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

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. The Bachelor of Laws (LLB) (Combined) is offered as a five-year degree in combination with other degrees.

The combined degrees offered are -

• Bachelor of Aboriginal Professional Practice/Bachelor of Laws
• Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Laws
• Bachelor of Business/Bachelor of Laws
• Bachelor of Commerce/Bachelor of Laws
• Bachelor of Communication/Bachelor of Laws
• Bachelor of Science/Bachelor of Laws
• Bachelor of Social Science/Bachelor of Laws

The combined laws degree is five years of study, combining the Bachelor of Law with one of seven available degrees, for example Bachelor of Business/Bachelor of Laws. To be eligible to apply to practise as a legal practitioner without further study, you will need to complete the Bachelor of Laws/Diploma of Legal Practice taken in the final two years of your law studies. This degree will allow your immediate admission to legal practice on graduation.

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