TC Beirne School of Law - University of Queensland

Undergraduate and
Postgraduate Programs
Bachelor of Laws
The TC Beirne School of Law offers one
undergraduate program, the Bachelor of
Laws, which can be taken as a single or
dual program.
The LLB provides an education in the law
that is distinguished by its rigour, depth
and conceptual sophistication. Students
gain a thorough understanding of the
concepts, principles, policies and values
of the law both in Australia and other
jurisdictions and develop outstanding
skills in critical analysis, thought and
argument.
In addition to the courses required
for professional admission, the LLB
offers a range of elective courses and
extra-curricular activities that provide
opportunities to put the knowledge
students have learned in the classroom
into a practical context and enhance
transferrable skills such as advocacy and
negotiation. These opportunities include:
Clinical Legal Education – Students
are given the opportunity to be involved
in pro bono work at a community legal
centre where they work on real legal
cases under the expert supervision of
a legal practitioner. Students learn how
to apply knowledge to real life situations
and learn important skills relating to the
practice of law while helping people who
would otherwise be unable to access legal
advice.
Mooting – The mooting courses give
students the opportunity to develop and
enhance skills in preparing and presenting
persuasive arguments while representing
the School in prestigious mooting
competitions.
Research Projects – A number of
elective courses allow students to
undertake an in-depth research project
under the supervision of an academic
staff member.
The LLB provides almost unlimited
opportunities for success in the
employment market: as a barrister
or solicitor in private practice, as a
prosecutor in the war on crime, as a
community lawyer helping the less
fortunate, as a legal officer in the public
service, as in-house counsel, or, when
combined with another degree, in any one
of a wide range of positions in many areas
such as accounting, education, foreign
affairs, industrial relations, management,
politics or taxation.
While the majority of students come
from Australia, this program also attracts
students from all regions of the world,
including Singapore, Malaysia, the United
States of America, Canada, Papua New
Guinea, the People’s Republic of China,
Germany and many more. As well as
fulfilling the academic requirements
for admission as a legal practitioner
throughout Australia, the LLB may also
be used by students from Singapore and
Malaysia to directly fulfill the academic
qualifications required for admission to the
legal profession in their home countries.
Website:
www.law.uq.edu.au/bachelor-of-laws
Dual Programs
The LLB can be combined with a range of
other degrees in a dual degree program.
Students enrolled in a dual program
undertake two degrees concurrently
over five and a half years. Dual program
students typically have a smaller number
of electives available and thus the dual
degree program can be completed in less
time than two separate degrees.
Combining the study of the law with
another discipline – anything from
business and economics, through
languages, music, political science,
history and journalism, to neuroscience
and zoology – opens up a wide range of
additional career possibilities.
During 2008 and 2009, the Bachelor of
Laws could be taken in the following dual
program combinations:
–
–
–
–
–
–
Bachelor of Arts / Bachelor of Laws
(BA/LLB)
Bachelor of Business Management /
Bachelor of Laws (BBusMan/LLB)
Bachelor of Commerce / Bachelor of
Laws (BCom/LLB)
Bachelor of Economics / Bachelor of
Laws (BEcon/LLB)
Bachelor of Journalism / Bachelor of
Laws (BJ/LLB)
Bachelor of Science / Bachelor of
Laws (BSci/LLB)
Postgraduate Programs for Law
Graduates
The TC Beirne School of Law offers two
programs, the Master of Laws (LLM) and
Master of Laws (Advanced) (LLM (Adv)), to
graduates of law.
Master of Laws (LLM)
This program is designed to enhance
the theoretical and practical expertise
of students and provide them with a
professional edge. Students will improve
their independent and critical thinking and
research skills.
The courses offered as part of the LLM
are predominantly driven by the needs
of contemporary legal practice. They
include courses in highly specialised areas
as well as more general areas where
the principles underpinning that area
are highly complex and require a depth
of understanding. In 2008 and 2009,
students could select courses from a wide
range of subject areas or choose to focus
their study in a specialist area such as
International Trade; Intellectual Property
Law; or Litigation and Dispute Resolution.
During 2008 and 2009, the School
welcomed numerous leading academic
and professional visitors. These visitors
were selected for their expertise and/or
established research profiles and
students were encouraged to take
advantage of their presence in the School
by enrolling in the courses they taught.
The majority of the 2008 and 2009
LLM courses were taught intensively,
either in blocks of four days or in two
blocks of two days to allow students to
accommodate study and the demands
of professional or other commitments.
Many courses had a strong international
emphasis and some were offered on
a semester-long basis to provide an
opportunity for international students to
experience the rich and culturally diverse
campus life.
Website:
www.law.uq.edu.au/master-of-laws
Applied Law Programs for Non-Law
Graduates
The School recognises that law is not just
for lawyers and offers a suite of programs
in applied law designed for non-law
graduates who would find some legal
background useful in their careers, or
who have a special interest in law but do
not seek admission to legal practice.
Applied law students typically come
from a diverse range of industries
and professions such as accounting,
education, engineering, foreign affairs,
industrial relations, management,
medicine, politics, taxation and insurance.
As well as receiving a stimulating and
practical introduction to basic legal
concepts, students enrolled in an applied
law program undertake elective courses
of special relevance to their professions
or occupations.
The following Applied Law programs were
offered by the School during 2008 and
2009:
Graduate Certificate in Applied Law
0.5 year full-time or part-time equivalent
Graduate Diploma in Applied Law
1 year full-time or part-time equivalent
Master of Applied Law
1.5 years full-time or part-time equivalent
Website:
www.law.uq.edu.au/applied-law
TEACHING AND
LEARNING
TC Beirne School of Law Biennial Report 2008-2009 | Page