The UK Law Soc Gazette writes
Most books that are written for young people thinking of a career in the legal profession seem to be by solicitors. I am not sure why that is. Perhaps we are trying to warn them off, or at least alert them to the challenges ahead. However, there are several very positive books setting out the many routes to a diverse career.
This book – by a father and son team who are both barristers – explains to young people what law is, why we have it and how it can be fun. The book considers in detail what types of law there are, how laws are made and the courts system. It is not primarily a book on careers, though it would be very useful for anyone contemplating entering the profession, or simply wanting to know more about law.
Each chapter ends with a set of questions for discussion or reflection. I found these thought-provoking. Why we have rules in life – whether personal, national or international – is a vital topic.
Both authors have extensive experience of legal life in the US and the book contrasts the different systems.
It also contains the best analysis – grounded in history and culture – of the reason for natural and basic laws I have read. There is a tempting further reading list at the end.
There is also an interesting section on Lord Atkin’s dissenting judgment in Liversidge about the detention of enemy aliens in wartime without trial or even any explanation. Courts on both sides of the Atlantic have grappled with this issue.
As well as appealing to students thinking about a legal career, there is much in this book that a more experienced lawyer could learn.
There is a nice quotation I had not seen before, presumably from an American lawyer: ‘Better than any other discipline, we combine the theoretical and abstract with the realistic and concrete…’ As this book says: ‘The law isn’t what it looks like on TV. It’s more interesting.’
David Pickup is a partner at Pickup & Scott Solicitors, Aylesbury
https://www.lawgazette.co.uk/reviews/handy-legal-primer-for-aspiring-lawyers/5121314.article
A Young Person’s Guide to Law and Justice
By Ronald & Daniel Sokol
Publication Date: 28 Aug 2024
£9.99
Categories: Business, Computing, Science and Education
ISBN: 9781835740279
eISBN: 9781835741634
Description
‘The law isn’t what it looks like on TV: it’s more interesting. This excellent book will convince you of that.’ Henry Mance, Chief Features Writer, Financial Time
Thinking of studying law at school or university? Or are you simply curious about the fascinating world of law and lawyers?
A Young Person’s Guide to Law and Justice is written by an experienced father and son team of lawyers and educators. It provides an entertaining and accessible guide by blending the philosophical and practical sides of the law.
You will acquire a better understanding of the world around you, and by the end of the book, you will likely know more about the law than 99% of the population
Ronald Sokol is a lawyer who has practised in the United States, the United Kingdom and France. He has taught law at the University of Virginia Law School and published several books on legal philosophy.
Daniel Sokol is a barrister at 12 King’s Bench Walk, London, and a former university lecturer in law and ethics. He has published widely on these subjects.
https://bookguild.co.uk/bookshop/a-young-persons-guide-to-law-and-justice/
