Law students in the UK save the most by buying the current statute book new and getting almost everything else second-hand or through the library’s legal databases. Law moves quickly, so the trick is knowing which books must be this year’s edition and which can safely be a year or two old. Below are seven online stores and routes that LLB, GDL and conversion students genuinely rely on. We chose them on price, on how easily you can pin down a particular edition, and on whether they fit the way law reading lists work: one or two core textbooks per module, a statute book, and a long tail of chapters you only need to read once.
1. Wordery
Wordery is an online seller of new books and a practical choice for the one item you should not buy used: the current year’s statute book. Many law schools only allow clean, unannotated copies of a specified edition into open-book exams, so an old or marked copy may be useless. Wordery suits buying that single title new without walking into a campus shop. It does not sell used stock, so it will not help with cheaper core texts.
2. AwesomeBooks
This UK seller of used and new books suits law students who want inexpensive second-hand copies of contract, tort or land law textbooks, delivered free with a charitable element attached: every book bought means a book donated to someone in need. Orders go out within 24 hours, which is useful in the first week of term. Be careful with editions. Stock of any particular edition varies, so check the ISBN against your module handbook before ordering, and rely on the condition stated on the listing rather than assuming it is pristine.
3. AbeBooks
AbeBooks brings together listings from many independent booksellers, so it is good for older casebooks and jurisprudence or legal history texts where the edition matters less. It suits students on optional modules with unusual reading. Sellers set their own postage and grading, and some ship from outside the UK, so check the dispatch location before you commit.
4. eBay
Final-year and GDL students often sell their entire first-year reading on eBay once exams finish. Buying a bundle can be the cheapest way to cover several core modules at once. It suits buyers who will check every edition number in the photos. The risk is getting a set that is two editions behind, which matters more in fast-changing areas such as public law or EU-derived topics.
5. Your law society book sale or course group
Student law societies and course Facebook groups regularly run second-hand sales at the start of the academic year. Prices are usually set by students who just want the books gone, and you can inspect copies in person. It suits anyone on campus in September. Availability is patchy, and you may find only one copy of the most popular text.
6. Amazon used listings
Amazon is useful for quick price comparison on a single ISBN, with new and third-party used copies shown together. Popular titles such as the Oxford University Press “Concentrate” revision series often have several used copies listed. Condition descriptions vary by seller, and postage is charged per seller, so several cheap books from different sellers can add up.
7. Westlaw, LexisNexis and the library
Your university almost certainly gives you access to legal databases such as Westlaw and LexisNexis, plus e-book versions of many core texts. Cases, statutes and journal articles are all there at no extra cost. It suits essay research and checking the current law. Library e-book licences can limit simultaneous users, and screen reading is tiring for long chapters.
What to check before you buy a law book
- Read the module handbook for the exact edition of the core text and statute book.
- Never buy a used statute book for an exam unless you know the rules allow it and the copy is clean.
- Older editions of a textbook can be fine for background reading, but check recent case law and legislation separately.
- Online resource codes bundled with new books are usually missing from used copies.
- Unmarked copies hold their resale value far better.
Pull up your module handbooks, separate the must-be-current titles from the rest, and price the rest by ISBN. Buy the statute book new, then decide case by case whether the library covers each remaining text well enough.
