• Purpose: The short essay is intended to give you an opportunity to use concepts from our class, relevant outside scholarly sources, and your own ideas in order to analyze the legal issue(s) in current events. The paper is also designed to improve your fundamental writing and research skills. Simply stated, I want to see that you can take what we’re studying in this course and apply it to urgent issues of significance to you.
• Content: Using specific concepts and relevant readings from our class, discuss and analyze one or more of the key legal aspects of an important local, regional, nation, or international issue of interest to you. Just a few random examples: potential rent control laws; marijuana legalization; regulation of American police powers; the refugee crisis in Europe; legal arguments for military intervention against ISIS; etc. Your paper must demonstrate that you can rigorously and creatively apply course materials to real-world issues of law.
• Outside Source: Your term paper must incorporate at least TWO (2) outside scholarly/authoritative sources. Suitable sources include academic books and journals, law review articles, and court decisions. Other sources will NOT count toward this requirement.
• Format:
(1.) The body of your essay must be 5 pages long, exclusive of title page, bibliography, and other material.
(2.) Your essay must be typed and double-spaced using a standard, 12-point font, with 1” margins on all four sides.
(3.) References and bibliographies may be done in any standard citation style of your choosing (Chicago, MLA, ASA, APA, etc.).
(4.) You must number your pages and staple or bind your paper. No paperclips or folded corners!
(5.) Be sure to meticulously proofread your essay before submitting it! This is the easiest way to get a better grade! Another editing hint: reading your paper aloud as you proofread it.
