Mental Disabilities Law Seminar : Topic Selection

To create a paper of high-quality, law students must choose a topic that creates "authentic, original, and useful discussion." (Fajans and Falk 2011). Generally, excellent research topics include:

• Those that are first to discuss a particular topic or case;

• Those that involve a more in-depth analysis or reach a different conclusion;

• Those that approach a problem from a unique perspective;

• Those that discuss some aspect of a topic or case not previously examined

For a detailed review of the scholarly writing process and resources, please see

Choosing a topic to write about is one of the hardest parts of writing a scholarly article. Not only do you have to ensure that you select an original topic, you also must ensure that others will want to read about it. In addition to originality and relevance, you have to be interested in the topic since you will be spending the next several months research and writing about it.

A few things to consider in selecting a topic:

• Pick a topic that will express original, useful, and timely ideas about an important subject
• Pick a topic that interests you
• What kind of law do you want to practice?
• Talk to professors, judge, or attorneys
• Pick a topic that is timely
• Pick a topic that focuses on a large social and global issues
• Consider your own experiences
• Research recent cases and circuit splits

Current Awareness

Legal Blawgs

Both the ABA and Justia websites have blawg directories that researchers can search by subject.  Legal blawgs frequently talk about hot issues and recent decisions and can therefore be a great way to find a topic.

News Resources

Major newspapers are another great resource for finding current legal issues.  Online news sources, including the following, can also be helpful for finding recent issues in the law:

Circuit Split Resources

There are a few resources that focus on circuit splits.  Look at these websites to find issues that have been resolved in different ways depending on the court.

Recent Decisions

Reading recent decisions can also be a way to come up with a paper topic.  Try searching Westlaw and Lexis Advance for recent decisions on topics of interest.

To research Supreme Court Decisions, look at:

To research 5th Circuit Decisions, look at:

To research Federal District Court for Texas Decisions, look at:

To research Texas State Courts Decisions, look at: