Choose the Perfect Backpack & Bag for Law School (to Carry Casebooks and Laptops) 

Hey Legal Eagles! Ask your law school questions in the comments!

Not going to law school. Not needing a new backpack. Still watching just in case.

Backpack? I move my casebooks via Wheelbarrow.

As someone who has compulsively used messenger bags, I have to say that the standard backpack is pretty much definitively better in the long-term for your back. After about 8 years of wearing larger/more heavy duty messenger bags on the same shoulder, the cumulative weight of the bags exerted upon my shoulder eventually pushed part of my spinal column out of place and gave me scoliosis. Fortunately, it was relatively mild, so there was no permanent damage, but it still gave me fairly significant back pain for a few weeks (since the spinal column was compressing on the surrounding muscle), and I had to undergo physiotherapy to force the spinal column back into position. Nowadays, I take much more care to always use the strap diagonally to help distribute the weight of the bag across the body, as well as trying to keep the weight to a minimum, as carrying bags exceeding 10kg's starts to give me pain within a week. That being said, I still use messenger bags, as I still prefer their look and feel; it's just nice just being able to swing a shoulder forward and access the contents of the bag. However, I am a lot more careful with my usage of them nowadays, and I would recommend that any prospective law students do the same, lest you do any permanent damage to yourself.

You've talked me out of law school. Thank you.

Can you also do a video on the best kinds of laptops for law school?

Over the last 2 weeks this literally became my favorite channel and I'm not even in law school. Wish these videos were out there when I was a law student lol

Huh. I didn't realise backpacks were so important in law school. I also didn't realise backpacks were unfashionable. I think they're pretty cool. They're so useful.

North face backbacks are also AMAZING. I've had mine for all of hs and undergrad and it's still going strong. Their pricy but so worth it.

Another factor is commuting by bike. In that case, a traditional backpack of real quality with weather proofing is a must. Sitka is hard to beat, though admittedly not at all stylish.

You're videos make me feel more positive about law school for some reason. Maybe not this particular video, but all together I'm really looking forward to it! (Law Student UK)

I’ve watched a lot your videos and they are all very insightful. Thanks a lot, I look forward to what you have in the works.

I am not even in what you know as law school but study German Tax Law as advanced training for my job, but this topic applies to us as well, since our law books are insanely heavy! I have been using what we call a "pilot suit case", that you can also roll on wheels, which was designed for business environments, pretty simular to your document bags. But even though it's high quality, the handles start falling apart from too much use and I hate using them on wet/dirty grounds and when I have to walk a lot of stairs.

Watching every single one of your videos cause I'm considering going to law school next year. Great stuff!

This is really interesting. Where I come from (the Czech Republic), the huge and heavy books that you claim law students in the U.S. have to carry around during the day cannot be taken out from the library and, therefore, can only be read in study halls. And if students have copies of the most important books, like the criminal code with case law, or "introduction to Roman Law", they are much smaller and often paperback.

In Spain there is a famous judge who accepted a case of big corruption, involving politicians and so on. I remember how she used to bring a regular backpack to court the first days. After a month she switched to a big rolling bag. I always imagine that it was a sign of the complexity and seriousness of that case.

I’m in the AVL industry and SwissGear works fantastically. My dad used his for several years for stuff like carrying guns to the range or going on day trips and that same bag has been used my me for about 6 months (including all of my books for school, laptop, and some simple tools). Not the same thing as Law School, but a lot of the basics (books and tech) work well for me.

Law school was 30 years ago for me. My option was a messenger bag - still have it! Very quick to get on and off, or get into the compartments; and super resilient to getting banged around.

I’ve been using a rolling backspace since 8th grade and I INSIST they ARE cool. They’re the coolest. (also my Vera Bradley rolling backpack has lasted YEARS and is incredibly fashionable 😂).

I use two bags i like to use interchangeably, depending what i feel like, I use a Fast Pack EDC by Triple Aught Design, its very rugged and durable and takes a lot of abuse, fits all the books i need and protects my laptop very well, and i have a few pouches attached to MOLLE webbing, and a removable waist belt that i love, it takes all the weight off my shoulders, and added bonus hydration bladder that i love using, not to mention the compliments i get on it around campus. and also have a Arcteryx LEAF Courier Bag, its a messenger style bag, fits everything i need, all my books and laptop, lot of room for 4 water bottles i drink from throughout the day, and I mean big bottles that's used for backpacking, 36 oz, from what I know, i don't think this bag is available for the general public

+1 for Ogio, I tried a lot of backpack and they are way ahead of the curve

I’m former Military and carried ALL my four case books, binders, paperback LAC, and computer in my old Army ruck sack, which is designed for a week of living in the field. I did it for exercise climbing stairs in the L. School between class, and got a lot of stares as well, from students wondering how/ why am I carrying all that. I’m 6’5”/240, so I may be more adept to this than say a smaller frame person, but worked for me!

