James was waiting to hear from the defence while watching the courtroom proceedings. He was stunned when he heard something, saying, “Objection! My Lord!” He then exclaimed, to which the response was, “Finish your legal argument before you say another word!” He was shocked. He then awoke after a brief period of sweating.
James was dreaming of having his legal argument for his Law assignment rejected. Poor James. Students who are pursuing a Legal education find themselves in this situation. Writing coursework that involves legal disputes, in-depth case studies, and many other things causes them stress and anxiety.
If you are a law student struggling with these issues, you should speak with the experts who offer Law assignment help. But this article will help you if you’re prepared to write your legal defence. So, let’s first define a legal argument to move forward.
What Is a Legal Argument?
A statement or a series of statements used to persuade others that one’s position on a matter is correct is known as a legal argument. Students are given this task as part of an assignment to develop their skills and teach them how to present their ideas.
What Are the Types of Legal Arguments?
Legal arguments can be categorised into five main categories: text, intent, precedent, tradition, and policy
1. Text
It is the application of legal texts like the constitution, laws, rules, and court orders. In legal arguments, there are three different types of text.
- Plain Text—This method relies on words’ straightforward meanings.
- Canons of Construction: This depends on how simple terms are interpreted.
- Intertextuality: This depends on the text’s interpretation and specific purpose.
2. Intent
It is based on the text’s original authors. It includes the people who created the constitution or the lawmakers who wrote the law.
3. Precedent
It is based on prior instances. Analysing and separating the client’s case from the precedent cases is required.
4. Tradition
It is founded on customs. Sometimes, when making a decision, the nation, society, and organisation’s traditions are considered.
5. Policy
It is based on the fundamental intent of the law. At the same time, the other four types involve looking back in time. Unlike consequences in the future, this law is based on anticipating what these policies might lead to.
Now, let’s look at how to write a legal argument now that we have a better understanding of how a legal opinion is written and what types there are.
What Is the Importance of Legal Argument?
Any legal argument has its importance. It helps the lawyer to define their points in front of the jury in favour of their case. With an argument, it will be possible for a lawyer to put forward their case and back up their evidence. Every hearing must have an opening and closing statement. As their name suggests, they stand for the same thing.
There has to be an argument that proves the actual grounds of your case and another that can back up all your claims. Your fight might get hedged if you have all these. Make sure to prepare an argument with all the most vital points of your case. Do not show weakness, or it will impact the result. These arguments are the core of your case and help make it strong. If you still need help understanding the importance of a legal statement, then you should ask for professional assignment help.
What Is the Format of a Law Argument?
While the argument format in different cases varies, there are some things that all have in common. Let’s try ad understand them with the help of the 4Ss of legal argument:
1. Signal
Several arguments take place in a single case or a debate. These are used for claiming the value or a fact in favour of the subject or for other purposes. Make sure to choose the proper signal in favour of your debate. You can not put words in the mouth of others. Try to defend your grounds as much as possible, with the proper signal towards it.
2. State
If you have heard an argument that is claimless or not very strong, make sure to put your claim forwards. In this way, you can play with the opponent’s position and respond clearly and concisely to their statement. If they have made any foul claim in front of the jury, you must state them wrong in the best way possible.
3. Support
Your argument should be strong enough to take for itself. It is expected to justify all the claims and state the facts to make a place for itself. Many arguments are powerful, but they need more when referencing the evidence and explaining the justification of choice. Your duty as a law student is to protect your case from these misshaping and be prepared.
4. Summarize
It is vital to explain the importance of your argument. For an audience or the jury to reach a possible explanation, you must state the meaning behind your statement. It will help the jury to recognise the essentials of the case. Also, it will help you detail the value of your work and pave the way for your claim to be set as accurate and valid.
It is how a legal argument should be set in a case field. Only then will it be helpful and get a positive result as expected. Now you have to walk through the path of the actual process of writing a legal argument and the steps that this process has:
How to Write a Legal Argument?
After getting a good idea of all the stages and parts of a legal argument, it is time to know about the process of writing it:
1. Make a Plan
Create a systematic plan for writing a legal argument. What should be noted, and when should it be written? You can use the IRAC method for this. It is an acronym that includes the following:
- I represent Issue – Limited information on the problem.
- R letter is donated for the word rules.
- A stands for application or references to the rules in the application.
- C denotes judgment. – A succinct description of the conclusion.
2. Make a Research Plan
Start your work on the research once your plan is complete. It isn’t easy to conduct research for a law assignment. For a better strategy, adhere to these actions:
- Analyse the information and materials that were givento you correctly.
- Now that you have the information you need, you should be able to decide what to say in your legal matter.
- To arrive at results and verify the sources of various facts, keeping a thorough record of all your research activities is crucial.
- When you run out of time or money or keep receiving the same or no new information, you can stop your research.
- Once your research is complete, keep a record of all the citations and try to conduct additional research and update with more reliable sources.
3. Make Thorough Notes
It is essential to take notes for your legal argument. The following three considerations should be made while taking notes:
- Keep in mind why you are taking these notes, and format them appropriately.
- Never make notes anywhere else. Keep an accurate record of all these notes because they will be helpful in the conclusion. Keep notes in a different book or file.
- If you know where you will use something, write it down along with your other notes. You will learn how to apply this point the next time you encounter it.
4. Make the First Draft
Create a first draught based on your fundamental research. Organise your arguments in the following order:
- An assertion of the conclusion.
- An explanation of the law that underlies the conclusion.
- Citing a rule’s source provides evidence of it.
- Applying the components of the rule to the facts.
5. Make the Final Draft
Examine the completed draught. Look for any mistakes and fix them if you find any. Once you have verified your tone throughout the document, it is ready to use.
Also Read:- The Framework to Adhere to When Generating a Law Assignment
This article is entirely about the legal arguments and the aspects that it has. You can learn about its types and importance very well here. But if you still feel you need more time to be ready to draft your legal argument, then you need Law assignment help experts to help you work on your statement.
