research paper in law school

Writing a law school research paper or law review note

• Books and articles

Basics of Format & Content

Research papers are not as strictly structured as legal memos, briefs, and other documents that you've learned about in legal writing and drafting courses. For example, there is no prescribed content/format similar to to the Questions Presented, Brief Answers, etc. that you learned for a legal memo.

A general approach to thinking about the content of a research paper is:

• Introduction in which you give some background and a clear statement of your thesis
• Status quo -- what is the existing law and why is it a problem
• Proposals for change

See this blog post by Jonathan Burns , an IU McKinney alum, for more on basic content.

If you're writing for a law review or seminar, you should get formatting instructions regarding things like margins, font size, line spacing. If you don't, or if you're doing an independent study, here are some basic guidelines to follow:

• Times New Roman or similar, 12 pt font.
• Double spaced lines.
• One inch margins all around.
• Footnotes in academic Bluebook style (use the rules on the main white pages instead of the light blue pages at the front of the Bluebook).
• Footnotes in same font as text, 10 pt font.
• Use Roman numerals and/or letters on headings and subheadings or style the fonts so that the difference between headings and subheadings is clear.   
• Page numbers in the footer, preferably centered, especially on first page. You could do bottom center on first page and then upper right in the header thereafter. Use the header and footer functions for this. If you don't know how to use headers and footers in Word, here is help:  https://edu.gcfglobal.org/en/word2016/headers-and-footers/1/ . 

Headings and subheadings

Research papers should have headings and subheadings. These help your reader follow your logic--and a logical structure is very important. Headings and subheadings can also help you keep your thoughts organized. Just don't overuse them--you don't want every paragaph to have a subheading. 

Road map paragraph

Often, research papers will also include a paragraph at the end of the introduction that narrates the road map the paper will follow.   Here is an example of this kind of paragraph:

"The section that follows [this introduction] sets the stage by recounting two scenarios from the Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law, with discussion of the knowledge and implementation of accessibility features in online instructional materials. The next section provides an overview of various impairments and their effects on a user's experience of the online environment. Next is a review of the laws relevant to accessibility with attention to their potential application to online instruction, along with standards used to guide accessibility compliance. The article then explores the concept of universal design and its guiding principles, followed by a discussion of how to use the universal design principles to organize and better understand accessibility standards and practices. The final section briefly summarizes the discussion and encourages law librarians and professors to become knowledgeable and skilled in universal design for online materials to benefit all their students."

Table of Contents

A table of contents can also be helpful, though it's not necessary. If you add a table of contents to your papers, put it right at the beginning, before the introduction. Here's part of the table of contents for the same paper the paragraph above was taken from--it really just lays out the heading and subheadings with page numbers: 

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5 Key Steps to Writing an Effective Law Research Paper

Written by admin

Updated on: April 7, 2024

Table of Contents

5 Key Steps to Writing an Effective Law Research Paper: Our Legal World

Writing a law research paper is much different and complex than crafting a research paper for other fields. That’s because it involves methodological research, which further requires familiarizing yourself with the current legal precedents, principles, and regulations. So, due to such complexities, students often get overwhelmed when asked to write a law research paper. And if you happen to know any such students, this blog post is for them.

Here, we’ll simplify the art of writing a persuasive research paper for law students with the help of 5 key steps. So, without prolonging this intro, let’s get to those steps.

1.    Select a Relevant and Narrow Topic

Whether you want to write a research paper for law or any other field, the first step you need to perform is to select a relevant topic. This step is paramount to writing an effective research paper because it will help you form the foundation for a compelling and well-researched paper. Therefore, the earlier you complete it, the better it will be for the overall quality of your law research paper.

But choosing a topic for a law research paper is different from selecting a topic for any other writing form. That’s because broader topics are challenging to cover. Therefore, your chosen topic should be specific and relevant to your interest. For instance, you can narrow your research for a topic to a particular point that aligns with your interest or has significance in law.

Sometimes, colleges or universities assign the research paper’s topic to students. So, if this situation represents your use case, all you need to do is pick a topic according to your interest from the assigned ones.

2.    Perform a Thorough but Methodological Research

Like other writing forms and research papers, thorough research is essential to write an effective law research paper. In fact, it’s the backbone of a research paper. Therefore, you should perform it, which is the second step in this guide.

But unlike other writing forms, the research for writing a law paper must be methodological. So, how can you conduct such research?

Well, existing literature can be a great starting point for the research phase of a law research paper. But other than that, you can use a plethora of sources, such as

• Legal databases.
• Scholarly articles.

Thus, looking for relevant data should be your priority while exploring the above-mentioned resources. But other than that, you should also familiarize yourself with the current legal precedents, principles, and regulations. Doing so will help you collect compelling evidence, arguments, and counterarguments, ultimately supporting your research paper and providing an overall comprehensive analysis.

3.    Create a Well-Thought-Out Outline

Suppose you have collected a lot of information and read all the existing written material regarding your research topic. In that case, you might crown your research paper with a lot of information and get carried away. Therefore, to cope with such a situation, we recommend creating a detailed outline, which is the third step of this guide.

