Bachelor of Laws (Honours)

Transcription

1 Bachelor of Laws (Honours) Detailed Course Requirements The 2016 Monash University Handbook will be available from October This document contains interim 2016 course requirements information. Description Course outcomes Course requirements Bachelor of Laws (Honours) Detailed Course Requirements January 2015 v1.0 Page 1 of 5

2 Description A Monash law degree offers a realistic way to make a difference in the world. This straight-from-school law course will enable you to join the next generation of high achieving lawyers, with the ability to solve complex, demanding and interesting problems. Whatever the field of law international law, intellectual property, criminal law, human rights law, biotechnology law, tax or family law, lecturers at Monash will challenge you to develop career-ready skills in legal research, analysis and persuasive written and oral communication. Freshly redesigned to accommodate the needs of the legal profession, the Monash law degree reflects contemporary innovations in legal education. You will learn the key concepts, principles, procedures and methodologies underpinning the Australian legal system, and acquire advanced knowledge of the sources of law, the principal areas of law, and broader but related perspectives including legal ethics and justice. The study of law will enhance your research, analytical and communication skills within legal and related contexts, enabling you to develop a broad range of professional capabilities. Monash Law will offer you a wide range of options, including the choice of a double degree course. While a Bachelor of Laws is a fine start to your career, you can enhance your career options and professional expertise by combining it with another degree from a range of other disciplines including Arts, Biomedical Science, Commerce, Engineering, Music or Science. The combined degrees can be completed in two years less time than if they were undertaken separately. In the elective component of the law degree you can choose from a large number of specialist law units, to study overseas and to undertake work-based learning. You will have an opportunity to study at the Monash Prato Centre in Italy, our campus in Malaysia and leading partner universities overseas, exposing you to brilliant minds around the world and enhancing your global perspectives. You can also gain practical workbased experience through the legal clinical programs at our community Legal Service centres, and through internships, enabling you to understand how theory comes alive in practice. Graduates who are admitted to legal practice can work as independent barristers or as solicitors in small or large law firms. They can also provide legal advice within law reform agencies, government and nongovernment organisations and private corporations. A law degree is also an excellent preparation for diverse law-related careers within the judiciary, government, media, business, industry and politics. The Bachelor s degree is a pathway to post-graduate study at the Master's or Doctoral level. Indeed, high achieving students have the opportunity to choose one or two Master's units in their final year, creating an opportunity to complete a Master's degree in less than one year after graduation. The Bachelor of Laws (Honours) is recognised by the Council of Legal Education (CoLE) as satisfying the academic requirements for admission to practice in Victoria as an Australian lawyer. But no law degree will enable you to practise law immediately. To do so, you must complete additional practical training as an articled law clerk, or as a candidate for a Diploma in Legal Practice. For further information refer to the Faculty of Law's professional recognition of courses webpage. Course outcomes These course outcomes are aligned with the Australian Qualifications Framework level 8, the Bologna Cycle 1 and Monash Graduate Attributes. Upon successful completion of this course it is expected that graduates will be able to demonstrate: 1 Knowledge the fundamental areas of legal knowledge, the Australian legal system, and underlying principles and concepts, including international and comparative contexts the broader contexts within which legal issues arise the principles and values of justice and of ethical practice in lawyers roles Bachelor of Laws (Honours) Detailed Course Requirements January 2015 v1.0 Page 2 of 5

