Subjects overview
This program can be completed in 2 years (6 semesters)
This program can be completed in 2 years (6 semesters)
Students must complete the following one hundred and seventy credit points (170CP) of subjects.
Legal Foundations A is an introductory compulsory subject in the Juris Doctor program offered by the Faculty of Law. The subject examines the nature and sources of law, with a primary focus on legal problem solving. Emphasis is placed on the development of the following skills: legal research and reasoning, and legal writing and drafting.
Read moreLegal Foundations B is an introductory compulsory subject in the Juris Doctor offered by the Faculty of Law. The subject examines a broad range of foundational topics, including legal history, legal theory, legal practice and procedure, and legal careers. Emphasis is placed on the development of the following skills: oral communication and advocacy, dispute resolution and collaboration, and legal ethics and professionalism.
Read moreFoundations of Private Law is an introductory compulsory subject in the Juris Doctor program offered by the Faculty of Law. The subject introduces the structure and sources of private law and the process of private law reasoning. It also provides an overview of tort law, examines a range of specific torts including nuisance and trespass, and considers relevant remedies as well as vicarious liability. Emphasis is placed on the development of legal writing and drafting skills.
Read moreFoundations of Public and Criminal Law is an introductory compulsory subject in the Juris Doctor program offered by the Faculty of Law. The subject introduces the aims, doctrines and institutions of public law and criminal law and procedure. It considers the separation of powers and constraints on the exercise of power, as well as accountability institutions. It introduces students to Public International Law and Rights and specifically considers rights in the criminal law context as well as general doctrines of criminal law. Emphasis is placed on the development of legal research and reasoning skills.
Read moreContract Law A is a compulsory subject in the Juris Doctor program offered by the Faculty of Law. The subject examines the nature and preconditions of contractual liability. This includes study of the requirements for the formation of a contract, the law's approach to terms that comprise a contract, and the various ways in which a contract might be discharged. Emphasis is placed on the development of the following skills: dispute resolution and collaboration, and legal ethics and professionalism.
Read moreTort Law is a compulsory subject in the Juris Doctor program offered by the Faculty of Law. The subject focuses on the elements of liability in the tort of negligence, including duty of care, breach of duty, damages, and defences to liability. Attention is also paid to the general issue of the balance of risk and benefit in establishing liability and to particular problems associated with establishing a duty of care in negligence. Emphasis is placed on the development of legal research and reasoning skills.
Read moreCriminal Law is a compulsory subject in the Juris Doctor program offered by the Faculty of Law. The subject examines criminal offences (including fatal and non-fatal offences against the person, and offences against property), criminal defences (including accident, mistake, self-defence, provocation and insanity), and criminal procedure (including preliminary examination, indictments, pre-trial applications, trial, verdicts, sentencing and appeal). Emphasis is placed on the development of the following skills: oral communication and advocacy, and legal ethics and professionalism.
Read moreProperty Law A is a compulsory subject in the Juris Doctor program offered by the Faculty of Law. The subject introduces the general principles of the law relating to property (real and personal property). It covers a range of topics including the meaning, purposes and categories of property, the concepts of ownership and possession, the fragmentation of proprietary interests, personal property security interests, and the Torrens system of land title. Emphasis is placed on the development of legal writing and drafting skills.
Read moreConstitutional Law is a compulsory subject in the Juris Doctor program offered by the Faculty of Law. This subject examines the fundamentals of Australian constitutional law, often in a comparative context. Topics considered include the rule of law, the separation of powers, principles of constitutional interpretation, the rules governing exercises of legislative, executive and judicial power, constitutional change, constitutional principles relating to individual rights and freedoms, the relationship between federal, state and territory governments, including inconsistency of laws, and fiscal federalism. Emphasis is placed on the development of legal research and reasoning skills.
Read moreContract Law B is a compulsory subject in the Juris Doctor program offered by the Faculty of Law. The subject builds on the content of Contract Law A to examine the impact on contractual obligations of common law doctrines, equitable principles and statutory initiatives. This includes consideration of misleading conduct, unconscionable and illegal contracts, consumer contracts, and remedies for breach of contract. Emphasis is placed on the development of oral communication and advocacy skills.
Read moreProperty Law B is a compulsory subject in the Juris Doctor program offered by the Faculty of Law. The subject builds upon the real property concepts covered in Property Law A to examine topics relevant to real property transactions including co-ownership, mortgages, easements, licences and leasehold estates, covenants and boundaries, strata title and native title. Emphasis is placed on the development of the following skills: dispute resolution and collaboration, and legal ethics and professionalism.
