Faculty of Law : Guide to courses
11. Planning your Bachelor of Laws (LLB) course

Search : Index : Faculty of Law
Prev 10. Careers for law graduates
Next 12. Planning your combined degree

11. Planning your Bachelor of Laws (LLB) course
    11.1. Changes to points
    11.2. Legal theory subjects
    11.3. LLB course objectives
    11.4. Study workload commitments
    11.5. The four-year LLB degree

11. Planning your Bachelor of Laws (LLB) course

The Faculty of Law offers students a wide range of law subjects. Students who enrol in an LLB course must complete the compulsory subjects and a specified number of optional subjects, including one legal theory subject. The subjects you choose depend on your own interests and on what you hope to do when you have completed your degree. If you want to become a legal practitioner, certain optional subjects must be chosen; otherwise you will not be eligible for admission to practise. The length of time it takes to complete a degree depends on the structure of the degree course. Basically, there are two courses leading to an LLB degree: the (five- or six-year) combined degree, and the four-year LLB degree.

A feature of the law course at Melbourne is the seminar format of teaching in first year subjects. Students are taught in small groups, which allows the maximum degree of student-teacher and student-student interaction.

11.1. Changes to points

The University has approved a change in the points structure for all degree courses to standardise workloads across faculties. From 1999 the standard year has been 100 points divided into semester units of 12.5 points. The following table indicates the sequence and points value of the compulsory subjects from 1999.

Table 16: Compulsory subjects

Sequence	Points
TPL I	12.5 points
TPL II	12.5 points
HPL I	12.5 points
HPL II	12.5 points
Criminal law and procedure I	12.5 points
Criminal law and procedure II	12.5 points
Contracts I	12.5 points
Contracts II	12.5 points
Constitutional and Administrative law	25 points
Property I: Concepts and Principles	12.5 points
Property II: Acquisition and Dealings	12.5 points
Equity and trusts	12.5 points

There will be no retrospective changes to points already earned for completed subjects prior to 1998. Please consult the Manager, Undergraduate Studies, if you have any queries about the sequence you should follow in 2005.

11.2. Legal theory subjects

To satisfy the requirements of the LLB degree, students must complete one 12.5 point approved legal theory subject. The approved legal theory subjects are available from the following web page:

http://www.law.unimelb.edu.au/ugrad/current.html#legaltheory.

11.3. LLB course objectives

This course has as its objectives that graduates:

understand, and can identify, use, and evaluate rules, concepts, and principles of law, their derivation, and the various theories that attempt to systematise them;
have acquired the techniques of legal reasoning and argument, in oral and written form;
understand the institutions of the law, and their social, economic and political context;
have learnt to find the law, to carry out independent research and analysis, and to think creatively about legal problems;
have a continuing interest in law and obtain satisfaction from its study and practice;
develop a critical interest in the reform of the law;
can appreciate the responsibilities of lawyers to the courts, the legal profession, the community and individuals within it; and
are committed to promote justice.

11.4. Study workload commitments

Students will be expected to undertake additional study (ie. outside the stated contact hours) of at least three hours for each hour of contact in all Faculty of Law subjects within their course.

11.5. The four-year LLB degree

If you do not wish to do a combined degree, you can enrol in a four-year LLB course. You will need to study the same compulsory and optional law subjects as in a combined degree. In addition to these law subjects, you must complete a specified number of approved non-law subjects which are not offered or administered by the Faculty of Law.

If you already have other tertiary qualifications or have completed at least one year of full-time tertiary studies you may complete the degree in three years. You are required to complete the same law subjects as in the four-year degree but you are not required to complete any non-law subjects.

Table 17: Standard course: four year LLB degree

Year	1	2	3	4
TPL I	12.5
TPL II	12.5
HPL I	12.5
HPL II	12.5
Non-law subjects	50	50
Criminal law and procedure I		12.5
Criminal law and procedure II		12.5
Contracts I		12.5
Contracts II		12.5
Constitutional and Administrative law			25
Property I: Concepts and Principles			12.5
Property II: Acquisition and Dealings			12.5
Equity and trusts				12.5
Law options			50	87.5
TOTAL	100	100	100	100