Creating an outline and dividing your research paper into logical sections and subsections will help you formulate a coherent and organized structure. So, do that because this way, you can convey your ideas effectively. But remember that each section and subsection you create should relate to your research question and support your thesis.

Thus, once you’ve maintained a clear flow of ideas through the logical sections and subsections, it will ultimately improve your paper’s readability, which means readers can follow your point quickly.

4. Write in a Clear and Precise Legal Language

Documents related to law are famous for their complex and intricate language. But since a law research paper doesn’t intend to educate people having a legal background only, understanding convoluted language can be challenging for readers. And this situation is especially valid when you have to discuss arguments or concepts that are intricate and nuanced. To cater to this, we recommend writing the law research paper in clear and precise language.

Whether you are developing a solid thesis statement or writing your research paper’s introduction, body, and conclusion sections, it is essential to communicate the ideas clearly. And to do that, first of all, you must avoid using complex sentences and wording. Doing so will make your law research paper accessible to the experts and novices in the field.

But if writing content in a simple and easy-to-read manner is challenging for you, you can reword your complex content with any AI-based rephrase tool . Such tools use advanced NLP and AI technologies to paraphrase sentences and simplify their complexities in no time. This will ultimately save you time in simplifying the research paper manually and improves the overall quality of the paper as well.

5.    Don’t Forget to Revise, Edit and Polish Your Work

You’ve got the research and outline, which means, by now, you will have crafted a first draft of your research paper. And if you have, then it’s time to polish that draft by revising and editing it. But how can you do that?

Well, you can perform the following checks:

• Carefully proofread your paper and look for formatting mistakes.
• Besides formatting, don’t forget to check for grammar, punctuation, or spelling errors. But if you need any assistance, we recommend using an AI writing assistant.
• Your research paper will have a plethora of arguments. So, make sure that every one of them flows logically and cohesively throughout your research paper. And also, analyze whether you’ve supported every idea with relevant details.
• The first draft often contains repetitions of ideas. Therefore, you must trim them to polish your work.
• Perform a check for plagiarism on the content of your research paper.
• Remember to cite every source you’ve assisted in formulating your research paper’s data.
• Remember to use the same citation style throughout the research paper.

Thus, by implementing these tips, you can easily polish your research paper and prepare it for the final submission.

Writing a law research paper requires dedication, meticulous research, and thoughtful organization. However, with the proper guideline, you can enhance your chances of producing a compelling and impactful paper.

So, remember to choose a relevant and focused topic, conduct thorough research, structure your paper effectively, and meticulously revise and edit your work. Thus, with practice and persistence, you can master the art of writing an outstanding law research paper that engages readers and contributes to the legal discourse.

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Directed Research Projects

• Getting Started
• Preparing to Research
• The Research Process

Structuring Your Paper

Writing tips, writing resources.

• Checking your Sources
• Getting it Published

There is no strict structure to writing a legal research paper.  Unlike legal memos written for class or documents prepared for court proceedings that require formatted headings such as "Question Presented," "Statement of Facts," etc., legal research papers are not required to contain prescribed content or abide by a particular structure.

That said, below is a typical approach to organizing the content of your research project.

• Introduction (clear statement of your thesis)
• Background information (what is the existing law, if any)
• The problem (explain why the status quo does't work)
• Recommendation for change (what can be done to improve the field and how)
• Conclusion (tie back to your thesis)

If you have any questions about formatting your research project, you should seek advice from your faculty advisor.  Below are some basic guidelines, but keep in mind formatting requirements set forth by your faculty advisor will always supersede instructions provided here.

Generally, directed research papers are formatted as follows:

• 12-point font (Times New Roman or similar)
• Double-spaced lines
• One-inch margins on both sides, top, and bottom
• 10-point font for footnotes (same font as text)
• Bluebook style and rules for all footnotes citations
• Roman numerals and/or letter headings and subheadings (same font as text but bolded and/or underlined)
• Numbered pages in the footer (same font as text)

Table of Contents

Although not required (unless your faculty advisor states otherwise), a table of contents can be helpful to provide your reader with an overview of your research paper and direct them to certain sections.  Your table of contents should mirror your headings and subheadings.  Below is an example of a table of contents.

When to Cite

You must include a citation every time you refer to, paraphrase, or quote a law, case, or another's work.  Most of your sentences will include a citation.  Additionally, when you cite to a law, always cite to the primary source.

How to Cite

The Bluebook, formally titled  The Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation , is the style manual for citing to legal documents within the United States.  You should use the Bluebook for all your citations in your legal paper.  The white page section contain the citation rules for legal academic publications.

Writing a Strong Introduction

Your introduction is arguably the most important section of your paper because many people will decide to continue reading based on the introduction.  It must grab the reader's attention and explain why what you are writing about is important.

Essentially, the reader should be able to skim the rest of your paper after reading your introduction and have a good understanding of its layout and arguments.  A good introduction should present the theme of the paper in a succinct manner while providing an overview of your paper.

Generally, a strong introduction will

• State the legal problem/issue;
• Describe why it is important and how your paper contributes to the discussion;
• Provide a road map of your paper; and
• State your conclusion.

