Program

Juris Doctor - 9150

Program Summary

Faculty: Faculty of Law

Contact: www.law.unsw.edu.au

Campus: Sydney

Career: Postgraduate

Typical Duration: 3 Years

Typical UOC Per Semester: 24

Min UOC Per Semester: 6

Max UOC Per Semester: 30

Min UOC For Award: 144

Award(s):

Juris Doctor

Information valid for students commencing 2013.
Students who commenced prior to 2013 should go to the Handbook's Previous Editions

Program Description

The JD is a postgraduate level law degree that is recognised for the purpose of admission to practise law. A 144 unit of credit program, it may be taken on a full-time or part-time basis. It is made up of 96 units of credit of compulsory courses, 6 units of credit of prescribed electives and 42 units of credit of free electives. The compulsory courses and prescribed electives cover the areas of study prescribed by the Legal Profession Admission Board (NSW) for recognition of the degree for professional practice.

1. Duration/Award:

The program is a three-year full-time program leading to the award of Juris Doctor (JD).

2. Entry Requirement:

The program is available to graduates or graduands of another Faculty of UNSW or another approved university. Applicants who hold only postgraduate qualifications are welcome to apply for entry to this program but must indicate this by writing to the Faculty of Law directly for consideration as well as following the usual application procedures. For Australian citizens, permanent residents and New Zealand citizens, applications for the UNSW JD are online through the Universities Admissions Centre (UAC). Go to www.uac.edu.au and click on “UAC Postgraduate”.

3. Attendance Requirement:

This program is offered on a flexible basis. Students may choose to progress in one of 3 modes: 1) accelerated, namely in 2.5 or even 2 years fulll-time; in normal mode: full-time for 3 years; and 3) part-time: between 3 and 8 years. Students may elect to move between the different modes in the course of their program.

Program Objectives and Graduate Attributes

Students will acquire a sound knowledge base in the discipline of Law due to their completion of a sequence of core courses and a wide range of elective courses.

Program Structure

Total Unit Requirements
  • Law compulsory courses - 96 UOC
  • Prescribed elective course - 6 UOC
  • Free elective courses - 42 UOC
Total 144 UOC
Approved Sequence

There is no assumed knowledge requirement for entry to Faculty of Law courses but students must study law courses in an approved sequence. An approved sequence can be found here:

Plan for Juris Doctor 9150

Other sequences may be approved in special circumstances.

Juris Doctor students who have completed five semesters (or 120uoc) of study may be eligible to undertake a full academic year at the University of Oxford completing the degree requirements of Oxford’s Bachelor of Civil Law or a Masters in Law and Finance. Following successful completion of these degree requirements at Oxford, the student will be eligible to receive the Juris Doctor degree without further study at UNSW.

Honours

Rules for the award of Honours in the Juris Doctor

Award of Honours
The Juris Doctor (JD) will be awarded with the following levels of Honours:

Honours Class 1

Honours Class 2, Division 1

Honours Class 2, Division 2

To be awarded Honours in Law, students are not required to complete an additional year. Honours in Law is based on academic excellence throughout the degree. There are three criteria relevant for awarding Honours:
  1. the Honours Weighted Average Mark (WAM);
  2. satisfactory performance in written research; and
  3. not been found guilty of plagiarism or serious misconduct.
For more information, please visit the Honours page on the Faculty of Law website.

Academic Rules

Rules Relating to the Juris Doctor Program

1. No person shall be permitted to enrol in any program in the Faculty of Law at the same time as he or she is enrolled for any other degree or diploma in the University or elsewhere, except with the approval of the Faculty.

2. Where, in these Rules, reference is made to the requirement that a candidate shall complete a program, the requirement shall be construed as meaning that the candidate shall:

(1) attend such lectures, seminars, tutorials or other classes, and such court sessions, offices or institutions as may be prescribed in that program, and maintain a satisfactory standard of preparation for and participation in such classes and activities;

(2) perform satisfactorily in such exercises, essays, theses and other work (whether written, oral or practical) as may be prescribed in that program and undertake any prescribed reading related to that program; and

(3) attain a satisfactory standard in the examination or examinations, and such other means of assessment of a candidate's results in that program as the Faculty may prescribe.

