ABSTRACT
A good introduction clearly identifies the issues to be discussed in the main body and sets out the structure that the dissertation will follow. If law student dissertation word count is 10,000 words, the introduction should be 1,000 words. Much of the clarity of law student writing will come from having a clear, linear structure. The importance of a linear structure cannot be overemphasised. Everything in law student dissertation should be well structured: law student chapters, paragraphs, and – of course – the dissertation itself. Law student should be able to state they key question or argument succinctly and refer back to it repeatedly, showing evidence in support. This is no different in many ways from being a practitioner presenting a case in court. A reverse outline is a great tool to look back at law student writing and structure in order to see if it is logical and where it could be improved.
