How to Write
a First Class
Law Essay
How to write
a good Law Essay
Are you fed up with not receiving a first in your law essays? How to write a first class law essay? You are not alone in feeling this way. Because academic writing along with legal writing style is difficult to learn, students often do not become proficient in it until the last year of their degree programme when they finally understand how to write a law essay.
law Essay WRITING advice
It is possible that the most difficult portion of the academic writing process will be getting started on your law essay. In spite of this, I am certain that the beginning of the writing process is the most important step in obtaining a first-class grade, based on my years of experience teaching and mentoring law students. If you want to learn how to set yourself up for success right from the start and how to good law essay then read this guide. It will help you understand what is required of you to get a first in your law essay, although you are never told this by your university.
#1 Identify the type of question
Identifying the sort of question you will be answering while writing your law essay is the first step you must take. Typically, you will be asked to respond to a law topic that is either worded as an essay question or as a problem scenario, depending on the situation.
Problem scenarios are often extended tales concerning various events that occurred in the lives of a single person or a group of individuals. They are meant to be representative of the scenarios that actual individuals might find themselves in when they seek legal help.
In the event of questions that are framed as an essay question, your work becomes a little more difficult. In order to determine if your question is a general essay question, a particular essay question, or a quote question, you must first determine which kind of question it is.
#2 problem questions
Determine which laws and/or cases are relevant to the circumstances described in the scenario;
Determine whether or not the relevant statutes and/or cases are applicable to the facts indicated in the scenario;
Develop a proposal for what the individual person represented in the facts should do in light of the applicable legislation and/or cases;
Provide a rationale for why you believe they should take a particular action;
Clarify your advice by indicating whether you believe they have a good chance of succeeding in their claim; and
Make a recommendation based on those laws and/or cases for what the individual portrayed in the factual scenario should do;
Provide justification for why you believe they should take a certain action; and
Conclude by indicating whether you believe they are likely to succeed in their action.
#3 Essay questions
There are many distinct types of essay questions, and each requires a different approach. Law essay writing should be tacked by doing the following:
It is recommended that you read various resources on the subject of law that the question pertains to;
Make a list of concerns that are generally addressed in regard to that area;
Consult with a law tutor who can give you an up-to-date framework that can be used; and
Select a few topics (usually 3-5, depending on the word count) on which you will concentrate your efforts.
#4 Research the area of law
When law essay writing, the next step is to do comprehensive research on the area of law that you will be writing about. This is so that you will know how to organise your essay, and what information to include in it when you begin to write it. In order to do this, you will need to conduct extensive study on the parts of the law and cases that you will be covering in your essay. In addition, what academics had to say about those cases and statute in their journal articles. Using this method is not difficult, just time consuming. Start by looking at our LLB law notes to get a good understanding.
step one
Using a few textbooks, skim over the appropriate chapters and search for any sections of legislation or cases that are cited more than once in regard to the particular field of law you are working with and the concerns that you highlighted in the preceding stage. For the greatest results, skim over the chapter's text and footnotes as much as possible before moving on.
step two
Look at the reading list and do your own research and try an find the main authoritative articles in this area. A good place to find the relevant things to read is an LLM reading list. They cover more academic material on the master's and in greater detail. If you cannot find one online then ask your law tutor.
Make a note of any journal papers that are related to your subject and that is referenced. It is a good idea to reference the articles you use in OSCOLA so you do not have to do it later.
legal RESEARCH
in four steps
However, there are a few things you can do to expedite the learning process if you put your mind to it. Using the advice provided here, you will improve your skills. Once this happens you will get better at law essay writing and you will start writing law essays that will get a first and understand the proper way of how to write a good law essay.
Step three
Read just a few of the journal articles that you discovered in step two and make notes on what you learned. Summarise the main arguments. Check to see whether they refer to the identical legislation parts and cases that you discovered in step one of this process.
step four
Find out what the writers of the journal articles have to say about the legislative provision and court cases that you are interested in. Do they express their disapproval with the language of the sections and the conclusions of the judges, or do they express their support for them? What exactly do they have to say in favour of their point of view? All of this will be used in the construction of the main body of your law essay writing.
#5 Structure your essay
When it comes to working on their law essay, many students become stuck when it comes to putting up an essay format. Getting stuck on "how do I start my essay" may be a great pain at this point of the writing process, and it is easy to get discouraged. Depending on whether you are dealing with a problem scenario, a general essay question, a particular essay question, or a quote essay question, your essay should be constructed accordingly. In a law tutorial, I can go through all of these various sorts of essay forms, which may really help you speed up your writing process, particularly at the beginning. The following aspects, in general, should be included in your essay structure while law essay writing:
a. you introduce
This is the background
This is the debate and central issue
This is what you will read
B. you make arguments
Argument 1 and authority
Argument 2 and authority
Argument 3 and authority
c. you conclude
A summary of argument 1
A summary of argument 2
A summary of argument 2
#6 following the structure
6.1 The Introduction:
It is just necessary to provide a few sentences of general information about the essay in this section, since this will help you ‘set the stage’ for the major body of your essay. For a problem scenario question, the answer should contain a quick recapitulation of the salient facts from the scenario, a summary of the most important legal issues, and an outline of the essay's structure. In order to begin an essay question, you should, in general, include a little background information on the topic you will be covering, a quick explanation of the primary debate, the core argument, and a brief sketch of the structure of your essay, among other things. This is dealt with in detail below.
