Article Writing: A Guide for Law Students

Article written by Ola Alice, Babcock University, Third year LLB.

The desire to communicate, be it through text, word of mouth, signs or with the use of symbols, is one that every human has. There is indeed a need for every human to pass their thoughts and ideas across to other people. In fact, it can be concluded that everyday transactions or interactions require one means of communication or the other. So, where we find ourselves in a world where communication is key, what then is stopping us from being the best at it?

A common form of communication is writing. Written words could be said to be an inscription or even a visual combination of letters. By writing, one does not only think of communicating, but one also considers how to write in a clear, concise, and error-free manner. This is because of the prevalent need to catch the reader’s attention and sustain it through the body and up to the end of the written work. Writing requires a lot of skills which cannot be learnt in a day. This is why writers are advised to read more and learn more so they develop better writing skills and sharpen the skills they already have. A writer considers introspection before writing, and this is why most written works reflect not just the idea the writer is trying to pass across but also bits of the personality of the writer. What does this bode for future lawyers?

For law students, writing should be a second nature. This is because writing helps to prepare on for a developing world. Writing expands one’s knowledge and develops the writer’s research skills. It also provides the writer and reader with a wealth of information related to a specific topic. In addition, it fosters competitive spirit and self-confidence by improving one’s command of English, fluency, and makes one grammatically sound. This includes building an astounding vocabulary. A skill every law student should therefore have is great writing skills.

One of the most common forms of writing that lawyers and law students around the world resort to is article writing. For clarity, an article as defined by Toppr, is a piece of writing written for a large audience. Other definitions go on to include that it is intended to be published in a newspaper, magazine, journal, or the internet. One can say that the reason for this addition is based on the fact that the primary goal of writing an article is to affect the world by giving information, statistics, or viewpoints. Having stated this, it is paramount to state the basic principles any writer should know.

Invest in Building your Grammar and Spelling

One critical necessity of any writer is recognizing the fundamentals of grammar and spelling when writing. Before your readers see your work, double-check that it is all spelled correctly and free of grammar errors.

Learn the art of Editing

Can an article be published without being edited? No. After writing, editing is a step in the writing process. Before producing their final work, writers typically go through a number of revisions and re-drafts. Enhancing a piece of writing’s overall quality is the aim of editing. This entails making sure the language is clear and the structure and argument are both understandable.

Read

A good writer never stops reading. Reading books and newspapers is a great way to pick up vocabulary words and valuable idioms. Reading allows you to express yourself and learn new terms. You can use this terminology to improve your writing abilities.

Write

You cannot be a good write if you do not write often and create your own original works. Establishing a daily writing habit is something that can assist your writing. When you do this, you are more likely to fall into the writing “flow” and make progress more quickly than if you only wrote on the weekends. For instance, you will be able to generate higher-quality work if you set aside an hour every day or two hours on Saturdays for writing.

Research

The goal of article writing as emphasised earlier is to expand one’s knowledge and one way this can be achieved is by conducting research. It’s crucial to conduct research on the subject of your essay before you begin writing. This will make it easier for you to write content that is accurate and instructive. Additionally, a thorough comprehension of the subject will enable you to write with more assurance and impact.

Set writing goals

Setting goals will keep you motivated and focused, which may be particularly useful when taking on more difficult writing assignments. You may also check how much you’ve progressed over time by tracking your progress. This can cover a variety of topics, such as how many words you want to write every day or how much time you want to devote to each writing assignment.

Practice

As important as it is to be a good writer, so is practising. The journey to being very good at writing is not a straight one. Writers often face writers block, produce shabby work, or even fail so identify errors in their articles. Practice is one of the finest methods to get better at writing. You will get better at writing as you practice. So, set aside some time to write down your thoughts and ideas. If you want to keep your writing secret, try keeping a diary or journal; otherwise, try blogging. Try different forms of writing too – fiction stories, newspaper articles, magazine articles, essays, reviews, etc.

Article writing takes a different format compared to other types of writing. An article is essentially made up of a title, the body and conclusion.

1. Title: It must relate to the reader’s interest and be catchy. The title could be limited to not more than 5 to 6 words. Think beyond the box to impress your audience or readers with just one statement and heighten their interest in reading the rest of your content.
2. Body: The main section of an article, which receives the majority of the marks, is the body. Usually, there are three to four paragraphs in the article’s body.
3. Conclusion: The final paragraph of an essay should include elements like recommendations, expectations, opinions, and appeals so that readers will be satisfied with it.

The likelihood of persuading the judge or the jury to rule in one’s favour increases if a lawyer can present all of their points in a clear and concise manner. This means that in order to be a good and successful lawyer, one must possess the capacity and aptitude to persuasively communicate legal ideas through a continuous writing process. In addition to preparing a speech for a courtroom, producing excellent blog posts and website material can help establish a powerful online presence. With this, writing is a key skill every law student and lawyer must hone.