The role and function of a commercial agent

In this essay I shall discuss the role and function of a commercial agent integrating whether the service provision by the agent is adequately remunerated or if the role of a commercial agent is depreciated by actions of principals. “A commercial agent is a self-employed agent with continuing authority to negotiate or to negotiate and … Read more

Distributed ledger technologies: legal and privacy challenges

I. THE CONCEPT OF DISTRIBUTED LEDGER TECHNOLOGIES1 AND ITS LIMITATIONS Over the past year there has been a measurable increase in interest related to cryptocurrency systems by financial institutions and governmental organizations.2 For instance, many private banks including Barclays, have their in-house teams exploring this technology. Yet, in conversations with some of the researchers and … Read more

Impact of burdensome legislation on agriculture industry

Since before the first World War, the United States has experienced incredible prosperity due to the flourishing results of America’s agriculture industry. However, with such extended success, America has demonstrated a dependence on this sector and its commodities, and it’s only been increasing. Our heavy dependence on agriculture has even gotten to the point where … Read more

Which one of the three legal systems handles the limitation of free speech better?

Which one of the three legal systems handles the limitation of free speech better? The model that handles the limitation of free speech best would be the German legal system. This is based on Germany’s provisions against genocide, hate speech, and the expansion of false news. Particularly, their history in relation to genocides such as … Read more

The right to be forgotten

On May 13, 2016, the European Union court made a decision on a case where a citizen from Spain sued Google Inc. that Google’s search result was an infringement of privacy, giving all of the citizens in the European Union “the right to be forgotten”.(fact sheet) The right to be forgotten is a new concept … Read more

The doctrine of Kompetenz-kompetenz

The term arbitration in itself cannot be universally defined. This is so because every legal system has its own definition catered to its personal requirements. Each jurisdiction thus, decides its own terms for determining the subject matters of arbitration, who may have the power to arbitrate and how the arbitral process must be carried out. … Read more

The relationship between domestic and international law

Domestic laws can be defined as a set or system of rules in which a country recognises as it a regulatory function toward members of its society which may be enforced through the use of penalties. With the sole exceptions of the United Kingdom, Israel and New Zealand, most other countries base their domestic laws … Read more

Right to privacy and reproductive control

Abstract: Abortion, both legal and illegal has been in existence since the beginning of time; with evidence showing prohibition of abortion in the Code of Assura as early as 1075 BCE.1 Considering of the legality of abortion within American history, this has moved through several prominent phases. Nevertheless, the universal cause of abortion – unintentional … Read more

Analysis of Grant & Anor v The Ministry of Justice

Grant is the leading case, which decided in the High Court, dealing with the compatibility of certain prison conditions, particularly, ‘slopping-out’ with Articles 3 and 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR). Summary of facts:- Following the decision in Napier v The Scottish Minister , in which the Court of Session in Scotland … Read more

CAS (Court of Arbitration for Sport) – force majeure

CAS has largely adopted a civil law approach while dealing with force majeure provisions. According to CAS jurisprudence, force majeure implies an objective impediment and not a personal one that is beyond the control of the “obliged party”, that is unforeseeable, that cannot be resisted, and that renders the performance of the obligation impossible. The … Read more

Section 7 of the Matrimonial Property Act

1. RESEARCH QUESTION Does section 7 of the Matrimonial Property Act on division of matrimonial property based on contribution towards its acquisition upon dissolution of marriage conform to the Constitution? 1.1. BACKGROUND INFORMATION The Constitution enunciates that the parties to a marriage are entitled to equal rights at the time of the marriage, during the … Read more

Sex work in The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)

Sex work in The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is composed of many human rights violations that have gone unaddressed by the government. Discrimination against sex workers in DRC is as much an issue as the discrimination faced by other marginalized groups along lines of class, caste, race and religion. The Netherlands however has found … Read more

How to write a law essay

When writing a law essay, bear in mind that most tutors will begin by grading you. Remember that if you are graded with a lower mark and that trend continues to go down as the professor reads; the other paragraphs have a lesser chance to convince them to improve your grading.

It all begins by you, as the student, to understand that writing a law essay is unique to other essays. It needs your expertise, a background in legal matters and knowledge of legal terminologies. In the end, you will be able to build up on your law career by completing this crucial requirement in a law program.

