As a student, your abilities to frame your views and ideas into a robust law research paper matter extensively for your academic grades. It is undoubtedly the most challenging but rewarding task of your academic years. Throughout your academic year, you access valuable lectures that constantly help you to assemble the final “big picture,” i.e., your research paper.
Writing a law research paper elaborates your understanding of your subject. This article will walk you through a detailed guide on writing an influential Law research paper. You will understand how to comprehensively demonstrate your theories, arguments, and hypotheses with brilliant communication skills.
Table of Contents
Understanding the Basics of Law Research Paper Writing
The Introduction
A glance over the introductory section helps your committee experts evaluate your research paper’s perspective. It is a foundation for your work that fabricates curiosity among your supervisors regarding your topic.
A practical introduction includes:
- Highlighting the significant gaps and drawbacks in the current cases.
- Stating the background information.
- Stating the importance and objective of your research work.
- Citing the information thoroughly, not exceedingly.
- Referring to either your hypothesis or your research question.
- Not burying your professors in details.
- Following the journal requirements
Indications of an ineffective introduction:
- Your introduction is not able to explain the major concerns of your topic
- Consists of lengthy paragraphs and sentences, making readers lose interest in your research topic.
- It is not describing the central issue of your research.
- There is no flow in your writing manner.
- Poorly organized or monotone delivery of information
- Continuous use of abbreviations (except the important ones)
Now you must have understood that despite the vast range of information, it must be brief yet descriptive. Remember that it is just a road map on which you will be drafting your arguments. Lastly, don’t forget to explain your research topic’s importance and scope.
The Main Body of a Legal Research Paper
The main body of your legal research paper is where you elaborate on the background findings, laws, and arguments regarding your law research topic. The main body of your law research paper must provide your readers with the awaited answers to your research question or issues.
To make a clear picture in the reader’s mind:
- Give a proper headline to each one of your sections.
- Highlight the objectives you want to achieve in your law research paper.
- Draft and highlight your heading as supportive manuals.
Various authors write a neat legal syllogism highlighting a few unconstitutional laws or show how to interpret them, which makes readers ambiguous. So, develop a systematic flow in your central body so that readers can easily follow the flow of your thoughts and ideas.
Conclusion of a Legal Research Paper
The remainder of your law research writing is your conclusion section. It restates and summarizes you’re thesis statement. You close your research by explaining the outcomes you have achieved with your law research paper. It is where you suggest your personal views regarding your research paper.
An introduction is a foothold to start your research paper; conversely, a conclusion concludes. So try to summarize the paper by mentioning your last words on the topic.
Basics of Formatting an Impressive Law Research Paper
Research papers are not strictly framed as legal memos or documents you have studied about legal writings. Qualitative work requires a strong argument and the relationship between your arguments and theories.
Selecting a Topic
Don’t just take it as an academic formality; write a cohesive and well-defined paper that must be worthy of publication. Do not insert your Moot court memorials, projects, or previous law research proposals into your research paper. These moot research topics are ideally not what supervisors expect from you. It brings nothing but a lack of enthusiasm and boredom to your law research paper.
So, choose a topic that aligns with your interests and emphasizes the current legal requirements.
You can consider checking law research topics for better idea.
The Research Proposal
The length must be around 2500 words (however, you can exceed or succeed this length according to your paper’s requirements). It should highlight the central theme of your research paper. Lastly, your legal paper must reflect that you apprehend your research topic.
The research work is quite feasible when evaluating the correct research methods and time limitations. It aims to answer or provide significant evidence to prove a theory or an argument. On the contrary, the research proposal is structured around only the unanswered questions. Thus, it is possible that the ideas carved in your research proposals can be slightly different from the research paper as you move forward with your research.
An ideal structure of a research proposal –
- A short and precise description of the research topic.
- A comprehensive statement of the research objectives and tasks.
- Research issues and the directions in which the project will go further.
- Includes the reference to the existing literature on the topic and elaborates on its importance.
- Highlights the research progression along with different findings and theories.
Law Library Catalog
Libraries consist of electronic databases regarding each book they encompass. Each book consists of two catalog cards- one is arranged per subject orders, and the other is arranged per the author’s name or title. Look into the catalog sequence if you want to look for a particular book.
