So You Want To Be A Lawyer (So You Want To Be A...)
About
Most kids think being a lawyer means shouting in a courtroom. The truth is quieter, stranger, and far more powerful — and it just might describe your child.
So You Want To Be A Lawyer pulls back the curtain on one of the world’s oldest professions and shows young readers what lawyers really do — not the version from TV, but the real work of reading closely, choosing exact words, and standing up for people who can’t stand up for themselves.
Written for curious readers ages 10–14 (and a wonderful read-aloud for younger kids), this beautifully illustrated guide treats children as intellectual equals. It’s honest about the hard parts and generous about the rewards — and it carries a message too few kids ever hear: you don’t have to be the loudest person in the room to do important work.
Inside, young readers will:
- Step hour-by-hour through a real “day in the life” of a working lawyer
- Meet four lawyers who changed history — Thurgood Marshall, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Bryan Stevenson, and Constance Baker Motley
- Discover true facts they’ll race to repeat: the court that ruled a tomato is a vegetable, the medieval trials that put pigs and rats on the stand, and the Supreme Court’s secret basketball court, nicknamed “the Highest Court in the Land”
- Learn what it actually takes to get there — and simple ways to start preparing today
With a plain-language glossary, recommended books and resources, and a heartfelt note from the author, a lawyer of twenty-five years, this is a book children grow into, not out of.
For the kid who loves a good argument, notices the details everyone else misses, or quietly insists on what’s fair — this one’s for them.
They’ll also confront the harder parts of the job: the long hours, the cases that don’t end the way anyone hoped, and the responsibility of being the one person standing between a client and a system far larger than they are.
This book introduces young readers to the people who choose that work — and asks whether the careful reasoning, steady courage, and stubborn sense of fairness it requires might already live in them.
Praise for this book
"Have you ever thought about what it’s like to be a lawyer? Linda Soules’s So You Want To Be A Lawyer is a children’s book that offers a look at the day-to-day life of a lawyer. According to Soules, these professionals help solve problems, interpret laws, and defend people. Not all lawyers work in the same area of law, either. These areas are called specialties and include family, criminal, environmental, and many other types of law. This resource covers where attorneys work, what tools they use, and the skills and traits they need, such as honesty and critical thinking. Soules walks readers through a day in the life of a lawyer. They spend their time researching cases, meeting with clients, preparing paperwork, and more. Like any career, there are positive and negative aspects to it. One of the benefits is helping others; one drawback is the long hours. At the end, there’s a section about well-known figures in the legal field, like Thurgood Marshall and Ruth Bader Ginsburg. There’s also a glossary of words, fun facts, and examples of questions they may use. So, do you think this is the job for you?
It was interesting to learn about being a lawyer from So You Want To Be A Lawyer by Linda Soules. This is another strong addition to her "So You Want to Be a..." series. I appreciated how the cover showed a female lawyer. It's a nice reminder that this career is open to everyone. It opened my eyes to the wide variety of legal specialties and gave me a better understanding of what lawyers actually do beyond what is often shown in movies and television. From a teacher's perspective, this would be a useful resource during a careers unit or when discussing rules. For a follow-up activity, students could research a law, compare different types of law, or discuss fairness in the legal system. The illustrations help break down complex ideas and give readers visual examples of lawyers at work in different settings. Anyone looking for a book about community helpers will want to pick this one up. I’ve read a few other titles in this collection, and I believe this book belongs in homes, schools, and libraries."
"Linda Soules’s So You Want To Be A Lawyer is an engaging and informative children’s book that gives young readers a realistic look at the legal profession. Many kids may imagine lawyers as people who simply argue loudly in courtrooms, but this book shows that the job is much more thoughtful, complex, and meaningful. Lawyers read carefully, choose words with precision, solve problems, interpret laws, and stand up for people who need help navigating a complicated system.
One of the book’s strongest features is the way it walks readers through a real day in the life of a lawyer. From researching cases and meeting with clients to preparing paperwork and making court arguments, Soules presents the profession in a way that is easy for children to understand. The book also explains different legal specialties, such as family, criminal, and environmental law, helping readers see that there are many paths within the field. The discussion of the tools, skills, and traits lawyers need, including honesty, critical thinking, compassion, and strong communication, makes this a valuable career guide.
I especially enjoyed how the book balances inspiration with honesty. It doesn’t only focus on the exciting or rewarding parts of being a lawyer, such as helping others and fighting for fairness. It also explains the harder parts, including long hours, difficult cases, and the responsibility lawyers carry when representing clients. The fun facts, including unusual court cases, medieval animal trials, and the Supreme Court’s hidden basketball court, add humor and surprise. The profiles of legal figures such as Thurgood Marshall, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Bryan Stevenson, and Constance Baker Motley give young readers real examples of people who used law to change history.
The illustrations help make challenging ideas more approachable, and the glossary, recommended resources, and author’s note add even more value. This book would be a wonderful addition to homes, classrooms, and libraries, especially during career units or discussions about rules, fairness, and justice. Even children who do not plan to become lawyers can learn a great deal from this book about how laws shape daily life and why careful thinking matters. So You Want To Be A Lawyer is an inspiring, accessible, and thoughtful read for curious kids who love asking questions, noticing details, and standing up for what is fair."
"This is an inspiring book. For every parent who wants to guide their children in a career path. This book is a must have. It describes clearly what it takes to be a lawyer. Again, showing a day work in the lawyer’s life, serves a great guide for a professional choice. After finishing reading this book, you 'will understand what to how and when to communicate so you don’t get into trouble' said by my 13 years old."
"'The most important work we don’t see from lawyers is in written form and not in court.' I learned so much about the work lawyers actually put in, behind the scenes of being in a court room. 'A single phrase in a statute can shape how that law is applied for decades.' Was so informing. If anyone in my life decides this will be the route this book will be an open gateway of information."
"I love these books! They are informative, engaging, and full of amazing illustrations! This one had facts specifically about becoming a lawyer, and it even mentioned briefly where a judge had to listen to a case of whether or not a burrito qualified as a sandwich, which I think would be very fun for kids to hear about. It walks the reader through what a lawyer actually does, where they work, the tools of the trade, and best/worst parts of the job like the other So You Want to Be A books."
"This short read gives a great explanation of being a lawyer. The break down of 'tools' that lawyer use are easy to understand. The day on the life was the best part. The illustrations are great too! This book explains that there is more to being a lawyer than just understanding law. This profession is for the compassionate and strong person."
"I recommend this book to every kid no matter if they want to be a lawyer or not. It can help them understand what they do but also some legal jargon and that what they see on tv isn't all they do. I especially liked the fun facts section. This book also talks about what the hard and best parts of the job are and things kids can do now if they actually end up wanting to be a lawyer."
"This book broke down different types of lawyers. It gives you a good understanding of what lawyers do in their practices. Now my child wants to become a lawyer when growing up."
"So You Want to Be a Lawyer is a kid-friendly guide that explains what it’s really like to work in law. As part of Linda Soules' career book series, it breaks down big legal ideas and court systems into easy, fun stories. The book aims to get young readers excited about law while showing them the real-life skills they need to succeed."