How to do Legal essays? (1 Viewer)

[**freakstar87**]

My class did a practice legal essay a few days ago on a focus question but when i got my marks back they really suck badly. can you give me any ideas on how to write good essays in legal or give a basic account on a structured legal essay on a focus question? Thanks if you do cos i really want to do good in legal studies but when it comes to the essays i'm not too good at it.

 

[Tenille]

what was the question??

 

[**freakstar87**]

i already did the focus question essay but here it is anyway

Focus Question: "Explain the legal position on incorporating Aboriginal customary law into Australian common law"

 

[santaslayer]

u must incorporate legislation, cases, media reports, statistics and touch on international law when writing hsc legal essays. the more u put in the better (keeping in mind it has to make sense)

 

[KarmaKitten]

with legal essays , unlike english essays, you dont need to focus so much on introduction/conclusion, its pretty straightforward, answer the question directly

 

[dezzy]

for unstructured essays they can be in any form-
if u find it easier to explain your argument using dot points- use dot points
if u'd prefer to write in normal paragraphs- go ahead!
what ever is best for you

 

[santaslayer]

yea.....u can even do it like a business essay......

 

[SKA]

ok... well i had trouble so i asked my teacher for help.. this is what he taught me.


ESSAY STRUCTURE

PLAN -
Intro
paragraphs are proof
conclusion



-each paragraph has a TOPIC SENTENCE (outline what is to follow)

-the last sentecnce of a paragraph links the topic you were talking about to the next paragraph

-each paragraph is a new topic.

-ALWAYS PROVE WHAT YOU ARE SAYING!




WHEN EVALUATING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE LAW WITH REGARDS TO INDIVIDUALS REMEMBER:

REAPER

Resource efficeiency
Equality
Accessibility
Protection
Enforcability
Recognition of individual rights


WHEN EVALUATION THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE LAW WITH REGARD TO SOCIETY REMEMBER:

BRACE

Balance of individual and community rights
Resource efficinecy
Appeals and reviews
Community standards reflected in the law
Enforcement opportunities

WHEN ANSWERING ANY LEGAL STUDIES ANSWER REMEMBER:

LUKE CUDDLE ME DARLING!

LCMD

Legislation
Cases
Media reports
Documents/opinions

 

[Gemstone]

LOL SKA you've been told almost the exact same stuff I get told. I almost you went to my school but you live in Wollongong so you can't. Anyway yeah we get told LCMD (we got taught that since we started leagl - yr 11.) and it's the I remember that stuff. We got taught the same stufff with effectiveness of law and all that but I didn't realise their was an acronym to it. I'll have to remember that.

Oh yeah but remember you've also gotta mention Morality and Ethics and Law Reform. If you mention all that stuff you've got a pretty good legal essay.

Gemma

 

[santaslayer]

yep law reform should go at the end to tie everything together

 

[SKA]

Originally posted by Gemstone
LOL SKA you've been told almost the exact same stuff I get told. I almost you went to my school but you live in Wollongong so you can't. Anyway yeah we get told LCMD (we got taught that since we started leagl - yr 11.) and it's the I remember that stuff. We got taught the same stufff with effectiveness of law and all that but I didn't realise their was an acronym to it. I'll have to remember that.

Oh yeah but remember you've also gotta mention Morality and Ethics and Law Reform. If you mention all that stuff you've got a pretty good legal essay.

Gemma

hahahahha LUKE CUDDLE ME DARLING!!! HAHAHAHAA

there is actually a funny story behind it from my class.

our legal teacher in yr 11.. he quit to go to england n teach but yeh ne ways... he was this chubby, young bloke he was cuteeeeee... n he would always talk about gays.. .so we figured he was gay.. even though he told us about his ex gf once...lol.. wether he is gay or not.. we still not sure.

anyways.. coz of this reason, we used to tease him that he liked this other teacher and her last name is Leitch. so we used to say Leitch Caress My Dingalingaling.
lol i think its more a location joke.. but it got brought up today n we were all laufing for a while ..lol

 

[SKA]

Originally posted by santaslayer
yep law reform should go at the end to tie everything together

law reform.. what EXACTLY is that?

 

[~*HSC 4 life*~]

Originally posted by dezzy
if u find it easier to explain your argument using dot points- use dot points

OMG NO!!!!

NEVER use dot points!
always use formal writing for legal essays

 

[~*HSC 4 life*~]

Originally posted by SKA
law reform.. what EXACTLY is that?

law reform is just when law adapts to accomodate societys changing needs and attitudes. There are several conditions that give rise to law reform such as changing values of society, new concepts of justice, failure of existing law etc

You shoudl find it in your text book, its the last section fo the Crime syllabus

 

[SKA]

Originally posted by ~*HSC 4 life*~
law reform is just when law adapts to accomodate societys changing needs and attitudes. There are several conditions that give rise to law reform such as changing values of society, new concepts of justice, failure of existing law etc

You shoudl find it in your text book, its the last section fo the Crime syllabus

tanks/.... i was looking through the notes i got from bos.. n i read up about it.... we havent learnt about it.. well not that i was listening ne way.;.. but i had heard about it b4

 

[ms.cinderella]

my teacher said it was quite alright to use dot points in a legal studies essay. as long as it was in sentence formed, then that's ok.

and also, it is important in a structured legal essay to address the question.. dont ramble on about something not relevant to that specific question. structured questions are harder than the normal unstructured questions.. thats what i think.