Legal Briefs and Beach Reads: 5 Reasons Lawyers Should Read for Pleasure This Summer

Here’s Jamie Spannhake’s curated summer reading list for lawyers, and five reasons to make space for pleasure reading any time of year.

Summer Offers a Rare and Valuable Chance to Slow Down, at Least a Little

The courts may be quiet, colleagues may take vacation, and even the most demanding schedules might leave space for a coffee break or walk around the block. So why not take advantage of the breathing room by reading for pleasure — actual books that aren’t related to CLE credits or case law.

Reading for pleasure isn’t just a luxury or favorite pastime. It’s also a proven way to sharpen your skills, lower your stress and boost your professional performance. If you’re a lawyer who struggles to switch off, this one small habit can create a much-needed mental reset during summer, whether or not you get away for a vacation.

Here are five reasons to trade a brief or contract for a beach read this summer.

1. Think Beyond the Brief

As lawyers, we spend our days steeped in structured thinking: precedent, logic, contracts and court procedure. While those are vital skills, they can create an intellectual bubble over time. Reading outside of your usual professional materials — especially fiction, memoirs or essays — offers a refreshing escape from the confines of legal reasoning. When we engage with characters, stories or ideas that live far outside our usual mental space, it broadens our perspective. This helps us think more creatively and approach problem-solving from new angles.

Try this: Choose a book in a genre you haven’t explored. A thriller, a fantasy novel or a coming-of-age story from a different culture might surprise you and sharpen your storytelling skills, which are always helpful in law practice.

2. Rewire Your Brain for Empathy

Empathy may not be listed in the Rules of Professional Conduct, but it’s one of the most important tools any lawyer can develop. Studies show that reading fiction, especially character-driven narratives, increases empathy by helping readers understand the perspectives and emotions of others.

For lawyers, that translates into improved client communication, stronger relationships with colleagues, and more nuanced courtroom presentations. Understanding what motivates people, how they feel and what they fear can make you a better advocate in every sense of the word.

Try this: Pick a novel with a strong protagonist whose worldview differs from yours. Books by authors like Brit Bennett, Min Jin Lee or Colson Whitehead are powerful choices.

3. Break the Burnout Cycle

Let’s be honest: It’s hard to recover from burnout by scrolling Twitter or half-watching another streaming series while answering emails. Our brains need true breaks that offer rest but engage us in a different, slower rhythm.

Reading for pleasure helps disengage the fight-or-flight part of our brains that’s constantly activated in high-stress professions like law. It’s a reset that allows space for creativity, focus and calm.

Try this: Keep a paperback in your work bag, or download an audiobook to listen to during your commute. Even 10 to 15 minutes daily can make a noticeable difference in your mental clarity.

4. Boost Your Verbal Agility

As lawyers, words are our currency. But legal writing doesn’t always inspire eloquence. Reading outside the legal realm can reintroduce us to the music of language: rhythm, tone, timing and flow. It helps us hear how real people speak, think and persuade.

Writers like Zadie Smith or David Sedaris remind us how a well-crafted sentence feels. Their work often carries wit, sharpness and emotional impact — all tools that transfer well to oral arguments, deposition prep, client emails and other communications.

Try this: Read a book known for its distinctive voice. Or enjoy poetry or an essay collection to give your language skills a fresh edge.

5. Rediscover Joy

Another reason to read is simple: It’s fun. It’s easy to forget that pleasure and joy are essential components of a successful life and a sustainable legal career. When we only engage with content that serves a professional purpose, we lose a vital connection to our inner life. Reading purely for enjoyment permits us to be curious and playful, both light-hearted emotions that can carry over into how we show up at work, giving us the ability to handle high-pressure situations more calmly and gracefully.

Try this: Make a short summer reading list of just two or three books. Let yourself abandon a book if it doesn’t spark interest, and choose a different one.

Make Space for Stories This Summer

If your brain feels overloaded or underinspired, picking up a book might be the best wellness decision you make this summer. It doesn’t have to be complicated. Set a goal to finish a novel by Labor Day. Swap titles with friends. Turn off the screens 20 minutes earlier before bed and lose yourself in a story.

For lawyers used to thinking, talking and writing all day long, reading for pleasure offers a rare and restorative gift: the chance to listen and be present in another space.

Recommended Summer Reading List

Here’s a handpicked summer reading (or listening) list for lawyers that balances enjoyment with enrichment — no legal treatises here, just well-written books (many of which are also well-narrated audiobooks) that inspire fresh thinking, emotional intelligence and creative recharge.

Fiction That Sharpens Empathy and Storytelling

1. The Lincoln Highway by Amor Towles. A sweeping, character-driven novel full of richly drawn personalities. Great for thinking about motivation, subtext and narrative structure — useful in both trial and client advocacy.

2. Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi. Powerful multigenerational storytelling that shows how history shapes people in unexpected ways. A masterclass in perspective and compassion.

3. Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus. Sharp, funny and feminist — this novel mixes science, law-adjacent workplace dynamics and heart. Light without being fluffy.

Nonfiction That Challenges and Inspires

4. Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals by Oliver Burkeman. Not your typical productivity book. This one confronts our obsession with getting things done and offers a more sustainable view of time — perfect for lawyers battling burnout.

5. Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson. If you haven’t read it yet, this memoir by a defense attorney who founded the Equal Justice Initiative is essential. A sobering and inspiring look at justice, humanity and resilience.

6. Maybe You Should Talk to Someone by Lori Gottlieb. A therapist’s memoir that’s insightful, funny and incredibly human. Offers perspective on how people cope with pressure, pain and growth. (One of my recent favorite reads!)

Shorter Summer Reading Picks (for Beach or Bedtime)

7. The Paper Palace by Miranda Cowley Heller. Atmospheric, emotional and full of ethical complexity. A beach read with depth.

8. Calypso by David Sedaris. Essays that are hilarious, poignant and deeply observant. Perfect bite-sized reading for quick afternoon breaks, the commute on the train or before bed.

9. The Book of Delights by Ross Gay. A daily meditation of lyrical essays on joy, wonder and small moments. A great way to reframe your mindset each day.

Audiobook Picks (Great for Commutes or Walking Breaks)

10. Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver. A modern retelling of Charles Dickens’ “David Copperfield,” set in Appalachia during the 1990s opioid crisis. A riveting voice-driven novel that’s even better narrated.

11. Born a Crime by Trevor Noah. Smart, funny and eye-opening; also narrated by Trevor Noah, whose delivery makes it extra engaging. (One of my recent favorite listens.)

Enjoy!

Related: Top-Rated Mindfulness and Meditation Apps to Beat Stress

---