Gifts for Lawyers and Law Students
- 20 gift ideas
- From under $25 to $100 and up
- 8 niche picks
Good gifts for lawyers are tools for work and for the desk: a padfolio, a rolling litigation bag, a fine pen, legal pads or a nameplate, plus a reading shelf of legal books. For law students, try a Bluebook or study-break gifts. These 20 ideas cover attorneys at every stage.
Quick picks
- Best stocking stuffer: Premium legal pads A step up from supply-closet pads for lawyers who draft by hand. Idea 4
- Best splurge: A retractable fountain pen A pen that clicks open for fast notes in meetings. Idea 6
- Best for new lawyers: Black's Law Dictionary, 12th edition The standard legal dictionary for a lawyer's first desk. Idea 12
- Best for law students: 1L of a Ride A roadmap to the first year for someone about to start. Idea 18
The best gifts for attorneys help with the daily work: carrying files, taking notes, drafting and setting up an office. A reference book or a good pen can mark the milestone for a law student or new lawyer.
We sorted these ideas into work gear, a desk and pen shelf, a reading shelf and gifts for law students and bar exam takers. For a boss or a colleague who is a lawyer, Gifts for Your Boss has more ideas.
Ideas 1 to 5
Work gear for lawyers
Practical gear for carrying, filing and scanning case files.
1. A padfolio for court and meetings
A padfolio with a letter-size pad and card pockets is what a lawyer carries into meetings, depositions and court, which suits a new lawyer or a law student heading into a first interview. It keeps notes, cards and papers together in one tidy case. Look for pockets that hold business cards and a pad that is easy to replace.
Tip: Check whether they carry letter-size or legal-size pads.
2. A rolling litigation bag
Trial binders and boxes of exhibits are heavy, and a rolling briefcase saves a litigator's shoulder between the office and the courthouse. It suits a trial lawyer or anyone who carries a lot of paper to court. Look for legal-size space and a laptop pocket, and check the handle height against the person using it.
Tip: Check the airline carry-on size if they will travel with it.
3. Redrope expanding file pockets
Expanding redrope pockets organize case files and are a fixture in law offices, which suits a litigator with large files or a solo practitioner who still keeps paper. They hold thick bundles of documents and stay upright in a drawer or a banker's box. A ten-pack lasts through several matters and is a practical, low-cost gift.
Tip: Add labels or a pack of file folders for a ready-to-use set.
4. Premium legal pads
Premium legal pads are a step up from the supply-closet kind and a nice treat for a lawyer who still drafts by hand. Smooth paper, a firm back and legal ruling make long note-taking sessions more comfortable. Four pads last a while, so this is an easy stocking stuffer or a small addition to a bigger gift.
Tip: Check whether they use legal ruling or a different style.
5. A desktop document scanner
For a solo or small-firm lawyer working mostly in PDFs, a fast document scanner turns paper files into searchable digital documents. It suits a practitioner who handles client paperwork and wants to cut stacks of paper. A wireless or USB connection means it can sit on a shelf or by the desk. It is a bigger purchase.
Tip: Check which operating system and apps the scanner supports.
Ideas 6 to 11
Pens and desk gifts for attorneys
Pens, decor and small tokens for a first office or a bar admission.
6. A retractable fountain pen
A retractable fountain pen clicks open like a ballpoint, so it suits a lawyer who loves a good pen and takes fast notes in meetings. There is no cap to lose or leave behind. It is refillable, which makes it a long-term gift. It is a splurge, so it fits a bar admission, a promotion or a milestone.
Tip: Check nib size: fine suits fast note-taking on legal pads.
7. A classic ballpoint for signing
A classic ballpoint is a good signing pen, and a Cross Century II is a common choice to engrave with a name or bar date. It suits a new lawyer on swearing-in day, or a graduate heading to a first job. Check whether engraving is offered and allow time for it. A black ink refill is easy to find.
Tip: Check engraving options and lead time before you order.
8. A Lady Justice statue
A Lady Justice statue is a classic for a new office or a graduation, and this one stands 12.5 inches, tall enough to be seen on a credenza or bookshelf. It suits a new lawyer or a graduate setting up a first office. It is decor with meaning, but check whether the recipient likes traditional pieces before you buy.
Tip: Check the shelf or desk space for a 12.5 inch statue.
9. A custom desk nameplate
A personalized nameplate with a name and a title, such as Esq., marks a first office or a bar admission, which suits a newly admitted lawyer. It is a lasting desk piece, and a walnut insert gives it a traditional look. Because it is made to order, allow production and shipping time, and double-check spelling before you order.
Tip: Check spelling and the title line twice, and allow time for production.
10. A gavel and sound block for the desk
A solid wood gavel and block is a classic courtroom nod for a new office or a bar-passage celebration, and it sees real use for anyone who chairs a bar committee or board meeting. It suits a new lawyer setting up an office. Pair it with a card, and check the block is stable on a desk.
Tip: Check whether they want it for the desk or for chairing a meeting.
11. Scales of justice cufflinks
Scales of justice cufflinks are a subtle nod to the profession for court days, which suits a lawyer who wears French cuffs. They come in a gift box with a polishing cloth, so they are ready to give. They are a small, light gift, but only useful if the recipient wears cufflinks, so check before you buy.
