Do Law School Casebooks Have A Future?

// It’s been 20 years since I started law school. Seems like not much has changed in the law school curriculum. First-year students still take the same courses in a competitive setting.

But I have noticed two notable changes. First are the prices of law school casebooks. When I went to law school, new casebooks cost $60 to $80 per course, and some of them required you to purchase supplements which cost $20 to $30. Optional study aids also cost extra. It wasn’t too bad for my first year because some of the books lasted the entire year. But the rest required a casebook for a one-semester class and, in most cases, we didn’t use the whole book.

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Today, law school casebooks cost, on average, $250 per course. You can easily spend $1,500 per year on books alone. But unlike in my time, books can also be rented (usually for 50% to 70% of the purchase price), which makes me wonder if the cost reduction is worth it, especially if you are expected to keep the book clean and unmarked.

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The second change is the wealth of information available on the internet. Twenty years ago, it was difficult to find a case brief or course outline on the internet. And the few that were available probably weren’t compatible with your classes. Also, there was no social media like Facebook and Twitter/X, so people couldn’t have discussions online. Instead, they had to have respectful conversations in person.

Today, there are a variety of course outlines and case briefs available on the web. Some professors and law schools even provide them on their websites. For those who want a supplemental lecture on a topic, they might be able to find it on YouTube. If some people are really stumped, they can go to social media or dedicated discussion websites like Reddit where others can provide additional help.

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This means that people with different learning styles are more likely to find online resources that fit their needs. But students will have a harder time proving that they did not understand the reading material.

Regardless, law professors still require students to purchase casebooks and other extras as part of the class. Some might question whether casebooks are still necessary, especially considering today’s monopolistic prices. Granted, the cost of books is relatively negligible compared to tuition and living expenses. But shelling out a four-figure check is still pretty stiff.

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Removing casebooks could create its own problems. For example, students may have to read more case opinions of limited importance whereas a casebook would provide summaries of them.

Anyway, I am not trying to be a law professor or an assistant dean. They probably have good reasons for maintaining the status quo backed by decades of pedagogical experience. Or the ABA’s rules are hampering innovation.

A lot of the information is already out there and is enough to make casebooks unnecessary. It’s simply a matter of organizing it and providing the website links to students.

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If law professors don’t like the information out there, then they should contribute to the information marketplace by blogging themselves. I see many law professors writing articles and blog posts about various topics that provide value usually to a niche group of people. As much as I appreciate their contributions in my areas of practice, I think they should first focus on the students who are paying their salaries.

Law students today have access to information I could only dream about 20 years ago. Hopefully, 20 years from now, information online can be organized and summarized to the point where law students can do their reading assignments online and not have to spend money on costly books.

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Steven Chung is a tax attorney in Los Angeles, California. He helps people with basic tax planning and resolve tax disputes. He is also sympathetic to people with large student loans. He can be reached via email at [email protected]. Or you can connect with him on Twitter (@stevenchung) and connect with him on LinkedIn.

Topics

Books, Law Schools, Law Students, Steven Chung