Hello lfc4life189
I am in my second year LLB, and I got an 88% for contract law and 82% for criminal law in my 1st year.
In my opinion, the difference between 70-79% and 80%+ is whether it can be published. To be publishable, it needs to be "outstanding". From my experience, this is achieved through (1) a scholarly, authoritative and stylish register of prose; and (2) a v. detailed, thorough and consummate knowledge and understand of the issue (especially including the more obscure & esoteric references and material).
It needs the elements of the 70-79%, including:
- Free from all spelling and grammar mistakes (you need to proof read at least 10 times.)
- Structure. The essay must be like walking along a path. You start at the beginning and move towards the end. I always use conjunctions for flow and headings.
- Quote the justice and not just the case. Go deeper.
- In essays, be original. Look for a different point of view, a different jurisdiction, academic argument etc... You need to go beyond the recommend books. This point sounds a bit more difficult, but it really isn't. After a while, with enough reading, you can easily identify a point of controversy or dispute. You can then draw on these things in your discursive essay.
- In relation to problem question; in my opinion, you should treat it like a medical dissection. Every single fact and facet - even the most trivial and innocuous. You need to demonstrate that you have examined everything in the PQ - and entertained some counter-factual (what if it was X instead of Y in the question). As above, try to apply law that most students wouldn't have noticed or wasn't part of the recommended reading. For example, in a contract law problem question: I made reference to EU regulations on some contractual issues which I felt sure no-one else would have said because it wasn't in the textbook.