Log in Subscribe
law school essentials 2025

Law School Toolkit 2025: Best Books, Apps, and Resources for Indian Law Students

Tarun Sharma
· 6 min read
Law School Toolkit 2025: Best Books, Apps, and Resources for Indian Law Students

Introduction

Why the Right Tools Matter in Law School (2025 Edition)

Law school in India today is more competitive and dynamic than ever before. With regular legal reforms, increased digitization, and the shift towards skill-based learning, students are expected to do more than just attend classes and read textbooks. They must stay updated with new laws, organize their academic tasks, prepare for internships, and improve their research and writing skills.

In 2025, Indian law students cannot rely only on printed materials. The new Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), and Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam (BSA) have replaced older criminal laws. Similarly, internships, moot courts, and online submissions require digital fluency.

This blog is a complete guide for all law students in India—whether in a five-year integrated course or a three-year LL.B. program. It covers:

  • The most important Bare Acts (including newly updated ones)
  • Standard textbooks used in law schools across India
  • Legal research and note-taking apps
  • Official and private websites for judgments and news
  • Stationery and tech tools that save time and improve efficiency
  • Resources for mooting, drafting, and internships

Must-Have Bare Acts and Books for Indian Law Students

Every law student in India must now refer to the revised criminal law codes passed in 2023. These have replaced old colonial laws:

  • Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 (replaces the Indian Penal Code, 1860)
  • Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 (replaces the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973)
  • Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam, 2023 (replaces the Indian Evidence Act, 1872)

Additional essential Bare Acts:

  • The Constitution of India
  • Indian Contract Act, 1872
  • Code of Civil Procedure, 1908
  • Companies Act, 2013
  • Consumer Protection Act, 2019
  • Environmental Protection Act, 1986
  • Labour Codes (latest consolidated versions)
  • GST Act, 2017
  • Transfer of Property Act, 1882
  • Limitation Act, 1963
  • Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996
  • Indian Partnership Act, 1932

Prefer editions published by LexisNexis, EBC, or Universal for accuracy and the latest amendments.

Standard Textbooks by Subject

First-Year Subjects

  • Legal Method—S.N. Jain or Nomita Aggarwal
  • Law of Torts—R.K. Bangia; Ratanlal & Dhirajlal (for deeper reference)
  • Indian Contract Act—Avtar Singh
  • Constitutional Law—J.N. Pandey or M.P. Jain

Second to Fifth Year

  • Family Law—Paras Diwan; Kusum
  • Jurisprudence—V.D. Mahajan; Dias
  • Criminal Law (BNS)—K.D. Gaur (latest edition)
  • Evidence (BSA)—Batuk Lal or Ratanlal & Dhirajlal
  • Property Law—G.P. Tripathi or Poonam Pradhan Saxena
  • Environmental Law—Leelakrishnan
  • Labor Law—S.N. Mishra
  • Company Law—Avtar Singh
  • Public International Law—H.O. Agarwal
  • Interpretation of Statutes—Vepa P. Sarathi

Use these books as your primary learning material. For competitive exams or deeper understanding, consult advanced commentaries and casebooks.

Best Apps for Law Students in India (2025 Edition)

Note-Taking and Reading Apps

  • Notion: Ideal for organizing semester notes, maintaining reading logs, and project planning.
  • Evernote: Use for tagging subjects and saving quick legal references.
  • OneNote: Helpful for handwritten notes and syncing with Microsoft Word or PDF files.
  • Kindle/PocketBook: Perfect for reading bare acts, law books, and judgments on the go.
  • SCC Online: Premium legal research database with access to court cases, statutes, and journals.
  • Manupatra: Includes judgment search, case notes, and legal updates.
  • Indian Kanoon: Free platform to find recent Supreme Court and High Court judgments.
  • Bare Act Box: Useful for viewing updated laws on mobile with bookmarks and search options.

Time and Task Management Tools

  • Google Calendar: Schedule your classes, exams, and deadlines.
  • Todoist/Trello: Manage projects, assignments, and team tasks.
  • Forest App: Helps you stay focused while studying using the Pomodoro technique.

Drafting and Research Assistance Tools

  • Zotero/Mendeley: Manage citations, case law references, and reading lists.
  • Grammarly/Hemingway Editor: Improve the clarity and grammar of your assignments.
  • Typora/Obsidian: Minimalist writing apps for distraction-free legal drafting.

Legal research is a core part of law school. Knowing where to look for judgments, statutes, and commentaries can save time and improve your assignments and internships.

Government Portals

  • India Code Portal (indiacode.nic.in): Central government’s official repository for all updated statutes.
  • eCourts (ecourts.gov.in): Access case status and court orders for district and taluka courts.
  • Judis (judis.nic.in): Supreme Court judgments and daily cause lists.