3 2 Ethics and professional responsibility an advanced understanding of approaches to ethical decision-making an ability to recognise and reflect upon ethical issues likely to arise in professional contexts and a developing ability to respond to them an ability to recognise and reflect upon the professional responsibilities of lawyers in promoting justice and in service to the community a developing ability to exercise professional judgement 3 Thinking Skills identify and articulate complex legal issues apply legal reasoning and research to generate appropriate responses to legal issues engage in critical analysis and make reasoned choices amongst alternatives demonstrate cognitive and creative skills in approaching legal issues and generating appropriate responses and developing new understandings 4 Research Skills the intellectual and practical skills needed to interpret legal conclusions and professional decisions, as well as to identify, research, evaluate and synthesise relevant factual, legal and policy issues 5 Communication and collaboration communicate in ways that are effective, appropriate and persuasive for legal and non-legal audiences, and collaborate effectively 6 Self-management learn and work with autonomy, accountability and professionalism and reflect on and assess their own capabilities and performance, and make use of feedback as appropriate to support personal and professional development. Admission to practice: Disciplinary reports Students should note that a domestic applicant applying for admission to practise law in Victoria is required by the Admission Rules 2008 to provide to the Board of Examiners: 1 a report from the University disclosing any disciplinary action taken against the student during the course (including any finding under the University Discipline Statute that the student has cheated in an assessment) 2 an affidavit stating that the applicant has made full written disclosure of 'every matter which a reasonable applicant would consider that the Board of Examiners might regard as not being favourable to the applicant'. This may include an incident of academic or general misconduct, even if it did not lead to disciplinary action. The Board of Examiners will consider these matters in assessing whether the applicant is a 'fit and proper person to be admitted to the legal profession'. Course requirements Students complete 204 points, comprising 102 points of core law units and 102 points of electives which may include up to 24 points of non-law units outside the Faculty of Law or the 48 points of non-law units required to be cross credited towards a double degree course. Knowledge is developed through four broad themes: A. Legal methodology and legal practice; B. Public law; C. Private law and D. Extending specialized knowledge and advanced skills. Units are clustered to reflect the main theme but most units also address the first theme, legal practice to some extent. The course progression map will assist you to plan course requirements to completion. Units are six credit points unless otherwise stated. Bachelor of Laws (Honours) Detailed Course Requirements January 2015 v1.0 Page 3 of 5

4 A. Legal methodology and legal practice (24 points) Students complete: LAW1111 Foundations of law LAW4303 Litigation and dispute resolution LAW4309 Lawyers' ethics in practice LAW4323 Evidence B. Public law (30 points) Students complete: LAW1112 Public law and statutory interpretation LAW1114 Criminal law 1 LAW2111 Constitutional law LAW4331 Administrative law LAW4332 Criminal law and procedure 2 B. Private law (48 points) LAW1113 Torts LAW2101 Contract A LAW2102 Contract B LAW2112 Property A LAW3111 Equity LAW3112 Corporations law LAW3402 Property B LAW4170 Trusts D. Extending expertise: specialist law electives (54, 78 or 102 points) Students complete between nine and seventeen units from the undergraduate law electives, which must include: one commercial law elective one research project unit Law units begin with the prefix LAW and suitable units can be identified using the browse units tool in the current edition of the Handbook. High achieving students have the opportunity of undertaking a maximum of two master's level electives, which can be counted towards a Master of Laws (LLM) degree if they wish to progress to LLM studies. E. Optional non-law study If you are completing the single degree course, you may wish to concentrate on your study of law, and take seventeen elective law units, adding either depth or breadth to your specialist knowledge. Alternatively, if you wish to undertake some non-law study, then you may take up to four non-law units (24 points) in which you are eligible to enrol. Four units is sufficient to complete a minor in a discipline outside law which would be listed on your transcript. When selecting units to comprise a minor you should refer to the lists of minors in the Arts, Science, Commerce, Business and Information Technology comprehensive courses. It is recommended that you seek advice from the student services staff of the faculty offering those units and minors. If you are completing a double degree course, eight units (48 points) required for the partner degree are credited as electives towards the Law degree. Credit for prior study If you have already successfully completed the equivalent of at least one year of full-time study at an approved university, you may be eligible for credit for your prior learning in the Bachelor of Laws, reducing your study time from the normal 4.25 years full-time study. With credit, you may be able to enter the first Bachelor of Laws (Honours) Detailed Course Requirements January 2015 v1.0 Page 4 of 5

5 year of law and be eligible for up to 36 credit points of credit. This means you may be able to complete the Bachelor of Law in just over three years of full-time study (or part-time equivalent). Bachelor of Laws (Honours) Detailed Course Requirements January 2015 v1.0 Page 5 of 5