Legal matters will require you as a legal practitioner to be smart and be able to present yourself in a professional manner with top notch eloquence. This means that both your spoken and written communication skills must be of a high calibre. You must be armed with original and current legal terms to maintain the trend of key subject matters in law. Well crafted essays assist you in developing not only your written but also spoken communication skills. The extensive research you will undertake when preparing your essay will arm you with technical terms and current information in law. You do not want to risk your planned long term career at this stage.

Discussed below are the five major steps to follow when writing a law essay.

Prepare yourself to write

Some questions will be presented to you in a complicated manner to test your versatility. Be sure you scrutinize and identify with the essay question to be answered. Know the subject matter of law under which the question has been extracted from. This will assist you in familiarizing yourself with the key terminologies in that context. Following a thorough scrutiny of the essay question, a light will shine on what precise area of the subject matter is to be researched on.

You are advised to ensure that your work is kept relevant all through your writing course. For that matter, you will be required to draft a plot for your paper before starting your writing. Your plan should consist of the various components of your answer to the essay question. This plan often constitutes of the introduction of the subject matter, the body of the essay and a drafted conclusion.

Develop your content

Having prepared a sketch in your mind on how your essay is going to look like, you are now ready to build up on your content. You should be able to access authentic, authorized and relevant legal material produced by renowned researchers, professors and writers; both historical and current. These materials can be accessed from the library, archives, electronic books, journals and internet. Do thorough investigations on the essay question and the key terminologies under the subject matter. Refer to prior case studies to reinforce your arguments while you prepare to give evidence to all the claims you list. However research does not stop when you start writing. Time to time you will be required to go back to your references to extract unclear ideas and information.

As mentioned earlier at the beginning of this guide on “How to write a law essay“, the first impression will be used to grade you. Your introduction should spark the marker to make them want to know more about what you have written. It must be in relation to answering the question rather than simply using jargon that are complex and vague. Avoid being overly specific in your introduction and stick to giving a general view on the subject matter. You should present yourself as having understood the question, and that you have been able to clearly identify the legal aspects that are to be discussed and demonstrate how you intend to answer it. It should not be too lengthy lest the reader gets bored before getting into the body of your essay.

The core of your essay is the body which carries the largest percentage of your essay content. How you tackle it will determine whether your grade is either going to appreciate or depreciate. You should ensure that all aspects of the content of the essay question are reflected in the body. Be orderly in your writing to enable the marker to flow with your opinion. A better strategy is to ensure that in every paragraph you note down includes some legal terms and expresses new points of view. It makes your work look decent and the marker will be able to award you the points you need.

Language presentation

Ideally you need to maintain professional language and tone throughout your project and writing process. Ensure you maintain your eloquence by using grammatically correct plain formal English. It means that you will use the correct legal vocabulary and avoid using short English words like “aren’t” or “won’t”. Nevertheless, ensure you implement the legal analysis all through to enable the marker to understand that every point he/she goes through is based on law. Do not give your personal opinion to avoid being irrelevant and vague.

Be original

You might be relevant, but not original with your essay presentation. In this guideline, we earlier noted that writing a bona fide law essay will require thorough legal research from authentic legal material. They assist you to get tangible facts about the law and identify with the current trends in the legal system. This does not prevent you from being original, but as a matter of fact, gives you vast ideas on how to put down your arguments. Keep in mind that legal professors and tutors are knowledgeable in legal material. In fact, there are programs that have been developed to detect plagiarism. You can opt to paraphrase and put citations at the end of each paraphrased statement.

How to end your writing

Your ending should include a conclusion made from your entire work. With a proper introduction and body, you will be able to make an accurate conclusion out of the main points discussed. It can be in form of a wholesome response to your essay question. Ensure you do not introduce any new ideas in your conclusion but present a summary of what you have already discussed. Go through the entire essay to make sure that you have no grammatical mistakes or left a point incomplete. Be sure you include a list of material you researched from in a new page.

Learning how to write a law essay is tough and takes research, time and effort, but if you stick to the five points above you will be well on your way to writing the best law essay within your capability.