The Melbourne JD

Juris Doctor

www.law.unimelb.edu.au/jd

Contents The Melbourne Juris Doctor Melbourne Law School The JD experience International opportunities Career focus Course overview Course content Location and facilities Entry requirements 1 2 4 5 7 8 9 11 13

Introduction from the Dean

It is a great pleasure to introduce you to Melbourne Law School and the Melbourne Juris Doctor (JD).
Melbourne Law School is a vibrant place of learning that values ideas, excellence and intellectual exchange. It is a place dedicated to preparing students to be ethical, responsible and global in their outlook. Our graduates excel at the highest levels in the legal profession, government, politics, community service and business. They can be found undertaking further study at Oxford, Cambridge and Harvard or practising in top-tier law firms in Hong Kong, London, New York and Beijing. While we have a wonderful building and a library that we have been building up for over 150 years, the heart of our school is our people. We have exceptional teachers who work at the cutting edge of the law, advising governments, international bodies, courts and lawyers. These teachers inspire and challenge our students to gain a deep understanding of the law with all its strengths and weaknesses.  tudents in the Melbourne JD learn not only from our teachers S but also from one another. Since introducing the Melbourne JD, we have transformed how law is taught and studied at the Law School. Our seminar-style classes facilitate vigorous discussion and debate among highly engaged graduate students. Each student is actively involved in exploring the law and is encouraged to draw on their educational and life experiences to make their own contribution. This diversity of perspectives and the talent of our students combine to create a rich learning experience one that I invite you to explore and join.

Our graduates excel at the highest levels in the legal profession, government, politics, community service and business.
Professor Carolyn Evans

Dean, Melbourne Law School Harrison Moore Professor of Law

Professor Carolyn Evans Dean, Melbourne Law School Harrison Moore Professor of Law

The Melbourne Juris Doctor

Taught at a graduate level, the Melbourne Juris Doctor (JD) equips graduates to take a leading role in contemporary legal practice, the business world, government or community organisations.
Graduating with a law degree from Melbourne Law School means that wherever your career takes you, your degree will be recognised as outstanding. The Melbourne JD is highly regarded and readily recognised, both nationally and internationally. It leads to admission to the legal profession in all Australian jurisdictions and can also be used as a basis for seeking admission in many jurisdictions overseas. You will be taught by academics who are leaders in their fields, in Australia and around the world. Melbourne Law School academics draw on expertise in legal scholarship and practice to deliver a degree that is outward looking and intellectually stimulating.

Your JD experience will be as much about your fellow students as your teachers. In the Melbourne JD you will study law in discussion-based classes with other highly motivated and enthusiastic graduates. As a Melbourne JD student, you will be part of a law school vitally interested in global legal practice. Melbourne Law School provides a global educational experience for its students, with opportunities for overseas study, degree partnerships with leading international law schools and a curriculum that encompasses transnational, international and comparative legal issues. The Melbourne JD is not just about classrooms and casebooks. By focusing on the career development of its students, Melbourne Law School equips you with the skills and opportunities to engage with the legal profession and build your own successful career.

The Melbourne JD offers an experience every graduate will fondly remember. For students who are ambitious, who thrive on being intellectually engaged, and value the power of knowledge, there is no richer experience than learning alongside peers who are equally motivated. It is the small class sizes that enable me to develop a strong network with peers and academics, who serve as an invaluable point of contact and source of friendship both within and outside Australia.
Gary Zhang

Melbourne JD student

Melbourne Law School

With experience gained over 150 years, Melbourne Law School is Australias first law school and continues to be a leader and innovator in teaching the next generation of skilled legal professionals.
Melbourne Law School has led the shift to graduate law in Australia with the Melbourne JD. The Law Schools innovation in teaching and research means that you will experience an outstanding learning environment. Drawing on a rich history of legal research and education, Melbourne Law School is uniquely placed within both the Australian and international legal communities. The Law School experience introduces you to a community of scholars, students, legal educators and members of the legal profession, government and business institutions which will help you to establish a network for life. In July 2012, Melbourne Law School was ranked as the top law school in Australia and eighth in the world by the Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) World University Rankings.

World-class researchers
The Melbourne Law School community provides an unparalleled depth of learning through its 15 research centres and institutes. This vibrant research culture supports and informs the Law Schools teaching activities. Located within the Melbourne Law School campus, the research centres deliver teaching and research programs, and regularly arrange international and national conferences and seminars. Melbourne Law School was ranked well above world standard for the quality of its research by the Australian Research Council in 2012. It is one of only two law schools in Australia to consistently score the maximum possible in the Excellence in Research for Australia report.

