Laws

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Undergraduate Degree

Faculty of Business and Law

Description

Students who study the Bachelor of Laws at the University of Newcastle choose to undertake either an Option A or B course. The former option allows them to complement their studies in law with a wide variety of electives, while the latter is a professional program, the Diplopma of Legal Practice, which includes practical training and qualifies graduates to practice as a legal practitioner without further study.

Accreditation:

The Bachelor of Laws degree meets the academic requirements needed to gain admission to the practice of law in New South Wales. Bachelor of Laws/Diploma of Legal Practice graduates are eligible to apply for admission to practice as a legal practitioner without further study.

Industry Experience:

Diploma of Legal Practice students undertake Professional Placements.

For more information about studying Law, the University of Newcastle Legal Centre and the types of activities available to law students, explore the School of Law site.

Combined Options

Undergraduate students will need to complete another degree concurrently with their laws program. Options include:

Bachelor of Arts

Bachelor of Aboriginal Professional Practice

Bachelor of Commerce

Bachelor of Communication

Bachelor of Science

View our Bachelor of Laws in the Program Handbook and the online prospectus What Can I Study?.

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Why postgraduate study?

The Newcastle Law School offers both postgraduate coursework and research opportunities. Those who undertake these programs do so for a variety of reasons, including:

  • Career change – adding a new area of specialisation to an existing qualification or employment background
  • Career mobility – promotion opportunities within existing or new employment situations
  • Professional development

Postgraduate Study:

Research

Masters
PhD

Course Work

After completing a degree there are a broad range of postgraduate options available in a variety of fields which can allow you to specialise in a particular area of interest or build upon your existing knowledge base. To explore such options please visit the Postgraduate Handbook at http://www.newcastle.edu.au/program/postgraduate/

View our Bachelor of Laws in the Program Handbook and the online prospectus What Can I Study?.

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Sample Jobs

The following list provides some example jobs for the Bachelor of Laws. Some of these jobs will depend upon the amount and level of study undertaken, level of experience, and the combination of other majors and electives studied.

Undertaking studies in law not only prepares graduates for a career in the legal profession but a huge variety of other roles in sectors ranging from government and business to media and the arts. Graduates often find that this qualification provides a competitive advantage when applying for a variety of roles as many employers value its emphasis on analytical thinking and logical reasoning.

Getting the Edge

Most employers seek to recruit people who have relevant work experience and an appreciation for their industry. Here is a check list of ideas about gaining experience and industry knowledge.

  1. Check the type of experience most employers in your field of interest expect. Don’t overlook the part time work you may be currently doing. Most employers understand that the skills are transferrable even if the work is not in their industry.
  2. Check your academic program for any courses that involve a placement or the opportunity to undertake an industry based project.
  3. Check your school for Summer Scholarships for research opportunities.
  4. Check vacancy sites for advertised traineeships, part time employment and vacation work opportunities in your field.
  5. Source and approach organisations directly about possible work shadowing or information interview opportunities.
  6. Source and approach organisations directly for paid work opportunities.
  7. Consider volunteering.

Note: Gaining experience may be important but not at the expense of your studies. Make sure you do not overload your timetable with unrealistic work commitments.

 

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Sample Employers

Legal employment opportunities exist in a wide variety of industries within small, medium and large organisations. Below is an example of some major organisations which formally target graduates with qualifications in Laws.

Recruitment Timing

Some large organisations have specific graduate recruitment programs designed to employ the pick of graduates each year. You must be in your final year of study or recently completed to apply for these programs. The timing of these recruitment drives varies and may occur at any point in the academic year, in some cases starting as early as the first few weeks of the first semester or trimester.

Find out if employers in your area/s of interest have graduate programs, when they typically recruit and what recruitment methods they use. Check with the Careers Service .

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Societies and Associations

Associations and societies often provide relevant and up to date information about a variety of issues relating to specific industry sectors. These can be a good starting point to learn more about occupations through profiles, industry news, links to academic journals and information on research developments. Many also offer student membership, conference and professional development activities, newsletters and the opportunity to participate in projects.

Below are links to a variety of law related societies and associations that you might find interesting:


Don’t overlook student societies and associations. As well as student chapters of professional associations, some faculties or schools have discipline based student associations. Check your school or faculty web site; perhaps you might start one if one doesn’t exist.

Some academic disciplines run Seminar Programs that involve regular seminars presented by University of Newcastle academics, visiting academics and postgraduate students. Check your schools website for the timetable.

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Job Search Sites

Searching job sites is a good way to gain an understanding of: industries recruiting professionals in this field; types of roles and the requirements or expectations of employers for these roles. There are many online job search sites, here are a few to start with:

Australian and International

  • CareerHub: the University of Newcastle Careers Service careers and job search site for enrolled students and graduates.

Australian

  • CareerOne: Australia wide job listings, all levels and industries including executive positions
  • MyCareer: Australian and international listings
  • Seek: comprehensive Australian job listings, also includes New Zealand and UK listings
  • The Big Chair: Management and Executive Jobs

International

Graduate Attributes and Employability

Graduate attributes are the skills, abilities and knowledge that are highly sought after by a broad range of employers. Below is the complete list of attributes that graduates will have demonstrated upon the completion of the degree.

Graduate Attributes Bachelor of Laws

  • Graduates will be equipped to provide high quality service to employers, government, and individual clients, by demonstrating a capacity to engage in legal research; high level ability in analysis; skills in lateral thinking and problem-solving which enable the provision of appropriate advice and solutions over a range of alternative dispute resolution mechanisms; superior verbal and written communication skills; critical thinking and reflective engagement with legal material.
  • Graduates of the LLB will be equipped to act as an advocate for the rule of law.
  • Graduates of the LLB will be equipped to accept responsibility to play a constructive role in the maintenance and reform of the legal system.
  • Graduates of the LLB will be equipped to uphold the highest ethical standards in discharging his/her responsibilities to clients, other professionals, the courts and the public.
  • Graduates of the LLB will be equipped to pursue lifelong learning in a dynamic discipline.
  • Graduates of the LLB will be equipped to understand, evaluate and critically reflect upon the interaction of law and society.

Graduate Attributes Diploma of Legal Practice

  • Graduates will be equipped to provide high quality service to employers, government, and individual clients, by demonstrating a capacity to engage in legal research; high level ability in analysis; skills in lateral thinking and problem-solving which enable the provision of appropriate advice and solutions over a range of alternative dispute resolution mechanisms; superior verbal and written communication skills; critical thinking and reflective engagement with legal material.
  • Graduates of the Dip.Legal Practice will be equipped to act as an advocate for the rule of law.
  • Graduates of the Dip.Legal Practice will be equipped to accept responsibility to play a constructive role in the maintenance and reform of the legal system.
  • Graduates of the Dip.Legal Practice will be equipped to uphold the highest ethical standards in discharging his/her responsibilities to clients, other professionals, the courts and the public.
  • Graduates of the Dip.Legal Practice will be equipped to pursue lifelong learning in a dynamic discipline.
  • Graduates of the Dip.Legal Practice will be equipped to understand, evaluate and critically reflect upon the interaction of law and society.

You will recognise these attributes in the selection criteria listed in the following job ads.

Sample Job Ads & Tips

Job ads provide useful information about the job and the required skills, experience and qualifications. Information like this is useful in career planning. Below is a small sample of job ads with tips on planning and job applications; explore further to gather more useful information for your planning.

Please note: the job ads listed on this page are not current and were sourced from a variety of websites in 2010.

 

 

 

Sample Job Ad 1
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