Melbourne Experience

Melbourne Law

Living in Melbourne!

Entry to the Law School for 2008 and Beyond

Useful Links

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Melbourne Law

Law was first taught at the University of Melbourne in 1857 and the first Bachelor of Laws (LLB) was awarded by the University in 1865. The Melbourne Law School was later established in 1873, continuing its tradition of being the first institution in Australia to teach law. Today the Law School combines a history of excellence developed over nearly 150 years, with innovative approaches to the challenges of legal education and research in the 21^st century.

Located in a modern building with state of the art technology for students and staff, the Law School has outstanding research facilities, including: a technologically advanced moot court; superb conference facilities; and purpose-built teaching spaces. The Law Library, located at the heart of the building, contains one of Victoria’s largest legal libraries, with a historically rich collection of law books and journals, as well as the advanced networking facilities required for legal research today.

The true strength of the Melbourne Law School, however, lies with the quality of its student body and alumni. Many students of outstanding ability are attracted to study Law at Melbourne, with approximately 2,000 undergraduate students undertaking their studies at any one time. Melbourne LLB graduates include three Australian prime ministers and two governors-general. Outstanding students in turn attract outstanding lecturers, with many Law School academics recognised nationally and internationally in their specific areas of expertise.

• Established in 1853, the University of Melbourne is Australia’s second oldest university and one of Australia’s premier research and teaching institutions,
• A recently published survey by the Social Science Research Network ranks the Melbourne Law School as clearly first in Australia and number 29 in the world. The survey measures the amount of data downloaded from academics at each university as a proxy for research impact. The Social Science Research Network ranks Melbourne as the best law school outside North America, significantly ahead of Cambridge (34), University College London (40), the University of Sydney (98) and Oxford (105).
• The Philip C Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition, co-sponsored by the International Law Students Association and the American Society of International Law, is an annual event involving law students from some 300 law schools in 50 countries throughout the world. Having won 3 championships, the Melbourne Law School is distinguished as one of the few Universities in the world to achieve multiple victories, alongside the National University of Singapore (3 time winners), and following closely behind the University of Texas (4 time winners). Students in the competition are required to work as a team to prepare written and oral pleadings involving a hypothetical case brought before the International Court of Justice. Teams are judged on the way they argue and present points of law.
• The Melbourne Scholarships Program is Australia's largest and most innovative program offering more than 800 new scholarships every year to undergraduate and postgraduate students from Australia and overseas. This enables the University to attract the most outstanding and motivated students from Australia and around the world.
• University of Melbourne graduates enjoy excellent career outcomes, Alumni hold prominent positions in business, government, science and the arts, both in Australia and around the world. University of Melbourne degrees are highly valued by employers. International employers visit the University annually to recruit outstanding graduates for their companies.

 

Living in Melbourne!

Studying in Melbourne is not just an educational choice, it's a lifestyle choice.

The Law School is located at the University's main Parkville campus, which is set on 22.5 hectares in the cosmopolitan inner-city suburb of Carlton, renowned for its many shops, restaurants, clubs, bars, and cafes. The campus is like a self-contained village which is a short tram ride or a 15-minute walk from the city centre.

Melbourne is Australia's most cosmopolitan city noted for its diversity, vitality, and sophistication. Melbourne is the second largest city in Australia and is home to nearly 3.5 million people drawn from over 110 nations. As a student of Melbourne Law School, you can expect to mix with highly motivated students who come from diverse social and cultural backgrounds.

The city of Melbourne enjoys a temperate climate not given to extremes and has one of the lowest rainfalls of an Australian capital city. It is renowned for its culture, festivals, shopping, parks, wide boulevards and sporting events, all of which have made it one of the world's most liveable cities.

Melbourne is a safe, clean, friendly city. It was recognised by the World Health Organisation in 2002 as a 'Safe Community', one of only three capital cities worldwide to achieve such an honour.

Melbourne always has something to entertain and its people are passionately devoted to the arts and sport. It is a sophisticated city that is home to superb theatre, opera, ballet and concerts. Lovers of art will also enjoy the numerous galleries, museums and cultural festivals that Melbourne has to offer.

Melbourne is a microcosm of international cuisine and its more than 3,000 restaurants prepare traditional and exotic dishes from around the world. After you finish eating, there are plenty of places to go for entertainment and nightlife. The city and its suburbs are well serviced by an extensive transport network of affordable trains, trams, buses and taxis.

Melbourne enjoys a well-deserved reputation as a sport loving city that hosts the Grand Final of the Australian Rules Football competition, one of the world's most famous horse races, the Melbourne Cup, the annual Australian Open tennis tournament and the Formula One Grand Prix.

Melbourne and country Victoria offer a breathtaking choice of places to see and visit, including beaches, rainforests, mountains, lakes, rugged coastline and rolling countryside. These scenic locations lie within an hour or so of Melbourne and can be easily reached by hiring a car or catching a train or bus. It's a great way to escape your studies for a short time.

The following web sites provide more information about living in Melbourne, forthcoming events and its many attractions:

• CitySearch
  Culture and lifestyle site, combining what's-on information and an online business directory.
• That’s Melbourne
  The latest on everything the City has to offer in dining, shopping, exploring the parks or checking out a new show.
• Visit Victoria
  The State Government tourism authority provides travel guides, events, maps, food and accommodation information for the state of Victoria and Melbourne.
• Melbourne City Council

Useful Links

• Housingand the cost of living
• Colleges and related accommodation options
• University Student Support Services
• Sport and Physical Recreation Service
• Student Union
• University Study Abroad Information
• Library
• Multimedia and Information Services
• Clubs
• Future Students Information (University of Melbourne)