Take it from me, law school is not a pleasurable experience. But receiving a thoughtful holiday gift can help a law student put the past semester behind him while looking ahead to his future as an attorney. Whether your favorite law student is a 1L, a 2L, or a 3L, here are the top ten gift ideas for law students.
(1) A black or brown leather briefcase or briefbag makes a great gift idea for law students. I received a brown leather briefbag during my second year of law school and carried it for my first three years as an attorney. Of course, these items vary in price depending on quality and name brand. Plan on spending between two and six hundred dollars for a really decent leather briefcase or briefbag. Check out Wilson’s Leather for specials. The recipient of this thoughtful holiday gift will remember it for years to come, especially while sitting in court, waiting long hours for his case to be called.
(2) A wooden gavel is a great gift idea for your favorite law student. Available from such office supply stores as Staples, a wooden gavel is an inexpensive gift that your recipient will cherish during his entire career as an attorney. A brass band on the gavel allows you to have a message engraved at your local mall. The gavel comes in walnut, with or without a sound block, for either $23 (without sound block) or $39 (with). The gavel is over ten inches long and is a perfect addition to a law student’s desk or bookcase.
(3) There are some terrific true stories about lawyers and the law that can serve as inspiration for your favorite law student. A Civil Action by Jonathan Harr is one such nonfiction novel. Available in trade paperback from Vintage, A Civil Action is the story of New England personal injury attorney Jan Schlichtmann, a young, flamboyant attorney who hoped to win millions of dollars in an incredible lawsuit linking drinking water to cancer clusters, but nearly lost everything, including his sanity. The Innocent Man is John Grisham’s recent nonfiction novel about murder and injustice in a small Oklahoma town. Written in the tradition of Truman Capote’s In Cold Blood, The Innocent Man is available in hardcover from Doubleday.
(4) If you think your favorite law student has already read just about all he can read for the semester, how about something lighter, like some movies about lawyers and the law. John Grisham’s The Rainmaker is a fantastic film directed by Francis Ford Coppola. Starring Matt Damon, Claire Daines, Danny DeVito, Danny Glover, and Jon Voight, The Rainmaker is about a rookie lawyer up against all odds when he takes on a huge insurance company and their army of stuffed shirt attorneys. Other films based on John Grisham’s books include A Time to Kill, The Firm, The Pelican Brief, The Client, The Chamber, and The Runaway Jury. A Civil Action was also made into an excellent film starring John Travolta and Robert Duvall. All of these movies are available on DVD for between ten and twenty dollars each.
(5) One thing every law student can use is a new suit. Offer to take your favorite law student out to be fitted for a new suit. Of course, suits range in price based on quality and brand name. Know your law student’s tastes before making such an offer, or you may be spending a thousand bucks on a brand new double-breasted Hugo Boss.
(6) A leather planner is an exceptional gift idea for law students. Available from companies such as Franklin Covey, a leather planner is a holiday gift that can last years, even decades. Your law student will be able to order refills every year. I received a leather planner as a holiday gift back in 1996, and I just received in the mail my refills for 2007. Check out Franklin Covey’s website to compare prices and styles.
(7) A fashionable pen is another great holiday gift idea for law students. Companies such as Montblanc and Cross offer a wide selection of fine writing instruments, including fountain pens, rollerball pens, and ballpoint pens. The availability of fountain pen inks and pen refills will make your holiday gift last much longer than just this holiday season. I received several fine writing instruments during my law school career and I continue to treasure each and every one of them.
(8) An elegant set of bookends will help keep your favorite law student’s law books organized and easy to get at. That book collection will only grow as his law school and legal career continues. Check out Levenger online to view their magnificent selection of products.
(9) An open window in a lawyer’s office can mean havoc for both the attorney and his clients. A paperweight is a terrific solution. You can find many unique paperweights from the ordinary to the truly bizarre.
(10) You can never go wrong with customized stationary. Your favorite law student will be delighted with a set of stationary worthy of his ego. A simple “From the Desk of” can be exciting addition to ordinary paper, especially for a future attorney.