Being Objective & Subjective

After your introduction, you should discuss background information on the issue you chose to write about.  This should be an objective overview of the relevant facts and existing law.  Your objective background information section should not be an all encompassing.  Keep this portion of your paper focused on the essential law and relevant facts that support your recommendation for change. 

The bulk of your paper lays in your discussion of the problem and recommendation for change.  This is the subjective portion of your paper.  In this section you should extract the relevant objective material to support your subjective analysis.

Writing a Strong Conclusion

Your conclusion should restate your thesis, summarize your major points, and remind the reader why the issue you've chosen is important.  The conclusion should essentially reword your introduction in a condensed fashion. 

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Researching Law School Papers

• Research papers
• Coming up with a topic
• Checking for preemption
• Expanding your research

Resources on academic legal writing

Make a research appointment.

Reference librarians are available to help you get started and research your topic. 

• Stop by the Reference Desk in the library lobby
• Email: [email protected]

Articles (UC Davis law students may access from offsite using Kerberos password)

• Stalking the Golden Topic: A Guide to Locating and Selecting Topics for Legal Research Papers by Heather Meeker
• Writing a Student Article by Eugene Volokh
• How to Write a Law Review Article by Richard Delgado
• How to Write a Law Review Article by Sean Burke

• << Previous: Expanding your research
• Last Updated: Sep 14, 2023 10:00 AM
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Publishing in Law Reviews and Journals

Publishing in law reviews and journals-home, deciding where to publish, article submission services, author rights, sharing and depositing your papers, conferences and symposia, books, articles and other resources, writing competitions, videos of classes and presentations, tutorial and quiz, getting help.

Have you thought about trying to publish in a law review or journal?  This guide contains a variety of resources to help you in that process.  

Submit to DASH, Harvard University's open access repository

If you are a current HLS student, deposit your work in  DASH  (Digital Access to Scholarship at Harvard).

This guide is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 United States License .

You may reproduce any part of it for noncommercial purposes as long as credit is included and it is shared in the same manner. 

Comparing Law Journal Impact Factor/Prestige

Over the years, many ranking systems for law journals have evolved, incorporating a variety of methodologies and factors, including frequency of citation, prominence of author, etc..  Although such rankings can be useful for getting an idea of the prestige or "impact factor" of a journal, they should be taken with a grain of salt and in consideration of other factors that might be important to you.  Ranking of journals is frequently a subject of articles and blog postings.  Play close attention to how the data was compiled---e.g. through database searches, opinions of experts in the field, etc..

Law Journal Submissions and Ranking The Washington & Lee Law School Library produces this site that lists law journals by subject, country and other factors, and allows users to rank journals by impact factor or immediacy index. (Both are based on citation counts more or less, see ranking methodology ). Provides contact and submission information.

Allen Rostron & Nancy Levit,   I nformation for Submitting Articles to Law Reviews & Journals  (last updated 2023).

Bridget J. Crawford,  Information for Submitting to Online Law Review Companions (last updated 2023).

Michael Goodyear,  Information for Submitting Articles to Specialty & Non-Flagship Law Journals  (last updated 2021).

Nancy Levit et al,  Submission of Law Student Articles for Publication  (last updated 2016).

ISI Journal Citation Reports (Harvard ID and PIN required) Ranks journals in a wide range of disciplines including about 100 law journals. Rankings are based on citation counts in thousands of journals in the sciences and social sciences. From the initial screen, select Social Sciences Edition and View a group of journals by Subject Category (the default). On the next screen, select Law and View journal data by either Impact Factor, Immediacy Index, or Cited Half Life.

Most Cited Journals on HeinOnline This top 100 list is based on HeinOnline's citator feature called ScholarCheck. You can also use ScholarCheck to create your own metric. They also have a collection of most-cited law journals .

Eigenfactor This is a relatively new system that ranks journals as Google ranks websites (mapping relationship structures). The coverage of law is not comprehensive, but it is useful for looking at journals in the context of the social sciences generally.

Google Scholar Metrics Google Scholar launched publication metrics in April 2012. They provide five-year h-index and h-median numbers for ranking purposes.

Bryce Clayton Newell, Meta-Ranking, Law Journal Meta-Ranking 2020 Edition, Meta-Ranking of Flagship US Law Reviews 

Measuring Quality - Writing for and Publishing in Law Reviews (Choosing Where to Submit and Publish)   A great guide compiled by the Gallagher Library at the University of Washington Law School, explaining the most common ranking factors, including important an extensive selection of articles and surveys.

Brian T. Detweiler, May It Please the Court: A Longitudinal Study of Judicial Citation to Academic Legal Periodicals

U.S. News To Publish Law Faculty Scholarly Impact Ranking In 2021

Accessibility of the Content

Is the journal available in places where scholars will find, and hopefully cite to, its contents? Some considerations include:

Is it open access or freely available?  Check the journal's website for contents and the journal's policy.   You can also check the  Directory of Open Access Journals , but the coverage for law is not extensive. 

Is it in Westlaw, Lexis and other subscription databases? 

Is it indexed by Legaltrac (a.k.a Legal Resource Index)? See title list  (downloads as an Excel file).

Is it indexed by Index to Legal Periodicals and Books? See title list .

