If the topic of an essay required for a school assignment is "law," it may be best to write a compare-and-contrast or a persuasive essay if given the option to structure the essay in the format of your choice. The law is generally considered to be a logical and reasoned subject, although it can become an emotionally heated one at times as well. Although research is an importance part of all writing, when writing about the law, research takes on an additional importance. By properly formatting the law essay, using a reasoned and logical argument, and conducting adequate research, a law essay should be well-received by a teacher or professor.
One format that works for a law essay is compare-and-contrast. Whether writing about two specific laws or two legal systems, this essay format lends itself to the subject matter. In the compare-and-contrast format, the writer picks two things — in this case, laws or legal systems — and explains the similarities and differences to the reader. In a compare-and-contrast essay, the writer is not trying to convince the reader to form a specific opinion; rather, he or she is providing an objective overview of the subject matter.
A persuasive law essay, on the other hand, is intended to sway the reader to adopt the writer's point of view. In this essay format, the writer may take a specific law or legal system, and explain it to the reader. The writer will then provide the reader with facts which would convince him or her to adopt the writer's point of view — either in support of or against — on the law or legal system. As a rule, the writer will also touch on opposing points of view and give the reader reasons why those points of view are not valid.
A law essay should be written with a logical and reasoned approach. The law is generally considered to be devoid of emotion and based solely on facts. A writer who is focusing on the law should adopt the same tone.
Anyone writing a law essay should be sure to conduct adequate research before embarking on a law essay. In order to inform a reader about a law or a legal system, the writer must fully understand the subject matter first. Trying to persuade a reader to adopt a point of view without clearly understanding the subject matter is a recipe for failure in most cases.