Essay Writing 101 CLU 3MR Supplemental

Essay Writing 101 1500 words (no more than 1800 words) At least 7 sources (the more, the better) About 6 paragraphs (this means 4 body paragraphs plus the intro and the conclusion) Keep your thesis in the front of your mind... You must be proving it with every single sentence Include at least 3 references per paragraph (direct quotations and/or indirect references)

Introduction About 200-250 words Include a brief introduction to your topic... not too much... Just 2 or 3 sentences Your thesis, make sure it is really clear. Get a couple of other people to read your intro over and make sure they can identify your thesis Plan of development: write one sentence about each of your sub-topics. Avoid anything that sounds like a list Conclude with another reference to your thesis

Sub-topics Your first sentence should both introduce your sub-topic and connect it to your thesis. If you need 2 sentences, that’s all right Don’t worry about a sentence that lists your evidence for the paragraph. A better sentence just informs the reader that you will provide such evidence Then, provide your proof and an explanation of how it proves your thesis. You should have between 2 and 4 examples of evidence in each paragraph Conclude with a sentence that summarizes your paragraph and reconnects to your thesis

Conclusion This is similar to your introduction but in reverse Start by reflecting back on your thesis Review the sub-theses that you used to prove your thesis At the end, restate your thesis and try to come up with the significance of your research and the entire essay About 200-250 words

References You must reference any specific fact (dates, statistics, etc) All quotations and indirect quotations Ideas borrowed from one of your sources Use APA style for a law essay

Using quotes Don’t: Begin or end a paragraph with a quote Use quotes where your own words would be better Expect the quotes to prove your thesis all on their own

Do: Use them wisely Remember to insert the citation (Author, page) after the closing quotation mark Introduce and then explain your quotation Use quotations to prove your point

Remember: Title page with a catchy title Bibliography (alphabetical order) The last page of your essay In APA style Your essay will not be accepted without a bibliography Suggestion: Create your title page and bibliography in a separate file to avoid numbering them Attach the mark sheet to the back of your essay