Is it included in Tables of Contents Services, such as Current Index to Legal Periodicals? See title list .

Selected Directories of Law Journals

In addition to Washington and Lee's Law Review Submissions and Ranking website , there are several directories that can be used to find out more information about law journals that are currently being published.

• Ulrich's Periodicals Not specific to law, Ulrich's describes periodicals in all disciplines, worldwide. Most comprehensive source for finding law-related serial publications. Includes newspapers, bar journals, and trades. Usually provides a description, contact information, circulation figures, abstracting and indexing services, and links to publishers' sites. Use Advanced Search to find appropriate journals. At minimum, you may want to limit Country of Publication to United States, Subject to law, Status to Active, and Serial Type to Academic/Scholarly.
• Directory for Successful Publishing in Legal Periodicals Call Number: Reference K 36.J69 1997x A bit out of date but still useful. Covers about 500 major law journals. Describes the journal's particular focus, preferred manuscript style; acceptance rates, details about the review process, and occasionally explains factors in manuscript rejections.

Short-Form Publishing

Many law reviews now have blogs and websites that accept shorter submissions. See Colin Miller's Submission Guide for Online Law Review Supplements, Version 7.0  and Information for Submitting to Online Law Review Companions by Bridget J. Crawford . Washington & Lee also lists selected ones on its   Law Journals: Submissions and Ranking website .

Scholastica

Hls student scholastica funding.

The Harvard Law School subsidizes Scholastica journal submissions for current students with publishable academic work. 

Eligibility

To access this support, you must receive sign-off from your faculty supervisor that your article is ready for submission and/or that submission will further your academic goals.

Before we activate your account, we ask you to complete a tutorial and quiz about submission strategy. You may also want to set up an appointment with a librarian to discuss strategy and how to select journals for submission. We encourage you to review the  Law Library’s Guide to Publishing in Law Reviews and Journals.

How to Participate

Send a request using your Harvard email to [email protected] . Include or separately forward the approval from your faculty supervisor. 

How it Works

When you contact us, we will send you a link to an online tutorial and quiz. Once you have completed the quiz, and we receive your request and faculty approval,  Library staff will add you to our Scholastica account. Once you acknowledge our invitation, you will be free to begin your submissions. Your account will remain active through the end of the pilot unless you reach your maximum number of submissions

Submission Levels

• SJD– up to 50 submissions per academic year during your time at HLS. Unused submissions will roll over to the next year. 
• LLMs – up to 50 submissions  total during your year at HLS.
• JDs – up to 50 submissions total during your three years at HLS.
• Submissions may be used up to 10 months after graduation.

Note:  Please keep track of your journal submissions and notify us when you reach 50, as Scholastica does not limit them automatically. 

JOURNAL POLICIES FOR SUBMISSION

Allen Rostron and Nancy Levit compiled a table of journal policies for publication, Allen Rostron & Nancy Levit  Information for Submitting Articles to Law Reviews & Journals  (2021).

Michael Goodyear,  Information for Submitting Articles to Specialty & Non-Flagship Law Journals  (2021)

Sherpa/RoMEO  is a searchable database of publisher's general policies regarding copyright and the self-archiving of journal articles on the web and in Open Access repositories.  Each entry provides a summary of the publisher's policy, including what version of an article can be deposited, where it can be deposited, and any conditions that are attached to that deposit. 

How You Can Submit an Article

Journals have different policies for receiving submissions.  Your best starting place is to check the journal's website, which usually provides details about its policy.  We have collected on this page some potential resources that you can use for submitting an article.

Learn about Author Rights

If you do get an acceptance for publication, you might be asked to sign an author agreement/contract with the publisher.  Some standard agreements require things such as transferring copyright or prohibiting what you can do with your own work.  See Benjamin J. Keele,  Advising Faculty on Law Journal Publication Agreements  for a brief basic review of terms to consider.

SPARC Author Rights

• Author Rights and the SPARC Author Addendum

Scholar's Copyright Addendum Engine

Hosted by Science Commons, you can enter the article information and choose the rights you want to retain and generate a standard addendum on pdf  to provide for the publisher's consideration.  http://scholars.sciencecommons.org/  

Keep Your Copyrights

Developed by the Kernochan Center for Law, Media, and the Arts and the Program on Law & Technology at Columbia Law School, this website provides a good introduction to author rights and samples of contract language.

• https://kernochan.law.columbia.edu/content/keep-your-copyrights

Creative Commons Licenses

Creative Commons (CC)  provides creators with standardized licenses that describe, in plain language, what actions are and are not allowed with their content.

• Read more about the various licenses on the CC website .
• The CC License Chooser tool can help you pick a license that's right for you and your work.

Resources to Learn about Journal Copyright and Self-Archiving Policies

Journal publication agreements vary widely, but there are some resources that help authors get an idea of what a journal's standard policy has typically been.  While the journal publication agreement itself must always be reviewed, looking at these resources at the time of submission can be helpful, particularly if it is important for you to retain certain rights in your work.  Regardless of what a publisher's standard agreement states, you can always try to negotiate different terms. If the publisher is unwilling to budge from its position, you then need to decide how important it is to you to publish in that particular journal.