Research centres and institutes

Asian Law Centre (ALC) Asia Pacific Centre for Military Law (APCML) Centre for Comparative Constitutional Studies (CCCS) Centre for Corporate Law and Securities Regulation (CCLSR) Centre for Employment and Labour Relations Law (CELRL) Centre for Islamic Law and Society (CILS) Centre for Media and Communications Law (CMCL) Centre for Resources, Energy and Environmental Law (CREEL) Civil Justice Research Group Competition Law and Economics Network (CLEN) Human Rights in the Melbourne Law School Institute for International Law and the Humanities (IILaH) Intellectual Property Research Institute of Australia (IPRIA) Obligations Group The Tax Group

The University of Melbourne is ranked:

no.

in Australia
Times Higher Education World University Rankings, 201213.

no.

in the world
by the Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) World University Rankings, 2012.

The JD experience

Melbourne Law School students are highly motivated and committed, with diverse educational backgrounds, experiences and perspectives. They are an important part of Melbourne Law Schools vibrant intellectual community.
As a JD student you will: J  oin other engaged and enthusiastic students in discussion-based classes and enrich each others education; B  uild skills for employment in the 21st century by collaborating and interacting with other students in group work; B  e part of a tight-knit community of graduates and learn alongside your supportive classmates; H  ave the opportunity to join societies, edit journals, attend public lectures and participate in cultural events, moots and competitions; B  uild a network for life through connections with your student peers, Law School alumni, mentors and university staff.

The JD has surpassed every expectation I had coming into the degree. Melbourne Law School is characterised by an environment that is congenial to academic growth as well as personal development. I am continuously inspired by the teachers and students who have made my JD experience so rewarding.
Angela Kittikhoun
Melbourne JD student

Melbourne Law Schools rich diversity amongst the faculty and student body provides for a truly international academic environment. I have learnt a great deal about myself and the world around me through the numerous challenges and opportunities that this degree has offered. If you are passionate about pursuing a career in law, I am certain you will find the Melbourne JD to be a deeply rewarding experience.
Jason Goliszek Melbourne JD student

International opportunities

Melbourne Law School has a global outlook, equipping you with the skills and knowledge needed to work in an increasingly interconnected world.
The Law Schools strong international focus means that you will have opportunities to study overseas, and the chance to learn from a curriculum that tracks and responds to global legal developments. Our academics work internationally and transnationally. They bring that expertise to develop a comprehensive curriculum that provides you with the skills to work confidently across national boundaries.

Go on student exchange
Immerse yourself in another culture while studying for a semester abroad, and explore student life in a different environment. Melbourne Law School provides exchange opportunities with institutions across the world, including in the USA, Canada, Belgium, Ireland, Germany, the UK, Israel and Singapore.

Learn with your international peers

Study transnational and international legal issues with faculty and students from ten leading global law schools at the Center for Transnational Legal Studies (CTLS) in London. As the only Australian member of the CTLS, Melbourne Law School provides students with access to the worlds leading legal scholars in a dynamic and innovative learning environment.

Graduate with two internationally recognised qualifications

Through Melbourne Law Schools international partnerships, JD students have the chance to earn combined degrees in law. Upon successful admission to these prestigious international schools, students may earn a Melbourne Juris Doctor (JD) together with one of the following: Bachelor of Civil Laws (BCL) or Masters in Law and Finance (MLF) from Oxford University Master of Laws (LLM) or Juris Doctor (JD) from New York University School of Law Master of Laws in Chinese Business Law from the Chinese University of Hong Kong

Explore subjects offshore

Melbourne Law School offers two exciting subjects abroad, with opportunities to meet and network with international practitioners. Both courses are taught at international hubs and focus on broadening the student experience. Institutions in International Law is taught in Geneva and Global Lawyer is taught in Washington DC and New York City.

The elective subject Global Lawyer provides unparalleled opportunities for students interested in legal practice in an international context to explore, through intensive seminars in New York City and Washington DC, contemporary issues associated with international legal ethics, cross-border transactions, and transnational legal problems and disputes.
Associate Professor Tania Voon
Coordinator, Global Lawyer

Career focus

Associate Professor Elise Bant

Associate Dean (Juris Doctor) until June 2013

Associate Professor Alison Duxbury Associate Dean (Juris Doctor) from July 2013

With a comprehensive suite of programs and support structures beyond the formal curriculum, Melbourne Law School serves the specific needs of law students.
From a specialised Law Careers Office to a world-wide alumni network, Melbourne Law School is focused on working with students to achieve their potential.

Access expert advice

Develop your career with the help of our unique Law School Careers Office. Specifically designed for law students, this expert service is available from the moment you begin your JD studies. The Careers Office helps you identify your goals and provides you with advice, information and opportunities to help shape your future.

Learn from a mentor

Be guided by somebody whos been in your shoes. Melbourne Law Schools Mentor Program provides one-on-one guidance from an experienced legal professional working in your individual area of interest. In the first year of your JD, you will have a real-world link to practitioners and law graduates working in a range of legal workplaces and careers.

