Best Books for Law Students Doing LLM (Master of Laws)

Studying law for the first time? Here are the books you’ll want to devour!

Whether you’re currently studying LLM (Master of Laws) at university, or you’re looking to apply to this postgraduate course next year, extra-curricular reading is something that you should make time for.

The great thing about LLM degrees is that you don’t need to have a law background to apply, making the practice of law more accessible through this alternative route. So reading up on the legal world will help you gain a head start. Here are the best books for law students who didn’t do law for their first degree.

About Law (Tony Honoré)

This is one of the best law books to read for graduates looking to move into the field of law. If you’ve never studied law before, Tony Honoré’s easy-to-digest text will deliver the perfect introduction.

Laying it down in simple terms, this book gives a basic overview of the English legal system, while also touching on important topics, such as the purpose of law. For anyone studying (or looking to study) an LLM (Master of Laws) degree, this book should be the first one you feast your eyes on.

Letters to a Law Student (Nicholas McBride)

There’s a fantastic practical element to this book. It’s also quite entertaining to read if you want something light and digestible before your LLM degree begins. Nicholas McBride aims to show students what it’s like to study law, as well as providing advice on how to study effectively.

Delivered through a collection of letters written to a fictional student, this book provides a relatable way for new law students to navigate going back to university. It’s jam packed with useful tips and covers everything from how much work you should be doing to how to make notes on a case.

Using a Law Library: A Student’s Guide to Legal Research Skills (Peter Clinch)

Research is going to be a huge part of your training, and will be a vital skill when you get into the workplace. During your degree, you’ll learn how to find cases, legislation, journal articles, and other materials and sources.

By reading this book, you’ll be able to get a head start. If research isn’t one of your strong points, or you come from a non-legal background that didn’t expose you to research, this book will help you build your confidence.

Is Eating People Wrong? (Allan Hutchinson)

It doesn’t matter what type of law you want to go into, Allan Hutchinson’s ‘Is Eating People Wrong?: Great Legal Cases and How they Shaped the World’ is a wonderful account of eight landmark cases that will educate and entertain you.

This book is fascinating and hard to put down, and is one of the best books for law students and general students or professionals alike. Ultimately, it provides a readable introduction to common law, as well as the social, historical, and cultural dynamics that shape the legal system.

Introduction to Business Law (Lucy Jones)

A fantastic read for both law students and business students, this book demonstrates the relevance of key areas of the law in relation to the workplace. For those coming from a business background, shifting to law can be challenging, but this book helps to bridge the knowledge gap.

Covering everything from contract law, the law of torts and employment law, to the structure or management of business and intellectual property, Lucy Jones makes the postgraduate LLM degree accessible for professionals from all disciplines. 

Are you looking to retrain in law with an LLM (Master of Laws) degree? Add these books for law students to your reading list.

If you want to pursue postgraduate law training at a reputable university, there’s nowhere better to embark on your journey than the University of Bolton. We’ve been in the Top 10 in the UK for Student Satisfaction in Law Subjects* for the second-year running.

To find out more about applying in 2022, see our available courses.

*Complete University Guide, 2022 & 2021