In my last law blog post, we looked at the basics of writing a legal essay – what the purpose is and some general tips. This time, we will be moving on from that to consider how to prepare your essay and write your first draft. Your institution may have already given you some guidance on this, so make sure you read this carefully before you start and ask any questions you have if this is an option.
Planning Your Essay
The very first thing you need to consider when planning your essay is what exactly the question is, as obvious as this may sound! Make sure you read it carefully and stay on topic throughout your answer, rather than getting caught up in a related, but different, area. It is often a good idea to make notes of what topics you think the question might cover and how you can start to research your answer. We will come back to this approach of analysing the question later.
You may also be given marking guidance with the question. This means that you know what the examiner is looking for and you can plan and structure your answer accordingly, which makes your life easier! In addition, pay attention to the required word count and deadline. This can also help with planning how to approach your essay.
From the word count, you can work out roughly how long your introduction and conclusion should be. Again, your institution might give guidance on this, but a good guide is that they should each be around 5–10% of your total word count. We will discuss the introduction and conclusion more in a later blog, as they are a key part of your essay.
The next step is to try to relate the question to your existing knowledge of the topic. From what you already know, you should be able to see which areas will require you to research further. You may also decide that there is one area that is of particular interest to you and choose to focus on this in your answer, although make sure that you don’t let this detract from the question.
You will also need to analyse the question and divide it into any individual parts. For example, consider what areas your answer will cover and what headings and sub-headings you will use. Think about whether there are any particular issues that should be raised in your answer and how you’ll include the most up-to-date research and information in this area.
In addition, ask yourself why you think this topic is important and what you would like your research essay to achieve. By this point, you should have a better idea of what approach your answer will take and how you will interpret the question.
Once you have thought about all of the above, it’s time to start planning your answer. You can do this by writing an outline of how your headings will be organised, what will be contained in each section and what sources you plan to use where. After this, you can use your outline to write a first draft. You don’t need to worry about all of the finer details at this point; it is mostly for you to use for future drafts.
To write your first draft, you will need to decide what position you will be taking on the issue (or issues) raised in the question. Once you have, this should form the core argument of your essay, which you should state clearly in your introduction. Remember to keep this statement in mind throughout the whole of your essay, using it to stay focused on the topic at hand. You can then also review your argument in your conclusion and reflect on how your research essay supports the statement you made in your introduction.
Writing Your Essay
When you are actually writing your essay, there are several things to keep in mind. Firstly, remember that you need to analyse in your writing, rather than just describing the law. This is crucial, as most of the marks will be given for these analytical skills. Focus on how areas interact and the effect they have in the argument you are making.
In addition, remember to discuss both sides of an argument. Even if you are writing a persuasive essay, you still need to acknowledge the other points of view. This can actually strengthen your essay, as you can provide counter-arguments to these points. Simply ignoring them will make it look like you have not thoroughly researched your work.
Once you have completed your essay, set it aside for a while, then read it back to yourself later. This helps to ensure it flows well and may also help you to pick up on any errors. Make sure you give yourself enough time to restart or make adjustments as necessary!
Wrapping Up
I hope that this has helped you to write your legal research essay. If you do get any guidance from your examiner, make sure you read it carefully, as this should tell you exactly what they are looking for. Next time, we will be looking at how to answer legal problem questions, so come back in two weeks for that!
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