Why choose Bachelor of Laws

As well as providing the academic basis for admission to legal practice, law is now regarded as a useful general education, fostering understanding of how society functions, and developing skills of analytical and logical reasoning. Read more ...

Practical experience

Students undertaking the Professional Program complete at least part of their professional placement requirements at the schools own Legal Practice, the University of Newcastle Legal Centre. Read more ...

Careers

Graduates of the Professional Program (Bachelor of Laws/Diploma of Legal Practice) are eligible to apply for admission to practice as a lawyer without further study. Read more ...

Achiever profiles

Why would you do this degree? Find out from graduates, students and academics. Discover how their future is taking shape, and learn first-hand what it's like to study at uni. Read profiles ...

Why choose Bachelor of Laws (Graduate Entry)

A Bachelor of Laws degree will provide you with the requisite knowledge and skills you need to become a lawyer. In order to admitted as a lawyer you must graduate with an Australian law degree and successful complete a practical legal training course. At Newcastle, you can fulfil both of these requirements by also choosing to studying in our Professional Program.

However, studying law is not just for aspiring lawyers. In addition to gaining a comprehensive understanding of our legal system, a law degree will furnish you with a wide range of professional skills which are readily sought after by other industries. Skills including analytical problem solving, negotiation, advocacy and advanced research capabilities will assist you in a number of careers including business, journalism, government, politics, non-governmental organisations and private enterprise.

To be considered for admission to this program students will need a Bachelor degree or equivalent tertiary qualification. Students wishing to complete a Bachelor of Laws who do not meet this requirement should consider applying for admission to the Bachelor of Laws (Combined).

Practical experience

Students undertaking the Professional Program complete at least part of their professional placement requirements at the schools own Legal Practice, the University of Newcastle Legal Centre. Students may arrange professional placements at external law firms, and the school has many relationships with firms to help them do this.

The Professional Program

The Professional Program is directed towards those students who wish to practise law. Drawing on modern developments in clinical legal education, the program is designed to develop critical legal understanding in a practical context. It incorporates supervised professional legal experience and essential legal skills training with an emphasis on an ethical approach to the practice of law.

The Professional Program's mix of theory and practice is challenging, but rewarding. Students gain self-confidence and a wide variety of legal experience before entering the profession. Each year students enrol in eight semester-long courses and two semester-long "clinical" courses amounting to a 100 unit load, 20 units more than the standard full-time load. Courses are taught from University House in the city and on the Newcastle campus at Callaghan. In each year students are required to complete 180 hours of legal professional placement as well as attend seminars and undertake skills training.

University of Newcastle Legal Centre

Our students have the opportunity to undertake work placement at the University of Newcastle Legal Centre, which is our legal practice and a teaching facility. All students can be involved in the work of the School's own legal practice by participating in the day and evening advice sessions which are held weekly during the University semesters. Students from as early as first year can observe client interviews at the advice sessions and discuss the interviews with lawyers from the Centre.

Law on the Beach

The University of Newcastle Legal Centre also conducts "Law on the Beach", a legal clinic which operates in the summer. Students are provided with an opportunity to interview clients, brief lawyers, sit in on legal advice and do follow up case work.

The drop-in clinic, held at the Newcastle Beach Surf Life Saving Club, particularly aims to target young people by taking the law to them.

Careers

Graduates of the Bachelor of Laws who wish to practice must complete a postgraduate professional training approved by the Legal Profession Admission Board. The Practical Legal Training course is offered by several providers both in NSW and elsewhere in Australia.

Graduates of the Professional Program (Bachelor of Laws/Diploma of Legal Practice) are eligible to apply for admission to practice as a lawyer without further study.

In addition to the option of pursuing private legal practice, graduates of both the LLB degree and the Professional Program have a broad range of career opportunities in both the private and public sectors. Many of our graduates have found jobs in both State and Commonwealth Governments and in legal units in large corporate organisations.

Undertaking a law degree with the University of Newcastle will provide you with an innovative program of legal study, including real client experience, academic and professional skills education.

Be recognised

Our law graduates are highly regarded and many have successfully forged exciting careers in government and major law firms in the region, nationally and internationally. Others have gone on to pursue post-graduate studies either in Australia or overseas, such as Oxford and Cambridge Universities. One recent graduate served in the important role of Associate to a Justice of the High Court of Australia.

Achiever profiles