1. A BRIEF GUIDE TO ESSAY WRITING
Panayiotis Papakyprianou
Vice President for Academic Activities
ELSA Exeter 2016/2017

2. THE BASICS
Length: always depends on your word limit. Try to sustain your arguments throughout. See point 5.
Correct format? No single way to write essays. Marks are not necessarily awarded for a ‘correct format’ – what matters is clarity, flow and strength of argument
Sources, referencing and acknowledging: For exams, learn case names. For assessed essays (and competitions), use OSCOLA.
Using cases & articles: Use cases and academic criticisms to back your arguments. Focus on the point of law – no need to go into the facts of cases.
Addressing the question: Possibly the most important aspect. ALWAYS refer back to the question. Make sure every point you make contributes towards answering it!

3. COMMON ISSUES
Too much content, not enough analysis: after every point you make, ask yourself: “so?”
No signposting: These help the essay flow better and help the reader follow your argument.
Weak conclusions: Always relate conclusions back to the question. This is your chance to sum up your argument and show that you’ve answered the question!
Meandering introductions: Keep your intro concise! Don’t go into background information. Give an overview of what you will discuss.

4. ASK YOURSELF…“SO” – P.E.E.
POINT, EVIDENCE, EXPLANATION
Example paragraph:
“It is not to say that there not are problems with these approaches however. A decision made in Fisher v Bell was reversed swiftly by parliament by introducing further legislation. This clearly indicates that judges were making decisions against Parliament’s intentions. In his report, Davies stated that Parliament should have a statement of intent with every statute. However, this action may reduce the separation of powers. If law-enforcement is the role of the judiciary then this should be entirely left to them to interpret the legislation.”
- taken from Legal Foundations sample answer on ELE Law Assessment and Feedback Resources

5. STRUCTURE – DOS AND DON’TS
Introduction: Introduce the issue at hand; guide reader through essay structure and content.
“The notion of “rights” in Islamic marriage law may be seen as the rights of the husband and wife against each other. This essay will focus on their rights in classical regulations, often contrasting them with modern legislation. It will discuss rights such as but not limited to the mutual right to choose one’s spouse, the wife’s right to support and economic maintenance and the husband’s right to initiate divorce, while focusing throughout on inequalities between the spouses and how the law attempts to balance them.”
- My Islamic Law summative essay 2015/2016

6. STRUCTURE – DOS AND DON’TS
Main body: Your main arguments.
Provide evidence throughout with cases and articles.
Use cases and articles to back up your argument. Cases show what the law is. Are different cases contradicting? Why? Does this help your argument? Articles show academic criticism of the law. Should it change? Is it too convoluted? Does the article provide an explanation to reconcile conflicting case-law?
Ensure you are clear about when and why you are introducing new cases and arguments.
Relate back to the question & take a side.
Signpost your answers – show why what you’re saying answers the question.
Signposts show what will happen, remind readers of what is going on at key points along the way, and indicate the direction your essay is heading.

7. STRUCTURE – DOS AND DON’TS
Conclusion: Sum up your arguments and present the point you want to finish with. Don’t include new information.
“In conclusion, by examining the different ways covenants’ burdens and benefits may run with the land, there are arguably valid reasons for the current state of the relevant law. Despite doctrinal and policy justifications behind it, it is complex and sometimes impractical, and may therefore require refinement through reform. It cannot, however, be described as illogical or arbitrary.”
- My Land Law summative essay 2015/2016