A crucial step in the writing process, topic selection merits careful consideration. Methods for identifying topics include reviewing:
Look at recent news articles focused on this area of law to get a sense of which areas of the law are unsettled and which issues practitioners are thinking about.
Looking at the tables of contents in recent issues of the following journals will suggest current topics.
The websites, conferences, and blogs of different organizations are a good way to identify current topics in the field of Mergers and Acquisitions.
Each of these books include chapters on identifying a topic, developing a thesis statement, polishing and editing your writing, and other helpful subjects as you embark on the academic writing process.
Academic Legal Writing: Law Review Articles, Student Notes, Seminar Papers, and Getting on Law Review
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Modern Legal Scholarship: A Guide to Producing and Publishing Scholarly and Professional Writing
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Scholarly Writing for Law Students: Seminar Papers, Law Review Notes, and Law Review Competition Papers
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In a research guide for students writing papers, the Georgetown Law Library offers these three tips:
Plan Ahead.
You are required to do thorough, scholarly research - this cannot be done in a day or a weekend. Allow yourself enough time to find, read, and analyze your research materials before your outline, draft, and final paper are due. Also, plan ahead for interlibrary loan requests - they could be here in a few days or a few weeks.
Keep Track of Your Research.
There are many ways to keep track of your research, either electronically on your laptop or in a paper notebook. Whatever your method, be sure to keep track of where you've been as you do your research. Remember, you will need to provide complete citations to all of the material you use in your paper. This will be much easier if you have a complete record of the research you've done. Use your research log to make notes about where you found useful materials and how you plan to use them in your paper. The research log is also a good place to note useful sources to go back to later as you refine your paper with additional research and analysis.
Stay Focused on Your Topic.
One of the easiest mistakes to make as you begin your research is to find and read interesting materials that are not directly relevant to your work. If you think they may be useful later, make a note of them in your research log so you can come back to them if necessary, then move on. Always stay focused on what you need to research at the stage you are in.
The Drake law librarians heartily concur with this advice. Here are some additional resources to help you put these tips into action: