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7 Ways to Cut Costs on Law Books

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One of the biggest expenses you'll encounter as a law student are law books. They are not only expensive, but they also have frequent updates and changes, which means that buying older (less expensive) versions really isn't advisable.

So how can you save money on law books? Here are seven tips:

1. Buy early and consider all sources.

The best way to save money on law books is to shop as early as possible and consider all sources of books, including online sellers. This way you'll have plenty of time to price compare, find the best deals, and also, if you are buying used books, you'll be able to find them in the best condition possible.

If your professor hasn't provided a list of texts you'll need within a month of classes starting, contact him or her and ask.

2. Compare, compare, compare.

One of the golden rules of shopping to compare prices, and buying law books is no different. Your school bookstore is always a choice, but some popular places to buy law school books online, enabling you to price compare are:

When ordering, be sure you know the correct ISBN number for the edition of the book you'll need and also pay close attention to shipping costs and time it will take for delivery.

3. Use cashback shopping portals, rebates, and coupons.

Sites like BigCrumbs.com and Ebates will give you cash back on your purchases whereas places like TextbookCoupons.com, RetailMeNot.com, and DealCatcher.com can point you in the right direction for rebates and coupons.

4. Borrow from the library.

Some law school libraries keep copies of textbooks on reserve, while others simply have copies donated by students to check out. Check with your school's law library or with a nearby law library if you have interlibrary loan access.

5. Share with a classmate.

This may not be something you'd want to do your first semester of law school as you're just getting used to the learning system, but once you find a bit of a groove, sharing law books for certain classes may be possible.

6. Choose some classes that don't require textbooks.

Again, this isn't something you probably won't be able to do as 1L (your classes will most likely be chosen for you), but keep your eye out for classes, especially clinics, that have no required textbook or have all required readings online. You can't fill your schedule with these, of course, but a few carefully chosen courses can save you a lot of money.

7. Don't buy supplements unless they are necessary.

Many textbooks have supplements that cost extra to buy, but some professors never even use them. Look through the syllabus, and if you don't see any use being made of the supplement, ask the professor to be sure whether he or she will be using it for the class. If not, skip buying it.

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