Future Students

Law

The Area of Study

A Macquarie University law degree equips you to enter the legal profession, and prepares you to take advantage of the expanding range of opportunities that a law degree brings. The law syllabus, through both prescribed and elective units, covers all major areas of law including established areas such as constitutional law, international law, contract law and family law and areas of contemporary concern such as consumer law, environmental law, health law and information technology law.

When undertaking a combined law degree you would normally complete one of two compulsory law units each semester in each of the first three years, while simultaneously studying towards the other degree. The compulsory units are those designated by the Supreme Court of NSW as essential for legal practice, and they provide you with the necessary basics for later study. During the last two years you will primarily study law subjects, taking a mixture of later-year compulsory and optional subjects.

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Degree Program Information

Degree UAI 2008 CSP Course Duration
Bachelor of Arts with Bachelor of Laws 95.45 5 years full-time
Bachelor of Arts – Psychology with Bachelor of Laws 95.25 5 years full-time
Bachelor of Applied Finance with Bachelor of Laws 95.05 5 years full-time
Bachelor of Business Administration with Bachelor of Laws 95.25 5 years full-time
Bachelor of Commerce with Bachelor of Laws 95.25 5 years full-time
Bachelor of Commerce – Accounting with Bachelor of Laws 95.90 5 years full-time
Bachelor of Commerce – Actuarial Studies with Bachelor of Laws 95.70 5.5 years full-time
Bachelor of Commerce – Marketing with Bachelor of Laws 98.45 5 years full-time
Bachelor of Environmental Management with Bachelor of Laws 95.95 5 years full-time
Bachelor of Information Technology with Bachelor of Commerce 95.00 5 years full-time
Bachelor of International Studies with Bachelor of Laws 95.00 5 years full-time
Bachelor of Media with Bachelor of Laws 95.25 5 years full-time
Bachelor of Science with Bachelor of Laws 96.00 5 years full-time
Bachelor of Social Science with Bachelor of Laws 96.35 5 years full-time
Bachelor of Laws – (distance education) N/A 6 years part-time

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What You Will Study

All combined law degrees will require you to complete a major sequence in another discipline outside of law. If you wish to combine studies in law with another sequence leading to a professional qualification (for example an accounting CPA qualification, you may have to take additional units involving more credit points than might be required for other combined law degrees. Advice should be sought from the relevant department on professional requirements.

Law core units

  • First year
    - Jurisprudence
    - Foundations of Law
  • Second year
    - Torts
    - Contracts
    - Law, Lawyers and Society
    - Criminal Law and Procedure
  • Third year
    - Constitutional Law and Administration I
    - Constitutional Law and Administration II
    - Property In Law and Equity I
    - Property In Law and Equity II
  • Fourth year
    - Remedies
    - Business Organisations
  • Fifth year
    - Litigation

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Accreditation

The Bachelor of Laws degree is the qualification for admission to practise as a lawyer throughout Australia. In addition to completing a law program at an accredited institution, the profession requires all law graduates to complete a period of practical legal training including further study and supervised experience in a legal practice, before being admitted to practise as a barrister or solicitor. Further information about this can be gained from the Legal Profession Admission Board.

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Recommended Prior Knowledge

First-year law units do not require any assumed knowledge, prerequisites or recommended studies. Other units taken as part of a degree may require assumed knowledge, prerequisites or recommended studies and you should refer to the Macquarie University Handbook of Undergraduate Studies for full degree requirements.

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Career Options

  • solicitor
  • barrister
  • legal aid lawyer
  • academic
  • public defender
  • judge’s associate
  • parliamentary or governmental research officer
  • government policy adviser
  • politics
  • corporate manager
  • human rights advocate

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Some Major Employers

  • large national and international legal and accountancy firms
  • smaller suburban, rural and ‘boutique’ law firms
  • community legal centres
  • government departments
  • banks
  • legal departments of large corporations
  • the Bar (self-employed)
  • the judiciary (judges’ associates)
  • trade unions

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Further Information

Department of Law
Macquarie University NSW 2109
Telephone:  (02) 9850 7098 or (02) 9850 4880
Fax:  (02) 9850 7686
Email: law@mq.edu.au
Web: www.law.mq.edu.au

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