book cover of Letters to a Law Student

V. Charles Ward Author Of Legal Profession: Is It For You?: A No-Nonsense Guide to a Career in the Law

From my list on becoming a lawyer in the UK.

Why am I passionate about this?

I have been a lawyer for more than 50 years and I love what I do. I also want to share my enthusiasm for what I regard as the world’s most exciting profession, where every day is a little different. I am also a legal writer. But I don’t just write for other lawyers. I want to make the law accessible to everyone. That includes anyone who may be thinking seriously about a legal career but has yet to make the leap.

V. Charles' book list on becoming a lawyer in the UK

V. Charles Ward Why V. Charles loves this book

The title of this book reminds me of a series of short articles which I read during my own lawyer training, more than 50 years ago and which was titled, "Twelve Letters to an Articled Clerk". It was those letters that gave me practical tips which I have carried with me throughout my career. So I was particularly interested to see a book with a similar title. But there the similarity ends. The letters in this book, which are written by university lecturer ‘Nick’ to aspiring law student ‘Jess’, contains the serious stuff which any would-be law student needs to know before embarking on their journey of legal education. Again, it is about practical tips to get the best out of that legal education.

By Nicholas J. McBride ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Letters to a Law Student as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

What does it take to succeed as a law student? This book will show you how.



Voted one of the top 6 books that all future law students should read by The Guardian's studying law website*, Letters to a Law Student is packed full of practical advice and helpful answers to the most common questions about studying law at University across every stage of taking, or thinking about taking, a law degree.



Discover:

* Whether reading law at University is the right thing for you;

* What law students do;

* How to get the best marks in exams;

*…


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Book cover of Trusting Her Duke

Trusting Her Duke by Arietta Richmond,

A Duke with rigid opinions, a Lady whose beliefs conflict with his, a long disputed parcel of land, a conniving neighbour, a desperate collaboration, a failure of trust, a love found despite it all.

Alexander Cavendish, Duke of Ravensworth, returned from war to find that his father and brother had…

Book cover of The Successful Law Student: An Insider's Guide to Studying Law

V. Charles Ward Author Of Legal Profession: Is It For You?: A No-Nonsense Guide to a Career in the Law

From my list on becoming a lawyer in the UK.

Why am I passionate about this?

I have been a lawyer for more than 50 years and I love what I do. I also want to share my enthusiasm for what I regard as the world’s most exciting profession, where every day is a little different. I am also a legal writer. But I don’t just write for other lawyers. I want to make the law accessible to everyone. That includes anyone who may be thinking seriously about a legal career but has yet to make the leap.

V. Charles' book list on becoming a lawyer in the UK

V. Charles Ward Why V. Charles loves this book

For me, this provides an easy and informative read for someone who has made a decision to go into a legal career and wants to know more about how to get there. The authors write from their own experience as former law students and admit that there are things they might have done differently, such as spending less time at the pub. Because of its easy narrative, this would be the first book I would read about qualifying as a lawyer, before moving on to the heavy stuff.

By Imogen Moore , Craig Newbery-Jones ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Successful Law Student as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The Successful Law Student: An Insider's Guide to Studying Law is the ultimate companion for all prospective and current law students. Packed full of insights, advice and perspectives from current and past law students it is the only student guide to offer you the inside track on how to make the most of your law degree and your time at university.

The Successful Law Student: An Insider's Guide to Studying Law is perfect for you whether you're taking a one-, two-, three- or four-year degree course or planning to take a year abroad, whether you're a full-time, part-time, or mature…


Book cover of Rumpole of the Bailey

Cathy Pickens Author Of Triangle True Crime Stories

From my list on for people who think they don’t like true crime.

Why am I passionate about this?

When I started writing mysteries, beginning with St. Martin’s Malice Award-winning Southern Fried, I wanted to get the medical, investigative, and courtroom details right. What better resource than good first-hand accounts from professionals who do those things every day? I love traditional, play-fair mysteries and the puzzles they present. But I also love writers who get the technical details right while also writing engaging novels I can get lost in. Nothing better than curling up with a good mystery.

Cathy's book list on for people who think they don’t like true crime

Cathy Pickens Why Cathy loves this book

I first met Rumpole, the Old Bailey Hack, as he called himself, on the PBS Masterpiece series. John Mortimer’s books about the curmudgeonly old barrister are even more delightful. As a former trial attorney, I love how the collections of short stories in his books give me a peek inside the British legal system—and how they present plenty of puzzles to solve, filled with irascible good wit. 

By John Clifford Mortimer ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Rumpole of the Bailey as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

A collection of stories featuring Rumpole of the Bailey, including "Rumpole and the Younger Generation", "Rumpole and the Alternative Society", "Rumpole and the Honourable Member", "Rumpole and the Married Lady, "Rumpole and the Learned Friends" and "Rumpole and the Heavy Brigade".


