Sub sections:
Information from the Law Course Coordinator
Information from the Law Course Coordinator
The Law Course Coordinator is responsible for making various decisions under the rules that govern the following courses:
- Bachelor of Laws 3 Years
- Bachelor of Laws 4 Years
- Bachelor of Laws component of the combined degree programs (requests relating to the non-law component of a combined degree must be sent to the degree coordinator for that degree, eg the coordinator of the Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Commerce etc.)
- Graduate Diploma of Legal Studies
- Master of Laws (LLM) by Coursework, the coursework component of the LLM by Research or the coursework component of the Doctor of Judicial Science (SJD).
In applying the degree rules, the course coordinator is required to makes decisions regarding:
- Advanced standing for UNE's LLB
- Advanced standing for UNE's LLM
- Permission to over-enrol
- Permission to enrol elsewhere in a unit
- Waiver of prerequisites
- Permission to have concurrent enrolment the ANU Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice
- Permission to enrol in a unit that has been failed twice.
The administration of the rules governing the courses is managed by the Student Centre. Enquiries about the course rules and applications for a determination by the Course Coordinator should be made through AskUNE.
Appeals against decisions of the course coordinator should be made in accordance with the Student Appeals Policy.
Courses and units of study
The Law Course Coordinator also offers academic advice in relation to courses.
For information on courses, see the Law Handbook. For up-to-date information, see the Courses and Units Catalogue and enter 'Law' into he search tool. The Courses and Units Catalogue outlines course rules and course plans.
To browse for units in a course, click browse all in the Courses and Units Catalogue. Undergraduate law units have the prefix LS. Master of Law units have the prefix LLM. To obtain information about a particular unit, use the 'Quick Search' tool.
Prospective students wishing to discuss a course should first contact the Future Students team. The team will refer any enquiries that require academic input to the course coordinator.
Some information on the law course for prospective external students
The university has an extensive list of exam centres around Australia and overseas for students who do not live in Armidale.
Intensive schools are offered at the law school for students studying externally but attendance is optional. LS480 requires students to participate in a moot, but if a student is unable to come to Armidale or a capital city where a moot is taking place—they regularly take place in Sydney and Melbourne—it is acceptable to employ video-conference facilities.
The Law School has decided to suspend its JD course. This suspension (and likely removal) only applies to students intending to enrol in the course: students currently enrolled will not be affected.
The Australian Qualifications Framework rules introduced by the government last year raises doubts about the current state of JDs offered in Australia. The rules suggest that there must be a significantly greater differentiation between the LLB and JD than has existed. The JD will be expected to be substantially more challenging. As yet, the precise nature of the differentiation and its impact upon students taking this degree are uncertain. In this climate, the Law School has decided to suspend intake into this degree.
We view our LLB as a course which offers a significant challenge to both graduate and undergraduate students, with ample opportunity for students to distinguish themselves through the grades they achieve and to stretch themselves through the material and assessments tasks provided. Prospective students can contact the Law course coordinator if they wish to discuss this further.
Our LLB offers students a well-rounded professionally accredited degrees that satisfy diverse aspirations including, and going beyond, traditional legal practice. We seek to provide our students with a strong grounding in doctrinal law and also the broader contexts which inform law. We also aim to develop the students' generic skills that are essential for the diversity of law-related jobs that our graduates undertake, and also legal skills such as legal research, drafting and mooting.
Thus, the degree commences with two introductory units, Introduction to Legal Systems and Law in Context, before moving to major private-law subjects such as Contracts and Torts. A solid foundation in these important areas is provided by having two units on each of these subjects. Students also cover major public-law subjects, such as Criminal, Constitutional and Administrative Law. In the final year, students undertake a unit in Jurisprudence, which is concerned with the philosophy of law, and a unit, 'Advanced Research, Writing and Advocacy', which develops practical skills such as drafting and mooting. Students also undertake electives in their final year.
After a completion of a law degree, students wishing to practise in Australia must also undertake Practical Legal Training (PLT) after completing their degree. For a list of PLT providers, see the Council of Australian Law Deans' guide to Australia's law schools. You will also find there a guide to PLT programs.