How to Write Excellent Law Essays

This book is for everyone interested in improving their essay writing skills. It is focused on law essays, but the principles discussed here apply to essay writing in general. It is written with the purpose of assisting law students in navigating the very stressful periods of exams and other summative or formative assessments. Treat it like a guide, but feel free to diverge at times, when you feel that a certain piece of advice does not suit your needs.

I would like to thank all contributors for the excellent advice they have shared with us. It is a great privilege for law students to be able to receive advice from luminaries such as Baron Neuberger, former President of the UK Supreme Court, Professor Mark Elliott (Chair of the Faculty of Law at the University of Cambridge), Oxford Law Professor Nick Barber, Oxford Law Professor (Emeritus) Stephen Weatherill, Cambridge Law Professor Alison Young, Cambridge Law Professor Catherine Barnard, Professor David Kershaw (Dean of the LSE Law School) and Professor van der Leun (former Dean of Leiden Law School). I am deeply indebted to them.

It is common for a law student to feel lost when first asked to produce a law essay, especially within a tight timeframe. They do not know how to start, what to read, how to write... Sometimes they do not even really know what is actually expected of them! With marking criteria being rather vague (and rarely being observed), and with marking itself being more of an art than a science, unpredictability reins supreme. This should not be the norm. This book aims to change this and equip law students with an autopilot of sorts that allows them to navigate tricky legal terrain.

The topics covered by this book are, inter alia, the following. First, how to dissect essay questions and essay prompts. Second, how to identify the keywords in the prompt and question. Third, how to unpack a question's underlying assumption(s). Fourth, how to create a succinct introduction, built around paraphrasing and arguing. Fifth, how to create a compelling argument. Sixth, how to try and balance primary and secondary sources properly. Seventh, how to conclude.

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