I start law school in August 2021...going to start shopping for backpacks and messenger bags 💼 soon👍🏾😊⚖️

Love the content!

Could you do a video about, JAG, or have like a guest on the channel to talk about that?

Timbuk2 make great backpacks too. My son destroyed two bags before I ponied up and got him the Timbuk Q Laptop Backpack. Been going 4 years and counting

Great tips James! I love Swiss Gear! Currently, I have a basic camping bag pack for light book carrying days and I have a rolly bag with bag pack straps by Samsonite.

I got a Herschel Harrison. Comes with organize pockets and section.

Very useful , very interesting , very you.

Used a messenger bag throughout law school! :D Started with a backpack for a couple of days, but its too dorky. :D

I just may got a bag perfect for law school, I have a Georgia Southern Eagles Swiss Gear backpack and I'm in under committee review by UGA School of Law for nearly a week which is good news. So I'm getting a playlist of tips in case I do get accepted and having little rest thrown into the lion's den. I'm also ready for the opposite to occur as well. So I'm getting prepared regardless.

What do you think about transferring to a better law school after the first year? How dramatic is the difference between a top law school and a middle of the road one in terms of first job, starting salary, and if/how competence in a given area of the law can ever potentially offset theses differences? Thank you!

Yes that's is so true what you saying be beacause I have a lot homework

I have a Tumi messenger (not leather, polyester of some kind I think) bag that I’m hoping will carry through my 1L year, has a pretty good laptop pouch, decent size pouch for books and stuff. Haven’t tested it with my civil procedure and property casebooks though... thank god my Torts book is digital

What an amazing channel!!

RU-vid keeps suggesting these videos to me, I keep watching them, I'm not even a subscriber or going to school especially not law school.

This is sooooooooo helpful! Thank you so much. I was thinking of getting two leather bags from Coach, but I’m thinking that the document bag would be best for me-especially since I’ll be walking to and from law school.

Osprey Bicycling Backpack. Highly recommended.

I just ordered the Burton Kilo. Form *and* function for a low price? Heck yes. (It has a sternum strap and separate laptop and tablet sleeves, FYI to everyone.) Honestly, I don’t know why I thought my teeny tiny Adidas backpack that I use for day hikes would be fine. (Well, if case books didn’t exist, it *would* be fine.)

I'm actually in trade school learning fashion design. But I have to bring all my sewing equipment every day plus my laptop and fabric. For this a rolling bag is best. They make really professional looking rolling briefcases. The one I use is actually designed to be a tool bag and is sold at Home Depot. I feel much less foolish than I would with an actual backpack

I am not a law student, however I am a history student, thus I carry at least as much books as any law student does. I can highly recommend Fjällräven, they are a Swedish brand that makes some of the best backpacks out there, and they last forever. For example I have one that is 40 years old which I got from my dad, that backpack is older than every single building on campus and just seem to refuse to fall apart. However since it doesn't have a computer pocket, I have a new Fjällräven nowadays. They are not snobby or anything like that, so if that is what you want look somewhere else. But if you just want a really good backpack that will last you...well, if you are a student in your 20s, until you are at least 50, Fjällräven is the way to go!

For really durable bags, 5.11 has a lot of good options if you want a bag that's just a complete tank. They're generally pretty spacious and have a lot of pockets, especially the backpacks, and they're built to last. I personally use one of their messenger bags, but they also have more standard backpacks, and chest-strap backpacks (one strap across the chest). They're also very easy to waterproof, if you want to really protect your stuff.

A suggestion for your series. Something about dual-degree programs. I've seen many law schools where one can get both a J.D. and a degree in another graduate/professional field. J.D./M.B.A. or M.P.A is common, as is J.D./M.L.S. I've also seen J.D./D.Psy., J.D./M.S.W., and even J.D. /M.Div. You might want to discuss these joint-programs---should you do one? What is the best combination? What sort of careers can particular combinations do for you?

I use a Nike basketball backpack, they're bigger have plenty of pockets, and the air max shoulder straps are amazing. I'm never going back to traditional straps. Love the videos cheers.

What are your thoughts on canvas messenger bags?

