08/09/2021
The Bureau of Labor Statistics tells us that Americans read more in 2020 than in 2019. But the national average is still under half an hour a day, except for people over over 65, who still don't reach an hour a day. https://www.bls.gov/opub/ted/2021/time-spent-reading-for-personal-interest-in-2020.htm
But a mean only tells part of the story. Even if there are a lot of Americans who read very little, there are also people who are reading a lot. (Look up "long tail" in Wikipedia for the statistical concept of a big heap on the left side of a graph, stretching out with a thin tail to the right.)
And pre-law students, law students, and lawyers are probably well along that graph, reading much more than average. In fact, the Law School Survey of Student Engagement found that most law students read on their own, although the numbers have been declining.
These last weeks of summer might be a good time to get in touch with your inner reader--but there's no reason to stop reading even when school starts: a few minutes waiting for the bus or relaxing at the end of the day can feed your mind and spirit.
"Most law students read on their own for personal or academic enrichment for at least one hour per week. However, the percentage of students who spend time on non-assigned reading has decreased gradually over the last decade and a half. Across every year studied, more men than women spend time reading for personal enrichment, and the gap has widened in the last few years. In 2004, 80% of men and 73% of women read on their own for at least an hour per week. In 2020, those numbers were 74% of men and only 62% of women." https://lssse.indiana.edu/blog/law-student-leisure-time-2004-2020/
Law students need time to rest and recharge. Amidst questions about how much time law students spend working, preparing for class, commuting, and participating in extracurricular activities, LSSSE also asks about time spent on leisure activities such as reading, relaxing and socializing, and exercis...
