Here are 7 criminal justice books to read before you interview. You should also read up on my tips for successful interviewing!
UPDATE! GIDEON’S PROMISE ADDED TO THE LIST!
The founder of Gideon’s Promise, Jonathan Rapping, wrote a book entitled “Gideon’s Promise: A Public Defender Movement To Transform Criminal Justice.” The book was released on August 18, 2020 and you can read my review here.
This is a must read for all current and future public defenders!
Why You Want To Read At Least One Of These Criminal Justice Books Before You Interview
I’ll be the first to admit it; being a public defender leaves you with very little time for leisure reading. That being said, there are books that most public defenders have read and may consider “required reading.” Having read those books will inevitably help you.
One of the most common “softball” questions asked during the interview process is, “what’s the last book you read?” Wouldn’t it be great to be able to say, “One of the last books that I read, that really had an impact on me, was ‘The New Jim Crow,’ and then go on to talk about how the lessons in that book only further reinforced your commitment to do this work, (because it will).
I remember being in a so-so interview and then becoming absolutely enamored by the applicant when they mentioned that they were in the middle of reading, “Devil in the Grove: Thurgood Marshall, the Groveland Boys, and the Dawn of a New America.” I just read the book myself and for the next 5 minutes of the 60-minute interview, we talked about the book. Now 5 minutes may seem like an insignificant period, but that’s 1/12 of a very stressful interview and it’s all positive.
The List!
Below is a list of books I highly recommend you pick up. They are listed in no particular order, but “The New Jim Crow” is absolutely required reading for anyone who wants to become a public defender. Quite frankly, every American should read this book.
“Just Mercy” is a brilliantly written narrative by one our of nation’s greatest criminal defense attorneys. I would also out this on my required reading list for Americans.
- The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness, Michelle Alexander
- Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption, by Bryan Stevenson
- Devil in the Grove: Thurgood Marshall, the Groveland Boys, and the Dawn of a New America, by Gilbert King
- To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee
- Defending the Damned: Inside Chicago’s Cook County Public Defender’s Office, by Kevin Davis
- Gideon’s Trumpet, by Anthony Lewis
- Indefensible: One Lawyer’s Journey into the Inferno of American Justice, by David Siege
