Courses and programs offered
Bachelor of Laws (Undergraduate Entry) (LBL)
This four-year law course provides an accredited professional qualification in law, but also requires students to complete subjects in another non-law discipline of choice such as science, media studies or marketing, without having to complete a separate degree in that discipline. The program includes all the compulsory law subjects required by the Council of Legal Education for admission to practice in Victoria and a wide range of law electives. It is designed for school leavers and tertiary students who have not yet completed an undergraduate degree. Students may apply to transfer into a five-year combined degree at the end of their first year, should they wish to complete a second degree such as a Bachelor of Arts or a Bachelor of Science. For further information about core subjects and electives, please refer to the entry for the Bachelor of Laws (Graduate Entry) elsewhere in this handbook.
Admission requirements
Admission requirements are VCE units 3 and 4, and a study score of at least 35 in English (ESL) or 30 in any other English.
Degree requirements
Students admitted to the undergraduate degree of Bachelor of Laws must:
- complete a total of four years of full-time study or its equivalent
- complete in sequence the compulsory law subjects
- complete a minimum of 480 credit points (375 credit points in law and a minimum of 105 credit points in other non-law disciplines)
- complete a total of 22 subjects in law (15 compulsory subjects and 7 electives)
- complete no more than 135 credit points at first year level overall.
Course structure
First year
| Teaching period |
Subject title | Subject code | Credit points |
|---|---|---|---|
| TE-SEM-1 | Dispute Resolution | LAW1DR | 15 |
| TE-SEM-1 | Legal Institutions and Methods | LAW1LIM | 15 |
| TE-SEM-1 | Two first year non-law electives1, 2 | 30 | |
| TE-SEM-2 | Criminal Law | LAW2CRM | 20 |
| TE-SEM-2 | Principles of Public Law | LAW2PPL | 15 |
| TE-SEM-2 | Two first year non-law electives1, 2 | 30 |
Second year
| Teaching period |
Subject title | Subject code | Credit points |
|---|---|---|---|
| TE-SEM-1 | Law of Contracts | LAW2CNT | 20 |
| TE-SEM-1 | Law of Torts | LAW2TOR | 20 |
| TE-SEM-1 | One first, second or third year non-law elective1, 2 | 15–20 | |
| TE-SEM-2 | Commercial and Consumer Contracts | LAW2CCC | 15 |
| TE-SEM-2 | Constitutional Law | LAW2CNL | 20 |
| TE-SEM-2 | One law elective | 15 | |
| TE-SEM-2 | One first, second or third year non-law elective1, 2 | 15–20 |
Third year
| Teaching period |
Subject title | Subject code | Credit points |
|---|---|---|---|
| TE-SEM-1 | Criminal Procedure and Evidence | LAW3CPE | 20 |
| TE-SEM-1 | Two law electives | 30 | |
| TE-SEM-1 | One non-law elective (only required if non-law elective credit points still total fewer than 105) 1, 2 | 15–20 | |
| TE-SEM-2 | Civil Procedure | LAW3CIV | 15 |
| TE-SEM-2 | Property Law | LAW3PRP | 20 |
| TE-SEM-2 | One law elective | 15 |
Fourth year
| Teaching period |
Subject title | Subject code | Credit points |
|---|---|---|---|
| TE-SEM-1 | Corporations Law | LAW4COR | 20 |
| TE-SEM-1 | Law of Equity and Trusts | LAW3EQT | 20 |
| TE-SEM-1 | One law elective | 15 | |
| TE-SEM-2 | Administrative Law | LAW3ADM | 20 |
| TE-SEM-2 | Legal Practice and Conduct | LAW4LPC | 15 |
| TE-SEM-2 | Two law electives | 30 |
Key: 1 Students may take non-law subjects from any other area offered by the university, subject to the approval of the School of Law and the other area concerned. As non-law subjects vary in credit-point value, the number of subjects undertaken will vary. For example, if undertaking all 15-credit point subjects, an additional subject in third year may be required to bring the total non-law studies to 105 credit points. Where possible, students are encouraged to take a sequence in one discipline. Students should also note that they can enrol in French or German as a non-law subject within the four-year law degree, but should they later transfer into a Bachelor of Laws/Bachelor of Arts degree, they will not receive advanced standing for this as neither French nor German are a permitted discipline in the latter degree.
2 Students who have transferred into the Bachelor of Laws after at least a year of prior tertiary study at an accredited institution should apply for advanced standing for these non-law electives at the start of teaching period 1.
Compulsory and Elective Law Subjects
For lists of compulsory and elective law subjects, refer to lists under Bachelor of Laws Graduate Entry (LBLG).
Honours
High achieving students may apply to undertake Honours in the law program in the final year of their law studies. Normally a grade of B average over two full-time years of law study is required. Students must complete a 10,000-word thesis (which takes the place of two law electives) on a topic to be approved by the Director of Honours Research and Graduate Studies. Honours comprises a research component and a compulsory research seminar. The compulsory research seminar is conducted throughout the year. Students must attend at least six of the sessions and are required to present a paper on their individual research project.
Those students undertaking a double degree will also need to refer to the other School’s entry in the Handbook for information on Honours.
Profession recognition
All La Trobe University Law courses include the subjects required by the Victorian Council of Legal Education to qualify for admission to legal practice. Admission to practice as a barrister and solicitor of the Supreme Court of Victoria usually requires the completion of a traineeship (formerly referred to as articles of clerkship) or an approved practical legal training course (for example, the Leo Cussen Institute or the College of Law Victoria).
Those students undertaking a double degree will also need to refer to the other School’s entry in the Handbook for information on accreditation.