I need that nagepaeck

If you're small, or find the weight of the books difficult to manage, a rollie bag, or a waist band properly fitted will make the weight manageable. Consider getting an internal frame hiker backpack. They have them that are about the same size as the backpacks discussed here (these are actually day-bags, but try telling this to an 8th grader). If like the OGI backpack there isn't a waist band, you can buy one separately at REI and velcro attach it. Need it sewn? A custom leather worker can do this easily. The critical part of the belt is that it fits correctly on top of your hip bones, but to securely do this it has fit at your back. If you cinch it down tighter and tighter and it's still slipping? It's at the back. REI again is full of nice people who know how it should fit. Get some different color stuff sacks. Red is dongles and chargers, Green is snacks and meds, Baggies are okay, so long as there's only one of them. Get a bag with a light color on the inside, otherwise you will lose a lot of time not being able to find things. Already have a black interior? Get a can of white Krylon for plastic and spray the inside. It won't make it white, but it will lighten it up enough to make the bag work for you. If you have something black, like my SS coffee lid? Tie a bright ribbon to it. Rollies? The wheels always add about 5 pounds. If you're still not sure what to get. Get the $25-$30 backpack at Costco. Then start law school and look around, check out the bags of other people, maybe you want a $150 backpack. Maybe you keep the Costco bag, they hold up as well as any bag, including very expensive hiker kit. I once spent a lot of time and money getting a top backpack, it wasn't any better than the Costco, it did have more zippers, but they just made it harder to find things. Long distance hikers now mostly carry Z-Packs, and Hyperlite. These are essentially one big bag, two water bottle pockets on the outside, and a mesh pocket on the back. They carry their whole life for months. Lots of pockets and zippers are not your friend. One pocket for pens, highlighters and stuff, everything else in stuff sacks (I like the water proof ones that have the fold-tops, instead of the sweatpants gathered ones, you can see inside better.) ALL liquids outside in pockets. You may be the neatest most organized person on the planet, but if you have any water bottle or coffee mug that has anything but a screw top, it is going to leak. Not today, not tomorrow, maybe not next year. The week before the bar exam? It will leak. The highest rated ones that get the five stars? They're great until they destroy your laptop. The rollie document bag? I've seen a lot of these in downtown L.A. outside the court buildings. Not a few of them have stacks of expandable folders precariously bungee corded on top, they get stuck in the cracks. Instead get a folding hand truck--larger wheels. You can add a box or milk crate with the big stuff, and put your backpack on top. Bigger wheels are better everywhere. Link follows. You can pile up a couple of office boxes on them. Another tip is use good parachute line to tie the boxes. Bungee, aka shock cord is too long or too short, but one short one can tighten up the string. (Tie a 'handle' just above the bottom and some nice person can now help you carry it up the stairs) www.amazon.com/Seville-Classics-Folding-Truck-Capacity/dp/B004JOAP9O/ref=sr_1_6?s=hi&ie=UTF8&qid=1533669680&sr=1-6&keywords=folding+hand+cart

I study illustration why do I love watching you

Quick question - Do they no longer have waist straps on high-end college backpacks? You mentioned a chest strap and that is a good idea (save your shoulders and back!) but I remember in college I had a traditional backpack with a waist strap. It wasn't the most fashion forward thing to wear, but it transferred weight to your hips and waist instead of your shoulders - which really helped. (And yes, for short trips you could just have the bag on your shoulders.) Great vids by the way!

I haven’t worn a backpack since jr year of high school. Having to go back to wearing one is gonna be hell.

is there any way to get casebooks digitally? for example, could i instead invest in an ipad that would keep all my casebooks and bigger pdfs on there and that way i could use a smaller backpack with the ipad & laptop?

Talking about backpacks like he’s about to hike the Appalachian trail and needs to find the best pack for support and carrying capacity lol.

The roollie will work for summer break

Swiss gear? I always called that brand "Victorinox"

I use a big ass diaper bag :') Lots of pockets, nice and roomy etc

Good one, what is your opinion on wearing a suit in law school and also what's your thoughts about people who will sort of perceive you as an alien if you wear a suit while they are wearing casual clothing. Thank you!

Those bloopers in the end tho 😂😂😂

I use a messenger bag,but most of my stuff are in my car,I put a lot of my stuff in my car because I usually study at coffee shops or the library,I can never study at home,dunno why. I got so familiar at my coffe shop that when the cleck saw me they just put in the order,no need for me to say it,because they know I will definitely order my usual.

Diference between a Californian and a Canadian. He mentions carrying the rollie when walking on dirt/grass. Meanwhile, I was thinking snow.

