In preparation for them finishing off their formatives just give my students my top five pet hates for student law essays. What are yours?

1. Failure to capitalise properly: 'Act of Parliament' never 'act of parliament'. 'Secretary of State'; 'Supreme Court' etc.

2. Grammar: the Supreme Court is not to be referred to as 'they' - 'the Supreme Court' is a singular noun, as e.g. is 'Parliament'.
3. Failure to pincite - if you refer to a specific page or paragraph number of an academic work or a judgment, given the specific page/para no

4. Failing to cite authority (such as a statute or decided case) for a proposition of law.
5. Failing to italicise the names of cases - and books - and journals. Use your OSCOLA guide!