Starting Your Legal Research Paper: Choosing A Topic

Although there are many different ways to find a topic for a legal research paper, this blog will highlight a few of them.

Stick To What You Know:

If you know what field of law you want to practice, write an article on something in that field.

Here’s why: When submitting resumes and (more relevantly) writing samples, employers want to know that you know their practice area. It relieves them of having to teach you everything when you first walk in the door; meaning, you save them time and money on training.

Learn Something New:

Not sure what you want to practice? No problem.

In this economy, it is advantageous to choose a topic on a growing field of law. Even if after researching and writing the paper you find that the field is absolutely not for you, having a basic knowledge of something cutting edge may give you a leg up when interviewing. (Example: E-Discovery or forthcoming statutes.)

Get Your Name Noticed:

When you apply for a job, you need your name to stand out.

Wouldn’t it be great if the law firm/lawyer already knew you before you interviewed? Yeah, that would be pretty great. So, if there is a field you want to practice in or a firm you want to practice for, consider writing a paper with a practical application for that field/firm. (Example: How the new _____ statute will impact corporate mergers.) If you are looking into corporate law, a pertinent case note may get read when an attorney does research during case preparation. Bam, your name is out. You can also send the paper as your writing sample for internships and jobs in field.

Undecided:

If you have no idea what field you want to practice, or where you want to work, or what cutting edge topic to write on, here are some general tips on finding a topic:

1. Talk to a mentor or an attorney and ask what legal articles they read.
2. Read law blogs for attorneys.
3. Read the newspaper and find an ongoing or recently litigated case and write a case note about it.
4. Research the specialized/professional law journals and see what topics they are publishing on.

All in all, choose your topic strategically. If you rush to pick a topic and the topic turns out to be irrelevant in the field or to your career path, the article is essentially useless.

• Write on practical issues,
• Write what someone else needs to know, and
• Be original.