Legal and Academic English
Basis:
- 60 min
- 450 – 550 words
- no title
- no references or footnotes
- support your claim(s) and recognize the opposing arguments to your claim(s)
- separate paragraphs
Paragraphs:
- Introduction (Triangle form: General topic sentence, narrow it down, come down
to the exact topic)
- Thesis statement! One sentence: Topic, claim, and reasons.
- 1st argument – topic sentence, explanation, example
- Counter-argument – topic sentence, explanation, example, rebuttal, explanation,
example
- Conclusion (Triangle form: repetition of the thesis statement, ease into the general
topic sentence, +/- advice)
Topics
- Censorships
- Child Soldiers
- Drones
- Capital Punishment
- UN Peacekeeping
, 1. Censorship
Pro (Supporting Censorship):
National Security: Censorship is often justified in the name of national security, such
as blocking sensitive military information or preventing the spread of extremist
content. Governments argue that this helps prevent terrorism, violence, and unrest.
For example, during the Arab Spring, some governments used censorship to limit the
organization of protests via social media(Censorship LLB 20241).
Preventing Misinformation: Censorship can also be used to prevent the spread of
dangerous misinformation. During the COVID-19 pandemic, platforms like Facebook
and Twitter were pressured to remove misleading posts about the virus and vaccines
to protect public health(Censorship LLB 20241).
Con (Opposing Censorship):
Violation of Free Speech: Opponents argue that censorship infringes on the
fundamental right to free speech, as seen in various internet censorship efforts. In the
U.S., book bans and textbook redactions related to climate change or civil rights are
viewed as unconstitutional limitations on access to information(Censorship LLB
20241).
Government Overreach: Censorship can lead to excessive government control over
information, which stifles public discourse. Critics point to authoritarian regimes like
North Korea and China, where internet censorship prevents citizens from accessing
unbiased global news(Censorship LLB 20241)(Capital Punishment Week…).
Basis:
- 60 min
- 450 – 550 words
- no title
- no references or footnotes
- support your claim(s) and recognize the opposing arguments to your claim(s)
- separate paragraphs
Paragraphs:
- Introduction (Triangle form: General topic sentence, narrow it down, come down
to the exact topic)
- Thesis statement! One sentence: Topic, claim, and reasons.
- 1st argument – topic sentence, explanation, example
- Counter-argument – topic sentence, explanation, example, rebuttal, explanation,
example
- Conclusion (Triangle form: repetition of the thesis statement, ease into the general
topic sentence, +/- advice)
Topics
- Censorships
- Child Soldiers
- Drones
- Capital Punishment
- UN Peacekeeping
, 1. Censorship
Pro (Supporting Censorship):
National Security: Censorship is often justified in the name of national security, such
as blocking sensitive military information or preventing the spread of extremist
content. Governments argue that this helps prevent terrorism, violence, and unrest.
For example, during the Arab Spring, some governments used censorship to limit the
organization of protests via social media(Censorship LLB 20241).
Preventing Misinformation: Censorship can also be used to prevent the spread of
dangerous misinformation. During the COVID-19 pandemic, platforms like Facebook
and Twitter were pressured to remove misleading posts about the virus and vaccines
to protect public health(Censorship LLB 20241).
Con (Opposing Censorship):
Violation of Free Speech: Opponents argue that censorship infringes on the
fundamental right to free speech, as seen in various internet censorship efforts. In the
U.S., book bans and textbook redactions related to climate change or civil rights are
viewed as unconstitutional limitations on access to information(Censorship LLB
20241).
Government Overreach: Censorship can lead to excessive government control over
information, which stifles public discourse. Critics point to authoritarian regimes like
North Korea and China, where internet censorship prevents citizens from accessing
unbiased global news(Censorship LLB 20241)(Capital Punishment Week…).
