Stop playing safe with the ratio
Most students treat the ratio decidendi like holy scripture. It isn’t. It’s a snapshot of a judge’s logic from forty years ago that likely hasn’t aged well. Tear it apart by highlighting the dissenting opinion—that’s where the actual marks live.
Footnotes are your secret weapon
Quantity isn’t quality, but a thin bibliography signals a lazy mind. Use your footnotes to cite the obscure academic who hates the current regime. It shows you’ve actually read the journals rather than just skimming the lecture slides for the third time this week.
Abandon the ‘both sides’ fallacy
This isn’t a BBC debate; you don’t need to be balanced. Pick a side and defend it with your life. A “balanced” essay is usually just a fence-sitting exercise that guarantees a 58. Take a risk and tell the marker why the current law is a total bin fire.
Underground Pro-Tip 💡: Find the marker’s own published papers on Westlaw. Quote them, but frame it as a “foundational perspective in the field.” Flattery disguised as academic rigor is the fastest way to turn a 65 into a 75.
The law isn’t about being right; it’s about being the most convincing person in the room.
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