Yes, becoming a lawyer typically requires a significant amount of reading. Law school involves extensive reading of cases, statutes, legal theories, and scholarly articles. Students need to analyze and understand complex legal texts and precedents.
1L Year (First Year) 1L is the hardest academic year. The professors of the core classes- criminal law, contracts, civil procedure, and the dreaded property- are trained to wear you down, scare students into working hard, and embarrass them publicly in front of their peers if they are not adequately prepared for class.
The most practical starting textbook is ``laying down the law'' (lexis) - gives an overview of the basics of law, how statutes and the common law work etc.
In law school, you will be reading and writing a ton. How much exactly will depend on the class, of course, but 50–100 pages of reading a night is not uncommon. However, you will also take special legal writing and academic support classes early on that teach you how to read cases and analyze information quickly.
Introduction to Law John Makdisi and Michael Makdisi- Introduction to the Study of Law : Cases and Materials. Benjamin N. Cardozo- The Nature of the Judicial Process. Jay M. Feinman- Law 101: Everything you Need to Know About the American Legal System. H.L.A Hart- The Concept of Law.
Law school is generally considered to be a very challenging academic experience for a number of different reasons. First, the workload is heavy.
Tips for Reading Cases Read a case the day you cover it in class (or the night before). Don't get hung up on every vocabulary word, procedural history, etc. Use book-briefing as an effective way to closely read the cases. Be patient with yourself. Limit the time you spend reading cases.
Misconception #1: Law school is all about memorization Instead, it's about taking that information and applying it to new situations. The focus is on developing a deep understanding of the law and learning to think like a lawyer, rather than rote memorization.
Black's Law Dictionary is the most widely cited law book in the world and is the standard for the language law.
A few U.S. states, namely California, Maine, New York, Vermont, Virginia and Washington, still permit people to become lawyers by reading law instead of attending some or all of law school, although the practice is rare.