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There are different types of academic assignments, and each needs a proper understanding of the requirements. Wondering what is law essay, start with defining legal theories, legal reforms, or legal history. Theories expect the writer to say why the law takes such a form and make an argument of the merits and demerits. Legal reforms may either require an evaluation of recent reforms or whether a certain law should be reformed, whereas Legal history expects an understanding of the gradual change in a certain area.
How to start a legal essay
The title of your paper is a vital concern as it determines whether a reader will be compelled to read a paper or whether it makes the reader lose interest when reading. A good title should be precise and clear, using the most familiar terminology.
In addition, subheadings are equally useful to clarify arguments in a paper by allowing a reader to signpost commentary and provide the most coherent structure.
Before you even start working on your assignment, double-check if you know how to structure a law essay. Any paper is divided into sections: Introduction, Body, and Conclusion. But that particular type of writing we examining here requires exceptional attention to references, making it one of the most important structural parts. Any law, act, or court case you have looked through when writing has to be cited in accordance with the formatting style your college or university supports.
Ways of Structuring An Essay On Legal Studies
As you brainstorm various legal assignments and learn how to write a law essay introduction, it's essential to think over the best ways of structuring your law essay. In the majority of cases, you will have to follow the basic "introduction, three body paragraphs, and conclusion" research pattern, yet legislation often involves the following structure:
- Introduction part with the background information and the legal reminder about when the law or a case study has taken place. It will help your readers to determine what is being researched and discussed.
- Body paragraphs should focus on strong argumentation regardless of the legal essay format. It means that both administrative and criminal law assignments will have to include a thesis statement with some evidence. It should help to connect things and follow the structure regarding your objectives.
- Counter-arguments paragraph. If there are opposite opinions, make sure to include them as well with the sources and explanations.
- Conclusion. This is where you sum things up and focus on the suggestions for further research.
- References.
- Appendices. This is where the majority of legal papers or court transcripts are usually included. Remember to follow your style formatting rules as you work on your structure.
What makes a good legal essay introduction?
To come up with a good introduction, you need to put in mind the main objectives it is meant to achieve. These are presenting arguments, providing a context, setting out parameters for the discussion, and providing a brief outline of the structure. The question provides an understanding of an area of law in focus and how it addresses the body. Therefore, it is important to set out the main question a paper is supposed to answer and then explain how you plan to answer it.
A good way how to answer a legal essay question in the introduction would be:
“This essay will refer to the weaknesses of the… Act and analyze effects of the implementation upon…”
The introduction should also provide a roadmap to a user by illustrating the structure used in a paper. A classic example of a law essay is the following:
“The essay will be divided into four main sections. In section I, the essay will provide an in-depth understanding of … Act. In section II, an essay will examine the implementation of the act and in Section III, the essay will critic the amendment instrument and finally indicate the position in the argument in section IV.”
Body Paragraph
If you are asking how to write a good law essay, the answer would be – to pay most of the attention to the body of it. To examine the context and analysis of the legal concern effectively, it is important to give context and analysis of a legal issue in a body paragraph. This demonstrates that you have a sound understanding of the topic in discussion. A writer should be able to refer to the applicability of law including the Act of parliament in a legislation issue or case when relying on a judgment.
For example, the writer may indicate;
“In reference to section… Act… law clearly indicates that …” Or “In case of … vs. …”
Secondly, you need to present your arguments clearly and persuasively. The best way to do this is by including alternative sides of your argument, which shows that you have considered all aspects of an issue before concluding on that matter.
Two things are crucial in writing a body paragraph. These are topic sentences and transitions.
A topic sentence gives a focus to the paragraph. It is used as a tool to summarize the overall position taken by the author, the paragraph then gives fine details of specific arguments. In addition, the writer may also use the topic sentence to assess whether all content written in that paragraph is relevant to the legal essay.
A good example of a topic sentence that demonstrates context and will help you with a law paper would be:
“In 2011, the … Act was implemented to solve the critical issues of... However, this has been a big argument for its weaknesses including…"
Depending on the title of the paper, some may require including a variety of subjects. There is a need to ensure seamless transitions between the subjects. The best way to do this is through using co-joining words such as ‘in addition to,’ ’moreover,’ ’secondly’, ’similarly’, ’nevertheless.’ etc. To show contrast, you could also use words such as, ’in contrast to, ’however, etc. This provides flow when a reader is going through the essay.
There are various structures used to write a body paragraph, and you need to select the most suitable one for your analysis.
Conclusion
The purpose of a conclusion is to reiterate the main argument and position taken by the student. It is important to ensure that the conclusion answers the question asked in the introduction. Finally, the conclusion should not contain new material and should be relative to what was written in a body.
Overall guidelines for legal writing
While there is no universal pattern that shows how to write a first-class law essay, there are legislation standards, accurate grammar, and citing of every idea that is not yours that come first. It will not only help you come up with an excellent essay that will earn you good grades but let you avoid plagiarism and writing issues.
In addition to a proper consideration of the structure, the following should be considered:
- Demonstrate knowledge and command of the subject
Law is a constantly evolving area, which requires the demonstration of a proper understanding of subject matter. Nevertheless, the knowledge is not enough if not demonstrated by an ability to apply the law to derive the legal answers.
- Logical flow and relevance
The legal essay must be developed logically and systematically from issue identification/question to the analysis and authority as well as conclusion.
- Formal and convincing language
A common pitfall in writing an essay by some students is the use of informal language such as, “He made the wrong judgment because...” Instead, a good essay would say, “The argument made is unconvincing for the following reasons...”
- Personal insight and correct referencing of the legal essay
For a literary work to stand out, there is a need for originality, insight, and personal argument by the writer. This demonstrates an independent and intellectual demeanor, which is excellent when backed up by the authority.
Now, you are informed on how to write law essays. A good writer ensures a comprehensive and prolific referencing which challenges and informs on the analysis in the paper. It should be page-specific which directs the reader to the specific part integrated into the essay. The best way to incorporate authority is through integrating cases to develop analysis. Whenever you need any assistance, be it a complete paper or even a part of it, our essay writing company is always here to give you high-quality law essay writer and provide other academic services.
Different Types of Law Essays
As you start with law essay writing tasks, you will encounter a dozen of various essay types that will range from papers on legal theory to argumentations and court hearings. Still, every type of law writing requires proper analysis and the presence of evidence as you see how a certain law has affected the situation or what acts have been used to achieve something.
- Legal Theory Writing. Here is where you have to explain why some law is the way it is and discuss the pros and cons. There are many types of writing in this area as you will have to focus on comparison and analysis tasks.
- Legal Reform Tasks. A good law essay example here would be the Brexit legislation as the changes that we have seen take place in every field of life. As a Law student, you should explain and estimate these changes. If the reform has taken place because of some event, it may be necessary to provide some background information in your essay’s introduction.
- Legal History. This section may talk about legal questions that are related to historical matters. A law essay example on history would mention issues like the Corporate Lawor the famous Statute of Marlborough that has been passed by the Parliament of . Even though it was during the times of Henry III and took place in 1267, the students still have to explore and explain these laws.
- Court Hearings & Case Study Tasks. As the name implies, these law essays always deal with already existing case studies where you have to review and analyse things. The same relates to court hearings that may be both or come from other countries. These are quite complex and require an extra bit of your attention.
Unlocking the Secrets of Effective Law Essay Writing
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