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How the F do I write a seminar paper?
Posted: Tue Apr 12, 2016 3:42 pm
by buddhabelly
2L. This is my first seminar paper, class is super fluff, mostly 3Ls and the professor is very hands off so I have received no guidance at all, just a due date. Paper is 25-30 pages and I want to get it done by next week so I can focus on my exams but I have literally no idea where to start or what to do.
Is this supposed to be anything like the articles I edit for my journal?
Re: How the F do I write a seminar paper?
Posted: Tue Apr 12, 2016 4:22 pm
by Tiago Splitter
You know that one time you were looking at topics and thought of something kind of interesting but it didn't really fit anywhere? Great, that's a footnote, which will be double spaced in this seminar paper of yours. Lots of footnotes, lots of block quoting of large portions of text from your sources, lots of "Id."
As for picking a topic, the professor will likely be fine with anything even tangentially related to the class materials.
Re: How the F do I write a seminar paper?
Posted: Mon Apr 18, 2016 9:49 pm
by amk110
Second the above.
I never wrote anything longer than 15 pages in college, and dreaded having to turn in a larger paper in law school. But by the time I got done quoting things, footnoting things, and so on, I ended up with a 52 page paper in one seminar course. It's a lot easier than it sounds.
Re: How the F do I write a seminar paper?
Posted: Mon Apr 18, 2016 10:16 pm
by rinkrat19
Seminar papers are great because you can actually pick something that interests you, and there's usually no particular structure to follow. You barely need to have a thesis sometimes. You can use all sorts of things as sources to make things interesting. I cited a YouTube video about Top Gear in one paper and used a photo of my own Lego collection and a mild joke about sex toys in another.
Re: How the F do I write a seminar paper?
Posted: Wed Apr 20, 2016 10:02 am
by jbagelboy
The meat of your seminar paper (and most journal articles TBH) is summarizing the arguments made in the literature, which means reading a few law review/journal articles and citing to them and the cases they cite to (if relevant). Add 3-4 pages of extrapolation or reconciliation and thats all you need.
Re: How the F do I write a seminar paper?
Posted: Fri Apr 22, 2016 1:44 pm
by bsktbll28082
jbagelboy wrote:The meat of your seminar paper (and most journal articles TBH) is summarizing the arguments made in the literature, which means reading a few law review/journal articles and citing to them and the cases they cite to (if relevant). Add 3-4 pages of extrapolation or reconciliation and thats all you need.
This is basically all I ever did. Wrote three seminar papers while in law school. Not that scary once you get going.