Legal Essay with Oral Defence
10 weeks · 0 milestones
Write a substantive legal essay (minimum 1,500 words) on a contested legal question, with full citation of primary sources and a clearly defended position. The essay alone is not sufficient proof. Proof requires a documented oral or written defence: a qualified lawyer or law academic challenges your central argument; your responses are recorded or documented in writing and submitted alongside the essay. The defence is not optional — it is the proof standard for this outcome. A documented written challenge-and-response exchange is acceptable where an oral session is not possible.
Milestone map
Milestone map
3 milestones
Select a genuinely contested legal doctrinal question — an area where courts have not settled the rule, where academic authorities disagree, or where statutory language is ambiguous and real cases have turned on that ambiguity. Write a formal legal essay: state the question, survey the relevant authorities (cases, statutes, academic commentary), advance a specific argued position, and engage with the strongest counter-authority. The question must be genuinely contested — not an area of settled doctrine.
Proof required
Legal essay (2000+ words) covering: the contested doctrinal question, survey of authorities (minimum 4 cases or statutes with full citations), argued position with reasoning, engagement with counter-authority, and conclusion. Footnotes with full citations in a recognised legal citation format.
What gets checked
- Question is genuinely contested — not settled doctrine with clear academic consensus
- Minimum 4 authorities are cited with full citations in a recognised legal format (OSCOLA, Bluebook)
- Counter-authority is engaged substantively — not just named and dismissed