Administration and Forms

• Assessment
  
• Complementary Course Enrolments
  
• Course Material
  
• Course Objectives
  
• Course Planning
  
• Credit for Previous Study
  
• Fees
  
• Forms
  
• Graduation Requirements
  
• Honours LLB
  
• Leave of Absence
  
• Legal Theory Subjects
  
• Newsletters
  
• Non-English Speaking Background (NESB)
  
• Overloading and Workload Limits
  
• Part-Time Study
  
• Scholarships and Awards
  
• Stream Enrolments
  
• Student Computing
  
• Summer Semester
  
• Support Services
  
• Timetables
  
• University Handbook

 

Complementary Course Enrolments

Complementary course enrolments are available to students who are enrolled in a degree course at one university, who apply to enrol in specific subjects at another university, usually for the purposes of credit towards their degree.

Complementary course enrolments are available for both University of Melbourne students wishing to study specific subjects at another university and for students from other universities wishing to study specific subjects at the University of Melbourne.

There is a complementary course application form available from the Undergraduate Studies Office, Law School, or you may phone (03) 8344 4475 or email ugs@law.unimelb.edu.au to request an application form. Applications must be submitted prior to the commencement of the relevant semester.

Alternately, you can download an electronic version of this form, by selecting from the following:

• University of Melbourne LLB students wishing to study specific subjects at another university - download form(pdf format)
  
• Students from other universities wishing to study specific subjects at the University of Melbourne - download form (pdf format)

 

Contact Officers

In addition to the Academic Liaison Officers appointed by the Faculty of Law, there is a Mental Health and Disability Contact Officer located in the Undergraduate Studies Office. Students with concerns about mental health, or disability issues as they relate to enrolment and assessment in the undergraduate programme should contact the Undergraduate Studies Office on +61 3 8344 4475 and speak to a contact officer for advice and/or referral. Students with academic concerns should contact the Academic Disability Equal Opportunity Liaison Officer.

 

Course Material (Semester 1)

Printed course material will be available for sale from the Undergraduate Studies Office located on the Mezzanine Level, Melbourne Law School from Monday 21 February 2005. Materials can be purchased between 10:00am and 4:00pm Monday to Friday.

EFTPOS facilities available - Debit and Credit

Alternatively:

1. collect order forms from the Undergraduate Studies Office;
2. pay the amount indicated on the order forms at the National Australia Bank, Parkville campus only;
3. collect the printed material from the Undergraduate Studies Office upon presentation of the order forms receipt.

Course material is also available for student reference from the Legal Resource Centre.

International and Australian full fee, Exchange, Study Abroad and CAP students are not required to pay for course material.

 

Course Objectives

The Bachelor of Laws course aims to ensure 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.

 

Credit for Previous Study

Credit for studies already completed at tertiary level may only be granted if previous studies are comparable of content and equivalent in standard. The Law School may grant credit of up to 150 Law points for law studies completed at another tertiary institution (this is equivalent to half the required 300 law points). Specified credit is awarded for the completion of studies that are considered equivalent to a subject(s) offered by the Faculty. Unspecified credit is awarded, in certain circumstances only, for the completion of studies for which there is no specific equivalent subject offered by the Faculty. Credit may also be granted for any non-Law studies previously undertaken. A candidate for the degree of Bachelor of Laws who holds a degree from a recognised tertiary institution, but not in the study of law may be exempted from the requirement of obtaining 100 non-law points. Details of the application procedure may be obtained from the Law Undergraduate Studies Office.

1. No candidate may in any year enrol in, or receive credit for any subjects, unless the proposed enrolment has been approved by the Faculty. Any subsequent alteration in  the enrolment during that year must also be approved by the Faculty. Credit will not usually be granted for any complete or incomplete studies undertaken 10 or more years prior to admission to the degree.
   
   
2. The subject Torts and Process of Law and the subjects History and Philosophy of Law I and II are prerequisites for all law subjects. In the case of those students who are permitted to take the subjects 730-260 Criminal Law and Procedure and, 730-301 Constitutional and Administrative Law in first year, the first mentioned subjects are co-requisites.
   
   
3. The Faculty shall not approve the enrolment of a candidate in any subject which is, in the opinion of the Faculty, substantially similar to another subject for which the  candidate has been granted credit.
   
   
4. A person who has been a candidate for the Degree of Bachelor of Laws and
   (a) has been absent for a continuous period of not less than five years; or
   (b) has been suspended from the course and has not been re-admitted within a period of five years from that suspension; shall not retain credit for any subject of the course, unless the Faculty decides otherwise.
   