• SHERPA/RoMEO This website lists contains summaries of permissions that are normally given as part of each publisher's agreement.
• Benjamin Keele, Copyright Provisions in Law Journal Publication Agreements
• Dan Hunter, Walled Gardens
• Brian Frye, Christopher Ryan, Franklin Runge, An Empirical Study of Law Journal Copyright Practices

Working papers and self-archiving

Regardless of your plans for formal publication of your work, you are encouraged to deposit your student papers with the university's open access repository, DASH . Doing so will enable you to share your work with other members of the Harvard community, as well as the world at large.  If you are concerned about making your content available open on the Internet, you also have the option of submitting only the metadata (e.g. title, your name). See HLS Student Papers Series in DASH for details.

You might also want to deposit your paper (or its metadata) in SSRN or another working paper repository to associate yourself with the work and make it available for feedback from others in the field.  Scholars frequently make their "working papers" or drafts available for early feedback and reaction from colleagues.

The SSRN Legal Scholarship Network hosts research paper series for academic and other research organizations such as the  Harvard Law School, Public Law & Legal Theory Research Paper Series .  Scholars can publish their work in a large number of law-related e-journals within SSRN's Legal Scholarship Network's four areas including Law  & Economics, Public Law & Legal Theory, Legal Studies and Law Research Center Papers. 

Author Identification

Giving the proper author credit for research is the goal of Open Researcher and Contributor ID ( ORCID ) iDs.  ORCID is a non-profit, community-driven, Open Access effort to create a registry of unique researcher identifiers.

“ORCID provides a persistent digital identifier that distinguishes you from every other researcher and, through integration in key research workflows such as manuscript and grant submission, supports automated linkages between you and your professional activities ensuring that your work is recognized.”

You can create a new ORCID or link your existing ORCID using Harvard ORCID Connect , HarvardKey required.

Research Profile Services

• Scholars@Harvard
• Google Scholar Citations
• Academia.edu
• Conference Alerts

This resource tracks academic conferences worldwide, including ones concerning law.  E-mail alerts are available.

• Legal Scholarship Blog

A Service from the University of Pittsburgh School of Law & University of Washington School of Law, which tracks Law-Related Calls for Papers, Conferences, and Workshops .  You can sign up for alerts of new additions.

Annuals and Surveys Appearing in Legal Periodicals

• Annuals and Surveys Appearing in Legal Periodicals by Catherine L. Kerr and Joy Humphrey Call Number: Reference KF8 .K47 1996 ISBN: 0837793122 Tracks surveys appearing in law reviews, bar association journals and annuals. Arranged by jurisdiction and subject.

Selected books

Other Guides

• Writing for and Publishing in Law Reviews (Gallagher Law Library, University of Washington School of Law) This very extensive guide covers various aspects of publishing.
• Brian D. Galle, The Law Review Submission Process: A Guide for (and by) the Perplexed
• Scholastica Resources Run by the submission service Scholastica, there are various resources/tips (written from the perspective of a service provider) including their blogs .

Blogs/Current Awareness

• Brian Leiter Law School Reports
• PrawfsBlawg
• Faculty Lounge

HLS also offers many prizes for its students papers generally. See Harvard Law School Writing Prizes for more information.

Often included in many student writing competitions is the opportunity to have your work published in a journal. See Awards and Competitions (HLS Program on the Legal Profession) for a list of competitions.

• Writing Competitions (Pence Law Library Guide)
• Writing Competitions for Young Lawyers and Law Students (ABA Young Lawyers Division)
• Tutorial and quiz to obtain Scholastica account (HarvardKey required)

Contact Us!

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Academic Projects Enhance Law School Applications

Theses, research projects and other major works show law schools you can handle an academic challenge.

Academic Research and Law School Application

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By completing a major academic work you can show off your research and writing skills.

When you apply to law school, admissions officers receive transcripts from every institution of higher learning that you have attended, compiled through the Law School Admission Council’s Credential Assembly Service.

Building Legal Research Skills Before Law School

Gabriel Kuris April 6, 2020

They will look at the grades on these transcripts. In addition to your overall grade point average, they will note any inconsistencies or trends of improvement. This is why an addendum can help provide context for an errant bad grade or underperforming semester.

However, grades are not the only way admissions officers assess a candidate’s academic potential. Law school admissions officers also consider the classes you have taken.

One thing they may note is any honors’ thesis, final project, capstone project or other substantial academic work. In fact, some law schools specifically ask on their application if you have completed a major written work.

While such projects are not a prerequisite for law school , college students who plan to apply to law school are wise to pursue them even if they take more work than easier courses. Completing a major academic work has several benefits for your law school application. It will:

• Showcase your research and writing skills.
• Demonstrate project and time management skills.
• Build a close relationship with a professor.
• Give you something to talk about.

Showcase Your Research and Writing Skills

Research and writing are core legal skills, the basis for America’s common law system. Nearly every legal issue is resolved through a process of fact-finding, researching law and precedent, conducting analysis and explaining the results.

Thus, law schools want students with a proven capacity to handle these tasks. Particularly if you are a college student with little workplace experience , the best way you can show off your research and writing skills is with a substantial research project.

