How to get a first in a law essay
Why good law essays get stuck at a 2:1, and the shift in argument, structure and analysis that pushes them into the First-class range.
The biggest shift for me when I was studying law was realising that everything comes back to actually answering the question with a clear argument.
A lot of essays cover the material well but don't quite commit to a position. Yet this is precisely what unlocks the highest marks: it allows you to deploy the kind of analytical framework that opens up first-class evaluation. So do not ignore other viewpoints, but engage with them and be opinionated: you're a lawyer.
1) Structure follows your argument
Your structure shouldn't be something separate, it should come out of your argument.
If your introduction clearly sets out: a) what you think, and b) how you're going to argue it, then the rest of the essay tends to fall into place more naturally. It also makes it easier to spot when something doesn't quite fit.
2) The importance of the introduction + signposting
The introduction is crucial to do 1 above. Examiners go through very many essays; make it easy for them from the beginning to follow your argument and the flow of your essay (and keep the promise you make in the introduction!).
The introduction is also where you present your understanding of the terms of the question, and of the underlying issues the question is getting at. It's very useful, for your own understanding and for the examiner's, to do this explicitly, and the intro is the best place to do this.
3) The description vs analysis problem
A common issue is spending too long explaining cases or theories, and not enough time using them.
What helped me was thinking: is this actually doing something for my argument? If it doesn't, then I scrap it. If it does, then I make sure I tell the examiner explicitly why it advances my argument. So instead of starting a section by explaining a concept in the abstract, it often works better to frame it through your argument first, then bring in the explanation as needed.
It's crucial to realise that markers aren't rewarding description on its own. It's only useful if it pushes your answer forward.
If you'd like a second pair of eyes on this, my one-to-one essay marking shows you where an argument is drifting from a 2:1 into the First-class range.