This paper describes an approach to teaching first-year law students how to write the academic genre of the legal problem answer in the specific law course of Tort. It emphasizes the importance of balanced argument, and demonstrates how the rhetorical elements of concession, contingency and end-focus can help students distil adequate, economical and persuasive answers. The paper provides examples of how this can be achieved in a course of English for Academic Purposes (EAP), and it examines the applicability of these ideas and strategies to other fields of EAP.