6.2 The Main body:
For the main body of your essay, you should choose 3-5 headings (depending on the word limit) that you will use to organise your points and then frame your arguments around those headings. When writing the content of each paragraph within each heading, it is best practise to write it down in bullet points. The content should include the relevant law as well as, either your application of the law to the problem scenario or any arguments advanced by academics in relation to each issue mentioned. This is dealt with in more detail below.
6.3 The Conclusion:
The conclusion of your essay should succinctly repeat the basic position to which you have come as a consequence of the arguments offered in the essay's main body. The conclusion is further explained below.
#7 Style of law essay writting
Although it may not seem so, learning how to style a law essay before you begin writing is important to get a first-class mark on your assignment. A well-structured essay outline can assist you in concentrating your reading of textbooks and journal articles, which will save you considerable time. Additionally, it keeps you from waffling and pushes you to remain on the subject, decreasing the possibility that you will have to rework the essay many times. Contact me, for some tuition in essay writing if you are interested in learning how to quickly and effectively write a law essay.
#8 Law essay Refrencing
Always use OSCOLA referencing for the footnotes and bibliography.
How to write the introduction
This is by far, the most important thing you must get right. If you do this wrong, you may run the risk of the whole essay not coming together. You must master this element if you want to know how to write a first class law essay.
This is a critical section
Writing lengthy academic legal essays is a required component of acquiring a university-level law degree. Not only do you need the necessary information, but you also require the ability to articulate your ideas and concepts in written form if you want to succeed in your endeavour. The introduction to a law essay is a critical section since it summarises the problem and sets the tone for the body of the essay. Failure to set the tone of your essay appropriately not only makes it more difficult for the reader to understand you, but it also increases the risk that your essay will be poorly written and have a less-than-ideal structure when it is submitted.
this is not taught at university
Despite the fact that law essay writing is not everyone's greatest strength, law students in particular, struggle when it comes to writing law essays due to the lack of resources that clearly outline the process of generating a law essay, as well as the introduction to it. Textbooks very rarely address the details of the law essay writing process, and lecturers are more concerned with training students on their substantive subject than with guiding them through the process of writing a law essay. This is why I have offered my services for the last 15 years to assist law students helping them to build their skills so they can draft academic law essays and get better results.
Explain the background of the essay
When addressing law essay writing, it is essential to keep in mind the essay's primary purpose. An essay is an informative tool that analyses a central problem from one or more perspectives in order to provide readers with a better understanding of the subject. To accomplish this purpose, you must give a background review of the subject, which often includes a description of the key concept you are writing about or a brief explanation of the topic or essay question, as well as an introduction to the subject. Without a solid background introduction, your essay will begin abruptly. This will immediately create uncertainty among your readers since they will have no idea what to expect from your essay. By offering context, background knowledge aids readers in forming an opinion and grasping your thought process. Additionally, they will be able to comprehend the subject more simply as a consequence of this.
IntroducE the debate
It is now time to begin the essay's substance by introducing your readers to the key argument, which you should do immediately after giving background information. Generally, a law essay will need you to choose an emotionally charged or divided issue and then provide facts and arguments on opposing sides of the debate. As a consequence, you should begin your essay with evidence from previous academic conversations that is pertinent to the topic of your essay. It is critical to note that plagiarism is not tolerated at any law school, which means you will need to paraphrase opposing arguments rather than just copy and paste them.
diversify your sources
Additionally, rather of relying on a single source of information, make an effort to diversify your sources of knowledge as much as feasible. The more references you provide in the introduction of your essay, the better (within reason, of course!). The number of references you provide in this area of your introduction is mostly dictated by the length of your essay as a whole. Shorter essays of 1,000 words or fewer may get by with only two sources, however longer essays can profit considerably from adding a few more. While the amount of sources is important, when it comes to analysing the sources' credibility, quality should always take priority over quantity. To substantiate the conflicting opinions, a minimum of two independent journal articles should be employed. Utilising a number of sources enables you to have a more complete grasp of the issue and to generate more credibility in the introduction of your law essay.
