Future students
Deakin University
Deakin’s courses in law have a distinct orientation towards commercial law and the professional practice of law. This has influenced the curriculum and the manner in which we teach.
The law courses have been designed in close consultation with professional groups and an advisory board to ensure they are relevant to the current and emerging needs of the employers of law graduates. Our courses incorporate features such as moot courts and alternative dispute resolution, practical skills training, international study tours and online learning. This will provide stimulating variety in your education and will ensure that you leave Deakin with the skills you need to embark on an outstanding career.
With a deliberate orientation towards commercial law the Bachelor of Laws (LLB) degree requires students to study a range of units relevant to commercial law practice. There are also many stimulating electives such as Chinese Commercial Law, Indian Commercial Law, Health and Biotechnology Law, Environmental Law and International Law.
Students are trained in all of the major areas of legal practice, such as contract, torts, criminal law and family law. The degree is designed principally as qualification for entry to the legal profession*. Individual units across the curriculum reflect this orientation, which is reinforced in unique practical skills, dispute resolution and professional experience programs.
You can combine law studies with a degree in arts, criminology, commerce, international studies, management or science to open up a diverse and exciting range of career opportunities.
Honours studies are also available within the School of Law.
The postgraduate law programs reflect the School of Law's commitment to being a significant centre for teaching and research in commercial law. Each of the courses in the program aims to extend the influence of legal expertise beyond a narrow legal framework. We offer a Graduate Certificate and Master of Commercial Law and a Master of Laws.
* At present, to qualify for admission as a barrister and solicitor in Victoria, university graduates are required to complete a 12-month traineeship, or articles of clerkship, or a one-year legal practice course. Visit the Law Institute of Victoria website for further information.
View a list of law courses for:
Scholarships
Alfred Deakin Scholarships are awarded to commencing Commonwealth Supported Place students with the highest ENTER scores admitted to the Bachelor of Laws, either as a single degree or combined with another degree. The scholarship duration is three to five years.
Professional recognition
Deakin’s Bachelor of Laws is designed to satisfy the university component of the requirements to become a barrister and solicitor in Victoria set by the Council of Legal Education (COLE). In addition to completing an approved Bachelor of Laws degree, a person wishing to practise as a barrister or solicitor is required to complete a 12-month traineeship or clerkship, or a one-year legal practice course.
Industry learning
Deakin University values the strong partnerships that it has developed with the legal profession and industry, involving collaborative activities with government bodies, public and private organisations, and other universities. These partnerships ensure that our courses remain relevant to the profession and students learn from lecturers with specialist skills developed by their work with outside agencies, their research and community involvement.
In addition, internships and regular, compulsory practical experience placements throughout the course offer you the opportunity to experience legal environments first hand and develop useful workplace contacts.
Dispute resolution and practical legal skills training are incorporated into the course, allowing you to develop your legal research, reasoning and oral skills, giving you an edge in the employment market. You will be required to participate in moots, mediations, arbitrations and witness examinations.
The School of Law coordinates a small professional experience placement scheme, assisting students to find professional experience in a law environment such as Legal Aid Victoria, the Office of Public Prosecutions and Consumer Affairs Victoria, the University Solicitor's Office, and regional law firms.
The School of Law also offers a clinical skills unit in conjunction with the Western Suburbs Community Legal Service, South West Community Legal Centre and the Barwon Community Legal Service, designed to teach students skills such as interviewing, counselling, negotiation, communication and advocacy.
Overseas study
The School of Law offers fantastic opportunities for you to expand your legal experience in an international environment. These include study tours in China, Europe, India, and participation in international mooting competitions. Also offered are Education Abroad programs, which are available to all Deakin students, including international, postgraduate and off-campus students. Deakin University has more than 100 partner universities around the world so there are many options.
A law degree offers numerous career opportunities, especially when combined with a degree in arts, arts (international studies), criminology, commerce, management or science. As alternatives to practising as a barrister or solicitor, law graduates may enter business as a corporate lawyer, company administrator, or business manager; government service as a lawyer with departments or authorities; industrial relations as a research officer, or legal adviser to a trade union or employer; organisation public administration as an administrative officer, research officer, or diplomat legal aide with the Legal Aid Commission or a community legal centre; or law reform as a law reform commissioner or research officer.
For further information on business and law career opportunities, download a brochure - Your career. Your future. Your decision (426k).
For further information please visit the School of Law web site.
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