Stage 1
Topic Selection
How to move from a broad area of interest to a specific, workable research topic.
Narrowing the field
A workable topic is narrow enough to be answered within your word limit and broad enough to have material to read. Start from an area you already enjoy, then reduce it by jurisdiction, time period, statute, or a single doctrinal question.
Test each candidate topic against three questions: is there enough primary material, is the question still unsettled, and can you say something of your own about it?
Common pitfalls
Topics that merely describe a statute, restate a judgment, or compare two systems without a question tend to produce descriptive papers. Aim for a topic that forces you to take a position.