50 Best Law Thesis Topics for Dissertation

Being a law student is nothing but hard work. Every student knows that their efforts and determination will be rewarded in the future. However, until then, they have to put up with a lot of homework, non-stop studying, and writing. Not to mention that those who want to receive their PhD have to think twice.

Writing a dissertation is no joke, and not everyone can manage such a challenging piece of work on the first try. Luckily, you will have months to finish it, so time should not be the major problem here. Some students take weeks only to ponder upon the ideas for the paper. It will take even a few more weeks to pick one last topic of your choice. Often, young people view this task as the hardest part of the whole dissertation writing process. There should be no surprises about that. Your paper topic has to reflect your strong research and writing skills. It must be relevant to the field of your study as well as unique and original. Each topic should bring something new and valuable to the general discussion on the given theme.

Overall, choosing what you can write about can be a true challenge at times. It’s especially true for law students who have so many different specialties and directions to go with. From business legislation to criminal justice, students have an incredible variety of choices to pick from. Sometimes, scrolling through law papers examples can get really confusing. Fortunately, you can always count on some professional help. You can easily look up some ideas for the dissertations online when you are out of topics. These are 50 legal topics to write about when facing a dissertation. Use this list for inspiration and find the ideas you would gladly use in your own PhD paper. Good luck!

How to Choose a Good Topic

It’s best to read some general guidance on choosing a topic before actually looking for one. Knowing how to look and where will ease your search and give you more certainty in the process. So, when choosing a paper idea, you should start with your own interests. That’s right. You should start with the idea that you would be interested in research even in your spare time. Do you know why? You’ll have to spend not days, not weeks, but months and sometimes even years with this work. Hence, you need to make sure that you won’t lose your passion and find the chosen topic irrelevant and boring over the course of a semester. Instead, choose something that feels important to you. This way, you won’t get bored or tired of the topic too easily.

Don’t forget to discuss your ideas with your instructor when necessary. They have way more experience in this area of work than you do. So trust them when they say your ideas are too complicated, outdated, irrelevant, and so on. They know what they are talking about and trying to help you.

Start with the research as soon as you have a few good ideas in mind. You should make sure that you can find enough sources, data, and other materials on the topic of your choice. If you have trouble finding the required arguments and evidence even on the surface level, you will later run into a big problem. Hence, do avoid ideas that are poorly explored and lacking a proper evidence base. Otherwise, you will spend months finding and testing the required evidence on your own, which is a challenging job.

Lastly, don’t be afraid to make adjustments to your topic even after you have made up your mind. That’s okay to change an angle of the discussion or add an additional take on the matter. You should keep your paper ideas flexible until the very last stages of dissertation writing. So, stay open for new inspiration to come. Be ready to adjust and change some parts of your general theme if that can make your paper better.

Dissertation Topics on Environmental Law

Environmental law is a rather recent field in the legal system. No wonder why. There has been a time where people did not need protection from themselves. Unfortunately, as civilization progressed, nature started to lose its rights. Environmental laws are there to ensure the protection of the clean air and water, animal species, and human right to live in safe and pollution-free lands. These legal thesis topics can give you more insight into what this field can cover.

Ways to prevent recreational poaching in states with weak environmental protection laws.
The future of environmental legislation. Will each individual have to oblige to protect nature under the threat of legal repercussions?
Do governments have to follow the Paris agreement, and why don't they?
Where does environmental protection start to violate the freedom of individuals?
Should environmental legislation consider the energy politics of the nation? Where does the intervention become inevitable?
The implementation of the environmental legislation in the UK vs. the US. Do the rules spread out equally?
Crimes against nature. The discussion on environmental protection and recent cases of its violations.
The role of political interest in pursuing environmental laws. The analysis of the oil and gas industry in the US and environmental legislation.
Reasons why US legislation should make risk management of natural disasters a legal responsibility of the authorities.
The international ignorance about ecological restoration and the ways to improve it.

Public Law Dissertation Topics

Choosing public law dissertation topics doesn’t have to be that difficult. You should start with the area of your interest and specialty. For instance, look for ideas in the conversation around domestic violence and women's rights. Explore the history of legislation on abortions in the US and the rest of the world. Study interesting and influential case laws. You have a very wide variety of options here. Choose one that speaks the most to you, and look deeper into the issue. Here are some of the interesting legal topics you can explore for yourself.

