Paralegal Books
Paralegal books are an essential part of having a successful paralegal career. As a paralegal you will be drafting, documenting, indexing, summarizing, and taking on a lot of additional tasks that require clear writing that follows concise legal guidelines. Paralegal books and legal references will give you the information you need when you need it.
While there are plenty of websites that offer online tutorials and information, it is important that you confirm the details of your writing and verbiage with credible sources and standard texts.
Below is a list of paralegal books that many legal professionals have in their personal law libraries:
Law Dictionaries and Legal References
Black's Law Dictionary
Edited by Bryan A. Garner
Black's Law Dictionary has been the go-to legal dictionary for more than a century. While these dictionaries can be found in all law libraries, it might be helpful to have a copy for your own personal reference. This dictionary contains more than 45,000 terms and includes more than 1,000 law-related abbreviations and acronyms.
This is certainly considered the most comprehensive law dictionary
available and a great addition to your own law book library. If you would prefer a more compact version, then consider
Black's Law Dictionary (Pocket), 3rd Edition
Legal Research and Writing
Legal Research and Writing for Paralegals
By Deborah E. Bouchoux
This book is usually assigned as a textbook for paralegal students. It covers an introduction to legal research and legal writing skills, including exercises. The sections on legal research also include how to conduct online research using Westlaw and LexisNexis. Along with learning how to conduct thorough legal research, the book give you comprehensive information on how to properly format citations, reviewing both ALWD and The Bluebook citation formats.
Legal Writing in Plain English: A Text with Exercises
By Bryan A. Garner
As a leading legal lexicographer, Bryan A. Garner has written a library of books for legal professionals and this should certainly be a part of any paralegal's library. In this text, Garner aims to encourage legal writers, be they lawyers, judges, or paralegals, to write clearly and with precision. The book attempts to inspire concise writing in order to avoid ambiguity that is often associated with legal writing. The move toward less legalese and more clear writing benefits all parties, though some legal professionals may still prefer the legal language that has been used for years in the past. Regardless, clear and precise writing is always a good skill to have and always a skill that can be improved.
A Dictionary of Modern Legal Uses
By Bryan A. Garner
Bryan A. Garner provides a comprehensive text on modern legal uses and differentiates the differences between similar legal expressions. Legalese is often times considered a language on its own and rightly so. Garner provides you with a go-to book for checking and double checking your legal writing. Not only does Garner offer an easy to understand guide, but he also provides explanations as to why things are written one way rather than another seemingly synonymous way. As a paralegal you will be responsible for a lot of legal writing and this book can prove to be invaluable if you always find yourself doubting or double checking your own legal writing.
Citation Reference
Alwd Citation Manual: A Professional System of Citation
By Darby Dickerson
There are two citation manuals used most by legal professionals, The Bluebook and the Alwd Citation Manual. The Bluebook, written by the Harvard Law Review, has been around for several years; while the Alwd, by the Association of Legal Writing Directors, has more recently hit the law scene. The Alwd Citation Manual is said to be more user intuitive than The Bluebook and its authors aim to create a more uniform method of citation. While neither book necessarily replaces the other, both are useful and have their advantages as a citation reference book.
The Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation
Edited By Harvard Law Review
The Bluebook is the standard how-to guide for legal citation. Each new edition sets the standard for citation by all legal professionals and is nearly mandatory for those whose career is composed of mostly legal writing. Some complain that The Bluebook is difficult to navigate and often turn to supplemental texts to assist in properly finding proper citation methods.
Understanding and Mastering The Bluebook: A Guide for Students and Practitioners
By Linda J. Barris
This book is often a required text for law students and other legal professionals. It breaks down the complicated citation methods set forth in The Bluebook and makes a great supplemental text to The Bluebook. There are plenty of examples, exercises, charts, tables, and additional tips to help break down The Bluebook into comprehensible pieces.
Introduction to Paralegalism and Paralegal Career Guides
How to Land Your First Paralegal Job
By Andrea Wagner
This is an excellent book if you are searching for your first job or are looking for another paralegal job. Andrea Wagner offers extensive insight into the paralegal industry and tips on finding ways to network and meet other legal professionals. In addition to industry insight, she offers several sample resumes and cover letters. The job hunting strategies are aligned with the legal profession and not just your typical job hunting advice. Wagner also walks you through the interviewing process with a list of questions you may be asked and also a list of questions that you should ask the firm you are interviewing with. This book is highly recommended if you are just starting out in your paralegal profession and need some solid advice and tips on landing your first job.
Lessons from the Top Paralegal Experts
By Carole A. Bruno
Carole Bruno collects information from fifteen of the top paralegals in the different arenas of law to give you insight into the different career paths of expert paralegals. Each of the expert paralegals has been practicing paralegalism for upwards of twenty years.
The paralegals showcased in this book are generous and explicit about what their position and paralegal job duties entail. You will gain insight into litigation law, intellectual property, legal research and writing, commercial and residential real estate, family law, bankruptcy law, and corporate and business law. They also give information about their typical work week, their standards of procedure, technological advances pertaining to the field, ethical standards, and much more. If you are looking for insight into a particular area of law, then you should certainly pick up this book.
Paralegal Career for Dummies
Scott Hatch, JD and Lisa Zimmer Hatch, MA
Scott Hatch and Lisa Zimmer are the founders and administrators of The Center for Legal Studies, so they are certainly experts in the paralegal field. This book is a broad overview of the paralegal profession. They broadly cover many details of the paralegal profession, including careers, legal processes that all paralegals should know, an overview of the U.S. judicial system, paralegal ethics, and just about everything in between. If you are not familiar with the paralegal profession at all, but are interested in learning more, then this would be a good book because there is enough quality information for you to gain a good understanding about the career and whether or not you would like to pursue further.
Paralegal Programs
Find the right online Paralegal or Legal Studies
degree program to fit your individual needs.