Great writing skills are essential for lawyers. Why? First of all, they help professionals to present themselves and showcase a high level of intelligence. Secondly, they create a good overall impression and add credibility to the work. Additionally, decent writing is a way to demonstrate to clients and colleagues the respect that they deserve.
Lawyers work with a big number of various documents, such as arguments, contracts, and legal letters because written communication is a primary way to distribute information. Therefore, they need to be able to write clearly and concisely in order to express their intentions. In fact, the legal system has very strict guidelines for accuracy, so an attorney must be able to communicate well in writing in order to avoid possible damage to the client or misunderstandings.
Some lawyers also say that it’s important to write in plain language because it helps to better connect with readers’ minds and influence their opinions about a case. They believe that the so-called legalese doesn’t inspire others and robs the chance to connect with the human heart. That’s why, one should learn how to use reader-centered techniques, which also make documents trustworthy.
Now that you realize the role of writing in law, you must be inspired to improve your skills. Below you will find some recommendations on how to create first-class law essays and become a better writer.
Basic requirements
Probably, you realize that the goal of any essay is to communicate a particular message. To reach this goal, your paper must have structure and logic. What’s more, you need to be aware of law nuances and dig deeper into the topic to uncover uncertainty and complexity within the law. In general, law essays should be written similar to academic articles given to students by instructors.
Apart from that, your piece of writing must demonstrate a good knowledge of the law. You should prove in your essay that you have a deep and thorough understanding of the constantly evolving legal topics. However, knowledge is not really enough. Another goal must be to show that you are able to apply the law to solve a particular problem or address a certain issue.
What’s more, an argument or analysis in a first-class essay must develop in a logical and well-ordered fashion. This means that once you’ve identified the issue, you should move through analysis and authority all the way to the conclusion. Experts advise choosing a specific method of writing organization and stick to it.
The most common mistakes in a law essay
Educators say that the first mistake students typically make is not answering the question that has been set. It may happen for numerous reasons, like being too stressed out, misreading the task, or not understanding it. So before writing your law essay, always think about what exactly was asked.
The second common mistake is a poor structure. Sometimes, it’s not clear at all where an essay is going or what the conclusion is going to be. To avoid this, you should always present your arguments very clearly.
And the last most frequent mistake made by students is an argument lacking authority. This means that they offer some ideas without connecting them back to the law. Note that even if your claim is very intelligent and well reasoned, it must be supported by evidence, such as a certain bit of statute, case law, or legal academic.
Writing an introduction
As with any type of writing, the introduction in your law essay shouldn’t be too long. To create an excellent introduction, frame the issue first, then set out your argument, and finally, tell what’s going to be explained over the next three body paragraphs. It is a good idea to write an effective hook first, and then develop your essay from there. By writing a catchy introduction, you increase your chance for getting a good mark. Additionally, try to set the right tone at the very beginning as it can make the difference.
Using authorities
To get a good grade for your law essay, you should consider using some authorities listed below.
‘Public Policy’ can be used in your paper to criticize or praise some legal reforms or laws. You can also resort to it in order to propose new laws or give an explanation of some historical changes in the law. In general, public policy arguments can cover all forms of political and moral claims applied to the law. Note that these arguments must be well-reasoned and explained in detail.
Legal commentaries are articles and case notes written by academics. When adding them to your work, don’t forget to mention the author and the source, so your writing doesn’t look plagiarized. Using legal commentaries critically can add extra points to your grade.
Legislative papers and international laws are also great sources of non-binding authority for your paper.
When using authorities in your essay, always stick to the rules regarding correct citations accepted at your law school. Also, use quotes and paraphrasing where they are most appropriate.
Managing your writing time
Many students often stay up all night, finishing their essays a few hours before a morning deadline. Honestly speaking, this is not the best strategy because one should proofread a paper after some time.
It’s better to leave a piece for at least a few hours after writing a conclusion and come back to it later to notice all the imperfections and errors. Students who don’t have time to proofread or finish their essays in a timely manner can benefit from writing services for law students to get essay help.
To turn in an essay on time, you should treat your homework like a job with some working hours, so you don’t dedicate your time to assignments at night or the weekend. Although having a timetable requires much discipline, it gives you a chance to significantly improve your essay.
Final thoughts
As you see, decent writing skills are crucial in the legal system. Without clear writing, cases that could be won are lost. Therefore, students should work on improving their writing and create as many law essays as possible at college.
And note, that writing well is a lifelong effort, which means that this skill can’t be acquired only once, but it must be regularly practiced. In fact, good writing skills can make the difference between a good lawyer and a bad one.