Introduce the central argument
The essential argument, or the point you are aiming to make in your law essay, is one of the most critical components of your essay and must be included in the opening. This is the argument you will make in your essay. Using basic language and vocabulary, explain the primary point that you will be attempting to support throughout your essay. If your essential argument is not a component of or a rephrasing of your essay question, it should be stated with a strong focus on its significant content. If your main argument is lengthy, you should break it down into sub-arguments. This will improve the readability and comprehension of your introduction, as well as simplify the reader's task.
state the Central aim of the paper
Writing a law essay starts with this step, which is crucial since it identifies the essay's primary aim. Without a unifying argument, you will just be pouring information on the reader with no apparent conclusion in sight. As a result, it is vital that you clearly define the key argument and its components in your paper so that the reader knows your motivations and objectives. It is critical to make this section of the law essay introduction succinct and uncomplicated so that your reader can follow along even if they have no prior knowledge of the topic area.
The order of things to come
Having completed the aforementioned processes, the last step in writing a law essay introduction is to develop an outline for the essay's overall structure. Tell the reader, as a matter of courtesy what they are about to read. Never forget that the outline for your essay should not only include a table of topics, but it should also follow a logical and sensible structure. If you want to create an outline for your essay, you should simply list all of your essay's headers in the order that they will occur in your essay. Because of this, the reader will be better able to grasp how you will organise your points throughout the essay. This also an opportunity for you to tell the examiner how you are going to answer the question, they will get this just by reading your introduction.
consider the Tone of your essay
Starting a law essay is frequently the most difficult element of the process since it sets the tone for the remainder of the material. Because there are so few resources accessible to law students that give suitable direction on how to write an opening for a law essay, students are often forced to learn how to write an introduction for a law essay on their own. Fortunately for you, if you just follow the step-by-step procedure outlined in this article, you will be able to learn how to create effective law essay introductions in no time. Keep in mind, that a strong essay starts by not only assisting your readers in comprehending your ideas, arguments, and views, but it will also serve as a solid basis around which you may construct the rest of your essay.
How to write the main body
This is you analysis and where you demonstrate your critical ability. This is the section where all the marks are contained and you have to do it well . It is how to write a first class law essay.
Outline the essays key arguments
The key argument is the essay's central argument. To convince your reader to agree with your key premise, however, your essay should be dense with supporting evidence. An essay's normal length is 2,500 words, and it will contain around three to four supporting arguments, each of which will involve a thorough examination of the relevant cases and/or legislative provisions. The presentations from class, the textbook, and related journal articles will all assist you in locating supporting reasons for your position.
state The order of your analysis
It will be easier to prepare the major body of your essay if you are working with a problem-solving issue as your topic. To avoid the time-consuming task of searching for supporting arguments, you should concentrate on identifying the legal concerns that will be mentioned in your essay. Alternatively, if there are multiple people in the situation that you will need to advise, you may simply list the names of those people and arrange the major body of the essay around the advice you will provide to each of them instead.
Use sub-headings in essay questions
All that is required of you is to come up with a title for each of your supporting arguments. Headings in your main body should be succinct, and they should provide a clear description of what the paragraphs following the header will be about. In general, the most effective heads are between three and six words in length, and they simply summarise what the specific supporting argument is all about.
Use sub-headings in problem questions
When law essay writing a problem question answer should have each heading either summarise the legal issue mentioned in it or provide the name of the person to who you are advising and assisting. In certain cases, these two phrases might be combined into a single phrase, such as "John’s misfeasance." Consult your student handbook because some universities do not condone the use of subheadings. But it is always a good idea to use them because they give you structure, then you can delete them in the final version of your essay when law essay writing.
organise your arguments
The next step is to attempt to organise the supporting arguments in a manner that best supports your central argument. Keep in mind that you are attempting to persuade your reader to agree with your significant point by the time he or she has finished reading your essay. Try to think about which of the supporting reasons you would address first, second, third, and so on, in order to do so in the most effective manner possible.
consider paragraphs under each heading
Finally, when you have created the headings, you should think about how many paragraphs each heading will include and what each of those paragraphs will consist of after you have finished. If you are having difficulty remembering the specifics of each paragraph at this point, you may just list the cases and/or law portions that will be reviewed in each paragraph. When you begin writing your essay, you will be better able to stay on track if you do this. If essay structure is not your strong suit, get in contact for some guidance and assistance.
How to “Critically Evaluate” and “Analyse”
you must use critical analysis
As a law student, you should be aware that legislation is presented in response to certain instances or statute parts. It is necessary to have such information, but it is not sufficient to just repeat the underlying legislation since that would be inconvenient. In order to have a complete knowledge of why certain decisions were made and what alternatives could have been considered, you must critically study and analyse the cases and law sections in question.
challenge everything accept nothing
Instead of just accepting what is in front of you, you must do a critical examination in order to be in a position to defend your position under the law. You will come across several cases in law essay writing when the legislation is insufficient and lacking in strength. In your law essay, you may discuss how a certain piece of legislation should be improved. Overall, the goal is to brainstorm and think critically about the laws that you are learning rather than just accepting them as they are now written. This will not only assist you in achieving success in your examinations, but it will also prepare you to practise law in the real world after graduation. If you need a law tutor to work with you and develop this skill get in touch.
