Day 30: The One Book EVERY Law Student Should Read

Photo by Mathieu Stern on Unsplash

After 31 years in the legal profession and 15 years as a law professor, there’s ONE book that I wish EVERY law student and recent law grad would read.

No, it’s not a legal textbook. (Frankly, after the first year of law school, I don’t think you need doctrinal classes anymore. You need simulations and experiential learning. You can quote me.)

It’s not The Bluebook (though at least that’s practical).

It’s certainly not something stuffy like Blackstone. (Has anyone in the last century actually read that?)

The Book That Will Change Your Career

For my money, the most valuable book you can read to empower and enhance your law career is I Will Teach You To Be Rich by Ramit Sethi.

This is by far the most valuable, practical, not to mention enjoyable money management book I’ve read over the years (and I’ve read quite a few).

I know the first thing you’re going to say, because it’s what I’ve often said too:

“Aw man, I don’t have time to learn about all that finance stuff - I’m up to my ears just trying to learn all the law I need to know!”

You’re absolutely right. You’re investing in a profession that is about making money by helping people solve their biggest problems. That’s an honorable thing to do and a big responsibility, and you should focus on it.

That’s why I Will Teach You To Be Rich is gold. Sethi focuses on the “big wins” you can find that will help you succeed financially with a relatively low investment of time.

And you don’t have to become a finance expert. A few basic principles, clearly explained and implemented over several weeks, and you’ll be free to get back to practicing for your Trial Ad cross. Meanwhile, your money will be on automatic pilot - busy making you rich while you do what you do.

Why This Book Can Help You Change the World

Look, I want you to be rich and happy, but that’s not really the reason I recommend that every law student and law grad read this book.

I’m a law professor. I care about the same things you care about: Social justice. Law reform. Public service.

And because I care deeply about those things, I want you to be in a position to pursue them.

When you want. How you want. At whatever income level you want (including no income from work at all, if that’s what you decide you want).

Yeah, law school debt can be a hurdle, but it doesn’t have to be a barrier to doing what you want (and, as Sethi regularly and good-naturedly insists, it shouldn’t be used as a crutch).

You don’t have to have a lot of money to invest now. Setting up automated savings and investing with as little as $10 a month will put you on a path to be automatically winning the game once you have more money rolling in. And you’ll avoid the big mistakes that many of us make when we’re making our first big financial decisions in our 20s - mistakes that seem small now but can cost you literally millions over your investing lifetime.

Just Do It!

The $16.99 investment I made in this book will probably save me hundreds if not thousands of dollars this year, and that’s just from a few tweaks. If you start doing this when you’re in or right out of law school, any dollars you save today, invested and compounded over time, will change your life.

And with that financial freedom, you’ll be free to change the world.