Read moreCorporate Law is a compulsory subject in the Juris Doctor program offered by the Faculty of Law. The subject examines the law relating to registered companies, focusing on the formation, management, governance, financing, and dissolution of corporate entities, often drawing on comparative and transnational examples and themes. Specific topics include the incorporation process and the concept of corporate personality, the corporate constitution and replaceable rules, share capital and dividends, directors’ duties and defences, shareholders’ rights and remedies, and winding up of companies. Emphasis is placed on the development of the following skills: oral communication and advocacy, and legal ethics and professionalism.
Read moreEquity is a compulsory subject in the Juris Doctor program offered by the Faculty of Law. The subject builds on concepts encountered in other private law subjects to explore the principles of equity and the law of trusts. It considers the origins and history of the equitable jurisdiction; the relationship between equity and common law; and essential concepts and doctrines of equity, including fiduciary duties and equitable remedies. The subject also provides an introduction to the law of trusts, focusing on types of trusts, their creation, and the rights and obligations that follow from trusteeship. Emphasis is placed on the development of legal research and reasoning.
Read moreAdministrative Law is a compulsory subject in the Juris Doctor program offered by the Faculty of Law. The subject examines the nature and scope of judicial and administrative review of government decisions and actions, at both the federal and state level. Topics include access to government information (freedom of information and access to reasons), ombudsman, merits review tribunals and judicial review under the Constitution/common law and statute. Emphasis is placed on the development of legal writing and drafting skills.
Read moreEvidence is a compulsory subject in the Juris Doctor program offered by the Faculty of Law. The subject examines the law and practice relating to evidence in civil and criminal proceedings, focusing on substantive admissibility and procedural rules. Topics covered include basic principles and categories of evidence, competence, compellability and examination of witnesses, privilege, the hearsay rule and its exceptions, admissions and confessions, and illegally obtained evidence. Emphasis is placed on the demonstration of the following skills: legal research and reasoning, and oral communication and advocacy.
Read moreCivil Dispute Resolution is a compulsory subject in the Juris Doctor program offered by the Faculty of Law. The subject examines the procedures involved in initiating, conducting, resolving, enforcing, or appealing the outcome of civil proceedings in state and federal courts. Specific attention is paid to jurisdiction, commencing proceedings, joinder of claims and parties, pleadings and amendment of pleadings, disclosure, interlocutory applications, settlement, costs, and execution of judgments and appeals. The subject also considers alternative methods of dispute resolution, in particular, negotiation, mediation and arbitration. Emphasis is placed on the demonstration of the following skills: legal writing and drafting, and dispute resolution and collaboration.
Read moreLegal Profession is a compulsory subject in the Juris Doctor program offered by the Faculty of Law. The subject focuses on the regulation of the legal profession and the scope of lawyers’ professional responsibilities, including operation of trust accounts. Emphasis is placed on the demonstration of legal ethics and professionalism skills.
Read moreStudents must choose seventy credit points (70CP) of subjects from the following electives.
Any Law postgraduate subject that has a code beginning with LAWS77.
Students are encouraged to undertake an optional Specialisation. This will replace forty credit points (40CP) of electives for a Specialisation.
This Canadian Law and Practice specialisation provides students with an opportunity to gain knowledge of Canadian law specifically relating to administrative, constitutional and criminal areas of law.
This International Business and Finance Specialisation provides students with an opportunity to gain knowledge and to compare the operation of business and finance law in an international context.
This Corporate and Commercial Law Specialisation provides students with an opportunity to gain knowledge relating to the law and legal principles and issues relevant to corporate and commercial legal practice in a domestic and international context.
This Dispute Resolution Law specialisation provides students with an opportunity to gain knowledge and acquire the practical skills needed to resolve disputes using a range of dispute resolution processes.
This Legal Practice Specialisation provides students with an opportunity to gain knowledge and develop practical legal skills relevant to lawyering processes and practice.
This Legal Innovation and Technology specialisation provides students with an opportunity to enhance their professional qualifications for a future-focused legal career. This specialisation is available to students enrolled in the Juris Doctor and Master of Laws programs.
This Climate Law specialisation provides students an opportunity to seek knowledge and skills in climate change and consequences.
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Take the guess work out of planning your study schedule. Your program's study plan has been carefully curated to provide a clear guide on the sequential subjects to be studied in each semester of your program. Your study plan is designed around connected subject themes to equip you with the fundamental knowledge required as you progress through your course.