To all second year Law students, (and first year students to whom this will apply next year) it is the time of year when we are preparing to choose the elective modules which we will study in our final year. The decisions we make now will effect our employability in the future. No pressure!

I have decided to focus my blog on the topic of dissertations this week. For some students this is compulsory but for some of us this is an optional module. So why choose to do a dissertation?

The ability to choose a topic you have a genuine interest in:
You may be passionate about an area of Law which is not covered in any of the other module options. If you have a genuine interest in a topic you are far more likely to keep focused and work to the best of your ability.

You have complete control:
You can ultimate choose the topic of your dissertation. You have the prerogative to direct your research in any direction you wish to take it. You can also decide how, when, and and what you choose to research. This offers a lot of flexibility which is perfect for a self motivated student – not so great for those who find it difficult to work without a fixed structure of regular lectures and seminars. This is probably the most creative you can be doing a Law degree.

Avoiding exams:
This is obviously a great alternative form of assessment for students who feel they do not achieve their best in a formal examination situation.

A dissertation looks impressive on a C.V.
Many of us are looking to practice law in the future. A dissertation highlights that you possess several important skills relevant to practising law. These are the ability to work independently- you only have a proportionately small amount of guidance, an ability to research law effectively and an ability to produce a large structured piece of writing.

Once you have made the decision to elect a dissertation you must choose an appropriate title. A way of doing this may be to:

1.Write down a list of all the subject you have studied so far and any other subjects you are potentially interested in studying.
2.Choose a top 3 out of the subject list.
3.Write down all the topics from each subject that you have a specific interest in but have not and will not cover substatially during your degree.
4.Choose your top 3 topics from any of the subject areas.
5.Decide which precise aspects of those topics you found or are interested in
6.Practice constructing a question to cover the exact issue you wish to research

A dissertation will be hard work, but will also be very rewarding.