Effective Essay Writing Tips for Law Students

Enhance your essay writing skills with these practical tips tailored for law students. Learn to structure your essays effectively, define key terms, and bolster your arguments with authoritative sources.

• Essay writing
• Law students
• Academic skills
• Legal profession
• Writing tips

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Presentation Transcript

1. Welcome to LAW214 Residential School 25 August 26 August 2020 By Vanessa Vazquez

2. Introduce Yourself! What do you want to do with your legal studies? Academic Skills 2

3. Ground Rules Legal Professionals in training should be able to create and observe rules Academic Skills 3

4. Essay Writing tips Consider audience - Padlet Wall which involves communications with peers = informal - essay = formal academic writing is appropriate because you are writing for an academic reader in a formal setting. - balance a formal writing register with plain English-model - Use simple sentences If your sentences are overly complex, shorten and or simplify them. Academic Skills 4

5. Essay Writing tips Planning - Write a plan of your essay before you embark on it. This will guide you in terms of structure and managing the word limit. - -In planning essays, create a list of all main points then use IRAC methodology to check that you have addressed all of them. - Ensure each point goes to answering the question - Consult the rubric and question - For more info on IRAC, see: https://libguides.csu.edu.au/c.php?g=768473&p=5515794 Academic Skills 5

6. Essay Writing tips Key terms - Define terms - make clear you understand, each new issue in an essay and its terms as you embark on the issue. - Legal terms - correct useage Use for example, the word guilty should be used in respect of criminal offences, not in respect of civil issues. Use shorthand names consistently and define at the outset. E.g. Contracts Review Act 1980 (NSW) ( CR Act ) For more info on IRAC, see: https://libguides.csu.edu.au/c.php?g=768473&p=5515794 - Academic Skills 6

7. Essay Writing tips Legal discussion and argument / authorities and sources - -Aim at high-level discussion and argument in your essays. - Primary sources are preferred. As you proceed with your studies and move on to other law subjects, you will need to be aware of the importance of primary sources - case law and legislation. - high achieving students will supply not only supporting authorities, but also authorities that go against their own case, then distinguish the latter. This is a technique practised by advocates in court. - -Remember that in essays, all assertions of fact, no matter how obvious, should be supported by evidence - Use AGLC4 and the tool Academic Skills 7

8. Essay Writing tips Word limit management / editing your work - Don t be overzealous in pursuing a single point. Certainly, analyse each point thoroughly, but take care not to overspend your time or word limit on one point or issue at the expense of other important issues. - Be concise and succinct as possible. Remember the saying every word must fight for its right to be on the page. - That being said, remember that you cannot cover every last point that you want to, no matter how tempting. Academic Skills 8

9. Essay Writing tips Checking your work - -Check your work before submission. READ it and check spelling and punctuation. Get a friend or family member to read it or read it out aloud to someone to ensure there are no mistakes. Know how to spell basic legal terms. Be sure that you can identify verbs as verbs and adjectives as adjectives before you use them. Learn the may / can distinction and the affect / effect distinction. These words have quite different meanings. - Grammar, punctuation and spelling - A piece of writing with faultless grammar, punctuation and spelling makes your work appear highly professional and gives the impression of a serious approach to the work. Examples of outstanding essay writing -Look at examples of outstanding essay writing. One example is the essay-writing seen in the Governor-General s Prize: http://www.cefa.org.au/governor-generals-prize/past-winners Academic Skills 9

10. Tonight Guest Q and A with Michael Evans and Vanessa Vazquez, Solicitor and Director of Whiteley Ironside & Shillington Solicitors - Admitted to practise law in 2007 - Insight into his career in private practice in a boutique Sydney law firm as a paralegal and junior solicitor and a mid-tier law firm, in-house legal counsel for Australia s leading construction company and a director of a small rural law firm - When contracts are the subject of disputes and litigation - Read Cherry v Steele-Park in preparation! Academic Skills 10

11. Tomorrows Guest Q and A with Michael Evans and Kate Roth, Solicitor and Principal of Department of Planning Industry and Environment - Admitted to practise law in 2007 - Insight into his career in private practice in as a graduate lawyer in a mid-tier law firm, lawyer at top tier law firm, in-house legal counsel for an international law firm in Sydney CBD and government solicitor in Orange, NSW Negotiating and advising on contacts for multi million-dollar projects to 2 page simple contracts for the procurement of goods. - - Drafting and negotiating water saving contracts w Academic Skills 11