Campuses and locations
The University of Newcastle is a multi-campus institution offering programs in a number of locations.
The Juris Doctor (JD) allows you to develop high level academic skills. Designed for university graduates, the new JD-standalone program will provide you with professional skills and attributes that are in high demand in both the legal profession as well as other industries.
Gain in-depth knowledge and experience across a broad range of legal subjects including core courses and directed units. As Australia’s leading clinical Law School, you will join an interactive learning community with access to highly qualified academic staff dedicated to your success.
The JD program requires the completion of 240 units of study over three years. During this time, students will study 160 units of core subjects as prescribed by the Legal Professional Admission Board. Students will also be required to take 80 units of courses from our expansive list of directed courses. This allows students to tailor their learning experience based on their own interests and career goals.
Graduating with the Juris Doctor (JD) gives you the work-ready skills and extensive knowledge to become a leader in Australian and global legal industries.
Graduates are also able to use the highly transferable skills gained in their studies to work outside the field of Law. For those students who are interested in applying for admission, further study and/or work experience is required.
Career opportunities include:
In addition to completing the Juris Doctor program, students who wish to apply for admission to practice in Australia will be required to complete a further program of Practical Legal Training including further study and supervised experience.
Accreditation of this program by the NSW Legal Practitioners Admission Board for admission to legal practice is currently under consideration.
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Applications to study are now open. Submit your application now..
Both students and education agents can submit applications online. This is our preferred way of application. You can save your application after you have started, and come back to it later.
Alternatively you may complete a paper-based application.
To ensure that the process goes smoothly for you, you should complete the following steps before applying:
You will be considered for entry based on criteria such as your undergraduate studies and/or equivalent prior learning and/or relevant work experience.
Make sure you double check the special entry requirements, assumed knowledge or recommended studies for the degree:
Entry to the Juris Doctor is available to students who have one of the following qualifications with a Grade Point Average (GPA) of 4.0 or above:
Students who have gained one of the above qualifications from a University outside of Australia in the discipline of law with a GPA of 4.0 or above can be admitted.
Students with a Bachelor of Laws degree from an Australian University cannot be admitted.
Applicants with one of the above qualifications with a GPA of 3.5 may be considered on a case-by-case basis.
Students with an overseas law degree qualification can apply for up to 80 units of specified or unspecified credit through recognition of prior learning.
Where a student seeks specified credit for one or more of the eleven courses normally required for admission to practice law in Australia (known as the Priestley 11), then this will be considered where applicants have satisfied the NSW Legal Profession Admissions Board (or the equivalent body in another Australian state) that courses completed at the relevant overseas institution are substantially equivalent to the courses for which they are seeking specified credit.
You can look at Uni prep for options to brush up on knowledge before you start.
The University of Newcastle acknowledges the traditional custodians of the lands within our footprint areas: Awabakal, Darkinjung, Biripai, Worimi, Wonnarua, and Eora Nations. We also pay respect to the wisdom of our Elders past and present.