Swiss Gear from Costco. Three years and counting.

How about Cars for Law Students?

What the hell... why are casebooks not offered in digital form? Also, Samsonite backpacks... I had mine for over 10 years through high school and my entire post-secondary career. When it finally broke on a trip, I just sent it back to Samsonite, and they fixed it under warranty. I don't have any reason to use it anymore, but it's still kicking. On top of that, they are great for business trips. TSA friendly, packable, and has straps for it to slide through luggage handles. www.samsonite.ca/collections/classic-business-2/samsonite-classic-2-tsa-backpack/63642XXXX.html

I love the document bag idea, but unless I’m walking around in a suit there’s no way I’d ever leave the house with that thing in casual dress.

OMG....I'd be such a Rollie bag person!!

This may sound silly. Undergrad student, here. When I get to law school, is it common for students to take traditional notes on paper? I prefer it that way, although I can see why typing would be much quicker

What about briefcases?

OBJECTION! The best backpack for law school is objectively a Hello Kitty backpack! XD

Also, I was thinking of getting a locker on campus. I believe they are $100 per semester or academic year. Do you recommend a locker?

I live in and study law in Spain, where sidewalks are made from tiny, rectangular tiles, rather than big slabs of concrete. As a result, those rolling backpacks are incredibly uncomfortable to a self-conscious academic like myself. Try walking around making enough noise for everyone in a 200 meter radius to be able to hear. Oof...

0:55 - Chapter 1 - Casebooks are heavy 1:20 - Chapter 2 - You need to protect your laptop 1:50 - Chapter 3 - Organize your crap - Chapter 4 - - Chapter 5 - - Chapter 6 -

North Face Jester Or Patagonia Chacabuco Are the best

It’s a cross, not a plus sign

I guess it depends. I still have a leather pack made from WW2. Straps will never break! Old school is still the best school and they just don't make em' like they use to.

Objection: your contradiction : P Block quote from the comments at video urDWY5TXFa0 "6 Best Free Resources in Law School" [ Oo Patterson 5 months ago How about what type of bag or rolling tote to use as a lawyer? LegalEagle 5 months ago I don't use rollie bags in court because I have self respect. ]

Rolling bag is best bag

You forgot to mention the most important thing. Carrying heavily loaded backpacks or messenger backs puts strain on your back, hips and above all your knees in the long run. Looking fashionable is ruining your body if you have to carry heavy stuff around for an extended period of time. Document bags on wheels don't do that and there are really nice ones out there. Also, as you said yourself, one might use it after law school as well, which helps save money. And US law schools get you heavily in dept, which mentioned before too. So why not safe some money and be kind to your skeleton and joints at the same time?

I have a B.S. degree in computer science. I was wondering what would be the best avenue to pursue a J.D degree.

Any good ali express links?

Why the heck haven't these case books been digitized for easy access? It's all fine and good for originals in a library but that seems so... Excessive.

Im a hike will mine work

I am using old v ookbage

Leather bags are just too heavy! I have a leather purse that I ADORE, but even I must admit that it can be quite heavy. And when you're carrying heavy things, you don't want a bag that's heavy too!

I had no idea there were so many things that went into a law school backpack...

8:53 don’t be afraid of looking like a dork. But you’ll be a dork.

A question for the uber posh type law student(s): Are case books available on line or on DVD?

You know whats a power move? MLP backpack.

Forgot to mention Pack Camels. Indispensable. Intimidates your rivals. Clears your path in halls.

Hey, I am From India. I am a 4th year Law Student myself. If you are studying in India you really don’t need a bag, I am not joking. It is all about rote learning, some of the students don’t even bring notebooks to the class, we just have Quantity not Quality. To be very honest last year I took my ipad for taking notes in the class but the assistant Professor just told me to stop it and took me to deans office and said I was playing games in the class and on the other hand in the same class there were students who were just sitting idle without pen and paper. I just really don’t know what to say.

One video its use an ipad to replace your case books, now it's get a bag sturdy enough to carry your case books..Which is it, buddy?!

rolly bag club what up

Are there Casebooks on electronic version?

"red square with a white plus sign"? That's the weirdest description of the Swiss flag I've ever heard

Is this in America or Britain

100th comment. Law school is terrifying.

screw the rolling bag ill just have a crate on a hand truck

I think it looks odd when wearing a (three piece) suit and using a rucksack, a bit childish in my opinion.

can't people move to a paperless option for casebooks? seems cruel to force students to carry around such a burden especially when hardly used

GoRuck!

lol

I'll buy a small laptop