The Louvre Lesson: Narrowing Issue Statements for Sharper Essays

If you’ve ever been to Paris, you’ve probably seen the famous tourist photo outside the Louvre Museum. People line up, raise their hands just right, and “pinch” the tip of the glass pyramid between their fingers. Of course, the pyramid is massive in real life, but through perspective, it shrinks into something you can hold with two fingers.

That playful trick of perspective is the perfect metaphor for what you should be doing with Issue statements in essay responses, particularly on the bar exam. The exam presents you with an entire “pyramid” of possible legal questions. Your task is not to grab the entire structure but to narrow your focus—pinching it down to the one essential point that actually matters.

So let's discuss narrow issue statements. 

Defining a Narrow Issue Statement

In addition to beginning your bar exam response with a Conclusion statement, you should also include an Issue statement—and not just any kind of Issue statement, but a narrow issue statement. I recommend using the CIRAC structure (Conclusion, Issue, Rule, Analysis, Conclusion) rather than IRAC, CRAC, or other variations, because it ensures you anchor your response with a clear conclusion at both the start and the end. This framing not only helps you stay focused, but also reassures professors and graders right away that you (and they) know where the analysis is going.

Here’s what a narrow Issue statement isn’t:

• It is not simply copying the call of the question. Graders don’t need to see you retype the prompt.

  
  

• It is not the whole pyramid. A broad question like “Is the defendant liable for negligence?” is too big, too general, and too obvious.

Here’s what it is:

• A narrow Issue statement pinches the pyramid down to an essential element, requirement, exception, or defense that actually decides the outcome.

  
  

• Instead of “Is the defendant liable for negligence”, write: “At issue is whether the defendant breached his duty of care” or "At issue is whether the defendant's conduct was the proximate cause of the plaintiff's injury."

  
  

• By narrowing, you guide your analysis to the precise point that matters. And that's what graders reward.

Understanding Why Narrowing Matters

Think back to the pyramid photo. If you try to grab the whole thing, you can’t. It’s overwhelming and impossible. But by reframing your perspective, suddenly you can hold it in your fingertips. The act of pinching the pyramid makes something huge look small and manageable.

The same goes for bar exam essays. Broad issues are overwhelming, vague, and unfocused. Narrow issues, by contrast, are specific, manageable, and impressive to graders. By “pinching” the broad pyramid of law down to one tip, you show that you understand which single point determines the answer.

Narrow Issue statements don’t just organize your thoughts. They demonstrate that you can identify the precise hinge point of the problem and present it with clarity.

Applying Narrow Issue Statements on Essays

These practical tips are designed to give you a clear roadmap for approaching any essay question. Think of them as perspective-shifting tools, just like adjusting your angle in that Louvre pyramid photo, so you can see the problem more clearly and manageably.

• Always Pinch the Pyramid. Don’t rewrite the entire question. Shrink it down to the key element at stake.

  
  

• Think Element by Element. For every tort, contract, or constitutional claim, ask: Which single part of this larger rule really decides the outcome? That’s your Issue.

  
  

• Use CIRAC Wisely. A narrow Issue statement naturally leads you into the correct Rule, targeted Analysis, and sharper Conclusion.

Just like the tourist photo, narrow Issue statements are all about framing. So the next time you draft a practice essay, remember: Don’t try to hold the whole pyramid. Pinch the tip. Narrow your issue.