Bachelor of Laws

Overview

The Bachelor of Laws satisfies the academic requirements for admission to practice as a lawyer in the Victorian and Australian Federal legal systems as set by the Victorian Legal Admissions Board.

Please be advised that non-academic requirements must also be satisfied for admission to practice and that no law degree allows graduates to practise straight away.

All laws graduates must also complete Practical Legal Training (PLT) prior to applying for admission to practice as a lawyer. Swinburne offers the opportunity to complete this PLT at the same time as completing your Bachelor of Laws via the Leo Cussen Centre for Law Swinburne Program.

Aims and objectives

The Bachelor of Laws provides an accredited qualification in law and educates students to meet the challenges of a profession and society that are increasingly diverse, complex and technologically sophisticated. It provides a rigorous and intellectually challenging legal education that develops and enhances legal knowledge and a broad range of skills necessary for legal practice; promoting respect for the Rule of Law and adherence to ethical conduct and professional responsibility.  

Upon successfully completing the Bachelor of Laws, students will be able to: 

• describe and demonstrate the application of the fundamental areas of Australian law and the Australian legal system and of the principles and doctrines that underpin them
• describe and demonstrate the application of ethical and professional responsibility in the practice of the law and a commitment to the pursuit of justice
• analyse and evaluate the interdisciplinary contexts in which legal issues arise and the disciplines and policy considerations that influence the content and operation of the law
• describe and compare the international legal order and the law and legal systems of Australia’s major trading partners
• critically evaluate events or factual situations, identify the legal issues to which they give rise and develop and articulate appropriate and creative responses
• undertake and critically evaluate research from a variety of sources to make judgements to solve complex legal problems with intellectual independence
• demonstrate effective and persuasive communication capabilities with legal and non-legal audiences
• communicate proficiently in professional practice to a variety of audiences, function as an effective member or leader of a diverse team and critically reflect on individual performance and professional development.

Career opportunities

Graduates will have the theoretical and practical knowledge required to operate effectively in diverse settings such as law firms and barristers’ chambers, not-for-profit organisations, government, small businesses and corporate organisations. In particular, the specialisation in intellectual property law equips graduates for careers in the new knowledge economy, giving them the skills to work in media and entertainment, design, branding and advertising, and in internet companies and firms advising information-dependent industries.

Professional recognition

This course is still awaiting accreditation from the Victorian Legal Admissions Board VLAB.

Please be advised that non-academic requirements must also be satisfied for admission to practice and that no law degree allows graduates to practice straight away.

• Students must be informed before enrolment and on their application forms that their admission is subject to final VLAB approval.
• We will have to defer their start dates if approval has not yet come through by the first teaching period.
• They will have to be withdrawn if approval is refused. We cannot teach an unaccredited law degree.

Professional placements

Professional Placements are subject to a competitive selection process. International students may be eligible for a Professional Placement where a relevant Professional degree exists. International students who successfully gain a placement through the selection process will be required to change courses to the relevant Professional degree, in order to complete a placement and should consider any visa and extended study duration implications prior to applying.

Students who undertake a 12-month professional placement are subject to the following course rules and must complete 475 credit points comprising:

• 20 Core Law Units (250 credit points)
• 1 online core unit of study (Swinburne Online) (12.5 credit points)
• 4 Law Electives (50 credit points)
• 5-6 units of Secondary Studies, comprising a minor and/or electives (62.5 – 75 credit points)
• 4 units of study from the Professional Placement Co-Major (100 credit points);

Students who elect to undertake a 6-month professional placement are subject to the following course rules and must complete 437.5 credit points comprising:

• 20 Core Law Units (250 credit points)
• 1 online core unit of study (Swinburne Online) (12.5 credit points)
• 4 Law Electives (50 credit points)
• 6-7 units of Secondary Studies, comprising a minor and/or electives (75-87.5 credit points)
• 2 units of study from the Professional Placement Minor (50 credit points);

If students select the Law Professional Placement units, the Professional Experience in Law units are waived.

Maximum Academic Credit

The maximum level of credit that can be granted for the Bachelor of Laws is 200 credit points (normally 16 units).