This project does not need to concern a legal topic. Laboratory research reports and humanities theses alike can show as much in-depth research and analysis as a paper about constitutional law or criminal justice.

Demonstrate Project and Time Management Skills

Law students must be self-motivated to succeed. Lawyers, as well, must pursue and achieve long-term goals, even under the stress of competing priorities. Imagine a litigator who has to prepare for trial while fielding calls from other clients.

Completing a major academic project while juggling a full course load demonstrates similar skills. It takes ambition to accept such a challenge and maturity to see the work through to completion.

Build a Close Relationship With a Professor

Law school applicants should have at least one recommendation letter from a professor. However, it can be hard to get to know a professor, especially during the coronavirus pandemic. Even if you stand out in class or regularly visit a professor’s office hours, the professor might not have a whole lot to say about you.

A surefire way to secure a strong, personalized recommendation letter is to write a major work under a professor’s supervision. Not only will the professor feel invested in your work, but he or she will be able to speak knowledgeably about your character, intellect and interests.

Give You Something to Talk About

Many people remember their college thesis or final project for the rest of their lives. Long nights in the lab or at the library, multiple rounds of drafting and revising, and moments of frustration and insight can be formative intellectual experiences. Finishing a lengthy written work can feel incredible.

That passion can easily translate into a great personal statement or a topic for a law school interview . Many college students feel they lack a good story of accomplishment. Done well, a major academic project can interest admissions officers, even if your friends grow tired of hearing about it.

For all these reasons, forgoing an opportunity to complete a substantial academic work can be shortsighted, even if there are easier ways to achieve good grades. Taking on such a project can be as rewarding as it is daunting, and law schools appreciate applicants who are up for a good challenge.

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Tags: law school , graduate schools , students , education , research

About Law Admissions Lowdown

Law Admissions Lowdown provides advice to prospective students about the law school application process, LSAT prep and potential career paths. Previously authored by contributors from Stratus Admissions Counseling, the blog is currently authored by Gabriel Kuris, founder of Top Law Coach , an admissions consultancy. Kuris is a graduate of Harvard Law School and has helped hundreds of applicants navigate the law school application process since 2003. Got a question? Email [email protected] .

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The University of Chicago The Law School

Research menu, academic paper series & named lectures.

The Law School is well known for the rigorous and voluminous academic output of its highly respected faculty. Many of the faculty's scholarship is included in our academic paper series and named lectures. 

Coase-Sandor Working Paper Series in Law and Economics

The University of Chicago Coase-Sandor Institute for Law & Economics Research Paper Series publishes papers in law and economics authored by University of Chicago faculty. This Working Paper series ensures that scholars at other institutions keep abreast of what is happening at Chicago's Coase-Sandor Institute for Law and Economics.

Public Law and Legal Theory Working Papers

The Public Law and Legal Theory Working Paper series covers a diverse group of topics, including, but not limited to, constitutional law, statutory interpretation, intellectual property, family law, jurisprudence, civil procedure, voting rights, legal history, criminal law and procedure, privacy, and international law.

Submit papers for consideration for either series to the  University of Chicago Law SSRN Working Paper Series Webform.

Fulton Lectures

The Maurice and Muriel Fulton Lectureship in Legal History was created in 1985 through a gift made by Mr. Fulton, a member of the class of 1942, and his wife Muriel, an alumna of the college. The Fulton Lecture presents a prominent legal historian to speak at the Law School. Many of the Fulton lectures are available as PDFs.

Coase Lectures

This lecture series, dedicated to the honor of Ronald Coase, began in 1992. The lectures are presented by program faculty and are intended to provide law students and others with an introduction to important techniques and results in law and economics. 

How to write a legal research paper: All you need to know

This article on “How to write a legal research paper: All you need to know” was written by Vridhi Rai, an intern at Legal Upanishad.

Introduction:

Law is all about analysis, critical thinking, and interpretation. Your capability to put together the analysis of the study of the issues in written form is essential in the practice of law. The research paper is one such way to express your creative and analytic thought process, your vision of the theme, and the originality of your content. The word ‘research’ means a systematic examination of material facts. It can be complex and daunting for law students. But research helps in enhancing your knowledge and cultivating your writing skills. This article will help you understand what is research paper all about and how to write a research paper.

What is a research paper?

A research paper is a piece of academic writing which is based on an author’s original composition in the research and the findings on a given theme or topic. The writing should be owned by the author himself or herself. A good research paper strives to convey the information traced by the author crisply and concisely. The paper is written to examine the theme or the provisions, present your stand on it, and showcase evidence in support in a systematic manner. The true nature of the paper shows you the purpose of the theme or topic. 

What is the aim of the legal research paper?

The aim of the legal research paper can be a subjective question since the writing will indicate what the intended outcome is. There are kinds of writings that would pave a way for courts because it geared toward a certain kind of doctrinal analysis of the court’s interaction with theory and practice. The writings are done for better interpretation of the law. It could also be used to influence policy-making and generate debates. The author has a specific objective and intended audience in mind to serve.

How to write a legal research paper?

Step-1 choose a theme or topic:.

