Law

• Law at Deakin
• Our courses
• Special features of our courses
• Career opportunities
• Further information

Law at Deakin

Deakin's courses in law have a distinct orientation towards commercial law and the professional practice of law. This has influenced the curriculum and the manner in which we teach.

The law courses have been designed in close consultation with professional groups and an advisory board to ensure they are relevant to the current and emerging needs of the employers of law graduates. Our courses incorporate features such as moot courts and alternative dispute resolution, practical skills training, international study tours and online learning. This will provide stimulating variety in your education and will ensure that you leave Deakin with the skills you need to embark on an outstanding career.

Our courses

With a deliberate orientation towards commercial law the Bachelor of Laws (LLB) degree requires students to study a range of units relevant to commercial law practice. There are also many stimulating electives such as Chinese Commercial Law, Indian Commercial Law, Health and Biotechnology Law, Environmental Law and International Law.

Students are trained in all of the major areas of legal practice, such as contract, torts, criminal law and family law. The degree is designed principally as qualification for entry to the legal profession*. Individual units across the curriculum reflect this orientation, which is reinforced in unique practical skills, dispute resolution and professional experience programs.

You can combine law studies with a degree in arts, criminology, commerce, international studies, management or science to open up a diverse and exciting range of career opportunities.

Honours studies are also available within the School of Law.

The postgraduate law programs reflect the School of Law's commitment to being a significant centre for teaching and research in commercial law. Each of the courses in the program aims to extend the influence of legal expertise beyond a narrow legal framework. We offer a Graduate Certificate and Master of Commercial Law and a Master of Laws.

View a list of law courses for:

• local students
• international students

Special features of our courses

Professional recognition
Deakin’s Bachelor of Laws is designed to satisfy the academic requirements to become a barrister and solicitor in Victoria set by the Council of Legal Education. In addition to completing an approved Bachelor of Laws degree, a person wishing to practise as a barrister or solicitor is required to complete a 12-month traineeship or clerkship, or a six-month legal practice course.

Industry learning
Our Law courses have been designed in close conjunction with professional groups and an Advisory Board with representation from the judiciary, law association, the profession, law graduates and members of Deakin’s School of Law. This ensures that our programs are relevant to the current and emerging needs of the employers of law graduates.

To satisfy the requirements for the Bachelor of Laws and be eligible to graduate, you are required to complete 30 days work placement in a legal environment as well as four Practical Legal Skills units – Moot, Mediation, Arbitration and Witness Examination – which give you the opportunity to develop presentation skills and experience presenting in the court room. This practical experience enriches your legal education, assists in preparing you for employment in the industry and enables you to develop professional networks.

As part of the Bachelor of Laws, Deakin also offers Law Clinic, a clinical skills unit which involves you working at a community legal centre under the supervision of a legal practitioner. This unit not only gives you credit towards your degree, it also enhances your overall learning experience, providing you with a unique insight into the community legal centre environment.

Overseas study
The School of Law offers fantastic opportunities for you to expand your legal experience in an international environment. These include study tours in China, Europe, India, and participation in international mooting competitions. Also offered are Education Abroad programs, which are available to all Deakin students, including international, postgraduate and off-campus students. Deakin University has more than 100 partner universities around the world so there are many options.

Career opportunities

A law degree offers numerous career opportunities, especially when combined with a degree in arts, arts (international studies), criminology, commerce, management or science. As alternatives to practising as a barrister or solicitor, law graduates may enter business as a corporate lawyer, company administrator, or business manager; government service as a lawyer with departments or authorities; industrial relations as a research officer, or legal adviser to a trade union or employer; organisation public administration as an administrative officer, research officer, or diplomat legal aide with the Legal Aid Commission or a community legal centre; or law reform as a law reform commissioner or research officer.

For further information on business and law career opportunities, download a brochure - Your career. Your future. Your decision.

Further information

For further information please visit the School of Law web site.

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