Tip: Only for French cuffs, so check whether they wear them.
Ideas 12 to 16
A reading shelf for lawyers
A curated shelf: a reference, writing guides and one legal page-turner.
12. Black's Law Dictionary, 12th edition
Black's is the standard legal dictionary, and the 12th edition is the current one, a lasting desk reference for a new lawyer or a graduate. It suits someone building a first office library. It stays on a desk rather than in a briefcase. Check whether they already own an earlier edition.
Tip: Check which edition they own so you do not duplicate it.
13. Point Made
Ross Guberman's book on how top advocates write uses real examples from briefs, which suits a litigator who wants to sharpen persuasive writing. It is a practical guide, not a theory text, so a lawyer can pick it up between matters and apply an idea to the next draft. It suits a litigator who writes briefs and wants clearer, more persuasive arguments on the page.
Tip: Check whether they already own the first or second edition.
14. Legal Writing in Plain English
Bryan Garner's book, with exercises, teaches clearer legal writing and is useful from the first year of law school to partner. It suits a law student or a young associate who wants to write plainly. The exercises give a reader something to practice on, so it works as a self-study book as well as a reference.
Tip: A good fit for a law student or a first-year associate.
15. Making Your Case
A short, practical book on persuading judges in briefs and oral argument suits any lawyer who argues in court, and a moot court student too. Its advice is concentrated and easy to dip into before a hearing, with chapters that can be read in one sitting. It makes a sensible pairing with a padfolio or a fountain pen for a lawyer who argues motions or a student on a moot court team.
Tip: Short enough to read on a flight before a hearing.
16. A Civil Action
Jonathan Harr's true story of a toxic-tort trial is a legal page-turner, which suits a lawyer who reads on vacation and wants something that is about the work without being a casebook. It is also a readable pick for a non-lawyer who is curious about how litigation works, so a family member could borrow it after the lawyer finishes. Check the format if they prefer paperback.
Tip: Pair with a travel mug for a vacation reading gift.
Ideas 17 to 20
Gifts for law students and bar exam takers
For the first year, law review and months of bar study.
17. A courtroom video game for study breaks
The Ace Attorney games turn cross-examination into a puzzle: press the witness, present the evidence and catch the contradiction. This Switch collection bundles three of them, which suits a law student or a lawyer who plays games and wants a study-break pastime. It is rated T for Teen. They need to own a Nintendo Switch to play it.
Tip: Rated T for Teen, so check it suits the recipient; it needs a Switch.
18. 1L of a Ride
A law professor's roadmap to the first year of law school suits someone about to start, since it explains what to expect and how to get ready. It is aimed at incoming students, so the best time to give it is before orientation. Check the edition, which is not stated on the listing, and pair it with a padfolio.
Tip: Check which edition they have before you buy.
19. The Bluebook
The Bluebook is the citation manual for law school, law review and clerkships, and a fresh copy is a useful gift for a student, an editor or a new clerk. Edition matters, so ask which one their school or firm uses. It is a reference book and will be used all the time during the first year and on law review.
Tip: Ask which edition their school or firm uses before you buy.
20. Foam earplugs for bar study
Quiet matters during months of bar exam study, and a 50-pair box lasts the whole study period, so it suits someone preparing in a busy apartment or a library. Foam earplugs are small, light and easy to slip into a bag. Check the state's exam-day rules before relying on them, since earplug rules on test day vary.
Tip: Check the state's exam-day rules on earplugs before relying on them.
Frequently asked questions
What are good gifts for lawyers?
Start with what a lawyer uses every day: a padfolio, a good pen, premium legal pads or a rolling briefcase for trial days. A desk piece such as a nameplate or a Lady Justice statue marks a new office. A reading shelf with Black's Law Dictionary or a legal writing guide suits lawyers who like to read.
What are good gifts for new lawyers?
A milestone gift suits a new lawyer: Black's Law Dictionary, an engraved ballpoint, a custom nameplate, a gavel or a Lady Justice statue. A padfolio is a practical choice for the first week. Allow time for engraving or personalization and confirm spelling and title before you order.
What are good gifts for law students?
A padfolio, a Bluebook, 1L of a Ride and Legal Writing in Plain English suit different stages of law school. For a break, the Ace Attorney games turn cross-examination into a puzzle, though they need a Nintendo Switch. Foam earplugs help with bar study; check exam-day rules.
What are good Christmas gifts for lawyers?
A good pen, premium legal pads or cufflinks fit a stocking or a small present. A rolling briefcase, a document scanner or a fountain pen are bigger gifts for a lawyer's own use. A legal page-turner such as A Civil Action suits vacation reading.
What is a good gift for an attorney who has everything?
Look for something that fixes a small friction: a better pen, a document scanner, redrope pockets or a rolling litigation bag. A book that fits their practice, such as a writing guide or an advocacy text, also works. Personalized items work if you confirm the details.
What should you give someone passing the bar?
A personalized nameplate with their name and Esq., an engraved pen or a gavel and sound block marks the milestone. A padfolio or Black's Law Dictionary is useful as they start work. Bar results arrive on different dates by state, so check theirs and allow time for engraving.