The foremost step in writing a  legal research paper is to select a theme or topic for the research. Select topics that catch your attention or interest. You can pick topics addressing contemporary issues or topics for the intended audience you wish to cater to. It should be novel, innovative, and interesting. While choosing a topic, read pertinent issues from different sources.  You can follow legal news to search for pertinent topics.

In case, you find difficulty selecting a topic, it will be wonderful for you to approach your professors, colleagues, and friends for consultation. Also, never feel hesitant to change the theme or topic of the research, if you feel it is not the right topic or you will not able to research the topic effectively.

Step-2 Research on your topic:

Now, your next task is to research the topic extensively on your selected topic from credible sources. You can refer to different sources by reading legal research pieces from books to online sites like SCC online, Manupatra, and Kluwer Arbitration. Always remember don’t just goggle. Use conventional sources like books and articles, these will give you a broader perspective. Read as much as you can. Reading helps you understand the nitty-gritty of the law provisions. Please beware of the research as this task can be very monotonous. You might lose motivation to perform this task. But hang in there and stay motivated to find interesting facts.

Step-3 Examine and Make a plan:

After researching, your very next step is to examine and make a plan to execute writing a legal research paper. Your research will be comprehensive with ideas. Please develop a detailed outline. Try adding notes to your research work. It can be possible that you might end up adding too much information to your paper. Highlight the key findings from your study. At this stage you are required to identify the goal of your research work, it can be either argumentative or analytic. You have to determine the masses you are wishing to address. The focus and the tone of the paper should b according to the audience you are intending to reach.

To get your Legal Research Paper written by an expert. Contact us.

Step-4 writing the paper:.

The next step is to draft the research paper. Make a final outline of the research work. The outline must have the points to describe the overview of the paper. The basic mantra of legal research is the structure of the paper. The research paper writing should be creative, clear, concise, and comprehensive. The language of your research paper should be easy to interpret. The legal terminologies and material facts are generally very sophisticated and complex. The facts, you are mentioning must be backed by shreds of evidence.

The format of the legal research paper:

The paper should have a proper format that consists of writing styles, referencing styles, page numbering, spacing, and margins. It should also include the headlines, sub-headlines, citations, or credits to the authors and the scholars.

The content of the legal research paper:

The content consists of the following:

Acknowledgment : the content of the paper should include an acknowledgment section that appreciates all the contributors to the research paper for their efforts and encouragement.

Table of contents: it includes the list of the things that you have written in your research paper.

Scope of the research: the scope or object of the research includes the reason for your study. It shows you the skeleton of your research paper. You have stated the problem or issue of the paper.

A literature survey or the sources used in the study: it includes the sources you have referred to in your study. It can be primary or secondary resources. The primary resources include books, statutes, and case laws. The secondary sources include the material you have collected from law articles, journals, and compendiums online or offline.

The hypothesis of the research: the hypothesis is the idea that is suggested to explain the objective of the research conducted by the researcher. It conveys the expectations of the researcher on what basis he started studying the issues, he raised in his paper.

Abstract : abstract shows the gist of the theme you have mentioned in your study. It is like the summary of the findings in your research regarding the theme. It should be written clearly and concisely.

Introduction: the introduction should be well-written to attract the attention of the audience toward the theme you mentioned in your thesis. A glance over the initial paragraphs gives an insight to the readers of your work. The introduction determines whether the research paper is worth reading or not. It should express the research problem, the purpose of your thesis, and background details about the issue you are referring to. It should be short, crisp, and comprehensive.

The main body of the study: the main focus of the paper is the main body of the thesis. The body should be divided into paragraphs along with sub-headings for a better understanding of the facts. Each paragraph should draw the main points of your study. It should begin with the topic’s sentences and should conclude extensively. In the main body, you can add the case laws and judgments.  

The conclusion of the study: the finale of the study should include a summary of the main pointers discussed in the study, it should express your stand or viewpoint towards the research problem. The concluding para of your research can be affirmative or negative in tone. In the end, you can add some suggestive measures to your study.

References or bibliography: at the end of the paper mention the references or the sources links or sites from which you have researched the material facts.

Step – 5 edit and proofread the final draft of the research paper:

Use proper grammar, punctuation, and spelling. Proofreading will help you to find errors in your content. If you need, to make changes to the paper, check and find the logic and legality of the statement. At this stage, you check the plagiarism of your content.

The things that should be considered carefully before drafting the paper:

you need to check the validity of the judgments before mentioning them in the research paper. The validity of the bills mentioned in your study should be carefully considered. The errors related to applicability or jurisdictions should be carefully verified.

Conclusion:

Legal research is not an easy task to perform. It takes a lot of time to conduct it. Constant hard work, attention, motivation, and patience are the factors required to examine and analyze the details. It can be boring. But it will help you in brushing your skills. Your efforts and dedication toward finding more and more material facts will help in shaping you into a good researcher.

It is beneficial for law students for interpreting law provisions, policies, and judgments. It can be used as a medium to influence policy-making procedures and as a tool to aware the masses. Publication of your research papers will act as a stimulating force to your law career. It will help you build your confidence and help them transform into law professionals.

