Best Gender & the Law Books of 2026

An instant New York Times bestseller, Lady Justice: Women, the Law, and the Battle to Save America by Dahlia Lithwick tells the story of women lawyers who fought against the racism, sexism, and xenophobia of Donald Trump’s presidency and won. Lithwick dramatizes the stories of women like Sally Yates, Becca Heller, Roberta Kaplan, and Stacey Abrams in thrilling detail to provide a deeply inspiring account of the Trump years. The book is a must-read for those interested in gender and the law, and it showcases the power of women working together to fight against injustice.

Trans: Gender Identity and the New Battle for Women's Rights is a book that offers a well-researched and compassionate analysis of the current state of the debate around gender and identity. Helen Joyce's arguments are sound and avoid the toxicity that mars so much conversation on this topic. The book is a tour de force that provides an antidote to the chaos and cancelling that surrounds this issue. The author's approach is rooted in good science and common sense, making it a superlative critical analysis. Overall, Trans is a courageous, intelligent, and important work that sheds light on a subject that has sparked an unhelpful civil war within the LGBTQ community.

"Her Honor: Stories of Challenge and Triumph from Women Judges" is an inspiring book that features personal stories by and about some of the most respected female judges in the US. The book portrays the challenges and successes of these judges, including the inequality, bias, and other barriers they faced and overcame in their lives. The stories are all too recognizable by women who may currently be experiencing similar challenges and biases in their own career. Overall, the book is a must-read for law students, lawyers, and anyone interested in the legal profession. It's a unique book that offers hope and pride at a time when surveys reveal declining trust in our courts."

After Misogyny: How the Law Fails Women and What to Do about It is a thought-provoking analysis of how the law protects men’s overentitlement and overempowerment, examining efforts to correct the problem through constitutional reform. The book is a well-informed and actionable diagnosis of one of society's most persistent ills. The author, Julie C. Suk, shows how constitutional change around the world can lead to a "constitutionalism of care", building the public infrastructure that women's reproductive work has long made possible for free. This book is a must-read for anyone interested in gender equality and constitutional law.

The Rights of Women: Reclaiming a Lost Vision by Erika Bachiochi is a unique and original take on the development of feminist thought in the United States. Bachiochi presents a lost vision of women's rights, weaving philosophical insight, biographical portraits, and constitutional law to showcase how our rights properly rest upon our concrete responsibilities to God, self, family, and community. This book is a must-read for students and scholars of political theory, gender and women’s studies, constitutional law, and all readers interested in women’s rights.

The Family Roe by Joshua Prager is a finalist for several prestigious book prizes and has been recognized by NPR, The New York Times, and TIME. The book provides a comprehensive and intimate look at the life of Norma McCorvey, the woman behind the pseudonym "Jane Roe" in the landmark Supreme Court case Roe v. Wade. Through extensive research, including personal papers previously unseen, Prager delves into McCorvey's life before, during, and after the case, as well as the lives of her three daughters, including Baby Roe, now fifty years old. The Family Roe offers a unique and insightful perspective on the history of abortion in America.

Believing: Our Thirty-Year Journey to End Gender Violence is a powerful memoir, personal account, and social analysis that offers insights into the roots of gender violence and paths to creating dialogue and substantive change. Anita Hill, a prominent survivor and advocate, draws on her years of experience and the stories of thousands of individuals to trace the pipeline of behavior that follows individuals from place to place. The book is a call to action that offers guidance based on what Hill has learned from her lifetime of advocacy. This book is a must-read for anyone who wants to understand the urgent issue of gender violence and work towards a solution.

Outside In is an engaging and unique oral history and biography of Guido Calabresi, a leading legal scholar, teacher, law school dean, and judge. The book is based on recordings over a decade, with supplementary commentaries to explain and interpret the personal narrative within its larger historical context. Norman I. Silber has done an excellent job of capturing Guido's remarkable voice and telling his story. This book is a must-read for anyone interested in the history of law, legal theory, and the transformation of American law schools. Overall, Outside In is a fascinating and insightful read that stands out for its originality and authenticity.

Break Point: Two Minnesota Athletes and the Road to Title IX is a deeply researched and engaging book that tells the story of two teenage girls who jump-started a revolution in high school athletics. Peggy Brenden, a senior, played tennis, and Toni St. Pierre, a junior, was a cross country runner and skier. The book details how they took on the unequal system of high school athletics in Minnesota in 1972 and set a legal precedent for schools nationwide before the passage of Title IX. Author Sheri Brenden, Peggy’s younger sister, conveys the human drama of the case, the stakes, and the consequences for these two young women facing the legal machinery of the state. Overall, this book is a must-read for anyone interested in the history of women's sports and gender equality.

Gay Priori: A Queer Critical Legal Studies Approach to Law Reform by Libby Adler is a thought-provoking book that critiques the mainstream LGBT legal agendas in the US and proposes a new direction for LGBT law reform. Adler argues that the narrow focus on same-sex marriage, antidiscrimination protections, and hate crimes statutes often overlooks the legal issues that affect the most marginalized members of the LGBT community. She proposes prioritizing the redistribution of resources to address low-profile legal conditions that better meet the needs of LGBT people. This book is a timely reminder that the legacy of Stonewall is still unfolding and an important contribution toward a more emancipatory queer agenda.