EXJ Bookshelf
We’re excited to announce the launch of the ex judicata bookstore.
A mix of our favorites, those written by people we’ve interviewed, and compelling reads. No snoozers we promise.
Life is too short to spend time reading bad writing.
As we build the collection, we’d love to hear from you. Is there a book(s) that changed your life and how?
We’ll go first. Reading Great Expectations and being introduced to the power of dramatic storytelling. On the business side, hands down, Ogilvy on Advertising on using words to persuade.
Have a look. Click on any title to purchase on Amazon (this helps ex judicata as well)
EXJ Bookstore
FLUX: 8 Superpowers for Thriving in Constant Change
April Rinne
From a lawyer turned futurist and an ex judicata interviewee. Keen advice for navigating a world in….flux. As ex judicata is all about career, and helping you make the most of yours’, we direct you to #6 of the 8 superpowers: Create Your Portfolio Career—‘For success and satisfaction in a world in flux, treat your career as a portfolio to curate rather than a path to pursue.’ Indeed.
Ogilvy on Advertising
David Ogilvy
40 years after its publication, it is still the best book ever on selling stuff through advertising. His basic principles of writing copy are still amazingly relevant in the internet age. On that, there is a book ‘Ogilvy on Advertising in the Digital Age written by a former Chairman of Ogilvy & Mather that attempts to overlay the master’s teachings with the modern world. It doesn’t work well at all. Stick with the original.
The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell
Robert Dugoni
Phi Beta Kappa, Stanford; journalist LA Times; Biglaw associate and finally New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, bestselling author is our own Bob Dugoni. One of the first ex judicata interviews. You’ve got to love a guy who was rejected 42 times before his first novel was picked up. Both his legal thriller and police procedural series are chock full of inside baseball, but we’ll take this standalone novel as his finest.
The Body Brokers
Brian Cuban
Brian has written extensively and eloquently for many years about substance abuse in the legal profession. He just released his second novel, The Body Brokers. It is captivating and a page-turner.
Great Expectations
Charles Dickens
To succeed, today’s business executives have to master data visualization. The art of using graphic and visual representations to make information accessible. We still say books like Great Expectations succeed on an unparalleled level in painting a picture without needing a single visual.
On Brand
Aliza Licht
Part career guide, part personal growth guide. Referenced in ex judicata’s conversation with psychiatric nurse, Juan Velez.: “It is absolutely fantastic in terms of advice on reinventing yourself and seeing yourself from a different perspective.”
The Simple Guide to Legal Innovation
Lucy Endel Bassli
For any lawyer who needs to get their arms around the amorphous term ‘innovation’ as it relates to the legal marketplace, this book is an excellent place to start. For our purposes, it should be mandatory reading for any lawyer seeking to transition to the world of legal ops. A fan of Lucy’s on LinkedIn wrote: “(Lucy) is the author of my most gifted book. I have literally given a hundred copies away (exj interrupts—how about we say ‘a lot) Full disclosure, Lucy is an investor in exj and we are lucky to have her.
Swim with the Sharks Without Being Eaten Alive
Harvey Mackay
If we are honest, the majority of business books are a snooze. Harvey Mackay’s classic, Swim with the Sharks without being Eaten Alive is as relevant today as it was when it was published in 2005. Absolutely essential for any lawyer who wants a leg up whether moving to Corporate America or launching a startup. Who wouldn’t want to read a chapter titled: How to Get Appointments with People Who Absolutely, Positively Don’t Want to See You.
The Age of Combustion
Stephen Bayley
The subhead to the book is actually Notes on Automobile Design. We are not ‘car guys’ per se, but the writing is beautiful, insightful and full of observations on contemporary society. For our transitioning lawyers the concept of innovation and how some have navigated change is valuable. I am fond of a good portent. You know. The usual. Thunder, lightning, dead dogs, strange births, dew of blood, stars with trains of fire, owls in daylight, eclipses, eruptions, and what Macbeth called ‘dire combustion and confused events’. Yes.
Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance
Robert Pesig
A nice premise–a meditation on how to live a better life set around the narration of a cross-country motorcycle trip taken by a father and son. While it has sold 5,000,000+ copies, we challenge you to find someone who has actually read the whole book.
Business application? A wonderful book to be seen with. People will assume you are wiser than you are.
Nervous Energy
Dr. Chole Carmichael
Word association. Lawyers! ex judicata had an engaging sit-down with ‘Dr. Chloe’ Her book is filled with tips and techniques that can help JDs leaving law use all that anxiety to successfully land a new position This is not pop psychology. It works.
How to Leave the Law
Liz Brown & Amy Impellizzeri
With a Harvard-trained lawyer turned business professor and a former Skadden litigator turned novelist teaming up the final piece of the puzzle is in place. Not quite. But if you seek a practical guidebook to get you from law to out of law, this is a valuable resource which includes case studies.
Reversed in Part
Adam Pascarella
One of the better ‘these people have left the practice of law for a new career’ books.
15 different people, 15 different paths. But, as with most of these titles, there is little practical information on going from point A to point B if you want to leave law for an alternative career.