Tips for a Law Dissertation
Writing a Well-Researched Law Dissertation
Just as the crux of a law is in its interpretation, the crux of a law dissertation is in its analysis.
There a several areas in law such as environmental law, criminal law, corporate law international law, tort law and so on. Some dissertation topics are:
- The Impact of Environmental Protection Act 1990 on Air Pollution in Britain
- The Role of Arbitration in Divorce Settlements in Wales
- Mental disorders and Criminal Law Case Judgments
- Dispute Settlement Between Italy and France Under the Provisions of the European Union
- The Conflicts between WTO Law and the Domestic Legal System in Germany
- The Role of Law in Dealing with Domestic Violence in Ireland
- The Exit Clause in Investment Contracts in the Telecom Industry: A Review
- Regulation of Auditors in the European System and its Role in the 2008 Financial Crisis
- Legislation Regarding Same Sex Relationships in North America (1960-2009)
- Hostile Witnesses in Cases Relating to Organized Crime
- A Comparison of Laws Relating to Joint Ventures Between Spain and Britain
Once you have chosen a particular law dissertation topic, you have to read up on the history. This would include the relevant laws, important judgments, perspective of legal scholars and arguments of representative groups such as civil rights organization or industry bodies. Many students make the mistake of writing reams and reams of description, they increase the word count with verbose paraphrasing of the laws and so on. Such dissertations usually get a very low grade, since they don’t bring anything new into the discussion and merely recapitulate existing knowledge. The objective of the dissertation is to review the material in a manner similar to that used in a critical essay or an evaluation essay.
When it comes to relevant laws and judgments, in any area of law, there is almost always a precedent case. Such a case basically demonstrates a landmark interpretation of the law and can thus be used as the basis for an argument. For example, a law dissertation on the right to abortion in the U.S. will necessarily mention the famous Roe v. Wade case. Similarly, lets say you are covering the area of polluter’s liability in the case of water pollution, you would pull out the details of the first case in which such a matter was decided by the court and further judgments that enforced the decision or went against it. In the rare case that there isn’t a precedent, you then have to put forth a persuasive argument, ideally based on constitutional provisions and the existing or proposed legal framework.
Its important to examine the issue from both supporting and dissenting points of view, don’t let your opinion of how things should be shape the account of how things really are. For instance, to take the above sample dissertation topic, you may be pro-life in your beliefs, but if the law tilts towards a pro-choice design then you must accept that and analyze it objectively.
Since law dissertations rely so heavily on interpretation its advised to confer frequently with your supervisor.
