
Problem Questions for Law Students
A Study Guide
Preview
Book Description
Law students rarely have experience answering problem questions before university, and lecturers concentrate on teaching content rather than the exam skills needed. This book bridges the gap on how to transpose knowledge and research into structured and coherent answers to problem questions while earning a law degree.
Aimed at undergraduates, international students, and foundation and SQE candidates, the book gives a step-by-step study guide on how to navigate what a problem question is asking you to do. It deconstructs the process using examples from a range of different fields of law, providing essential guidance from research and critical thinking to style and tone.
Including a range of examples to test yourself against, this is an indispensable resource for any law student who wants to tackle problem questions with confidence.
Table of Contents
PART A – About Problem Questions
Part A aims
Understanding CLEO questions
Understanding Problem Questions
The CLEO stages
Understanding the CLEO process
A non-legal work through
PART B – Researching & Writing
Part B aims
Identifying CLAIMS in a PQ
Researching skills
Who’s who in cases
Performing searches
Positive, negative and neutral judgments
Database searching
Turning research into LAW
Order, order
CLAIM
Signposting language for CLAIM
How to write the CLAIM section
End of CLAIM Chapter Questions
LAW
Writing the LAW section
Signposting language for LAW
End of LAW Chapter Questions
Alternative note-making styles
EVALUATION
Writing the EVALUATION section
Signposting language for EVALUATION
End of EVALUATION Chapter Questions
Synthesising
OUTCOME
Hedging language
Signposting language for OUTCOME
Writing the OUTCOME section
End of OUTCOMES Chapter Questions
SQE writing
Writing SQE1 answers
Writing SQE2 answers
PART C – Good Academic Practice
Part C aims
Plagiarism & types of academic misconduct
Citing and Referencing
Citations
Books
2-3 book authors
4+ book authors
Contribution to a book
Bibliography
Journal Articles
Online Journal articles
Bibliography
Case law
UK cases post-2001
UK cases pre-2001
Cases from international jurisdictions
UK statues
Parts of an Act
Websites
Directly quoting from websites
Directly quoting audio from websites
Judges’ abbreviations
Directly citing judges
Judges citing judges
Quotations within quotations
Adapting sources to suit sentence structure
Long passages from previous judgments (case, book and journal)
Law report abbreviations
Styling and Formatting
Subsequent citations of a case
Adapting judgments to suit
Abbreviations in case names
Bibliography
Other forms of assessment
Written assessments
Essays
Short answers
Long answers
Case summary
Case notes
Online tests
Gap fill
Cloze gap fill
Matching
Categorising
Ordering
True/False/(Not Given)
Multiple answer
Free-text entry
Exams
Timed questions
Reflective tasks
University VLEs
Leaflets and guides
Oral assessments
Law clinics
Posters
Presentations
Mooting
Video presentations
Viva
PART D - Resources
Student answers with lecturer commentary
Better Problem Question answer by PARTY
Poor Problem Question answer by PARTY
Better Problem Question answer by ISSUE
Bank of Problem Questions
Using a statute as Problem Question research
Using primary sources to answer a Problem Question
Creating a CLEO plan from statute research
Identification sheet
Planning sheet
Researching sheet
Flashcard ideas
Template writing sheets
PART E Answers
PART A – About Problem Questions
PART B – Researching & Writing
CLAIM answers
LAW answers
EVALUATION answers
OUTCOME answers
PART C – Academic Skills
Further Reading
Author(s)
Biography
Geraint Brown is the Coordinator of English for Specific Purposes and a tutor of English for Academic Purposes at Swansea University. Since 2008, he has taught UK and international students who are about to start their LLMs at Southampton University, as well as master’s and undergraduate law students at Swansea University where he is the Coordinator of the Law Pre-sessional course. He specialises in developing, teaching and delivering medical English, English for Sports, English for Academics, English for International Lecturers in UK universities and, of course, legal English. He is Chair and a panel member of the Academic Integrity Committee deciding on cases where students have been suspected of committing academic misconduct and unfair practice, and a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA).
Reviews
"This new edition of Law Dissertations: A Step-by-Step Guide provides law students - both undergraduate and postgraduate - with a handbook to excel in writing their dissertations. This book breaks the process of crafting a dissertation down into smaller exercises that will help students to move from framing research questions to fine-tuning their writing. This book is an excellent guide for law students of different abilities: from those who are beginning to navigate their way through the research process and for those who want to refine their dissertations."
Dr. Mayur Suresh, SOAS, University of London"This book, now in its second edition, is the go-to-guide for LLB and LLM students writing a dissertation or assessed essay. It gives practical, helpful advice on how to do research, which sources to use and how to present your knowledge so as to achieve the best results."
Laura Giachardi, Kings College London"Law Dissertations expertly unlocks the confusing and often daunting process of writing a dissertation in law. A well-researched book that is an invaluable guide for students and an essential resource for educator."
Dr. Fred Cowell, Birkbeck College"Dr Lammasniemi's book tackles the issues that other dissertation books leave out. Students are given confidence to explore their research interests and the skills to turn enthusiasm into a well-formulated research plan."
Dr Maebh Harding, University College Dublin, Ireland