What They Are: Hornbooks and legal treatises are exhaustive, narrative accounts of the general principles of a given area of law written by respected scholars.  Hornbooks and legal treatises can be useful study aids, because they offer reliable explanations of complex topics.  Yet some students think these encyclopedia-like tomes are denser than needed for study aid purposes, because they are also written for attorneys to use in their day-to-day practice.  Thus, while they are convenient supplemental study aids, they are sometimes more comprehensive than necessary to be used as primary study materials.

When To Buy:  The best time to buy hornbooks and treatises is during the first part of a semester (August 15-October 15 in the Fall, or January 2-March 15 in the Spring) so they can be used as a reference throughout the semester.

Popular Hornbooks & Treatises:  The most prominent legal publishers, including Aspen, West and Lexis-Nexis offer a variety of hornbooks and treatises that cover most areas of legal study.  Among the most popular include:  The Hornbook and Concise Hornbook Series.