3. The Faculty of Law shall specify a number of units of credit in respect of each Law course for which credit is given in the award of the Juris Doctor degree. On completion of the course, a candidate shall be credited with the specified number of points.

4. (1) In the case of the Bachelor of Laws degree program credit shall be given for the courses set out in the following table, each of which shall, unless otherwise determined by the Faculty, carry the number of units of credit (if any) specified.

Compulsory Courses
  • JURD7121 Crime and the Criminal Process (6 UOC)
  • JURD7122 Criminal Laws (6 UOC)
  • JURD7152 Introducing Law and Justice (6 UOC)
  • JURD7161 Torts (6 UOC)
  • JURD7150 Principles of Private Law (6 UOC)
  • JURD7175 Contracts (6 UOC)
  • JURD7283 Land Law (6 UOC)
  • JURD7285 Equity and Trusts (6 UOC)
  • JURD7141 Principles of Public Law(6 UOC)
  • JURD7250 Federal Constitutional Law (6 UOC)
  • JURD7160 Administrative Law (6 UOC)
  • JURD7271 Resolving Civil Disputes (6 UOC)
  • JURD7251 Court Process, Evidence and Proof (6 UOC)
  • JURD7224 Business Associations (6 UOC)
  • JURD7130 Lawyers, Ethics and Justice (6 UOC)
  • JURD7270 Law in the Global Context (6 UOC)
Total 96 UOC
Prescribed Elective Courses (Total units - 6 UOC)
One of the following:
  • JURD7236 Theories of Law and Justice;or
  • JURD7223 Legal Theory; or
  • JURD7222 Law and Social Theory
Free Elective Courses

Approximately 25-30 electives are made available each session. The number of students that may take an elective may be limited. Please refer to the section 'Elective Courses' below.

JD students who commence their studies in Session 1, 2013 will have to complete 72UOC in Law courses in order to be eligible to enrol in Elective courses except for those Elective courses which have other academic requirements. Information on pre-requisite requirement can be found on the online handbook.

5. (1) A candidate for the award of the degree of Juris Doctor shall complete:

(a) all of the courses prescribed in under the heading 'Compulsory Courses', totalling 96 units of credit;

(b) one of the selected courses from the courses prescribed under the heading 'Prescribed Elective Courses';

(c) such Legal Research and Writing Programs, Prescribed Readings in Law, Moot Court Work and other work as the Faculty may require; and

(d) such Elective Courses to the extent necessary to bring his or her total units of credit for Compulsory and Elective Law Courses to a total of 144 UOC.

(2) All students must complete a capstone experience that provides a synthesis of their prior learning and experience in subject areas required for practice as a lawyer and prepares them for ongoing growth as professionals and further intellectual development. This requirement will be met by completion of a Prescribed Elective in legal theory or by completion of internships, clinics or other experiential learning activities for which JD UOC are awarded.


6. (1) Total Units of Credit: A candidate for the award of the degree of Juris Doctor shall complete Elective Courses prescribed in Rule 4 to the extent necessary to bring his or her total units of credit for Compulsory and Elective Law Courses to a total of 144 UOC (Core: 96 UOC; Electives: 48 UOC)

(2) Approval: A candidate's choice of Elective Courses shall require the approval of the Faculty.


7. Faculty: In these Rules, unless the contrary is indicated, 'the Faculty' means the Faculty of Law.

Fees

For information regarding fees for UNSW programs, please refer to the following website:  https://my.unsw.edu.au/student/fees/FeesMainPage.html

Elective Courses

and any other courses specified by the Faculty.

Fees

For information regarding fees for UNSW programs, please refer to the following website: https://my.unsw.edu.au/student/fees/FeesMainPage.html

Area(s) of Specialisation