How to Write Law Essays & Exams

by S.I. Strong

How to Write Law Essays and Exams provides law students with a practical and proven method of analyzing and answering essay and exam questions. The book focuses on those questions that give students the most trouble, namely problem questions, but its techniques are equally applicable to other
types of essays. Designed for law students of all levels, the text helps students understand their substantive courses while at the same time teaching vital writing and analytical skills.

Genres: Law

272 pages, Paperback

First published August 27, 2003

Reviews

[Jacinta Fong · Rating 4 out of 5]

Strong's approach to explaining effective methods in legal writing is in-depth and meta in the sense that she provides relatively convincing arguments for each of the components she implores upon.

I felt that some chapters were a bit wordy. Take, for example, Chapter 9 on adapting the CLEO (law analysis) method in the workplace; the descriptions about how different parts of the document should be written becomes a bit abstract and less practical in the later paragraphs. Perhaps this is signature of someone who loves their craft of law and tutoring? It just became a bit hard to follow.

Strong makes emphasis on the aspects of legal writing that many other authors ignore: extreme care and interest for the intricacies of a legal problem and powerful arguments. It then frameworks her gritty approach to establishings high expectations, that is, in: grammar, punctuation, logical flow of sentences, the need for referencing and more.

One of my favourite phrases from the book is: "If you do not have the building blocks - ie the understanding of relevant legal authority - then you cannot create anything worthwhile" (p. 7).

Such words set the tone for the remainder of the book, in which Strong offers timely wisdom for the budding law student as he or she enters the mysterious world of law.

Many nuggets of wisdom can be found within this book, and as mentioned earlier, the CLEO method is used (claim, law, evaluation, and outcome). You will find tips on how to read case law, how to organise them, and examples of how to prepare your unique legal argument.

Though no book can replace the much necessary process of trial and error and personalised feedback from one's professor, Strong's 'How to Write Law Essays & Exams' 4 edn. is a close second. In other words, it is worth the read. Strong's text provided a perspective into law writing that otherwise would not have been so readily received by other study means.

[Tom · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book very informative, full of details. Sadly my university has its own set up on how they want essays etc written out but still this was worth the read as it made understanding my university's method so much easier.

[Trish]

very good