How to Structure a Law Essay (IRAC Method)

IRAC — Issue, Rule, Application, Conclusion — is the backbone of almost every successful law essay and problem question answer. Examiners at every level, from first-year LLB to the SQE, reward answers that move cleanly through this structure.

Issue: Identify the precise legal question in dispute. Avoid vague openers like “this question concerns contract law.” Instead, write: “The central issue is whether consideration was sufficient to support the variation of a pre-existing contractual duty under the principle in Williams v Roffey Bros [1991].” One sentence, one issue.

Rule: State the relevant legal principle, statute, and leading authority clearly. Do not quote at length — cite the case name, year, and the proposition it stands for. For statute questions, cite the Act and section. Keep this tight: the examiner is checking you know the rule, not that you can reproduce it verbatim.

Application:This is where marks are won and lost. Take the legal rule and apply it to the specific facts in the question. The best students argue both sides — “one could argue... however, the counter-argument is...” — before arriving at a reasoned view. Never leave a rule floating without connecting it to the facts.

Conclusion: One to two sentences. State your answer directly. Avoid “therefore, it is submitted that arguably it may be the case that...” Just: “The variation is enforceable because the practical benefit doctrine in Williams v Roffeyapplies on these facts.”

For multi-issue problems, run a separate IRAC cycle for each issue rather than conflating them. Use headings to signal each cycle. Practise timed answers using our past papers to build the muscle memory.