Bachelor of Laws

2015 Deakin University Handbook

Note: You are seeing the 2015 view of this course information. These details may no longer be current. [Go to the current version]

Year	2015 course information
Award granted	Bachelor of Laws
Campus	Offered at Burwood (Melbourne), Waterfront (Geelong), Warrnambool (first three years of course only), Cloud (online)
Cloud Campus	Yes
Duration	4 years full-time or part-time equivalent (or 3 years full-time or part-time equivalent - graduate entry)
CRICOS course code	026686F
Deakin course code	M312

Course sub-headings

Course overview

The Deakin Law program is designed to produce first-class commercial law practitioners by providing sound training in each of the major areas of legal practice. It offers a number of special features that have been incorporated into its Bachelor of Laws (LLB) degree courses.

Features of the Program

Orientation towards commercial law
A distinctive feature of the Law Program is its deliberate orientation towards commercial law. The Deakin LLB degree course is one of the few in Australia with a specific and exclusive focus. This has been achieved by including several core commercial units in the course, plus offering an elective program that consists predominantly of units drawn from the area of commercial law.

Practical course requirements

Professional Experience
You will be required to complete 30 days professional work experience in a legal environment to gain experience on how the law operates in practice. This practical experience will provide you with an enriched formal legal education and prepare you for employment in the industry. For more information https://www.deakin.edu.au/buslaw/law/students/professional-exp/index.php

Law clinic
In conjunction with Community Legal Centres and other legal organisations, the School of Law offers a clinical skills unit. This involves students working at a Legal Service under the supervision of a legal practitioner. They assist the practitioner to take instructions and to advise and represent clients. Clinical training of this nature is designed to teach students skills such as interviewing, counselling, negotiation, communication and advocacy. Quotas apply and enrolment is via application.

For more information, please visit:

https://www.deakin.edu.au/buslaw/law/students/lawclinic.php

Course Learning Outcomes

Graduate Learning Outcomes	Course Learning Outcomes
Discipline specific knowledge and capabilities	Integrate theoretical knowledge and understanding of a coherent body of knowledge, including: (a) the fundamental areas of legal knowledge, the Australian legal system, and underlying principles and concepts, including international and comparative contexts, (b) the broader contexts within which legal issues arise, and (c) the principles and values of justice and of ethical practice in lawyers’ roles
Communication	Justify and communicate well developed communication skills, including: a) communicate orally, in writing, and by any interpersonal means effectively, appropriately, and persuasively for both legal and non-legal audiences, and b) collaborate effectively, using technologies where the demonstration of autonomy, well developed judgement and responsibility takes place.
Digital literacy	Use technologies to identify, locate, evaluate information for problem solving scenarios as well as communicating legal solutions, including: a) identify, research, evaluate and synthesise relevant factual, legal and policy issues, effectively using technologies where appropriate. b) find, use, and disseminate information using technologies. c) the use of digital sources to organize and present information in authentic and complex legal situations.
Critical thinking	Exercise critical judgement with the ability to problem-solve in unpredictable and sometimes complex scenarios, including: (a) identifying and articulating legal issues, (b) applying legal reasoning and research to generate accurate and relevant responses to legal issues, (c) engaging in critical analysis and making a choice amongst alternatives using legal reasoning, and (d) thinking creatively in approaching legal issues and generating appropriate legal responses.
Problem solving	Create solutions to a wide range of legal problems, utilizing analytical and critical thinking with the ability to problem-solve, including: (a) identifying and articulating legal issues, (b) applying legal reasoning and research to generate accurate and relevant responses to legal issues, (c) engaging in critical analysis and making a choice amongst alternatives using legal reasoning, and (d) thinking creatively in approaching legal issues and generating appropriate responses
Self-management	Reflect on performance feedback to demonstrate long term development and to facilitate self-improvement, including: (a) lifelong learning and working independently, (b) reflecting on and assessing capabilities and performance, and making use of feedback as appropriate, to support personal and professional development. (c) taking responsibility for personal actions.
Teamwork	Collaborate and communicate in teams, including: (a) communicate in ways that are effective, appropriate and persuasive for legal and non-legal audiences; and (b) collaborate effectively with others from different disciplines and backgrounds
Global citizenship	To be aware of and apply legal knowledge in different environments and global contexts, including: (a) an understanding of approaches to ethical decision-making, (b) an ability to recognise and reflect upon with a developing ability to respond to ethical issues likely to arise in complex professional contexts, (c) an ability to recognise and reflect upon the professional responsibilities of lawyers in promoting justice and in service to the community, (d) an ability to exercise professional judgement, (e) an ability to recognise and reflect upon cultural and community diversity.

Course of study

The Deakin Law Program is designed to satisfy the university component of the requirements to become a barrister and solicitor in Victoria set by the Council of Legal Education. Study may be undertaken on either a full-time or part-time basis.

LLB combined with another degree

Students enrolled in a Law degree combined with another degree in Arts, Arts (International Studies), Commerce, Criminology, Information Systems, Management, Property and Real Estate or Science, must complete units totalling 40 credit points for the combined course. For the LLB degree component of the combined course students must complete 24 credit points of Law units, including 21 credit points of core units, 3 credit points of elective Law units and professional experience requirements.

For the other degree component students must complete 16 credit points as prescribed for the relevant degree. Refer to Course Structures for combined courses and for bachelor degrees in Arts, Arts (International Studies), Commerce, Criminology, Information Systems, Management, Property and Real Estate or Science.

Admission to legal practice

At present, to qualify for admission as a barrister and solicitor in Victoria, university graduates are required to complete legal traineeships (previously known as articles of clerkship) for one year or to complete a legal practice course. Institutes that offer Practical Legal Training are:

The College of Law Victoria: Victorian Professional Program
The Leo Cussen Institute [which holds a seven month full-time practical legal training course], plus an alternative on-line course.
Australia National University Practical Legal Training Course offered in Melbourne.

Course rules

To qualify for the LLB, students must complete units totalling 32 credit points. 24 credit points, including 21 credit points of core units, must be selected from the LLB. The remaining 8 credit points may be taken as elective units, 4 of which must be non-Law units.

In addition, students are required to complete the prescribed Professional Experience in order to be eligible to graduate.