Hear from top legal professionals

Stay in touch with cutting-edge legal issues and access the best and brightest legal minds through our Guest Speaker Series. The program complements the JD academic studies and gives you the opportunity to meet members of the judiciary, politicians, legal practitioners and law graduates working beyond the legal profession.

The Melbourne JD ensures that students hear from real voices about law and legal practice in the 21st century. Every year a carefully selected group of experts visit Melbourne Law School to teach or engage with students, including members of the judiciary, government policy makers, internationally respected scholars and leading legal practitioners.

Benefit from an internship

Experience law outside the classroom. Choose among a growing number of internships, many of which are available exclusively to Melbourne Law School students. Internships help build your career prospects and allow you to experience working in a range of environments. Students can also undertake an internship for subject credit in the JD program.

Stay connected
As a Melbourne Law School graduate, you become part of a global alumni community of over 17 ,500 professionals working in a variety of disciplines all over the world.

Course overview

Professor Andrew Kenyon

Deputy Dean until January 2013

Professor John Howe

Deputy Dean from February 2013

The Melbourne JD is designed specifically for graduate students.

The curriculum allows you to build the core skills essential to a wide range of legal and professional careers. It also gives you the opportunity to tailor your studies to areas of particular interest through elective subjects.

One of the highlights of the JD is its integrated curriculum. Students are supported through curriculum design, class discussion and assessment activities to see how each subject connects with preceding, concurrent and future units, enabling students to develop a holistic and coherent understanding of the law. New elective developments build on this integrated core curriculum by requiring students to mimic professional practice in particular contexts. The Public Interest and Transactional Law initiatives expose JD students to both professional practice opportunities across the full range of communityspirited and commercial law activities.

Structure
The JD course comprises 24 subjects, including 17 compulsory subjects based on the Priestley 11 required for admission to legal practice within Australia. You have the flexibility to pursue particular areas of interest through elective subject selection. Offering more than 35 electives each year, the JD program continually evolves to reflect current developments in law and legal practice. You also have the opportunity to undertake an elective from the Melbourne Law Masters, where you will share a classroom with practitioners from Australias premier organisations and institutions, in special interest areas such as international and human rights law. Apply for an additional elective from this highly regarded masters program and align your studies with your individual interests.

Melbourne Law School is building the most contemporary and inspirational JD elective program in Australia, incorporating recent developments in transactional law, Asian law, intellectual property, climate change, medical law, human rights, international law, cross-border transactions and taxation law to name just some of the programs features all taught by leaders in the field.

Duration
The Melbourne JD is taught over six semesters under the standard threeyear structure, with options for flexible study (subject to approval by the Law School). To discuss your course planning options, contact the Student Centre. Visit the JD website for comprehensive information on course delivery and structure.

Integrated curriculum

Course content

Compulsory subjects

Elective subjects

Melbourne Law Masters elective

Choose an additional elective subject from the Melbourne Law School Masters program, which offers subjects across areas of specialisation as diverse as: C  riminal Law, Poverty and Justice Elements of Legislation E  nergy Regulation and the Law Environmental Rights E  uropean Intellectual Property Law G  lobalisation and the Limits of Sovereignty Hot Topics in Medical Law I  nternational Commercial Arbitration I nternational Law and Childrens Rights I nternational Refugee Law: Refugee Status Law of Political Money Medical Ethics Newsgathering Petroleum Law Poverty and Human Rights Rule of Law in Asia S  ports and Competition Law: An International and Comparative Analysis W  ater Law and Natural Resources Management W  omen, War and PeaceBuilding W  TO Law and Dispute Settlement

Be engaged and challenged by the 17 compulsory subjects that teach skills essential to applying legal knowledge in the 21st century: Administrative Law Constitutional Law Contracts Corporations Law Criminal Law and Procedure Dispute Resolution Evidence and Proof Legal Ethics Legal Method and Reasoning Legal Research Legal Theory Obligations Principles of Public Law Property Remedies Torts Trusts

Shape your own course of study by pursuing particular areas of interest or explore new and emerging legal practice in elective subjects such as: Advocacy C  harters of Rights in Comparative Perspective Climate Change Law Commercial Law in Asia Competition Law Construction Law Corporate Governance Criminal Jurisdictions Cross-Border Litigation Cyber Law Deals D  emocracy Law and Civil Liberties Employment Law E  ncounters: Indigenous Peoples and Law Environmental Law European Civil Law Family Law Global Lawyer Human Rights Lawyering Insolvency Law I nstitutions in International Law I nternational Capital Markets: Regulation and Institutions I  nternational Commercial Law and Disputes International Criminal Law I nternational Human Rights Law International Investment Law Jessup Moot Labour and Employment Law L  aw, Justice and Human Rights in the Asia-Pacific L  aw of Commercial Reputation and Brands Legal Internship Media Law Medical Law M  elbourne Journal of International Law Research and Writing M  elbourne University Law Review Research and Writing M  ergers, Acquisitions and Capital Markets Murder P  roperty in Invention and Creation Public International Law Refugee Law Sports Law Taxation Law and Policy T  axation of Business Enterprises T  he Rule of Law in Theory and in Practice

