Hi all,

For all of the LLMs in the US you have to take a few obligatory classes in the fundamentals of US law etc. I know that specific universities will recommend certain texts, but I just wanted to know if anyone has any suggestions of particularly good books that they've read on the subject?

I know I'm being hella eager right now and I'm probably not going to read them straight away, but I've got some cash allocated to spend on books and I know if I don't do it soon then I'll just waste it on ... shoes or something stereotypical.

I'm a big fan of trial advocacy and criminal litigation. If you're on an LLM in California and have studied these, let me know any suggestions!

Law schools in US, use caselaw textbooks. The textbook is quiet literally a compilation of cases, with some questions at the end of each case sprinkled in. If you are the eager beaver, then just read up on the U.S. Constitution and cases around each amendment. You can get an idea of the most important cases by searching for outlines of U.S. constitutional law. Once you have the cases read them and create outlines with issues, facts and the rule of law. Rinse wash repeat.

If you are looking for books similar to what's available in UK, you should look for hornbooks. No university uses them in their programs. They are just reference material, you will find in the library.

Law schools in US, use caselaw textbooks. The textbook is quiet literally a compilation of cases, with some questions at the end of each case sprinkled in. If you are the eager beaver, then just read up on the U.S. Constitution and cases around each amendment. You can get an idea of the most important cases by searching for outlines of U.S. constitutional law. Once you have the cases read them and create outlines with issues, facts and the rule of law. Rinse wash repeat.

If you are looking for books similar to what's available in UK, you should look for hornbooks. No university uses them in their programs. They are just reference material, you will find in the library.

Law schools in US, use caselaw textbooks. The textbook is quiet literally a compilation of cases, with some questions at the end of each case sprinkled in. If you are the eager beaver, then just read up on the U.S. Constitution and cases around each amendment. You can get an idea of the most important cases by searching for outlines of U.S. constitutional law. Once you have the cases read them and create outlines with issues, facts and the rule of law. Rinse wash repeat.

If you are looking for books similar to what's available in UK, you should look for hornbooks. No university uses them in their programs. They are just reference material, you will find in the library.

If that is the case, is there rarely any required material? Or do they actually require that you purchase a book of case law. Because that seems ludicrous to me considering you can just download any case from WestLaw or LexisNexis.

The cases in textbooks are significantly edited such that they are a fraction of the original decision's length. While you can download and read the entire decision, it would be difficult to keep up.

The cases in textbooks are significantly edited such that they are a fraction of the original decision's length. While you can download and read the entire decision, it would be difficult to keep up.

All UK cases have a summary at the top of the judgment. Do they not have case summaries on their Westlaw?

The cases in textbooks are significantly edited such that they are a fraction of the original decision's length. While you can download and read the entire decision, it would be difficult to keep up.

All UK cases have a summary at the top of the judgment. Do they not have case summaries on their Westlaw?

Many do but it depends on the court and reporter. But what is captured in the headnote may not be the same thing your instructor wants you to take from the case.

That's unfortunate. The prices of the books are out of this world as well. But I've found a few actual textbooks for trial advocacy written by a professor at UCLA so at least I'll have something to read.

Yes, the cases are "abridged", omit dissents or amplify dissents, etc. And yes Westlaw, LexisNexis and BloombergLaw provide very good headnote coverage, on almost all issues raised in a case. And yes, you can use those headnotes most of the time, and use these cases instead of the textbook. It takes a little planning, but Westlaw and LexisNexis provide free printouts or used to.

Law schools in the U.S., pretend that they don't need to teach students all the law. They believe the bar exams do that or that the students can "research" any law. So, what you end up getting is the version your law professor is peddling. And they are apparently trying to teach you how to reason, and deduce the law or identify a nuance. And the quality of the lectures vary widely.

But yes, there are some professors who are good at what they do. They can make the material come alive.