References:

• How to write a legal research paper: guide: how to write a winning research paper?- Legal Desire. Retrieved: https://legaldesire.com/guide-how-to-write-a-winning-research-paper/
• A helpful guide on writing a law research paper- Writing help. Retrieved: https://howtowrite.customwritings.com/post/law-research-paper-guide/
• How to begin with writing a legal research paper- Manupatra- youtube channel-(video file)
• How to write a legal research paper law?|research paper- Eminent law classes-(Video file)
• The aim of writing a legal research paper- the art of writing a legal research paper-Rohini Sen-letter of the law-(video file)

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University of Bristol Law School

Law working papers series.

Welcome to the Bristol Law Working Papers Series. The series publishes a broad range of legal scholarship in all subject areas from members of the University of Bristol Law School. All papers are published electronically and available to download as pdf files.

Working papers

Exceptions and Regulatory Autonomy (PDF, 1,504kB) Author: Joshua Paine

This paper provides a comparative overview and analysis of exceptions commonly included in Preferential Trade Agreements.

Default Norms in Labour Law- From Private Right to Public Law (PDF, 1,525kB) Author: Alan Bogg

How far can the common law limit freedom of contract in employment contracts? This paper considers the limits of freedom of contract in relation to (i) contracting out of employment status; (ii) contracting out of implied terms. It argues that public policy can impose necessary limits on the employer's contractual powers.

An Analysis of the UK–Australia FTA’s Investment Chapter (PDF, 630kB) Author: Joshua Paine

A Kantian moral cosmopolitan approach to teaching professional legal ethics (PDF, 693kB) Author: Omar Madhloom

COVID-19 at Work: How risk is assessed & its consequences in England & Sweden (PDF, 837kB) A‌uthors: Peter Andersson and Tonia Novitz

Capturing the value of community fuel poverty alleviation (PDF, 1,891kB) Authors: Colin Nolden, Daniela Rossade and Peter Thomas

Bridging the Spaces in-between? The IWGB and Strategic Litigation (PDF, 522kB)  Author: Manoj Dias-Abey

View past papers

University of Virginia School of Law

IV. Research Papers

A. original work required.

Any paper or other written work submitted for any Law School course, seminar or independent research project must be solely the original work of the student in whose name the work is submitted, with all sources acknowledged. Unless specifically authorized otherwise in writing, use of artificial intelligence in the process of writing any paper or other written work is prohibited. The Law School may analyze papers using anti-plagiarism, AI-detection, and related programs.

B. Multiple Submissions

No paper or written work, or portion thereof, may be submitted for credit toward the law degree that has been previously submitted in identical or similar form in another course or seminar or any other forum anywhere, either within the Law School or any other setting. The work submitted for credit toward a law degree must be completed originally and solely for the requirement for which it is submitted.

1) If a student wishes to submit work for credit toward the law degree which he or she has begun previously (but was not submitted for academic credit) the student must submit the previous work to the instructor in advance for approval. Such approval must be in writing provided via email to the Student Records Office.

2) Similarly, no paper or similar papers may be submitted in more than one course or seminar or independent study or any other forum anywhere either within the Law School or any other setting concurrently without the advance written permission of the instructors to whom the paper will be submitted  provided via email to  the Student Records Office. If permission is granted, the paper must be at least twice the length required for each course or seminar for which it is submitted. 

C. Deadlines and Extensions

Unless the instructor announces an earlier deadline, all papers for academic credit are due no later than noon on the day before the last day of the finals period for the semester in which credit is to be awarded.  EXCEPTION:  Student-initiated study abroad program research papers have a different deadline. Students are expected to work diligently over the course of the semester to complete papers in a timely manner.

Instructors may not grant deadline extensions; all authority in this matter is delegated by the faculty to the assistant dean for academic services and registrar and the assistant dean for student affairs.

Deadline extensions must be sought in advance of the scheduled deadline and will be granted only when the student suffers an emergency during the exam period (e.g., the student’s hospitalization).  The student seeking an extension must make a written request to the assistant dean for academic services and registrar and the assistant dean for student affairs stating the current status of the paper, including information on the work left and expected amount of time necessary to finish the paper. The student must also provide with the request the most up-to-date draft of their paper. To support a request for an extension, the student must have written documentation of the emergency satisfactory to the assistant dean for academic services and registrar and the assistant dean for student affairs. 

An extended deadline cannot be later than one week before the grading deadline for the class requiring the paper. The Law School expects students to have papers substantially complete by the start of the exam period. No extensions of paper deadlines will be permitted due to mismanagement of time during the course of the semester, changes in the research or direction of the paper, events that occurred during the semester, or exam period workload.   

D. Late Submissions

Students are expected to submit papers in accordance with established deadlines. Failure to submit papers when requested may result, for each 24-hour period that the paper is beyond the deadline, in as much as a two-step reduction in the grade for the course, seminar or research project (including independent research, external studies, student-initiated study abroad and third-year theses). The first 24-hour period begins at the submission deadline, so a paper submitted at any point during this first 24-hour period warrants up to a two-step reduction. The exact reduction in grade will be determined by the instructor. Pursuant to part I.I.1 of these policies, faculty use 10 letter grades, each of which constitutes a “step,” in evaluating performance in courses and seminars (A+, A, A-, B+, B, B-, C+, C, D, F).

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