Law

Studying law at La Trobe University

The law program at La Trobe University's Melbourne (Bundoora) campus began in 1992 with a strong commitment to social justice and interdisciplinary enquiry. Initially Victoria's first Graduate-only intake, the School of Law subsequently opened its doors to school leavers, but still has a significant graduate intake, whose professional and life experience contribute to a rich and diverse teaching and learning environment. Since 2004, students have also been able to undertake the first two years of their studies at La Trobe's Bendigo campus before transferring to our Melbourne (Bundoora) campus.

Today, the School of Law has approximately 1200 students and offers a wide range of innovative undergraduate and post-graduate programs including two single degrees and nine double degrees, all of which lead to admission to practice. With a strong justice and global business law focus, and numerous experiential and international learning opportunities, including an annual study tour to Shanghai and winter school in Hong Kong or Geneva, our undergraduate programs prepare graduates for employment in a global legal economy; and provide students with strong practical, analytical and research skills. Assisted by a dedicated Careers and Placement officer, our graduates are well represented in both the public and private sector including top-tier law firms, the Bar, government and corporate bodies, legal aid and other organisations promoting access to justice.

The School has a strong teaching focus with a dedicated Director of Teaching and Learning and a commitment to small group teaching with tutorials or seminars in both compulsory and electives subjects; and a varied range of assessment designed to enhance collaborative problem solving and communication skills. Bendigo students enjoy small group teaching in all their classes and can participate in a unique clinical legal education program, Rural and Regional Issues in Justice, during their time there.

The School's Law Students' Association has five portfolios including Activities, Careers and Competitions and offers a mentoring program for first year students. 

Bachelor of Laws

The School offers a 3-year Graduate Entry program, a 4-year Undergraduate Law program and nine 5-year double degrees in law at its Melbourne (Bundoora) campus. Three degrees are also offered at our Bendigo campus (Law/Arts, Law/Business and Law/Science) but students transfer to Melbourne (Bundoora) after two years where they complete the remainder of the course.

All Bachelor of Laws degrees comprise fifteen compulsory units and seven elective units. The compulsory units include those units required by the Council of Legal Education (CLE) for admission to practice in Victoria (the CLE requirements), as well as two introductory units, Legal Institutions and Methods and Dispute Resolution. New law students who commence mid-year take Introduction to Australian Law. All our core units are stand-alone semester length units with either 3 or 4 contact hours per week and weekly or fortnightly tutorials or seminars.

The first year program introduces students to the legal system in Australia including court and parliamentary systems, access to justice, and principles of public law. We are the only law school in Victoria to offer Dispute Resolution as a core first year, first semester stand-alone unit. Students acquire basic lawyering skills such as case analysis, statutory interpretation and problem solving together with a general introduction to the theoretical and practical aspects of dispute resolution.

Later year core and elective units build on these skills and enable students to pursue areas of interest and acquire  hands-on, practical legal experience. We have a unique Communication and Advocacy unit, which prepares students for court appearance work, and a judicial mentoring program which enables students to "shadow" a Family Court Judge or a Magistrate over a semester. We also have four different clinical legal education programs where students work under supervision in a legal environment and receive academic credit. A number of our units such as Criminal Procedure and Evidence and Income Taxation Law also have compulsory moots as part of their assessment and advanced electives in Mediation and Negotiation include simulated role plays. The choice of electives is diverse and includes commercial and corporate law, criminal law and criminal justice, and international and comparative law. Subject to application, later year students can also access up to four electives from our innovative Master of Laws in Global Business Law and Public Interest Law offerings which run in summer and winter school. By combining undergraduate law electives with units from our post-graduate offerings, students can develop an area of specialisation such as Australian and international taxation law or Australian and European Labour Law.

Bachelor of Laws (Graduate Entry)

The Graduate Entry program is an accelerated 3-year program containing only law units. Full-time students complete 3-4 units each semester. But many students in this program are working full-time and studying on a part-time basis. Opportunities to fast-track completion exist through summer and winter electives taught in five-day intensive mode. Lectures in core units are normally recorded and available on-line through the University's Learning Management System.

Bachelor of Laws (Undergraduate Entry)

The 4 year undergraduate law degree includes a year of non law units, which can be taken from most disciplines within the university (subject to approval). Students can transfer from the single law degree into one of our double degrees at any time during their law studies.

Double Degrees

The School offers nine different double degrees: Law/Accounting, Law/Arts, Law/Business, Law/Economics, Law/Finance, Law/International Relations, Law/Media studies, Law/Psychological Science and Law/Science. Students graduate with two separate degrees. With the correct choice of units, Bendigo students can transfer into a different program at the Melbourne (Bundoora) campus such as Law/Accounting or Law/Psychological Science. Those who transfer into a double degree from a single non-law degree combine first year studies in law with later year studies in their non-law discipline.

Career Opportunities

Graduates can practise law as a barrister or solicitor or use their legal skills in other areas including politics, business, or government service. Admission to practice normally requires the completion of a supervised workplace traineeship (formerly referred to as articles of clerkship) or a practical legal training course such as that conducted by the Leo Cussen Institute or the College of Law Victoria. Once admitted in Victoria, graduates can practise in other Australian jurisdictions without further training. Joining the Victorian Bar normally requires the completion of a Bar Readers course and a period of pupillage with a member of the Bar.

Course information

All these courses are available at the Melbourne (Bundoora) campus.

Law/Arts, Law/Business and Law/Science are also available at our Bendigo campus (years 1 and 2 only).

Double degrees

How to apply

Local students (other than current La Trobe students) apply to this course through VTAC. Current La Trobe students can apply for an internal transfer. Mid-Year Entry is by direct application to the Faculty of Law and Management (LLB Graduate Entry and existing law students only).

Information for international students

The following section helps assist international applicants in locating the course information and required application procedures.

Bachelor of Laws - International prospectus

Bachelor of Laws brochure [PDF 1.5MB]

International student course information

Double degrees

International student application information

International students should visit our international students' page for conditions of entry, eligibility and fee information.