Private Databases

  • SCC Online & Manupatra: Industry-standard databases for academic and professional research. Most universities provide login access.
  • HeinOnline & JSTOR: Digital libraries of international journals. Use these for thesis writing or in-depth legal articles.
  • LiveLaw & Bar & Bench: Track daily legal developments, court orders, and analysis of judgments.
  • iPleaders Blog: Learn practical legal skills, internships, and drafting advice.
  • Lawctopus: A hub for internships, competitions, writing opportunities, and law school events.

Stationery and Tech Essentials for Law Students

Digital tools help, but physical resources are still very important for Indian law students.

Essential Stationery

  • Spiral notebooks for each subject (use colour-coded covers)
  • Highlighters and sticky notes for marking Bare Acts
  • A4-sized file folders for organizing handouts and printed notes
  • Index cards for case briefs and oral argument prep
  • Laptop (8 GB RAM minimum): Required for online research, assignments, internships, and writing.
  • Tablet with Stylus (optional): Good for reading PDFs and marking judgments or class notes digitally.
  • Smartphone: Keep legal apps, case alerts, and updated Bare Acts on the go.

Accessories to Consider

  • USB Flash Drive and Cloud Backup (Google Drive or OneDrive)
  • Noise-cancelling headphones for online classes or research in public areas
  • External hard drive for storing long-term reading or case libraries

For Moot Court Preparation

  • Citation Guides: Use Bluebook (21st Ed.) or OSCOLA for footnotes and references.
  • Templates: Join your college moot society or Lawctopus’ archive for memorial samples.
  • Judgment Search: Use SCC Online and Indian Kanoon to support your arguments.

For Internship Assignments

  • Google Docs: Ideal for collaboration and real-time feedback.
  • MS Word Styles: Learn to use automatic headings and table of contents (TOC).
  • Grammarly Premium: Useful for editing research papers or internship reports.
  • Zotero/Mendeley: Create auto-generated bibliographies and organize reading material.
  • Turnitin Access (if available): Helps avoid unintentional plagiarism in academic writing.

Common Mistakes Students Make with Study Tools

Even with access to good resources, students often make the following mistakes:

  1. Not Using Updated Laws: Many still refer to IPC, CrPC, or Evidence Act without switching to BNS, BNSS, or BSA.
  2. Over-Reliance on Summary Apps: Apps like Indian Kanoon are helpful, but relying only on them without reading the full judgment weakens legal understanding.
  3. Poor Time Management: Not using calendars or task planners leads to last-minute rush and burnout.
  4. No Backup of Notes: Always back up your notes digitally to avoid data loss.
  5. Not Practicing Drafting Skills: Many students delay learning memo or petition drafting, which is crucial for internships.

How to Build Your Personalized Law School Toolkit

Every student has a different learning style and career goal. Here’s a basic setup suggestion depending on your focus:

For the Academically-Focused Student

  • Subject-wise notebooks
  • Bare Acts (physical + Bare Act Box app)
  • Notion/OneNote for digital notes
  • Indian Kanoon + SCC Online (college login)

For the Moot Court Enthusiast

  • Bluebook or OSCOLA citation guide
  • Templates for memorials
  • Grammarly Premium
  • SCC Online for in-depth case law research

For the Judicial Services Aspirant

  • Updated Bare Acts: BNS, BNSS, BSA
  • Avtar Singh, M.P. Jain, Ratanlal & Dhirajlal series
  • Kindle for reading on the go
  • Adda247, TopRankers, or Law Level-Up apps for test series

For the Internships and Corporate Law Path

  • Evernote or Google Keep for quick client notes
  • Manupatra for legal compliance research
  • MS Word with templates
  • Lawctopus for finding internships

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q1. What are the best apps for law students in India?
Some of the best apps include Notion for note-making, Indian Kanoon for judgment access, and Google Calendar for time management. Manupatra and SCC Online are excellent for legal research.

Q2. Which Bare Acts should I start with in 2025?
You should begin with the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam (BSA), and the Constitution of India.

Q3. Do I need both physical books and apps?
Yes. Use books for foundational learning and apps for updated judgments, search tools, and better time management. A balanced combination helps you perform better.

Q4. What tech tools are necessary for a law student?
You should have a reliable laptop, a smartphone with legal apps, and optionally a tablet for digital reading. Google Drive and Grammarly are useful additions.

Q5. How early should I start using citation tools?
You should learn citation styles like Bluebook or OSCOLA in your first year if you plan to participate in moots, publish research, or work in internships.

Q6. Which websites are best for legal news and updates?
LiveLaw, Bar & Bench, and Lawctopus are highly trusted. They provide case summaries, internship openings, and event updates.

Q7. What are the best textbooks for first-year law students?
For Torts, use R.K. Bangia; for Constitution, J.N. Pandey or M.P. Jain; and for Contract Law, Avtar Singh. These books are widely used and easy to follow.

Q8. Should I buy books or use PDFs?
Use printed books for core subjects and reliable PDFs only from official sources. Never rely on unverified summaries or free PDFs shared online.