Law research and writing skills: Getting started

Getting started

New to Law at Monash? This page provides links and tips to help you through your first semester or trimester.

Week 1 and 2

• Take our interactive tutorial about academic integrity.
• Learn essential research skills in Library workshops. Workshops are run as part of first-year Law units for both undergraduates and postgraduates.
• Read the resources on your unit Moodle sites, which include important information from your lecturers about the units you'll be studying as well as information from the library to help you learn legal research and writing skills.

Your first assignment

Understanding your assignment

• Check your unit guide or Moodle site for assignment requirements and marking rubrics.
• Use legal dictionaries and encyclopaedias to look up terms and concepts you're not familiar with.
• Learn how to approach law assignments.

Doing your research

• Learn about legal research skills.
• Use the key law databases.
• Find relevant cases, legislation and commentary.

Writing the assignment

• Read our tutorials on writing case notes or writing legal essays.
• Make sure you cite and reference your sources correctly.

Throughout the year

• Take good notes in lectures to help you revise.
• Get advice from our librarians at a drop-in session.
• Use these resources to learn more about cases and the courts.

Exams

• Read our guide to exam preparation.