9 Best Criminal Law Books
We analyzed 3+ expert sources, curated book lists, and recommendations from successful people to find the 9 best criminal law books according to the internet — not just one person's opinion. Each book on this list was mentioned by at least two independent sources, and the ranking is based on how frequently each title appears across all sources studied. This consensus-based approach ensures you get recommendations backed by multiple experts, not a single reviewer's bias.
Goal: Find the best Criminal Law books according to the internet (not just one person's opinion).
Method:
- Search for "best criminal law books" and study the top 3+ pages.
- Add only the books mentioned 2+ times.
- Rank the results neatly here.
9 Best Criminal Law Books
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The New Jim Crow
Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness
Also recommended by
4 people
J. Cole recommended this bookJ. Cole
J. Cole mentioned reading this book on The Fayetteville Observer.
J. Cole's recommendation of this book 
Mark Zuckerberg recommended this bookMark Zuckerberg
"I've been interested in learning about criminal justice reform for a while, and this book was highly recommended by several people I trust." - Mark Zuckerberg
Mark Zuckerberg's recommendation of this book 
Bill Gates recommended this bookBill Gates
"Offers an eye-opening look into how the criminal justice system unfairly targets communities of color, and especially Black communities." - Bill Gates
Bill Gates's recommendation of this book 
Sunny Hostin recommended this bookSunny Hostin
Sunny Hostin recommended this book on Twitter.
Sunny Hostin's recommendation of this book
The Nine
Inside the Secret World of the Supreme Court
Also recommended by
1 person
Gary Vaynerchuk recommended this bookGary Vaynerchuk
"My favorite book I've ever read is [this book]. It was about the supreme court." - Gary Vaynerchuk
Gary Vaynerchuk's recommendation of this book
Caste
The Origins of Our Discontents
Also recommended by
5 people
Ramit Sethi recommended this bookRamit Sethi
Ramit Sethi mentioned this book in the "What to Read Next" newsletter.
Ramit Sethi's recommendation of this book 
Seth Godin recommended this bookSeth Godin
"An extraordinary book." - Seth Godin
Seth Godin's recommendation of this book 
Oprah Winfrey recommended this bookOprah Winfrey
"Shows us how to rebuild a world in which all are truly equal and free." - Oprah Winfrey
Oprah Winfrey's recommendation of this book 
Roger Bennett recommended this bookRoger Bennett
Roger Bennett recommended this book on Twitter.
Roger Bennett's recommendation of this book 
Preet Bharara recommended this bookPreet Bharara
"If you haven’t yet, do your brain and heart a favor by reading this important book." - Preet Bharara
Preet Bharara's recommendation of this book
Just Mercy
A Story of Justice and Redemption
Also recommended by
4 people
Howard Schultz recommended this bookHoward Schultz
"Perhaps one of the most powerful and important stories of our time." - Howard Schultz
Howard Schultz's recommendation of this book 
Cory Booker recommended this bookCory Booker
"Takes you out of where you probably are and lets you look into a window of aspects of our society that are really important." - Cory Booker
Cory Booker's recommendation of this book 
Richard Branson recommended this bookRichard Branson
Richard Branson recommended this book on his "70 must-read books" blog post.
Richard Branson's recommendation of this book 
Kathryn Minshew recommended this bookKathryn Minshew
"A wildly good book." - Kathryn Minshew
Kathryn Minshew's recommendation of this book
Locking Up Our Own
Crime and Punishment in Black America
Also recommended by
1 person
Ezra Klein recommended this bookEzra Klein
Ezra Klein recommended this book on Twitter.
Ezra Klein's recommendation of this book
Ghettoside
A True Story of Murder in America
Locked In
The True Causes of Mass Incarceration-and How to Achieve Real Reform
Suspect Identities
A History of Fingerprinting and Criminal Identification
The Myth of Repressed Memory
False Memories and Allegations of Sexual Abuse
Sources
Edited by
Software engineer whose passion for tracking book recommendations from podcasts inspired the creation of MRB.
Lead investor at 3one4 Capital whose startup expertise and love for books helped shaped MRB and its growth.
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