Book cover of The Law in 60 Seconds: A Pocket Guide to Your Rights

V. Charles Ward Author Of Fire Safety Law: A Practical Guide for Leaseholders, Building-Owners and Conveyancers

From my list on laws on residential leaseholders' rights in the UK.

Why am I passionate about this?

I am a UK registered lawyer specializing in real estate and I’m passionate about my work. I am also a non-fiction legal writer. I don’t just write about what I know. I write about what I do. I don’t primarily write for other lawyers. Instead, I try to make the law accessible to anyone who needs to use it: whether they are a leaseholder facing service charge liabilities or someone responsible for the management of a block of flats. Since the 2017 Grenfell fire disaster, I have been following the evolution of new UK fire safety regulations and their practical effect on leaseholders and everyone involved in the management of a high-rise building. 

V. Charles' book list on laws on residential leaseholders' rights in the UK

V. Charles Ward Why V. Charles loves this book

This entertaining quick-fire legal reference book provides instant help for any difficult situation. A pocket-sized book to be carried with you at all times. The book comes alive with examples taken from the author’s own life experience. It is about the basic human rights which belong to all of us and what they mean in our lives.

By Christian Weaver ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Law in 60 Seconds as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

'An indispensable guide to the law and your rights, giving you a lawyer in your pocket for a multitude of legal questions and problems that crop up in everyday life. ... Exceptional' - The Secret Barrister
'Brilliant and generous and very necessary' - Sarah Langford, author of In Your Defense
'A triumph of a book. It should form the basis for a national curriculum in law.' - Joanna Hardy-Susskind

From junior barrister Christian Weaver comes an indispensable guide to your basic legal rights.

We engage with the law every day: when we leave the house, and even when we don't,…


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Book cover of The Duke's Christmas Redemption

The Duke's Christmas Redemption by Arietta Richmond,

A Duke who has rejected love, a Lady who dreams of a love match, an arranged marriage, a house full of secrets, a most unneighborly neighbor, a plot to destroy reputations, an unexpected love that redeems it all.

Lady Charlotte Wyndham, given in an arranged marriage to a man she…

Book cover of Thurgood Marshall: American Revolutionary

Ian Zack Author Of Odetta: A Life in Music and Protest

From my list on understanding Black history.

Why am I passionate about this?

Ian Zack is a New York-based journalist who has written two critically acclaimed biographies. The subjects of both his books—Say No to the Devil: The Life and Musical Genius of Rev. Gary Davis and Odetta: A Life in Music and Protest—began their lives in the Jim Crow South before venturing North and making their voices heard.

Ian's book list on understanding Black history

Ian Zack Why Ian loves this book

Before Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, there was Thurgood Marshall. As a young lawyer and head of the NAACP’s Legal Defense Fund, Marshall spearheaded the civil rights organization’s slow but steady legal course in challenging and defeating segregation in the courts. Risking his life to represent black plaintiffs in the South and slowly building the legal precedents that led to Brown vs. Board of Education, Marshall had a profound effect on the course of history. This excellent biography takes you there.

By Juan Williams ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Thurgood Marshall as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

A NEW YORK TIMES NOTABLE BOOK • The definitive biography of the great lawyer and Supreme Court justice, from the bestselling author of Eyes on the Prize
 
“Magisterial . . . in Williams’ richly detailed portrait, Marshall emerges as a born rebel.”—Jack E. White, Time
 
Thurgood Marshall was the twentieth century’s great architect of American race relations. His victory in the Brown v. Board of Education decision, the landmark Supreme Court case outlawing school segregation in the United States, would have made him a historic figure even if he had never been appointed as the first African-American to serve on…


Book cover of Streetfighter in the Courtroom: The People's Advocate

Lise Pearlman Author Of Call Me Phaedra: The Life and Times of Movement Lawyer Fay Stender

From my list on trail-blazing lawyers passionately fighting for social justice.

Why am I passionate about this?

I am a retired lawyer and judge with a long-held concern about access to justice, especially as we face the need for stepped-up activism to protect minority rights today. I first became fascinated by Fay Stender’s pioneering career as a board member of California Women Lawyers, which she helped found in 1974. I related to her passion for justice, which led me to research and write her biography and two books on “the trial of the century” of Black Panther Party co-founder Huey Newton. That trial took place in my home city of Oakland over half a century ago, yet its focus on systemic racism remains just as important now.

Lise's book list on trail-blazing lawyers passionately fighting for social justice

Lise Pearlman Why Lise loves this book

Charles Garry was a legendary Bay Area criminal defense lawyer from the 1940s through the 1980s, most famous for his aggressive courtroom tactics and for never losing a client to the death penalty. I was fascinated by Garry’s early cases that resulted in establishing a “diminished capacity” defense to murder in California. Garry’s reputation prompted the leadership of the Black Panther Party to reject calls for a black lawyer and instead turn to this white Lefty to represent their co-founder Huey Newton faced with execution for killing a white policeman. Streetfighter in the Courtroom proved a great source for me as I wrote two books on the Newton trial and the biography of Garry’s pioneering female co-counsel in the Newton trial, Fay Stender. 