It is through challenging ideas and that you can show a unique and critical ability and thought. This is what examiners and professors want to see and is one of the main components in how to write a first class law essay.
Make sure you answer the question
In order to critically assess a legal essay, you must go beyond the simple questions that you would ask yourself. It is not enough to just respond with the precise legislation applicable to a particular case in order to qualify as a skilled lawyer. Developing your capacity to think for yourself is essential, as is developing an opinion on every case and legislation that you can defend with sound reasoning. You must get a complete grasp of the law in terms of its importance, historical background, and present relevance before you can apply it. Consider the following questions:
What was the motivation for the enactment of this specific law?
Is it successful in achieving the goal for which it was developed?
Are there any reforms that could be made to make the law more relevant and comprehensive? - There are a variety of factors that may be considered when evaluating the quality of a piece of legislation, including its breadth, its capacity to solve a specific situation or problem, and how well it deals with the subject in question.
Can we critically analyse whether the law is a good or bad law after taking all of the aspects into consideration? Pros and cons are not critical analysis this forms one part of it.
Are they commentators that agree with your analysis or disagree. This is key because it is evidence for the points you are making. These question are what you need to consider and is how to write a first class law essay.
Using the right type of evaluation
Many essays address the law in a critical way, but they do so in the incorrect manner. Students often assess their law essay critically, but they end up going down the incorrect route by addressing questions that do not need to be addressed in the first place. That is why it is vital that you understand the questions that must be addressed and the core argument that will be presented in your essay. In order to accomplish this correctly, you must attentively and completely examine the subject of your essay so that you are certain that you are responding to the correct question. You should then ask yourself the same question in connection to every single case and legislation section that you will discuss in your essay after you have figured out what the question is that you need to respond to. This will assist you in producing a more critical essay since you will be learning and thinking about the legislation from a variety of angles rather than just a single one as you would otherwise.
Face the challenge
When students consider the challenge of writing a critical review, they are overwhelmed. They think that they are not competent and prepared enough to critically assess their writings, which results in low-quality essays being written by them. That being said, if you adhere to the guidelines outlined above, you should have no trouble doing a critical analysis of your law essays without any difficulty. If you need a legal tutor to work with you and help you acquire this ability, please contact me.
plan the conclusion
Restate your central argument
In the end of your essay, you should refrain from providing any new supporting evidence or arguments. After summarising the main points of the essay, a conclusion should simply reiterate the main points so that anybody attempting to determine whether or not your essay is relevant to their study may make an informed decision after reading the conclusion. It is true that, in real life, it is quite improbable that anybody other than your lecturer will really read your essay. To this end, the first two lines of your conclusion should be dedicated to restating your key point in the same manner that you did so at the beginning of your paper. Tell the reader what you are going to tell them, then tell them and then tell them that you have told them.
Restate your key supporting arguments
The last step in developing the outline for your law essay is to choose 2 to 3 essential supporting points that you explored in the main body of your paper and detail them once again in your outline. You will not, however, be engaging in a comprehensive discussion of how case law or statutory sections support your supporting arguments this time around. To summarise your points, you will simply provide you conclusion to that point in a sentence. On top of all of that, if you are skilled at doing law document analysis and evaluation, you will have a better chance of becoming a successful lawyer. Following graduation from law school, you will quickly realise that the majority of legal practise is dependent on your interpretation and understanding of the law.
your Critical Evaluation skills
The primary goal of studying law is not only to learn legal theories in their precise form but also to develop the ability to critically assess and analyze your law writings. Many students have difficulty doing critical analysis and assessment because they make a number of blunders that cause them to arrive at an inaccurate conclusion. The ability to do accurate and exact critical evaluation and analysis is vital for law students in order to perform well on their assessments, which is why it is so important for them to develop this talent. As a result, these abilities also prepare you for life in the actual world. If you are unable to conduct a critical examination of documents and events in the framework of the law, you will have difficulty in your legal career as well.
Refrencing
Always use OSCOLA referencing for the footnotes and bibliography. Learn how to do it properly when law essay writing . Try our OSCOLA generator, that shows you how to do it right. You will be using this referencing system for many years so master it sooner rather than later. At the end of the day a well referenced essay is how to write a first class law essay.
Our Law Publications
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Contact me if you need help developing your writing skills or if your want to start getting first class marks in all your assignments. I am a legal writing skills tutor and can help you with law essay writing and I can show you how to write a first class law essay.