Slapper and Kelly's The English Legal System

Twentieth Edition

Home / Legal Skills Guide / Legal Writing

Legal Writing

Do you write essays or answers to problem questions without understanding what you are supposed to do?

Do you know how marks are awarded for written work?

Do you want to do better in your legal assignments?

The ability to write clear, concise, and accurate documents is an essential skill for anyone working in the legal field. A thorough understanding of the legal writing process will also help you maximise your marks for written assignments.

About this resource

This resource helps you develop your own writing skills. If you work through all the video modules, you should be able to:

  • Understand the nature of essay and problem questions
  • Understand assessment and grading criteria
  • Identify relevant legal issues
  • Plan your answer
  • Write and present the issues
  • Reference correctly
  • Polish and submit your final answer

The Legal Writing Skills Guide is based on Lisa Webley’s book, Legal Writing, which also covers writing legal dissertations. Professor Lisa Webley, LLB, MA, is Professor of Legal Education and Research, and Chair in Legal Education and Research at the University of Birmingham. Professor Webley is also a Research Fellow at the Institute of Advanced Legal Studies, University of London.

Understanding Problems

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MD1Zpcy_T4E

Planning Your Answer

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nnxr7YV4Z7A

Writing and Referencing

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oK9XVLoL7lY

Try it yourself! Enter one of these essay competitions:

Don’t Miss

  1. Read the question thoroughly to make sure you understand the task you have been set and the format and schedule requirements.
  2. Read through the assessment and grading criteria to gain an understanding of how your written work will be assessed and graded.
  3. Do not start to write unless you understand the task!
  4. Make sure you have researched all the relevant information. See the Research Skills Guide for more information.
  5. Before you start writing, create an answer plan based on the question, your research, and the key issues you have identified.
  6. Use a new paragraph to cover each new issue.
  7. If you use another’s words or ideas, cite the source fully and accurately.
  8. Do not introduce new ideas in your conclusion.
  9. When you have finished your draft, leave it alone for 24 hours before checking it again.
  10. Reread your final draft to check you have answered the question.

Cardiff Index to Legal Abbreviations
http://www.legalabbrevs.cardiff.ac.uk/

Citing the Law using OSCOLA
https://ilrb.cardiff.ac.uk/citingreferences/oscola/tutorial

Clive M. Schmitthoff Essay Competition
http://cisgw3.law.pace.edu/cisg/text/essay.html

Lawbore guide to Understanding Legal Abbreviations
http://learnmore.lawbore.net/index.php/Understand_Legal_Abbreviations

Newcastle University’s guide to the importance of legal writing
http://www.ncl.ac.uk/nuls/lectures/legwrit/citation.htm

Persuading judges in writing article
http://www.llrx.com/features/persuadingjudegesinwriting.htm

The Bar Council Essay Competition
www.barcouncil.org.uk

The Times Law Awards
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/system/topicRoot/Times_Law_Awards_2007/