By Charles R. Garry ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Streetfighter in the Courtroom as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

By legendary radical lawyer, Charles R. Garry and Art Goldberg. ISBN 978-0525211105. "Art Goldberg, who assisted Charles Garry on this book, was a reported and editor of Ramparts (magazine) during the politically active sixties. He is the coauthor, with Bobby Seale, of Seize the Time."


Book cover of Parrot Blues: A Neil Hamel Mystery

GG Collins Author Of Anasazi Medium

From my list on the American Southwest respecting the culture & land.

Why am I passionate about this?

The American Southwest never gets old. Exploring any of the Ancestral Pueblo sites is like walking back in time. Anasazi Medium takes the reader there. I love the land and the culture that has brought us to the present. My character, Santa Fe reporter Rachel Blackstone, reflects this. She is sarcastic at times, can be funny, and has her poignant moments as she copes with a “talent” she never wanted. In Anasazi Medium, I concocted a mixture of mystery, Hopi traditions and a journalist’s eye to entertain and inform. What resulted is a climate mystery in the most water-challenged state in the U.S. and a high adventure read. 

GG's book list on the American Southwest respecting the culture & land

GG Collins Why GG loves this book

Divorce lawyer Neil Hamel always seems to do more PI work than law. In Parrot Blues (A Neil Hamel Mystery) by Judith Van Gieson, she tries to locate a missing woman—and an indigo parrot. Oddly, the husband seems more concerned about the bird than his wife, who may be on her way out of the marriage anyway. But with the parrot as the only witness, it’s a tough case to crack. There’s plenty of New Mexico history and vistas to satisfy, but I found the information about birds and smuggling to be eye-opening. Her relationship with the “Kid” adds to Neil’s character. She’s her own woman, doing things her way. That alone gained my respect.

By Judith Van Gieson ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Parrot Blues as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

She may be a divorce lawyer, but Neil Hamel uses her PI's instincts when a millionaire's rare indigo macaw and newly endangered wife are kidnapped together. The unusual search puts her right in the heart of New Mexico's breathtaking Plains of San Agustin, for a dangerous game of bird smuggling and one-upmanship. Armed with high-tech surveillance equipment and a backpack full of her client's money, Neil treks to a remote exchange point. Alas, she returns with the indigo, but no wife, and she's beginning to get ideas. When she learns that one of her chief suspects has suspiciously expired in…


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Book cover of Old Man Country

Old Man Country by Thomas R. Cole,

This book follows the journey of a writer in search of wisdom as he narrates encounters with 12 distinguished American men over 80, including Paul Volcker, the former head of the Federal Reserve, and Denton Cooley, the world’s most famous heart surgeon.

In these and other intimate conversations, the book…

Book cover of The Unquiet Grave

Sarah Loudin Thomas Author Of The Finder of Forgotten Things

From my list on making you feel like you’re in Almost Heaven, WV.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’m a seventh-generation West Virginian. My husband and I own the farm that’s been in my family since before the Civil War. My Appalachian roots are sunk deep, so when it comes to “writing what you know,” this is it! I was baptized in stories by my father who transformed my ancestors and my history into a living, breathing cast of characters I longed to meet. So, I began to write their stories in the guise of novels about made-up people. My seven novels (and two novellas) are love letters to the place that shaped me. 

Sarah's book list on making you feel like you’re in Almost Heaven, WV

Sarah Loudin Thomas Why Sarah loves this book

Don’t you love that title?!? And the novel is based on a true story about a ghost who testified at her own trial. Seriously. Testimony from the Greenbrier Ghost was accepted in a court of law. I’m just sorry I didn’t get around to writing about this one before Sharyn did!

By Sharyn McCrumb ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Unquiet Grave as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

From New York Times bestselling author Sharyn McCrumb comes this finely wrought novel set in nineteenth-century West Virginia, based on the true story of one of the strangest murder trials in American history-the case of the Greenbrier Ghost.

Lakin, West Virginia, 1930-Following a suicide attempt and consigned to a segregated insane asylum, attorney James P.D. Gardner finds himself under the care of Dr. James Boozer. Eager to try the new talking cure for insanity, Boozer encourages his elderly patient to reminisce about his experiences as the first black attorney to practice law in nineteenth-century West Virginia. In his forty-year career,…


Book cover of In Black and White: A Young Barrister's Story of Race and Class in a Broken Justice System
Book cover of The Secret Barrister: Stories of the Law and How It's Broken
Book cover of Letters to a Law Student

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Interested in lawyers, the United Kingdom, and barristers?

Lawyers 93 books
The United Kingdom 597 books
Barristers 22 books