By Aesha Duval (Follow us on LinkedIn)
“Books say: she did this because. Life says: she did this. Books are where things are explained to you; life is where things aren’t.” — Julian Barnes, English novelist
I may be a law librarian, but in my heart lies a public librarian who is passionate about literacy and encouraging reading for pleasure. However, since joining the federal court and becoming absorbed in legal research, my own reading habits changed. Reading a novel became a chore. I found myself trying to speed read, a technique often used when researching case law. I was skipping entire paragraphs of pertinent plot information, and I kept having to re-read passages I failed to grasp the first time.
Practicing lawyers complain that the immense amount of reading they must do in the legal profession has robbed them of the joy of reading for pleasure. Whether it is doing legal research or reviewing discovery, sifting through thousands of pages of documents makes reading for enjoyment during one’s personal time simply out of the question.
Bryan Garner, legal scholar and editor-in-chief of Black’s Law Dictionary wrote about regaining the joy of reading in a 2014 article in ABA Journal where he advised legal professionals to consciously differentiate between the types of reading. “Simply recognize that reading cases is hardly the same as reading literature,” Garner wrote. “Especially with literature, remember to slow down and read for technique as well as for content. The joy isn’t so much in what you ‘get’ from the book as it is in the aesthetic experience that you have while reading.”
Earlier this year, a few of my law librarian colleagues and I in the Third Circuit Court of Appeals launched book clubs in our respective courthouses. I was excited about leading a book club, having an incentive to read for fun again and for a reprieve from reading legal texts, case law, statutes, and scholarly papers.
While book clubs and recreational reading are more common in public libraries and on an increasing scale, academic libraries, we believe court libraries can also take advantage of the benefits of book clubs.
Improve reading habits. Having a public commitment to a group offers incentive and accountability. I often check in with my book clubbers a week or so before we meet to see how everyone is coming along with that month’s book. Some say they are finished while others are only halfway through but pledge to be done in time for the book discussion. A few readily admit they lost track of time due to work commitments. “I’ll do better for the next book,” they say and many of them do.
Book clubs encourage you to read more thoughtfully and understand diverse perspectives. In a book club you must bring something to the discussion. It’s not enough to say, “I loved the book” or “I hated the book.” You must be able to share what you loved about the book or why it was difficult for you to get through. Discussing books among colleagues can make you aware of different perspectives, and help you make connections between ideas from different fields and backgrounds.
Build work relationships. While we all serve the court, our book club members include a mix of court staff, librarians, law clerks, staff attorneys and judges. I’ve noted that a book club allows for networking and interaction between court staffers who don’t normally cross paths on the job. It is also a safe environment to share and debate ideas and might even spark opportunities to meet and discuss topics of shared interest outside of the court. Book club discussions can make you more comfortable and confident in professional discussions and conversations.
Exposure to different genres and perspectives. Joining a book club exposes you to different genres that you might never have found on your own. Lawyers and legal professionals are encouraged to read beyond the law, not just fiction, but reading history, economics, politics, sociology, and other fields. Reading different perspectives can deepen understanding and empathy and provide context to better understand legal issues and enhance one’s ability to understand mental states and what drives a person.
Book clubs are trending. The benefits of reading are clearly known so it would be in the courts’ best interest to take advantage of the trend. But it has not come without challenges. Our courts are busy, working hard to reduce backlogs and administer justice. There doesn’t seem to be enough spare time. We’ve lost book club members and gained new ones over the last year. Despite this, the response to our book club has been positive and given the renewed focus on mental health and well-being over the last few years, we need to find ways to relax, now more than ever. Making connections and understanding diverse views will not only make better lawyers and better judges, but also better humans.
Sources
Coleman, J. (2016, February 23) Why businesspeople should join book clubs. Harvard Business Review. https://hbr.org/2016/02/why-businesspeople-should-join-book-clubs
Garner, B. A. (2014). Regaining the joy of reading. ABA Journal, 100(11), 24-26.
Mathur, M. (2023, January 23) Writing and reading habits for lawyers and law students. LinkedIn. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/writing-reading-habits-lawyers-law-students-manan-mathur
The New Yale Book of Quotations, edited by Fred R. Shapiro, Yale University Press, 2021. ProQuest Ebook Central, https://www.proquest.com/legacydocview/EBC/6670172?accountid=146958.Penni, S. (2022, January 21) The book club habit. Counsel Magazine. https://www.counselmagazine.co.uk/articles/the-book-club-habit
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