The Trial Lawyer’s Library

When I began my career as a trial lawyer, I had no idea what books I was supposed to read.  There were hundreds of thousands of books in my law school library, but I wasn’t sure which ones were most important to developing my trial advocacy skills.  I read thousands of thousands of pages, looking for the best trial advocacy tips and techniques, and wasted a lot of time, energy, and money in the process.

Hopefully, this list will help you shortcut the process that I went through. In this article, you’ll find my recommendations for the books that a trial lawyer should read and digest.   You’ll note that I didn’t include books on trial advocacy, and that was done on purpose.  There are hundreds of trial advocacy books worth reading (as someone who dedicates yourself to improving your trial advocacy skills, you probably already have at least a dozen or more books on the subject, right?).  Instead, these books are intended to expand your horizons, maximize skills that weren’t developed in law school, and help you get the most out of your persuasive skills.

Influence, by Robert Cialdini
Want to know how to influence jurors?  This is the definitive text on the subject.  Includes persuasive techniques to improve your entire case presentation, from pre-trial preparations to closing arguments, as well as techniques for improving your pre-trial negotiations.

On Writing, by Stephen King
Great tips for telling stories and presenting more effective opening statements.  Replace the word "reader" with "juror" and you’ll feel like the book was written specifically for trial lawyers.

Remember Everything You Read: The Evelyn Wood 7-Day Speed Reading & Learning Program
You read thousands and thousands of pages while preparing for trial — this will help you do it faster and remember more of what you read!

Think and Grow Rich, by Napoleon Hill
The entire book should be mandatory reading for everyone who enters the business world, but there are great lessons for trial lawyers, too.  Focus on Ch. 1 (Desire) to see what it takes to become a great trial lawyer, and Ch. 9 (Power of the Master Mind) for assistance improving your trial advocacy skills.

How to Win Friends and Influence People, by Dale Carnegie
If you intend to make a career out of persuading jurors, you probably already have a dog-eared copy of this book on your bookshelf.  You’ll learn more about pre-trial negotiations and trial advocacy from this book than you did from your entire law school education.

The Art of War, by Sun Tzu
If you believe that trials are war and the courtroom is your battlefield, this book will help you prepare your battle plan for success.

The War of Art, by Steven Pressfield
Each morning, as soon as you wake up, "Resistance" attempts to keep you from being the best courtroom advocate that you can be.  This book shows you how to break past "Resistance" and excel at your profession.

Man’s Search for Meaning, by Viktor Frankl
Losing a trial is not the end of the world.  This book will help you get through the rough patches, especially if you lose a case, lose a client, or get dissuaded with the practice of law.

Quick and Easy Way to Effective Speaking, by Dale Carnegie
You speak for a living, so why not improve your presentation skills?   Loaded with great tips for improving your presentations to judges and jurors alike.

The Memory Book, by Harry Lorayne
If the correct objection or impeachment fact isn’t instantly available to you during trial, it’s worthless.  This book will help you improve your memory so that you can be more effective during trial.

The New Way Things Work, by David Macauley
An effective method of getting your ideas across involves the use of diagrams or images.   In this book, David Macauley shows you how hundreds of devices work.   With a combination of words and images, he makes difficult concepts easy to understand.  Using the same techniques, you can help your jurors understand complex issues and facts in your case.

Aesop’s Fables, by Aesop
This book contains dozens of valuable themes for use in your next trial.   By weaving these fables into your closing argument, you’ll help jurors immediately understand the underlying values of your arguments and see why your client deserves to win.

I’m sure that there are dozens of other useful books that I overlooked.  If you know of a book that other trial lawyers will find valuable, please take a moment to post a comment including your recommendation.