How to Write a Law Essay
What are the prerequisites for a first-class law essay? Those standards will vary from institution to university and from kind of essay to type of law essay, since various types of law essays have distinct purposes. If you are serious about getting the best possible grades, though, you need to follow these instructions carefully.
Guidelines
1. Start Early
This is a very obvious thing to say yet crucial. You should make it a priority to begin working on your legal essay as soon as you have been presented with the question. Not only does putting things off till the last minute cause unneeded stress, but it also leaves you with little time to compose, reference, and perfect your work.
2. Read the Question, Understand It, and Break It Down
Do not start until you have a complete understanding of the question. Spend some time dissecting the issue into its component parts, and then consult your instructor for more guidance. This will be of tremendous assistance.
3. Research
This step in the process of writing a law essay is, without a doubt, the most important one. The details ought to come from sources that are appropriate, dependable, and up to date. In the event that you do not, this will reduce the likelihood of you generating an excellent essay about legal topics. The more credible the source, the higher the marks you will get for it. If at all feasible, primary sources should be used instead of secondary ones. Always investigate the information provided by authorities such as specialists in the topic, judges, lawyers, and politicians.
4. Write a Plan or Outline
Following the completion of your research, you will have a better concept of the sort of material you want to include inside your essay. Get a blank page on Word, and set out in paragraphs, what it is that you want to do. When it comes to drafting the essay, this makes it simpler, since doing so without a strategy or road map that might lead to a chaotic and unorganised beginning. Because the essay has to respond to the question and just the question, you need to make sure that all of your ideas are relevant to it.
5. Write a Good Essay Introduction
An effective introduction should begin by providing a summary of the subject of the investigation. You should do this without just restating the question that was asked. Second, you need to sketch out a plan for the reader that outlines how the essay will tackle the subject and provides them with a road map. Include, as the third component, a thesis statement, which will be examined in the following point. Your introduction must be succinct.
6. Include a Thesis Statement
This is your take on the current situation, and it should often be included in the beginning section of your paper. Adopt a definite position, and avoid being indecisive about it. Avoid having an obvious position, being unusual is desirable. Before you start writing, you should ask yourself whether you can support your case with the amount of words that have been allotted to you or if you need to take a more moderate stance for the paper that you are writing.
7. Include and Rebut Counter-Arguments
This will demonstrate that you have a comprehensive comprehension of the material. Address each of these counterarguments and explain why your position is more compelling. If you are unable to articulate the reasons that support the superiority of your viewpoint, you will, in the end, be articulating two perspectives before arbitrarily selecting one of them. Keep in mind that you want the reader to take the viewpoint that you are advocating for. If you are unable to demonstrate that your argument is resilient in the face of counterarguments, the reader will not be persuaded.
8. Have a Clear Conclusion
Mention in a few sentences each of the primary arguments that you have been making throughout the whole piece. In order to ensure that this is accomplished in an understandable manner, you should conclude by restating your response to the question asked in the law essay.
9. Print, Read and Submit Within Time
It is possible that reading the law essay in paper copy rather than reading it on a screen would be more effective. You should get someone else like your boyfriend or girlfriend to read your paper and provide you with criticism on it. This is helpful since it is possible that you did not notice the grammatical problems. Because a well-written document should make sense to anybody who reads it, the person writing it does not necessarily need to be a lawyer.
10. Presentation is Just As Important as Content
This includes using an acceptable font and font size, appropriately referencing, and following the rules for your university essay, such as specifying your word count and your student identity number. Additionally, this involves using a suitable typeface, font size and justifying the paragraphs. Avoid losing points for insignificant causes.
11. Avoid Using Complicated Legal Language
While it is nice to have a high level of sophistication, speaking in legal language might make you seem insincere. Stay focused on the issue at hand. When you can say it in two words, don not use five. The best lawyers, judges and academics use short sentences to pull the reader in.
12. Build Your Writing Vocabulary
When it comes to writing law essays, the advice of a law tutor is to make note of phrases from books and papers as well as remarks made by others such as your lecturers. When it comes time to write your essay about the law, you will have a wide variety of words at your disposal to choose from.
13. Finally, Have Fun
Last but not least, taking care of you and enjoying the task makes it more enjoyable. Take regular rest breaks, refuel (with food and fluids), move your body, and keep active. Take frequent pauses, and make an effort not to let stress get to you. Remember to have fun while you are composing the essay.