   
5. (i) The faculty may, in accordance with the powers granted by Statute 11 of the University, grant such credit as it thinks fit to a candidate who enrols in the course for the Degree of Bachelor of Laws and who has passed subjects in another institution which in the opinion of the faculty, are equivalent to subjects prescribed in the course for the Degree of Bachelor of Laws; provided that no candidate may be granted credit for more than 150 law points in an LLB course; and provided that credit transfers shall be granted in accordance with the guidelines approved by the faculty from time to time for that purpose.
   
   (ii) Students undertaking any concurrent Diploma will not be granted credit towards the 100 points non-Law component of the degree of Bachelor of Laws.
   
   (iii) Any LLB student who participates in an approved exchange program, and successfully completes subjects offered as part of the exchange institution's LLB curriculum, will be given appropriate credit towards his/her University of Melbourne LLB degree.

 

Leave of Absence (LOA)

Leave of Absence application forms are available from the Undergraduate Studies Office or an electronic version.

The Faculty has resolved that:

1. From 2001, Leave of Absence should not be granted for a total of more than one year (two semesters) during the enrolment of a student for the LL.B. A further two semesters of leave may be approved in extenuating circumstances;
2. No more than one year of deferment before the initial enrolment for first year studies should be permitted;
3. Deferral before initial enrolment should count as Leave of Absence for the purpose of computation of two semesters;
4. Leave of absence should not be given to a student for the current year after a date to be fixed in each year;

unless the most compelling and unusual circumstances are demonstrated to the satisfaction of the Faculty.

 

Legal Theory Subjects

Students completing the degree from 1999 onwards must take a 12.5 point subject selected from a group of legal theory subjects prescribed from time to time by the faculty. 

The approved Legal Theory Subjects for 2005 are:

• 730-443 Advanced International Law
• 730-450 Australian Legal History
• 730-406 Children Rights and the Law
• 730-359 Commercial Law in Asia
• 730-440 Comparative Constitutional Law
• 730-426 Corporate Governance in the Modern Company
• 730-316 Current Issues in Family Law
• 730-445 Environmental Law
• 730-211 European Civil Law and Impact of the EU
• 730-369 Feminist Legal Theory
• 730-386 Health and Medical Law
• 730-350 Human Rights Law
• 730-394 Indigenous People, History and the Law
• 730-307 International Law
• 730-331 Issues in Chinese Law
• 730-327 Issues in Japanese Law
• 730-315 Jurisprudence
• 730-428 Land, Race and Law in South East Asia
• 730-360 Law and Civil Society in Asia
• 730-461 Law and Economics
• 730-391 Law and Indigenous Societies in Australia
• 730-207 Law and Sexuality
• 730-352 Law and Society in China
• 730-358 Law and Society in South East Asia
• 730-405 Regulating Unions and Industrial Action
• 730-435 Special Topics in Intellectual Property

Non-English Speaking Background (NESB)

The Academic Board of the University has determined that the University Statutes do not support the granting of Special Consideration to candidates who are judged to be disadvantaged in their academic studies because of insufficient competence in English arising from their non-English-speaking background.  As a result, the Law School is not able to grant Special Consideration in the form of extra reading time in examinations to such students.

Although Special Consideration in the above circumstances is not possible, the Law School has resolved that, when marking any component of assessment, examiners may make due allowance in the case of a candidate whose native language is not English.  Students who fall into this category and who would like examiners to be notified of the fact should complete the online notification form which is available at: http://www.law.unimelb.edu.au/ugrad/nesb . 
Submissions must be made before the Census date of each semester.

Students in this category are urged to seek assessment at the English Language Testing Centre, and to enlist the support of the Faculty's Director of Language and Learning.

Students are also urged to contact the Language and Learning Skills Unit (LLSU). The LLSU offers students assistance with assignments or other written work. The LLSU is located at 723 Swanston Street, Carlton 3053. Telephone: +61 3 8344 0930 or visit their website at http://www.services.unimelb.edu.au/llsu/index.html

 

Part-Time Study

It is possible for LLB students to undertake their studies on a part-time basis. Because part-time students take longer to complete all the subjects required for admission to the degree, it can take a long time, especially in the case of combined degrees. Many part-time students endeavour to do at least one or two years of full-time study.

If you are contemplating part-time study, you should discuss your intended program with the Manager, Undergraduate Studies. Part-time students should be able to attend scheduled day-time classes as there are generally no evening classes. Although the Law School attempts to schedule classes conveniently, and will offer intensively taught subjects during January and February, it is not always possible to devise a timetable which suits individual part-time students.

 

Summer Semester

A number of subjects will be offered in January and February each year. These subjects are taught intensively over a one or two week period. Summer subjects may be taken as part of the LLB degree. It is strongly recommended that students have completed a minimum of the four compulsory subjects before undertaking summer subjects. Where the subjects are not taken as part of the LLB degree, a Community Access Program fee will be payable in respect of each subject taken.