Bibliophilia: the reading list for book lovers
Bibliophilia is a weekly post of recommended reading for law students and lawyers. The list will comprise both fiction and non-fiction books with as much variety as possible. We’re also happy to take reader submissions from you so get reading!
Title: A Civil Action
Author: Jonathan Harr
Genre: Non-fiction, law, environment, history
In this true story of an epic courtroom showdown, two of the nation’s largest corporations stand accused of causing the deaths of children. Representing the bereaved parents, the unlikeliest of heroes emerges: a young, flamboyant Porsche-driving lawyer who hopes to win millions of dollars and ends up nearly losing everything, including his sanity. A searing, compelling tale of a legal system gone awry–one in which greed and power fight an unending struggle against justice–A Civil Action is also the story of how one determined man can ultimately make a difference. With an unstoppable narrative power, it is an unforgettable reading experience. [source]
Title: Bartleby, The Scrivener: A Story Of Wall Street
Author: Herman Melville
Genre: Fiction, classic, short story,
A Wall Street lawyer hires a new clerk who—after an initial bout of hard work—refuses to make copy and any other task required of him, with the words “I would prefer not to”. The lawyer cannot bring himself to remove Bartleby from his premises, and decides instead to move his office, but the new proprietor removes Bartleby to prison… [source] [read it here]
Title: The Lincoln Lawyer
Author: Michael Connelly
Genre: Fiction, mystery, crime, legal, thriller
Mickey Haller is a Lincoln Lawyer, a criminal defense attorney who operates out of the backseat of his Lincoln Town Car, traveling between the far-flung courthouses of Los Angeles to defend clients of every kind. Bikers, con artists, drunk drivers, drug dealers — they’re all on Mickey Haller’s client list. For him, the law is rarely about guilt or innocence, it’s about negotiation and manipulation. Sometimes it’s even about justice…. [source]
Title: Blood Defense
Author: Marcia Clark
Genre: Fiction, mystery, crime, legal, thriller
Samantha Brinkman, an ambitious, hard-charging Los Angeles criminal defense attorney, is struggling to make a name for herself and to drag her fledgling practice into the big leagues. Sam lands a high-profile double-murder case in which one of the victims is a beloved TV star—and the defendant is a decorated veteran LAPD detective….But when a shocking secret at the core of the case shatters her personal world, Sam realizes that not only has her client been playing her, he might be one of the most dangerous sociopaths she’s ever encountered. [source]
Title: A First Look At The Malaysian Legal System
Author: Wan Arfah Hamzah
Genre: Non-fiction, law, legal process
A First Look at the Malaysian Legal is a textbook for undergraduate law students studying this subject….This book is divided into four parts where Part One unfolds Malaysia’s legal history which is crucial to the understanding of the primacy of common law tradition in Malaysia’s national legal system. Part Two explains the legal rules to which Malaysian courts refer to, and apply in resolving disputes….Part Three focuses on the primary institutions, that is, the courts as well as personnel of the law. Part Four outlines the trial process, both civil and criminal, and the schemes for granting legal aid which strive to make the courts accessible to all, regardless of financial means. [source]
Title: The Flame Tree
Author: Yang-May Ooi
Genre: Fiction, legal thriller
Jasmine Lian left Malaysia behind when she was eighteen and won a place at Oxford. Since then she’s led a golden life: youngest ever partner in one of the most prestigious law firms in London, poised for success in every area….Jasmine, already struggling with the magnetic hold of her native Malaysia, is forced to choose between old life and new, East and West, right and wrong. The Flame Tree offers a vivid snapshot of a fast-developing Malaysia, of moral choices and a woman’s search for her cultural identity. [source]
Title: Saving Sophie
Author: Ronald H Balson
Genre: Fiction, thriller, suspense
Jack Sommers was just an ordinary accountant from Chicago-that is, until his wife passed away, his young daughter was kidnapped, and he became the main suspect in an $88 million dollar embezzlement case. Now Jack is on the run, hoping to avoid the feds long enough to rescue his daughter, Sophie, from her maternal grandfather, a suspected terrorist in Palestine….Saving Sophie is the powerful story of the lengths a father will go through to protect his daughter and an action-packed thriller that will take you on an unforgettable journey of murder and deception, testing the bonds of family and love…. [source]