Do lawyers have a future in public law? Ways to relax bureaucratic procedures in public law cases.
The analysis of freedom of speech rights. Where should such liberty end?
The corruption of the prison system. How the for-profit prisons change the face and perception of public law to the worst.
The review of the best legal practices in the world. What the US can take from those lessons.
The analysis of cases where the family court favored fathers over mothers. Why is such favoritism rare even in modern days?
These are the historically inaccurate and outdated legislation we had to replace yesterday.
The connection between different socio-economical groups and the legal system.
What are the signs of inequality in public law? The case of poor vs. rich.
Does more legislation lead to more freedom? The odd connection between liberty and protection.
The evidence of public law working differently for ethical racial minorities in the US. How can the legal system prevent it in the future?

International Law Topics for Research Paper

International law has been one of the fastest-growing areas of study in today’s world. It’s fair to say that the globalized world plays a big role in this discipline’s popularity. People travel more, get work permits in foreign countries, start families in new places, and build businesses. Overall, the world is more connected than ever. However, it comes with the growing need to manage and guard those interactions. So, these are the international law research paper topics you can consider for your next assignment.

What is the purpose of Amnesty International? How can it influence its agenda on foreign countries?
The successes and failures of the European Court of Human Rights.
The globalization processes and their effect on the domestic legal system in the EU. Is there a chance for single EU international law?
The world needs better international legislation to combat human trafficking.
Where does the right for state sovereignty have to end and the right to intervene take place instead?
The rise of global corporations has come sooner than international laws could follow. The consequences of such delay.
Child labor. Why do businesses still exploit failures in the legal systems of developing countries for their profits? Can international law put it to the end?
Modern days slavery. The issues with Kuwait work visas and their effect on Asian work migrants.
Do international laws have to consider the local customs and traditions in developing regions of Africa? Examples of international law being inconsiderate towards the local legislative system in Central Africa.
Should the world build universal environmental laws and impose them on all UN states? Why it is not an option in today’s setting.

Dissertation Topics in Business Law

All commercial matters are regulated by business law. This area of the legislative system should control and regulate any business interaction in the workplace. It’s also one of the most flexible and modern areas of legislation that is constantly undergoing changes and updates. Probably no other legislative area has changed as much as this one over the past century. For women the right to protection against any kind of discrimination. We need business law to make our workforce safer and equal for all. These are the legal topics for research papers for business law students.

Best legal practices against age discrimination at the workplace in the world.
Do workplace gender equality quotas help or hinder the women’s fight for gender equality? The case study of Australian business laws on gender quotas.
How is the lack of paternity leave in the US legal? The analysis of US business laws towards young families.
Legislation to prevent employment discrimination. Where does the protection end and the employers’ legal system harassment start?
Hazards in construction sites. Will they continue to happen and how the legal system can protect the workers in construction.
Corruption in the higher end of large corporations. Is the legal system helpless to intervene?
How to bring inside sexual harassment cases into the court. Businesses vs legal system in hindering sexual harassment cases at workplaces.
The US bankruptcy laws are broken. Why can’t the poor afford to file for bankruptcy and start fresh?
A case study. How working contracts often violate employees' rights without them knowing about it.
Should businesses be allowed to use digital money in major financial transactions?

Criminal Law Topics for Research Paper

Many young and ambitious students would view criminal law as one of the most interesting and challenging fields to work in. They will be absolutely right. It is one of the hardest areas of the legal system to be in, even if you are a good specialist. It requires knowledge, preparedness for anything, decisiveness, and strong morality. Overall, this field takes care of providing justice and ensuring the safety of society. It fights crime and works for both prevention and penance of people with little respect towards the law. Here are the research paper ideas you can use in your dissertation if this is the field for your taste.

The significant role of psychology in understanding and preventing criminal behavior in modern society.
Has the growing popularity of rap music in the US led to the popularization and increase in crime rates? Was it crime propaganda?
The effect of racial biases in investigation and its role in the failure of the legislative system.
The analysis of war crimes in Afghanistan conducted by the US troops. Should war criminals pay for their crimes in their home nations?
How can the US improve its grip on crime prevention? The study of crime prevention tactics completed in middle schools across the nation.
The difference between work harassment and crime.
The role of the Opioid crisis in the rising statistics of crime rates in the US.
Has the legalization of marijuana affected the crime statistics, and in what way? The case of legalization of recreational marijuana in Canada.
Will the debate on gun control ever find the middle ground? The main reasons to put a stop to the discussion and start the action.
The causes and similarities in cases of police and authority figures abuse. How can the legislative system prevent those cases in the future?