A guide to writing your law essay
Questions set for law essays can often, at the outset, seem very complicated. It is important not to feel overwhelmed by the question, and the best way to do this is to approach the essay by breaking it down into achievable sections. Students studying law are aware that they are required to consider very diverse issues. However the approach to all essay questions is generally the same, as is detailed below:
1 Understand the question
In order to fully appreciate what you are required to discuss, you need to identify the area or areas of law that the question covers. Most importantly read the question, it does not matter how well your essay is written if you do not answer the question at hand. Thereafter it is necessary to:
- ensure you have a good understanding of that particular area of law;
- identify the legislation that governs that area of law or impacts on it; and
- be familiar with the leading case law in that area.
2 Break the question down
A question can always be broken down into a set of component parts. For example a question that covers breaches of contract can be divided into the following sections:
A Preliminary issues
- Was there in fact a contract? This question can again be broken down into further subheadings such as:
- was there an offer?;
- was the offer accepted?; and
- was there consideration?
- Was the contract breached?
- What harm resulted from the breach?
Not only do the headings and subheadings make it easier to approach your law essay, it also ensures that your answer has clarity and structure. All of these preliminary questions will lead to the body of your law essay and your overall point. If there are no contentious issues in the preliminary paragraphs then do not spend much time discussing the issue. It is important to show that you understand that there was a valid contract, but then progress to discuss the breach and the remedies available to the party.
B The central question
Your law essay needs to build to an overall conclusion. Once again, the approach to this issue needs to be divided into components. It is important when discussing your main point to consider alternatives, as the strength of your essay is the ability to justify the conclusion when put in the light of opposing arguments.
When making points always provide references to the case law or text which reinforces what you are saying. Not only for this reason, but because many of the arguments you will be making will have been made before, so it is important to correctly reference to avoid plagiarism.
3 Conclusion
In this part of the law essay you will explain how the arguments you made fit together and come to a coherent and logical conclusion. Do not go into detail re-explaining your main points, especially if you have a limited word count. It is enough to give a brief overview of your main points, and explain how they back up the premise of your essay.
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