How to Write a First Class Law Essay

Author: Lee Xin

A well written essay is one of the best ways to show off your knowledge as a law student. Writing a coherent, knowledgeable and analytical essay is one that takes skills and practice. This guide will help you ace your essay question, whether it be your first law school essay, or you’re trying to find an essay style that works best for you!

Breaking the Question Down

The first hurdle when receiving the question is to fully understand what the examiner is trying to get you to write about. To avoid diving into writing about something completely irrelevant, identify the command words that help dictate the type of response required.

For example, essays that tell you to “Evaluate…” would require an analysis of the topic/legal mechanism, discussing strengths and weaknesses before you reach a judgement. 

Breaking down a question also helps you to identify the criteria in which your judgement and analysis will be based on. Given the following question: “Judicial precedent is an effective mechanism for ensuring consistency and fairness in the legal system. To what extent do you agree?”, the student will have to use the criteria of consistency and fairness as a benchmark for their final evaluation on how much they agree judicial precedent is “effective”.

This gives you a framework in which you can do your research for the question. By centering your focus on solely what the question is asking you, you minimise the chance of focusing too much on other perspectives or exploring different alternatives. The best way to maintain this focus is by using a mind map, and linking each idea or point back to the central question or idea. 

The Introduction

A strong essay structure helps to maintain clarity, and make your essay easier to read. Examiners will also have an easier time identifying points to give you credit for. We’ve identified 4 main sections to include: an introduction, main body, counter arguments, and a conclusion. 

Your introduction should be your shortest section, and encompass your thesis, as well as direct the reader to what you’re going to be discussing in the essay. It should address the main points you will discuss, as well as the scope and what exactly you’re critically assessing. For the example question earlier, the student should define what makes a mechanism “consistent” and “fair” as part of their criteria. 

The Main Body

Next comes your main body. For essays with multiple topics for discussion, it can be helpful to break up each point using subheadings. This can help to recenter your argument, and keep it concise for the reader.

The PEEL Method (point, evidence, explanation, and link) is a fairly common way students structure their essays that can be effective in essay questions to keep focused on the questions. However, it is important not to become overly descriptive in your essays by simply splurging out academic opinions. While this can show your depth in knowledge, it lacks an analytical perspective - which is what the essay is asking you to do! An emphasis on the “explanation” section can make your essay more analytical than descriptive, allowing word count to be used more effectively. 

Embed your quotes to reduce word count, and to avoid being overly descriptive. Rephrasing or rewording quotes can also be effective in showing your understanding, as well as preventing accidental plagiarism!

Additionally, the link is an often overlooked part of your main body that could cost you points in the flow of your essay. Given that many questions will require you to redefine the criteria in your own words, it is important to keep reminding the reader of the benchmark you’ve set for your critical analysis. In many essays, this may look like a ‘mini-conclusion’ that briefly summarizes your stance on the topic in relation to your criteria set. If you cover many different points or factors, the link will also help you and the reader recenter to your central thesis. 

Counter-Arguments

A well-developed essay also acknowledges counter arguments, demonstrating engagement with opposing views. Referring to dissenting judgments or scholarly debates can provide depth in knowledge.  

However, students may spend too much time on counter arguments, leading to less emphasis on their main argument. It is essential to view counter arguments as a way to reinforce your central argument - rather than simply showing off what you’ve read. This can be done through showing gaps in logic, that the argument is outdated, that the argument isn’t holistic, or even more. Nonetheless, these criticisms must be made in relation to why your argument is therefore stronger. The primary stance must remain stronger than the others.

Conclusion

The conclusion should then summarise key points concisely, reaffirm the central argument, and avoid introducing new information. Students - often under the pressure of a limited word count - may compromise on the quality of their conclusion in exchange for more analysis within their main body. While this exchange is justified, a good conclusion is essential to remind the reader of your central thesis, and your key arguments. 

It might also be useful to rephrase and repeat the question within your conclusion to supplement your arguments in order to remind the reader of your given criteria, or to provide a stronger link.

How to Research

Academic opinions can help you elevate your essay from descriptive to critical. Embedding relevant academic quotes can also make your opinion and stance stronger - especially if you have an unorthodox take on a given topic. Citing dissenting academic opinions can also help to show the depth and thoroughness of your research.

A more in depth guide about how to effectively research will be released soon on the London Law Briefcase pages!

Final Thoughts

Writing your first law essay can be daunting, especially when your own knowledge can seem minuscule compared to the enormous amount of research that has been done for centuries on a given topic. However, researching and writing essays come with practice - always reach out to your academic advisor and professors for more tips, and insight for what they look out for when they mark! 

Good luck!