Accurate at time of printing. More details about the subjects can be found at: www.law.unimelb.edu.au/jd/course-and-subjects/the-course

Location and facilities

Studying in Melbourne
Melbourne is an exciting and vibrant hub of cultural, social, sporting and business life. The Law School is located only a five-minute tram ride or a 15-minute walk from the city centre, and is positioned right next to the inner-city suburb of Carlton. The Law Schools contemporary and purposebuilt facilities are located adjacent to the historic and leafy University campus.

Library
Melbourne Law Schools award-winning Law Library houses one of the best law collections in Australia, and includes: An extensive collection of print materials, online legal databases and ebooks; Dedicated study spaces; Discussion rooms for group study; Computers specifically for student use; Plug-in and wireless internet connectivity for laptops; One-on-one legal research consultations; Legal research skills classes delivered on campus and online; Reserve collections of subject- related material; Loans from other libraries in the Universitys network.

I have enjoyed many aspects of the Melbourne JD. My cohort is made up of enthusiastic students that have a broad range of interests and experience. My dedicated teachers are leaders in their field of research or practice. Finally, the varied extracurricular activities, guest speakers and work experience opportunities facilitated by Melbourne Law School have expanded my horizons as to what I can do with my law degree.
Heather Douglas
Melbourne JD Student

Outstanding law building

The Melbourne Law School building has been designed specifically for legal education. This state-of-the-art building has simulated court facilities, purposebuilt study spaces, a library spanning three levels, and comfortable student areas for group work and relaxation. With abundant natural light and 360-degree views of Melbourne, the Law School facilities offer the same broad perspective as presented within the world-class curriculum.

Student Centre
Located on the mezzanine level, the Student Centre is the hub for student access to facilities and advice. The Student Centre is staffed by a professional and dedicated team focused on supporting you through your studies at Melbourne Law School and beyond.

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Entry requirements

Applicants to the Melbourne JD must hold an undergraduate degree in a discipline other than law, or a law degree from a different legal system.
Melbourne Law School considers each application individually and in its entirety. Selection is based on performance in three areas: 1. academic performance from all previous tertiary studies; 2. Law School Admission Test (LSAT) score and essay; and 3. a personal statement (up to 850 words). All applicants must also meet the English requirements of the University of Melbourne. Our careful and considered selection process seeks to build a diverse body of students who are not only academically talented, but who contribute to the vibrant intellectual community of Melbourne Law School.

Guaranteed entry
Melbourne Law School has a guaranteed entry policy for highachieving school leavers, allowing them to secure places in the JD provided they meet certain requirements. Guaranteed pathways are available for Commonwealth supported places, Australian fee places and international fee places.

Fees
The Melbourne JD is offered on a fee or Commonwealth Supported Place (CSP) basis. Australian citizens, permanent residents of Australia and citizens of New Zealand can be considered for CSP .

Scholarships and financial assistance

There are a number of options available to help Melbourne JD students finance their studies, including scholarships, financial aid programs and loan schemes such as FEE-HELP and HECS-HELP . Melbourne Law School offers a range of scholarships that recognise outstanding academic achievement and provide support to deserving students in financial need. Visit the JD website for a full list of scholarships open to JD students.

Gradute Access Melbourne

The University of Melbourne is committed to having a student body that is representative of the wider community. If you identify with one of the following groups you may be eligible to apply under our Graduate Access Melbourne Scheme. R  ecognition as an Indigenous Australian P  revious Status as Refugee or current holder of a Humanitarian Visa Rural or Isolated background D  isadvantaged socio-economic circumstances Disability or chronic illness Personal difficulties Please contact us for further information or visit our website.

I have always wanted to study law and the Melbourne JD has given me opportunities to explore various areas that I did not even contemplate prior to beginning the degree. Being quite commercially minded when I joined Melbourne Law School, I have been happily surprised by how much exposure I have had to other areas of legal practice, including advocacy, the opportunity to study international law overseas as well as the practical skills that I cannot wait to use when I graduate.
Lauren Mclnnes
Melbourne JD student

Thinking about studying law?

Melbourne Law School holds regular information sessions on the Melbourne JD throughout the year. You can also sample a typical law class, or find out more about career paths and opportunities for JD graduates. Sign up for Future Law to find out about special events, application information and key dates: www.futurelaw.unimelb.edu.au

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Contact us
For more information on the Melbourne JD, including how to apply, please visit www.law.unimelb.edu.au/jd
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