Bachelor of Laws - University of South Australia

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Aim

The degree will satisfy the basic academic requirement for admission to practice law. Coupled with the Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice offered by the Law Society of South Australia, graduates will be eligible to seek admission to practice Law in South Australia.

Entry requirements

Applicants are required to have one of the following qualifications:

• Qualified for SACE; and
  • Recorded achievement in five SACE subjects taken at stage 2 level; and
  • Included at least four Stage 2 subjects which are approved Higher Education Selection Subjects (HESS); and
  • Obtained a competitive TER;
• Completed the equivalent secondary education qualifications as required for University entry under SACE and fulfilled any prerequisite requirements;
• Completed the International Baccalaureate Diploma, obtaining a competitive score;
• Completed or partly completed a recognised higher education program at a recognised higher education institution;
• Qualified for Special Entry;
• Completed the University Foundation Studies program.

In addition, International students who speak English as a foreign language must have obtained one of the following standards within the last two years prior to admission:

• International English Language Testing System (IELTS) test - a minimum overall score of 7.0 with a minimum score of 7.0 in Writing and Speaking sub scores and 6.5 in Reading and Listening sub scores; or TOEFL equivalent; or
• A tertiary qualification completed in Australia within the last two years at an acceptable academic level.

Content/structure

The total number of units required is 144 - that is, 32 courses.

One quarter of the degree (8 electives) is not prescribed. Of these 8 electives, 4 may be non-law electives (that is, courses not offered by the School of Law).

This 4 year program can be completed in under 3 years by taking a normal full-time load of 4 courses per study period (see Note 3).

Professional recognition

This degree covers in a comprehensive way the academic requirements for admission to practice (the Uniform Admissions Rules) as specified by the National Law Admissions Consultative Committee. Students seeking admission to practice are required to complete an approved practical legal training (PLT) program, the Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice offered by The Law Society of South Australia. The GDLP is a 12 month course commencing in January and July of each year. It is expected that students will complete the law degree before commencing the GDLP. Students seeking admission to practice in other Australian jurisdictions should apply to the appropriate admitting authority. 
There are additional course requirements for students who wish to seek professional accreditation, see Note 3.

Honours

The law degree will be available as a Bachelor of Laws (with Honours) requiring a GPA of not less than 5 and completion of an Honours thesis of approximately 9,000 words. The Honours thesis will be weighted as equivalent to 2 courses (9 units).

Fee information

Fees for International students: $AU 18,880 per 1.0 EFTSL for students commencing in 2010.
Fees are calculated on a per Unit basis with 1.0 EFTSL = 36 Units.
Fees for International students are determined one year in advance and are subject to variation.

Program requirements

Rules

1. The Law degree comprises:
    
   1. 18 core courses from the Law discipline:
       
      • LAWS 1008 Contracts A
      • LAWS 1009 Contracts B
      • LAWS 1010 Law, Society and Justice
      • LAWS 1012 Legal Institutions and Methods
      • LAWS 1013 Legal Research and Writing
      • LAWS 1014 Torts A
      • LAWS 1015 Torts B
      • LAWS 2008 Australian Federal Constitutional Law
      • LAWS 2009 Criminal Responsibility
      • LAWS 2010 Fundamentals of Criminal Law
      • LAWS 2012 Law of Trusts
      • LAWS 2013 Principles of Equity
      • LAWS 2017 Property Law: General
      • LAWS 2018 Real Property Law
      • LAWS 3006 Administrative Law
      • LAWS 3009 Jurisprudence (Theories of Law)
      • LAWS 3010 Corporate Law: Finance & Governance
      • LAWS 3011 Corporate Law: General
          
   2. 14 elective courses:
        
      • 10 of which must be selected from courses offered by the School of Law; and
      • at least 2 from a non-law discipline.
           
2. Eligible students may include a single Honours dissertation worth 9 units in the final year in place of two 4.5 point electives.

Notes

1. The Law Core courses are offered in Study Periods 2, 4 and 6.
   
   
2. Students not seeking admission to practice law may substitute electives for the following courses:
           LAWS 4002    Civil Procedure
           LAWS 4003    Evidence
           LAWS 4006    Professional Conduct
   
   
3. This program can be completed in 8 consecutive 10 week study periods allowing completion in under 3 years, although students seeking admission as a legal practitioner in South Australia must take at least one course per study period over a minimum of 9 study periods (3 years), including the 3 professional admission courses, as defined in Note 2 above.
   
   
4. Non-law elective courses should be chosen in consultation with the Program Director.
   
   
5. The following courses may not be used as electives in this program:
          LAWS 1001    Companies and Securities Law
          LAWS 1002    Introduction to Law
          LAWS 2003    Law of Property
          LAWS 2005    Corporations and Partnerships Law
   
   
6. The following courses may not be used as Law Electives:
          LAWS 1003    Environmental Law and Policy
          LAWS 1004    Business and Marketing Law
          LAWS 1005    International Business Law
          LAWS 2001    Comparative Law of International Corporations
          LAWS 2006    Leisure and Sport Law
          LAWS 2007    Legal Aspects of Employment
          LAWS 3002    Intellectual Property Law
   
   
7. Students must contact the Program Director for advice about their program of study.
   
8. Law electives are courses offered by the School of Law.