After every search, write an entry for the call numbers, author’s name, initial words of the title, publication, and the edition year in a notebook to avoid further replication of work. This searching method would save your energy and precious time from overlooking the seminal readings.
Above all, whether the library uses open or closed access systems, finding the call number is necessary to locate the book you are looking for.
Electronic Databases & the Internet
In the US, computerized legal databases are not new. An electronic database is the automated collection of information. The increasing accessibility of internet usage has made it even more convenient for a large section of students. Students from different fields can now easily access different sources and materials for their academics.
Several famous publishers are linked with managing commercial legitimate data basis through subscriptions.
These vendors are further classified into three sections:
- International online databases
- legal research databases
- National online legal research data basis
Bibliography & Referencing
The previous research methods would help you to access materials for your project as you delve into your law research. On the other hand, a bibliography is supposed to be a work in progress. Thus, you might see several changes as you move with your research paper. It aims to highlight the ongoing developments of your legal research.
Cite the articles, encyclopedias, authors’ and scholars’ works in your law research topic.
Give a visit to the reputed articles that include the particular writing style, look up to the style included in the previous volumes. These style guides include- APA style, MLA style, CMS style, Harvard style, Chicago writing style, etc.
This section will be comprised of at least five groups: court decisions, books, law reviews, websites, and journal articles. These entries must be in the alphabetical order of the author’s names. Each entry must be numbered appropriately so that you can quickly locate them.
Structural Outline
A research proposal and bibliography help you to structure your research paper. On the contrary, outlining will enable you to write a systematic structure of your research sources. It will guide the readers to understand the usefulness of the supporting sources.
A structural outlining must comprehend:
- Introduction
- Hypothesis statement
- Analysis of your research claims
- Conclusion
- Appendices
- References
- Bibliography
Writing
Identifying the ideal time to start writing your law research paper is hard. A significant series of steps deviates from researching materials to writing your first draft. You can even start writing when you are researching sources regarding your topic. You must identify the ideal phase when you must stop researching and start writing your first draft.
Writing a clear law research paper follows:
- A clear approach
- Concise matter
- Comprehensive manner
- Short and precise sentences
- Coherency
- Creativity
Lastly, use a sophisticated tone and writing style for your law research paper. Filter out the unnecessary sources; choose the relevant materials, and draft your paper in the prescribed tone.
Footnotes
“Footnotes are the mark of a scholar. Overabundant, overflowing footnotes are the mark of an insecure scholar — often one who gets lost in the byways of analysis and who wants to show off” – Bryan A. Garner.
Footnotes are short numbered references or comments of the text below your main text. They are short number notes or symbols in a text. In a law research paper, they tend to cite the sources of facts, materials, and quotations regarding your research paper. It aims to acknowledge your copyright status for your texts.
Footnotes are ideally not included when you are following the APA or MLA writing style. However, you can include this section using the CMOS writing style.
Reviewing & Editing
It is the final step of your law research paper. Proofread your content whenever you are done writing an individual section of your research paper. Practicing this method would unveil the unnecessary errors in your work and save you from the last-minute rush. So do not leave your editing part to the last day.
After completing every step of your writing:
- Make appointments with your supervisors to ensure effective feedback from them. This feedback will enhance the “big picture” for you.
- See if there are any grammatical errors, punctuation mistakes, spelling errors, referencing issues, etc.
Final Words from the Experts of Edumagnate.com
Indeed there’s always a grey zone that might get extended from time to time. The various luggage and pullers in writing either will slow you down in the process or would help you to move forward with your writing journey. Seeking Law assignment help from seniors, classmates, and online experts are good alternative. You will get to know a second-person perspective on your paper. They could help you out if your study has any drawbacks and limitations. This way, you can get a great chance to make an impressive paper.
Don’t forget the presentation! It is the most vital part of a research paper. If you’re presenting your paper in a lousy manner, it will excavate your reader’s attention. So try to start each section with its appealing headline. Still in a dilemma, allow experts at Edumagnate.com to assist you.
